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1 | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The Urban Weatherization Initiative (Public Act | ||||||
3 | 96-0037) is administered by the Office of Urban Assistance in | ||||||
4 | the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; | ||||||
5 | it is the first state-funded weatherization program in the | ||||||
6 | country; and | ||||||
7 | WHEREAS, The Urban Weatherization Initiative is comprised | ||||||
8 | of 3 main components: the Weatherization Specialist Training | ||||||
9 | Grant, in which grant organizations will provide trainees with | ||||||
10 | the skills they need to become weatherization specialists, | ||||||
11 | including addressing air infiltration issues and installing | ||||||
12 | pipe, duct, wall, and attic insulation; the Home Energy Auditor | ||||||
13 | Training Grant, in which organizations will provide home energy | ||||||
14 | auditor training and prepare trainees to become nationally | ||||||
15 | certified as Home Energy Auditors; and the Residential | ||||||
16 | Weatherization Program, which is designed to employ certified | ||||||
17 | trainees, weatherize homes, create energy savings, and | ||||||
18 | stimulate the local economy; and | ||||||
19 | WHEREAS, The Urban Weatherization Initiative was created | ||||||
20 | in order to: create jobs and increase skills and career | ||||||
21 | opportunities for the underemployed and unemployed; improve | ||||||
22 | energy efficiency and reduce energy costs in disadvantaged | ||||||
23 | communities; and stimulate local economies by purchasing |
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1 | supplies from local distributors and manufacturers; and | ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, The Urban Weatherization Initiative will assist | ||||||
3 | citizens in numerous urban communities in Alexander, Kane, | ||||||
4 | Lake, Macon, Peoria, St. Clair, Will, Cook, Kankakee, LaSalle, | ||||||
5 | Madison, Rock Island, Stephenson, and Winnebago Counties; and | ||||||
6 | WHEREAS, The 2016 State budget has included a total of $325 | ||||||
7 | million in appropriations for the Urban Weatherization | ||||||
8 | Initiative; and | ||||||
9 | WHEREAS, These appropriations include $75 million for | ||||||
10 | cultural site programs, $60 million for vocational learning | ||||||
11 | programs, $100 million for housing programs, $40 million in | ||||||
12 | youth development programs for libraries, park districts, and | ||||||
13 | schools, and $50 million for weatherization projects; and
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14 | WHEREAS, The Urban Weatherization Initiative is an | ||||||
15 | extremely important policy initiative for the State of | ||||||
16 | Illinois; the passage of the program's appropriations is | ||||||
17 | paramount to the growth and stability of our State's urban | ||||||
18 | areas; therefore, be it
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19 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
20 | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | ||||||
21 | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the Governor to approve |
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1 | the appropriations that will fund the Urban Weatherization | ||||||
2 | Initiative and to consider those appropriations as a priority | ||||||
3 | in the budget process; and be it further
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4 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
5 | delivered to the Governor.
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