98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
SB3521

 

Introduced 2/14/2014, by Sen. Mattie Hunter

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
525 ILCS 50/2  from Ch. 48, par. 2552
525 ILCS 50/4  from Ch. 48, par. 2554
525 ILCS 50/6  from Ch. 48, par. 2556
525 ILCS 50/8.5 new

    Amends the Illinois Veteran, Youth, and Young Adult Conservation Jobs Act. Creates the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps for the purpose of making grants to local sponsors to provide wages to young adults operating and instructing in conservation or recreational programs. Provides that local sponsors who can provide necessary facilities, materials, and management for summer conservation or recreational activities within the community may apply to the Department of Natural Resources for a grant under the Act for the purpose of hiring managing supervisors and eligible young adults for conservation or recreational programs. Provides that the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps shall be limited to citizens of this State who, at the time of enrollment, are unemployed, are 18 through 25 years of age, and who have skills that can be used in the summer conservation or recreational program. Provides that the Department shall adopt reasonable rules pertaining to the administration of the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps. Effective immediately.


LRB098 20270 MGM 55677 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3521LRB098 20270 MGM 55677 b

1    AN ACT concerning conservation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Veteran, Youth, and Young Adult
5Conservation Jobs Act is amended by changing Sections 2, 4, and
66 and by adding Section 8.5 as follows:
 
7    (525 ILCS 50/2)  (from Ch. 48, par. 2552)
8    Sec. 2. Declaration of Intent. The General Assembly finds
9that the level of unemployment among veterans, the youths of
10this State, particularly those age 14 through 18, and young
11adults, age 18 through 25, is unsatisfactory. This situation is
12not conducive to the development of veterans and the youth and
13young adults of Illinois as the future of the State. The
14General Assembly further finds that the availability of
15conservation and recreational programs for veterans, youth,
16and young adults in parks and recreational facilities and other
17lands operated by the State, by units of local government, and
18by local not-for-profit entities is severely limited. The
19General Assembly therefore creates the Illinois Veteran,
20Youth, and Young Adult Conservation Jobs Act to establish (a)
21the Illinois Veteran Conservation Corps and the Illinois Young
22Adult Conservation Corps to provide year-round employment for
23veterans and young adults of this State for the purpose of

 

 

SB3521- 2 -LRB098 20270 MGM 55677 b

1conservation, rehabilitation, protection and enhancement of
2the State's public land and (b) the Illinois Veteran Recreation
3Corps, and the Illinois Youth Recreation Corps, and the
4Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps to provide employment for
5the veterans, and youth, and young adults of this State for the
6purpose of administering and operating conservation or
7recreational programs operated by units of local government or
8local not-for-profit entities at conservation and open spaces,
9parks, or recreational facilities or other similar facilities
10or locations.
11(Source: P.A. 97-738, eff. 7-5-12.)
 
12    (525 ILCS 50/4)  (from Ch. 48, par. 2554)
13    Sec. 4. Definition of Terms. For the purposes of this Act:
14    (a) "Department" means the Department of Natural
15Resources.
16    (b) "Director" means the Director of Natural Resources.
17    (c) "Local sponsor" means any unit of local government or
18not-for-profit entity that can make available for a summer
19conservation or recreation program park lands, conservation or
20recreational lands or facilities, equipment, materials,
21administration, supervisory personnel, etc.
22    (d) "Managing supervisor" means an enrollee in the Illinois
23Veteran Recreation Corps, or the Illinois Youth Recreation
24Corps, or the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps who is
25selected by the local sponsor to supervise the activities of

 

 

SB3521- 3 -LRB098 20270 MGM 55677 b

1the veterans, or youth, or young adults employee enrollees
2working on the conservation or recreation project. A managing
3supervisor in the Illinois Youth Recreation Corps may be 19
4years of age or older.
5    (e) "Veteran" means an Illinois resident who has served or
6is currently serving as a member of the United States Armed
7Forces, a member of the Illinois National Guard, or a member of
8a Reserve Component of the United States Armed Forces.
9(Source: P.A. 97-738, eff. 7-5-12; 98-463, eff. 8-16-13.)
 
10    (525 ILCS 50/6)  (from Ch. 48, par. 2556)
11    Sec. 6. Funding. Funding for the Illinois Veteran, Youth,
12and Young Adult Conservation Jobs Act shall be from any State
13or federal funds or grants or other funding so received by the
14Department and any matching funds required by the Department
15from local sponsors that choose to participate in the Illinois
16Veteran Recreation Corps, or the Illinois Youth Recreation
17Corps, or the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps programs.
18(Source: P.A. 97-738, eff. 7-5-12.)
 
19    (525 ILCS 50/8.5 new)
20    Sec. 8.5. Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps.
21    (a) The Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps is
22established for the purpose of making grants to local sponsors
23to provide wages to young adults operating and instructing in
24conservation or recreational programs. The programs shall

 

 

SB3521- 4 -LRB098 20270 MGM 55677 b

1provide conservation or recreational opportunities and shall
2include, but are not limited to, the coordination and teaching
3of natural resource conservation and management, physical
4activities, or learning activities directly related to natural
5resource conservation management or recreation. The programs
6may charge user fees, but the fees shall be designed to promote
7as much community involvement as possible, as determined by the
8Department.
9    (b) Local sponsors who can provide necessary facilities,
10materials, and management for summer conservation or
11recreational activities within the community may apply to the
12Department for a grant under this Act for the purpose of hiring
13managing supervisors, as necessary, and eligible young adults
14for conservation or recreational programs. Applications shall
15be evaluated on the basis of program content, location, need,
16local commitment of resources, and consistency with the
17purposes of this Act.
18    (c) The Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps shall be
19limited to citizens of this State who, at the time of
20enrollment, are unemployed, are 18 through 25 years of age, and
21who have skills that can be used in the summer conservation or
22recreational program.
23    The ratio of young adult employee enrollees to managing
24supervisors shall not be less than 10 to 1 for any local
25sponsor with a total number of young adult employee enrollees
26of 10 or more. Any local sponsor program with a total number of

 

 

SB3521- 5 -LRB098 20270 MGM 55677 b

1young adult employee enrollees of less than 10 shall be limited
2to one managing supervisor. Young adults who are unemployed
3shall be given preference for employment as managing
4supervisors.
5    The local sponsors shall make public notification of the
6availability of jobs for eligible young adults in the Illinois
7Young Adult Recreation Corps by the means of newspapers,
8electronic media, educational facilities, units of local
9government, and Department of Employment Security offices.
10Application for employment shall be made directly to the local
11sponsor.
12    The Department shall adopt reasonable rules pertaining to
13the administration of the Illinois Young Adult Recreation
14Corps.
15    (d) The enrollment period for any successful applicant of
16the program shall not be longer than 12 months. Once enrolled
17in the program, each enrollee shall receive a reasonable wage
18as set by the Department and shall work hours as required by
19the conservation or recreation program as determined by the
20Department, except that an enrollee working as a managing
21supervisor shall receive a higher wage than an enrollee working
22in any other capacity on the conservation or recreation
23program. Enrollees shall be employees of the local sponsor and
24not contractual hires for the purpose of employment taxes,
25except that enrollees shall not be classified as employees of
26this State or the local sponsor for purposes of contributions

 

 

SB3521- 6 -LRB098 20270 MGM 55677 b

1to the State Employees' Retirement System of Illinois or any
2other public employee retirement system.
 
3    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
4becoming law.