Full Text of SB2906 99th General Assembly
SB2906 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016 SB2906 Introduced 2/18/2016, by Sen. Steve Stadelman SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: |
| 305 ILCS 5/9A-8 | from Ch. 23, par. 9A-8 |
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Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. In a provision concerning the development of an employability plan for recipients of public aid who participate in the Department of Human Services' education, training, and employment program, requires the employability plan to include a description of Core and Non-Core activities the recipient will undertake to achieve his or her employment goal. Requires the Department to define, by rule, the hour requirements regarding Core and Non-Core activities. Provides that Core activities shall consist of employment, participation in the Work First program, vocational training, participation in an associate or bachelor's degree program, and other activities. Provides that Non-Core activities shall consist of job skills training related to employment and education directly related to employment, including, but not limited to: adult basic education and English as a Second Language classes. Provides that high school and high school equivalency programs shall constitute a Core activity for clients when they initially qualify for assistance; however, the Department may define, by rule, when high school and high school equivalency programs may constitute a Non-Core activity for clients who may not finish programs within the time limits of their eligibility.
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| | | FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY | |
| | A BILL FOR |
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| 1 | | AN ACT concerning public aid.
| 2 | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
| 3 | | represented in the General Assembly:
| 4 | | Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by | 5 | | changing Section 9A-8 as follows:
| 6 | | (305 ILCS 5/9A-8) (from Ch. 23, par. 9A-8)
| 7 | | Sec. 9A-8. Operation of Program.
| 8 | | (a) At the time of application or redetermination of | 9 | | eligibility under
Article IV, as determined by rule, the | 10 | | Illinois Department shall provide
information in writing and | 11 | | orally regarding the education, training and
employment | 12 | | program to all applicants and recipients. The information
| 13 | | required shall be established by rule and shall include, but | 14 | | need not be
limited to:
| 15 | | (1) education (including literacy training), | 16 | | employment and training
opportunities available, the | 17 | | criteria for approval of those opportunities,
and the right | 18 | | to request changes in the personal responsibility and
| 19 | | services plan to include those opportunities;
| 20 | | (1.1) a complete list of all activities that are | 21 | | approvable activities, and
the circumstances under which | 22 | | they are
approvable, including work activities, substance | 23 | | abuse or mental health
treatment, activities to escape and |
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| 1 | | prevent domestic
violence, caring for a medically impaired | 2 | | family member, and any other
approvable activities, | 3 | | together with the right to and
procedures for amending the | 4 | | responsibility and services plan to include these
| 5 | | activities;
| 6 | | (1.2) the rules concerning the lifetime limit on | 7 | | eligibility, including
the current status of the applicant | 8 | | or recipient in
terms of the months of remaining | 9 | | eligibility, the criteria under which a month
will not | 10 | | count towards the lifetime limit, and the
criteria under | 11 | | which a recipient may receive benefits beyond the end of | 12 | | the
lifetime limit;
| 13 | | (2) supportive services including child care
and the | 14 | | rules regarding eligibility for and access to the child
| 15 | | care assistance program, transportation, initial expenses | 16 | | of employment, job
retention, books and fees, and any other | 17 | | supportive
services;
| 18 | | (3) the obligation of the Department to provide | 19 | | supportive services;
| 20 | | (4) the rights and responsibilities of participants, | 21 | | including
exemption, sanction, reconciliation, and good | 22 | | cause criteria and
procedures, termination for | 23 | | non-cooperation
and reinstatement rules and procedures, | 24 | | and appeal and grievance procedures;
and
| 25 | | (5) the types and locations of child care services.
| 26 | | (b) The Illinois
Department shall notify the recipient in |
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| 1 | | writing of the opportunity to
volunteer to participate in the | 2 | | program.
| 3 | | (c) (Blank).
| 4 | | (d) As part of the personal plan for achieving employment | 5 | | and
self-sufficiency, the Department shall conduct an | 6 | | individualized assessment
of
the
participant's employability. | 7 | | No participant may be assigned to any
component of the | 8 | | education, training and employment activity
prior to such
| 9 | | assessment. The plan shall
include collection of
information
on | 10 | | the individual's background, proficiencies, skills | 11 | | deficiencies,
education level, work history, employment goals, | 12 | | interests, aptitudes, and
employment preferences, as well as | 13 | | factors affecting employability or
ability to meet | 14 | | participation requirements (e.g., health, physical or
mental | 15 | | limitations, child care, family circumstances, domestic | 16 | | violence, sexual violence,
substance abuse, and special needs | 17 | | of any child of the individual). As part
of the plan,
| 18 | | individuals and Department staff shall work together to | 19 | | identify any
supportive service needs required to enable the | 20 | | client to participate and
meet the objectives of his or her | 21 | | employability plan. The
assessment may be conducted through | 22 | | various methods such as interviews,
testing, counseling, and | 23 | | self-assessment instruments. In the
assessment process, the | 24 | | Department shall offer to include standard
literacy testing
and | 25 | | a determination of
English language proficiency and shall | 26 | | provide it for those who accept the
offer.
Based on the |
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| 1 | | assessment,
the
individual will be assigned to the appropriate | 2 | | activity. The
decision will be based on a determination of the | 3 | | individual's level of
preparation for employment as defined by | 4 | | rule.
| 5 | | (e) Recipients determined to be exempt may volunteer to | 6 | | participate
pursuant to Section 9A-4 and must be assessed.
| 7 | | (f) As part of the personal plan for achieving employment | 8 | | and
self-sufficiency under Section 4-1, an employability plan | 9 | | for recipients
shall be
developed in
consultation with the | 10 | | participant. The Department shall have final
responsibility | 11 | | for approving the employability plan. The employability
plan | 12 | | shall:
| 13 | | (1) contain an employment goal of the participant;
| 14 | | (2) describe the services to be provided by the | 15 | | Department, including
child care and other support | 16 | | services;
| 17 | | (3) describe the activities, such as component | 18 | | assignment, that will be
undertaken by the participant to | 19 | | achieve the employment goal . This shall include Core and | 20 | | Non-Core activities. The Department shall define, by rule, | 21 | | the hour requirements regarding Core and Non-Core | 22 | | activities. Core activities shall consist of the following | 23 | | activities: | 24 | | (A) employment (subsidized or unsubsidized); | 25 | | (B) self-employment; | 26 | | (C) work experience; |
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| 1 | | (D) participation in the Work First program; | 2 | | (E) community service; | 3 | | (F) job search and job readiness; | 4 | | (G) vocational training; | 5 | | (H) enrollment in an associate or bachelor's | 6 | | degree program; and | 7 | | (I) enrollment in high school or in a high school | 8 | | equivalency program. | 9 | | Non-Core activities shall consist of the following | 10 | | activities: | 11 | | (i) job skills training related to employment; | 12 | | and | 13 | | (ii) education directly related to employment, | 14 | | including, but not limited to: adult basic | 15 | | education classes for clients who test below a 9th | 16 | | grade reading level or who need remedial education | 17 | | at the high school level or below to gain and | 18 | | maintain employment; and English as a Second | 19 | | Language classes. | 20 | | High school and high school equivalency programs shall | 21 | | constitute a Core activity for clients when they initially | 22 | | qualify for assistance. However, the Department may | 23 | | define, by rule, when high school and high school | 24 | | equivalency programs may constitute a Non-Core activity | 25 | | for clients who may not finish programs within the time | 26 | | limits of their eligibility ; and
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| 1 | | (4) describe any other needs of the family that might | 2 | | be met by
the Department.
| 3 | | (g) The employability plan shall take into account:
| 4 | | (1) available program resources;
| 5 | | (2) the participant's support service needs;
| 6 | | (3) the participant's skills level and aptitudes;
| 7 | | (4) local employment opportunities; and
| 8 | | (5) the preferences of the
participant.
| 9 | | (h) A reassessment shall be conducted to assess a | 10 | | participant's
progress and to review the employability plan on | 11 | | the following occasions:
| 12 | | (1) upon completion of an activity and before
| 13 | | assignment to an activity;
| 14 | | (2) upon the request of the participant;
| 15 | | (3) if the individual is not cooperating with the | 16 | | requirements of
the program; and
| 17 | | (4) if the individual has failed to make satisfactory | 18 | | progress in an
education or training program.
| 19 | | Based on the reassessment, the Department may revise the | 20 | | employability
plan of the participant.
| 21 | | (Source: P.A. 96-866, eff. 7-1-10 .)
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