Full Text of HB0255 103rd General Assembly
HB0255enr 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | | | HB0255 Enrolled | | LRB103 03779 RJT 48785 b |
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| 1 | | AN ACT concerning conservation. | 2 | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | 3 | | represented in the General Assembly: | 4 | | Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Youth | 5 | | and Young Adult Conservation Education Act. | 6 | | Section 5. Declaration of intent. The General Assembly | 7 | | finds that youth, representing all segments of society, | 8 | | benefit from education and employment in the healthful outdoor | 9 | | atmosphere of the State's park systems, recreational | 10 | | facilities, and other public land and water areas and, through | 11 | | those education and employment opportunities, will develop, | 12 | | enhance, and maintain the natural resources of the State of | 13 | | Illinois while gaining an understanding and appreciation of | 14 | | the State's environment and heritage. The General Assembly, | 15 | | therefore, creates this Act to establish the Youth and Young | 16 | | Adult Conservation and Education Pilot Program to provide | 17 | | education and employment opportunities for the youth and young | 18 | | adults of this State to further the development and | 19 | | maintenance of the natural resources by Illinois' youth and, | 20 | | in so doing, to prepare them for the responsibility of | 21 | | maintaining and managing these resources. | 22 | | Section 10. Definitions. |
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| 1 | | As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise | 2 | | requires: | 3 | | "Department" means the Department of Natural Resources. | 4 | | "Program" means the Youth and Young Adult Conservation and | 5 | | Education Pilot Program created by this Act. | 6 | | Section 15. Cooperation. The Department shall have the | 7 | | full cooperation of the Illinois State Board of Education, the | 8 | | Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Illinois | 9 | | State Job Coordinating Council created by the Federal Job | 10 | | Training Partnership Act (Public Law 97-300), and the | 11 | | Department of Employment Security in carrying out the purposes | 12 | | of this Act. | 13 | | Section 20. Funding. Funding for the Program shall be from | 14 | | any State or federal funds or grants or other funding received | 15 | | by the Department. The Program is subject to appropriation by | 16 | | the General Assembly. | 17 | | Section 25. Youth and Young Adult Conservation and | 18 | | Education Pilot Program. | 19 | | (a) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall | 20 | | administer the Program. The Program may consist of any of the | 21 | | following: | 22 | | (1) allocation of grants to units of local government | 23 | | or non-profit entities to provide conservation education |
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| 1 | | and employment opportunities for youth and young adults of | 2 | | this State; | 3 | | (2) development and implementation of conservation | 4 | | education or job training programs; and | 5 | | (3) internship opportunities with the Department for | 6 | | youth and young adults of this State. | 7 | | (b) The Program's education and employment opportunities | 8 | | shall be limited to citizens of this State who at the time of | 9 | | enrollment in the Program are 15 through 25 years of age. | 10 | | Grants under this Act are limited to units of local government | 11 | | and non-profit entities that are located in the State of | 12 | | Illinois and that provide conservation education and | 13 | | employment opportunities for youth and young adults of this | 14 | | State. | 15 | | (c) The Department shall designate suitable grant | 16 | | opportunities, projects, internships, and educational | 17 | | curriculum for the purposes of this Act. | 18 | | Grants, projects, internships, and curriculum so | 19 | | designated by the Department shall be for the purpose of: (1) | 20 | | development, enhancement, and maintenance of the natural | 21 | | resources of the State of Illinois, and offering related | 22 | | educational opportunities; (2) environmental stewardship and | 23 | | civic responsibility; (3) enhancement of public lands owned or | 24 | | leased by the Department or developing and enhancing projects | 25 | | or initiatives undertaken in whole or part by the Department; | 26 | | or (4) any combination of the purposes described in items (1) |
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| 1 | | through (3). Such projects, internships and curriculum shall | 2 | | include improving the habitat of fauna and flora; improving | 3 | | utilization of conservation or recreation facilities and lands | 4 | | by the public; improving water quality; and any other project | 5 | | deemed by the Department to improve the environmental, | 6 | | economic, and recreational quality of the State's natural | 7 | | resources. | 8 | | All projects and internships designated by the Department | 9 | | shall be within a reasonable commuting time for each | 10 | | participant. In no circumstance shall interns be required to | 11 | | spend more than 1 1/2 hours of commuting time to a project or a | 12 | | designated area, but an intern may agree to spend more than 1 | 13 | | 1/2 hours of commuting time to a project or a designated area. | 14 | | (c) Interns shall receive at least the standard minimum | 15 | | wage as set by the State of Illinois, when applicable, and | 16 | | shall work normal working hours as determined by the | 17 | | Department. The interns shall not be classified as employees | 18 | | of the State for purposes of contributions to the State | 19 | | Employees' Retirement System of Illinois or any other public | 20 | | employment retirement system of the State. | 21 | | (d) The Department may enter into contracts, | 22 | | intergovernmental agreements, grants, cooperative agreements, | 23 | | memoranda of understanding, or other instruments as necessary | 24 | | to implement the Program. | 25 | | (e) The Department shall adopt administrative rules | 26 | | pertaining to implementation, standards, criteria, and |
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| 1 | | administration of the Program. | 2 | | Section 90. Repeal. This Act is repealed on June 30, 2029. |
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