Sen. Michael W. Frerichs

Filed: 3/7/2008

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 2074

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 2074 by replacing
3 everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4     "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5 Commission on the Elimination of Poverty Act.
 
6     Section 5. Legislative Findings. It is the goal of the
7 State of Illinois that all people be free from poverty.
8     Freedom from poverty is a human right. The preamble to the
9 Constitution of the State of Illinois states that the
10 elimination of poverty and inequality are among the core goals
11 of our State government. The Illinois Human Rights Act states
12 that the public policy of the State of Illinois is "to promote
13 the public health, welfare and safety by protecting the
14 interest of all people in Illinois in maintaining personal
15 dignity, in realizing their full productive capacities, and in
16 furthering their interests, rights and privileges as citizens

 

 

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1 of this State". The State of Illinois is a party to all
2 international human rights treaties signed and ratified by the
3 United States.
4     Illinois is one of the wealthiest states in the United
5 States, yet it has one of the highest rates of poverty and
6 extreme poverty in the Midwest. The poverty level in 2007 was
7 $20,620 or less per year for a family of 4 and $10,310 or less
8 per year for a family of 4 in extreme poverty. In 2006 just
9 under 1,400,000 people residing in Illinois were living in
10 poverty and over 687,000 people residing in Illinois were
11 living in extreme poverty. There are people living in extreme
12 poverty in every Illinois county.
13     Full participation in civic life cannot be achieved without
14 those things that protect and preserve human dignity and make
15 for a healthy life, including adequate nutrition and housing,
16 meaningful work, safe communities, health care, and education.
17     Illinois has no comprehensive plan for the elimination of
18 extreme poverty.
 
19     Section 10. Commission on the Elimination of Poverty. The
20 Commission on the Elimination of Poverty is created. The
21 purpose of the Commission is to comprehensively address poverty
22 in Illinois consistent with international human rights
23 standards. The initial goal of the Commission is to develop a
24 poverty elimination strategic plan to reduce extreme poverty in
25 Illinois by 50% or more by 2015. In developing the overall

 

 

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1 strategic plan, and in working toward the goal of reducing
2 extreme poverty in Illinois by at least 50% by 2015, the
3 Commission shall address, at a minimum, all of the following:
4     (1) Access to safe, decent and affordable housing.
5     (2) Access to adequate food and nutrition.
6     (3) Access to affordable and quality health care.
7     (4) Equal access to quality education and training.
8     (5) Dependable and affordable transportation.
9     (6) Access to quality and affordable child care.
10     (7) Opportunities to engage in meaningful and sustainable
11 work that pays a living wage.
12     (8) The availability of adequate income supports.
13     The strategic plan shall include specific policy and fiscal
14 recommendations and a timeline for each stage of implementation
15 for each recommendation. For each recommendation, the
16 Commission shall identify in measurable terms the actual or
17 potential impact. The Commission may review and may make
18 comments and recommendations on existing or proposed programs,
19 policies, administrative rules, and statutes that have an
20 impact on poverty in Illinois and, in particular, people living
21 in extreme poverty.
 
22     Section 15. Members; terms. The Commission on the
23 Elimination of Poverty shall be composed of no more than 26
24 voting members including 2 members of the Illinois House of
25 Representatives, one appointed by the Speaker of the House and

 

 

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1 one appointed by the House Minority Leader; 2 members of the
2 Illinois Senate, one appointed by the Senate President and one
3 appointed by the Senate Minority Leader; one representative of
4 the Office of the Governor appointed by the Governor; one
5 representative of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor
6 appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; and 20 public members, 4
7 of whom shall be appointed by the Governor, 4 of whom shall be
8 appointed by the Speaker of the House, 4 of whom shall be
9 appointed by the House Minority Leader, 4 of whom shall be
10 appointed by the Senate President, and 4 of whom shall be
11 appointed by the Senate Minority Leader. It shall be determined
12 by lot who will appoint which public members of the Commission.
13 The public members shall include a representative of a
14 service-based human rights organization; 2 representatives
15 from anti-poverty organizations, including one that focuses on
16 rural poverty; 2 individuals who have experienced extreme
17 poverty; a representative of an organization that advocates for
18 health care access, affordability and availability; a
19 representative of an organization that advocates for persons
20 with mental illness; a representative of an organization that
21 advocates for children and youth; a representative of an
22 organization that advocates for quality and equality in
23 education; a representative of an organization that advocates
24 for people who are homeless; a representative of a statewide
25 anti-hunger organization; a person with a disability; a
26 representative of an organization that advocates for persons

 

 

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1 with disabilities; a representative of an organization that
2 advocates for immigrants; a representative of a statewide
3 faith-based organization that provides direct social services
4 in Illinois; a representative of an organization that advocates
5 for economic security for women; a representative of an
6 organization that advocates for older adults; a representative
7 of a labor organization that represents primarily low and
8 middle-income wage earners; a representative of a municipal or
9 county government; and a representative of township
10 government. The appointed members shall reflect the racial,
11 gender, and geographic diversity of the State and shall include
12 representation from regions of the State experiencing the
13 highest rates of extreme poverty.
14     The following officials shall serve as ex-officio members:
15 the Secretary of Human Services or his or her designee; the
16 Director of Corrections or his or her designee; the Director of
17 Healthcare and Family Services or his or her designee; the
18 Director of Human Rights or his or her designee; the Director
19 of Children and Family Services or his or her designee; the
20 Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity or his or her
21 designee; the State Superintendent of Education or his or her
22 designee; the Director of Aging or his or her designee; the
23 Director of Public Health or his or her designee; and the
24 Director of Employment Security or his or her designee. The
25 State Workforce Investment Board, the African-American Family
26 Commission, and the Latino Family Commission shall each

 

 

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1 designate a liaison to serve ex-officio on the Commission.
2     Members shall serve without compensation, but, subject to
3 the availability of funds, public members may be reimbursed for
4 reasonable and necessary travel expenses connected to
5 Commission business.
6     Commission members shall be appointed within 60 days after
7 the effective date of this Act. The Commission shall hold its
8 initial meeting within 30 days after at least 50% of the voting
9 members have been appointed.
10     The representative of the Office of the Governor and the
11 representative of a service-based human rights organization
12 shall serve as co-chairs of the Commission.
13     At the first meeting of the Commission, the members shall
14 select a 7-person Steering Committee that includes the
15 co-chairs.
16     The Commission may establish committees that address
17 specific issues or populations and may appoint individuals with
18 relevant expertise who are not appointed members of the
19 Commission to serve on committees as needed.
20     Under the leadership of the Office of the Governor, the
21 Department of Human Services shall provide administrative
22 support to the Commission.
 
23     Section 20. Meetings; reports. The full Commission shall
24 meet at least annually. The Steering Committee shall meet at
25 least quarterly. In addition, it may hold up to 4 public

 

 

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1 hearings to assist in the development of the strategic plan.
2 The Commission shall also consider written comments for the
3 purpose of developing the strategic plan.
4     The Commission shall issue an interim report on its
5 activities and recommendations to the constitutional officers
6 and to the General Assembly on or before March 1, 2009. The
7 strategic plan shall be adopted by the Commission not later
8 than January 1, 2010 and sent to the constitutional officers
9 and to the General Assembly. Following the adoption of the
10 strategic plan, the Commission shall continue to meet and issue
11 annual reports by March 1st of each year on the implementation
12 of the strategic plan.
13     The Commission shall hold at least one public hearing prior
14 to the issuance of each annual report.
 
15     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
16 becoming law.".