97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5701

 

Introduced 2/16/2012, by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the People with Disabilities Act. Provides that the Act concerns people with disabilities as to: delivery of State services; State employment; State agencies' goals; and a People with Disabilities State Employment Plan. Provides that "disability" has the same meaning as in the Illinois Human Rights Act (determinable physical or mental characteristic of a person). Provides that the Department of Central Management Services shall: develop and implement plans to increase the number of people with disabilities employed by the State; prepare a People with Disabilities State Employment Plan; annually report to the General Assembly State agency activities under the Plan; and assist State agencies with training programs. Provides that each State agency shall implement the Plan and provide a Plan report annually to the Department. Creates the People with Disabilities State Employment Plan Advisory Council with 11 members (each a subject matter expert on people with disabilities), appointed by the Governor, who shall serve without compensation, but be reimbursed for reasonable expenses from appropriated funds. Includes other provisions. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the People
5with Disabilities Act.
 
6    Section 5. Purposes. The purposes of this Act are as
7follows:
8    (a) improve the delivery of State services to Illinois'
9people with disabilities by increasing the number of people
10with disabilities who are State employees and the number of
11people with disabilities who are State employees serving in
12supervisory, technical, professional, and managerial
13positions;
14    (b) identify State agencies' staffing needs and
15qualification requirements;
16    (c) track hiring practices and promotions of people with
17disabilities who are employed by State agencies;
18    (d) increase the number of people with disabilities
19employed by State agencies;
20    (e) increase the number of people with disabilities who are
21State employees who are promoted;
22    (f) increase the number of people with disabilities who are
23veterans hired by State agencies;

 

 

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1    (g) assist State agencies to meet their goals established
2pursuant to the People with Disabilities State Employment Plan;
3and
4    (h) establish the People with Disabilities State
5Employment Plan Advisory Council.
 
6    Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
7    "Department" means the Department of Central Management
8Services.
9    "Disability" has the meaning given to that term in Section
101-103 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.
11    "State agency" or "agency", whether used in the singular or
12plural, means all departments, officers, commissions, boards,
13institutions, and bodies politic and corporate of the State.
14The term, however, does not mean the judicial branch,
15including, without limitation, the several courts of the State,
16the offices of the clerk of the supreme court and the clerks of
17the appellate court, and the Administrative Office of the
18Illinois Courts, nor does it mean the legislature or its
19committees or commissions.
 
20    Section 15. People with Disabilities State Employment
21Plan.
22    (a) The Department shall have a full-time position
23designated as the People with Disabilities State Employment
24Coordinator to monitor compliance with the People with

 

 

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1Disabilities State Employment Plan.
2    (b) The Department shall develop and implement plans to
3increase the number of people with disabilities employed by
4State agencies and the number of people with disabilities
5employed by State agencies at supervisory, technical,
6professional, and managerial levels.
7    (c) The Department shall prepare and revise annually a
8People with Disabilities State Employment Plan in consultation
9with individuals and organizations knowledgeable on this
10subject and with the People with Disabilities State Employment
11Plan Advisory Council. The Department shall report to the
12General Assembly by February 1 of each year, beginning with
13February 1, 2013, each State agency's activities that implement
14the People with Disabilities State Employment Plan.
 
15    Section 20. State agency affirmative action and equal
16employment opportunity goals.
17    (a) Each State agency shall implement strategies and
18programs in accordance with the People with Disabilities State
19Employment Plan to increase people with disabilities employed
20by that State agency and the number of disability community
21members employed by that State agency at supervisory,
22technical, professional, and managerial levels.
23    (b) Each State agency shall report annually to the
24Department and the Department of Human Rights, in a format
25prescribed by the Department, all of the agency's activities in

 

 

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1implementing the People with Disabilities State Employment
2Plan. Each agency's annual report shall include reports or
3information related to the agency's community employment
4strategies and programs that the agency has received from the
5Department, the Department of Human Rights, or the Auditor
6General, pursuant to their periodic review responsibilities;
7findings made by the Governor in his or her report to the
8General Assembly; assessments of service needs based upon the
9agency's service populations; information on the agency's
10studies and monitoring success concerning the number of
11disability community members employed by the agency at the
12supervisory, technical, professional, and managerial levels
13and any increases in those categories from the prior year; and
14information concerning the agency's disability community
15employment budget allocations.
16    (c) The Department shall assist State agencies establish
17programs to meet goals established pursuant to the People With
18Disabilities State Employment Plan. The Department shall
19survey State agencies to identify effective existing training
20programs and shall serve as a resource to other State agencies.
21The Department shall assist agencies in the development and
22modification of training programs to enable them to meet their
23employment goals and shall provide information regarding other
24existing training and educational resources, such as the Upward
25Mobility Program, the Illinois Institute for Training and
26Development, the Central Management Services Training Center,

 

 

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1Executive Recruitment Internships, and Graduate Public Service
2Internships.
 
3    Section 25. People with Disabilities State Employment Plan
4Advisory Council.
5    (a) The People with Disabilities State Employment Plan
6Advisory Council is created, consisting of 11 members, each of
7whom shall be a subject matter expert on people with
8disabilities, appointed by the Governor.
9    (b) All members of the People with Disabilities State
10Employment Plan Advisory Council shall serve without
11compensation, but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and
12necessary expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose.
13    (c) The People with Disabilities State Employment Plan
14Advisory Council shall examine: (1) the prevalence and impact
15of people with disabilities employed by State government; (2)
16the barriers faced by people with disabilities who seek
17employment or promotional opportunities in State government;
18and (3) possible incentives that could be offered to foster the
19employment of and the promotion of people with disabilities in
20State government.
21    (d) The Council shall meet quarterly to provide
22consultation to State agencies and the People with Disabilities
23State Employment Coordinator.
24    (e) The People with Disabilities State Employment Plan
25Advisory Council shall receive administrative support from the

 

 

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1Department of Central Management Services and shall issue an
2annual report of its activities each year on or before December
31, beginning with December 1, 2013.
 
4    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
5becoming law.