Full Text of SB0121 098th General Assembly
SB0121enr 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | AN ACT concerning government.
| 2 | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | 3 | | represented in the General Assembly:
| 4 | | Section 5. The Illinois African-American Family Commission | 5 | | Act is amended by changing Sections 5, 15, 20, and 25 as | 6 | | follows: | 7 | | (20 ILCS 3903/5)
| 8 | | Sec. 5. Legislative findings. It is the policy of this | 9 | | State to promote family preservation and to preserve and | 10 | | strengthen families. | 11 | | (a) Over 12 million people live in Illinois. | 12 | | African-Americans represent 15% of the population and 26% of | 13 | | the residents living in Cook County. Despite some progress over | 14 | | the last few decades, African-Americans in Illinois continue to | 15 | | lag behind other racial groups relative to indicators of | 16 | | well-being in education, employment, income, and health. | 17 | | According to the 2000 U.S. Census, just 26% of the | 18 | | African-American population over 25 years of age in Illinois | 19 | | completed their high school education; 6% held an associate's | 20 | | degree; less than 10% (9%) held a bachelor's degree; less than | 21 | | 5% (3%) held a master's degree; and less than one percent held | 22 | | either a professional (.8%) or doctoral (.4%) degree.
| 23 | | These levels of education attainment reflect more |
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| 1 | | fundamental problems with retaining African-Americans in | 2 | | school. The Illinois State Board of Education reported that for | 3 | | the 2001-2002 school year, 36,373, or 6%, of students enrolled | 4 | | in public high schools dropped out. Thirty-nine percent of | 5 | | these students were African-Americans; 38% were White; 21% were | 6 | | Hispanic; and 2% were classified as Other.
| 7 | | Although African-Americans make up 18% of the high school | 8 | | population, they are disproportionately represented in the | 9 | | number of students who are suspended and expelled. In the | 10 | | 2001-2002 school year, 29,068 students were suspended from | 11 | | school. Forty-seven percent were White, 37% were | 12 | | African-American, 14% were Hispanic, and 1% were classified as | 13 | | Other. In regards to expulsions Statewide, the total number of | 14 | | high school students expelled was 1,651. Forty-three percent | 15 | | were African-American, 41% were White, 14% were Hispanic, and | 16 | | 2% were classified as Other. Within Chicago public schools, 448 | 17 | | students were expelled. Seventy-seven of these students were | 18 | | African-American; 27% were White; 14% were Hispanic; and 4% | 19 | | were classified as Other. The fact that African-Americans are | 20 | | more likely to be suspended or expelled from school also | 21 | | contributes to the high dropout rate among African-American | 22 | | high school students.
| 23 | | In addition to educational challenges, African-Americans | 24 | | face challenges in the areas of employment and income. In the | 25 | | year 2000, the unemployment rate for African-Americans age 16 | 26 | | years or older was 15% compared to only 6% for the total |
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| 1 | | Illinois population. Moreover, the median household income of | 2 | | African-Americans in Illinois was $31,699 compared to $46,590 | 3 | | for the total Illinois population, and the percentage of | 4 | | African-American families below the poverty level in Illinois | 5 | | was 26% percent in 1999 compared to 10.7% for the total | 6 | | Illinois population in that same year.
| 7 | | Indicators of child welfare and criminal justice reveal | 8 | | still more challenges that African-American families face in | 9 | | Illinois. In 2000, African-American children represented 18% | 10 | | of children 18 years of age and under, but comprised 73% of | 11 | | children in substitute care. African-Americans are also | 12 | | overrepresented in the criminal justice population. Of the | 13 | | total Illinois adult inmate population in the year 2000, 65% | 14 | | were African-American. During this same time period, | 15 | | African-American youth represented 58% of the juvenile inmate | 16 | | population in Illinois.
| 17 | | While the leading causes of death among African-Americans | 18 | | are the same as those for the general population in Illinois, | 19 | | African-Americans have a higher rate of death per 100,000 | 20 | | residents. The rate of overall deaths per 100,000 residents | 21 | | among African-Americans in the year 2000 was 1,181; 847 for | 22 | | Whites; and 411 for those classified as Other. The rate of | 23 | | cancer-related deaths per 100,000 residents by racial or ethnic | 24 | | groups in 2000 was: 278 African-Americans; 206 Whites; and 110 | 25 | | of those classified as Other. The rate of diabetes-related | 26 | | deaths per 100,000 residents among African-Americans in 2000 |
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| 1 | | was 41 compared to 23 for Whites and 13 for those classified as | 2 | | Other. The rate of deaths per 100,000 residents by heart | 3 | | disease among African-Americans in 2000 was 352 compared
to 257 | 4 | | for Whites and 120 for those classified as Other. The rate of | 5 | | deaths per 100,000 residents by stroke among African-Americans | 6 | | in 2000 was 75; 60 for Whites; and 35 for those classified as | 7 | | Other.
| 8 | | African-Americans had higher rates of smoking and obesity | 9 | | than other racial groups in Illinois in 2001. African-Americans | 10 | | accounted for more of the new adult/adolescent AIDS cases, | 11 | | cumulative adult/adolescent AIDS cases, and number of people | 12 | | living with AIDS than other racial groups in Illinois in the | 13 | | year 2002. Still, 23% of uninsured persons in Illinois are | 14 | | African-American.
| 15 | | (b) The Illinois African-American Family Commission | 16 | | continues to be an essential key to promoting the preservation | 17 | | and strengthening of families. As of the effective date of this | 18 | | amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, just under 13 | 19 | | million people live in Illinois. African-Americans represent | 20 | | 15% of the population and 25% of the residents living in Cook | 21 | | County. Despite some progress over the last few decades, | 22 | | African-Americans in Illinois continue to lag behind other | 23 | | racial groups relative to indicators of well-being in | 24 | | education, employment, income, and health. According to the | 25 | | 2010 federal decennial census: just 28% of the African-American | 26 | | population over 25 years of age in Illinois completed their |
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| 1 | | high school education; 36% had some college or an associate's | 2 | | degree; less than 12% held a bachelor's degree; less than 8% | 3 | | held either a graduate or professional degree. | 4 | | These levels of education attainment reflect more | 5 | | fundamental problems with retaining African-Americans in | 6 | | school. The State Board of Education reported that for the | 7 | | 2010-2011 school year, 18,210, or 2.77%, of students enrolled | 8 | | in public high schools dropped out. 39.3% of these students | 9 | | were African-Americans; 32.6% were White; 24.2% were Hispanic; | 10 | | and 2% were classified as Other. | 11 | | Although African-Americans make up 20% of the high school | 12 | | population, they are disproportionately represented in the | 13 | | number of students who are suspended and expelled. In the | 14 | | 2011-2012 school year, 29,928 students were suspended from | 15 | | school. 36% were White, 34% were African-American, 26% were | 16 | | Hispanic, and 4% were classified as Other. With regard to | 17 | | expulsions statewide, the total number of high school students | 18 | | expelled was 982. 37% were African-American, 41% were White, | 19 | | 21% were Hispanic, and 2% were classified as Other. Within | 20 | | Chicago public schools, 294 students were expelled. 80% of | 21 | | these students were African-American; none were White; 17% were | 22 | | Hispanic; and 3% were classified as Other. The fact that | 23 | | African-Americans are more likely to be suspended or expelled | 24 | | from school also contributes to the high dropout rate among | 25 | | African-American high school students. | 26 | | In addition to educational challenges, African-Americans |
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| 1 | | face challenges in the areas of employment and income. In the | 2 | | year 2010, the unemployment rate for African-Americans age 16 | 3 | | years or older was 16% compared to only 9% for the total | 4 | | Illinois population. Moreover, the median household income of | 5 | | African-Americans in Illinois was $34,874 compared to $60,433 | 6 | | for the total Illinois population, and the percentage of | 7 | | African-American families below the poverty level in Illinois | 8 | | was 32% percent in 2012 compared to 15% for the total Illinois | 9 | | population in that same year. | 10 | | Indicators of child welfare and criminal justice reveal | 11 | | still more challenges that African-American families face in | 12 | | Illinois. In 2010, African-American children represented 14% | 13 | | of children 18 years of age and under, but comprised 56% of | 14 | | children in substitute care. African-Americans are also | 15 | | overrepresented in the criminal justice population. Of the | 16 | | total Illinois adult inmate population in the year 2012, 57% | 17 | | were African-American. During this same time period, | 18 | | African-American youth represented 66% of the juvenile inmate | 19 | | population in Illinois. | 20 | | While the leading causes of death among African-Americans | 21 | | are the same as those for the general population in Illinois, | 22 | | African-Americans have a higher rate of death per 100,000 | 23 | | residents. The rate of overall deaths per 100,000 residents | 24 | | among African-Americans in the year 2010 was 898; 741 for | 25 | | Whites; and 458 for those classified as Other. The rate of | 26 | | cancer-related deaths per 100,000 residents by racial or ethnic |
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| 1 | | groups in 2010 was 216 for African-Americans; 179 for Whites; | 2 | | and 124 for those classified as Other. The rate of | 3 | | diabetes-related deaths per 100,000 residents among | 4 | | African-Americans in 2010 was 114 compared to 66 for Whites and | 5 | | 75 for those classified as Other. The rate of deaths per | 6 | | 100,000 residents by heart disease among African-Americans in | 7 | | 2010 was 232 compared to 179 for Whites and 121 for those | 8 | | classified as Other. The rate of deaths per 100,000 residents | 9 | | by stroke among African-Americans in 2010 was 108; 73 for | 10 | | Whites; and 56 for those classified as Other. | 11 | | African-Americans had higher rates of smoking and obesity | 12 | | than other racial groups in Illinois in 2013. African-Americans | 13 | | accounted for more of the new adult/adolescent AIDS cases, | 14 | | cumulative adult/adolescent AIDS cases, and number of people | 15 | | living with AIDS than other racial groups in Illinois in the | 16 | | year 2013. Still, 24% of uninsured persons in Illinois are | 17 | | African-American. | 18 | | (c) These huge disparities in education, employment, | 19 | | income, child welfare, criminal justice, and health | 20 | | demonstrate the tremendous challenges facing the | 21 | | African-American family in Illinois. These challenges are | 22 | | severe. There is a need for government, child and family | 23 | | advocates, and other key stakeholders to create and implement | 24 | | public policies to address the health and social crises facing | 25 | | African-American families. The development of given solutions | 26 | | clearly transcends any one State agency and requires a |
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| 1 | | coordinated effort. The Illinois African-American Family | 2 | | Commission shall assist State agencies with this task.
| 3 | | The African-American Family Commission was created in | 4 | | October 1994 by Executive Order to assist the Illinois | 5 | | Department of Children and Family Services in developing and | 6 | | implementing programs and public policies that affect the | 7 | | State's child welfare system. The Commission has a proven track | 8 | | record of bringing State agencies, community providers, and | 9 | | consumers together to address child welfare issues. The ability | 10 | | of the Commission to address the above-mentioned health issues, | 11 | | community factors, and the personal well-being of | 12 | | African-American families and children has been limited due to | 13 | | the Executive Order's focus on child welfare. It is apparent | 14 | | that broader issues of health, mental health, criminal justice, | 15 | | education, and economic development also directly affect the | 16 | | health and well-being of African-American families and | 17 | | children. Accordingly, the role of the Illinois | 18 | | African-American Family Commission is hereby expanded to | 19 | | encompass working relationships with every department, agency, | 20 | | and commission within State government if any of its activities | 21 | | impact African-American children and families. The focus of the | 22 | | Commission is hereby restructured and shall exist by | 23 | | legislative mandate to engage State agencies in its efforts to | 24 | | preserve and strengthen African-American families.
| 25 | | (Source: P.A. 93-867, eff. 8-5-04.) |
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| 1 | | (20 ILCS 3903/15)
| 2 | | Sec. 15. Purpose and objectives.
| 3 | | (a) The purpose of the Illinois African-American Family | 4 | | Commission is to advise the Governor and General Assembly, as | 5 | | well as work directly with State agencies, to improve and | 6 | | expand existing policies, services, programs, and | 7 | | opportunities for African-American families. The Illinois | 8 | | African-American Family Commission shall guide the efforts of | 9 | | and collaborate with State agencies, including: the Department | 10 | | on Aging, the Department of Children and Family Services, the | 11 | | Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the | 12 | | Department of Corrections, the Department of Human Services, | 13 | | the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the | 14 | | Department of Public Health, the Department of Transportation, | 15 | | the Department of Employment Security, and others . This shall | 16 | | be achieved primarily by: to improve and expand existing human | 17 | | services and educational and community development programs | 18 | | for African-Americans. This will be achieved by:
| 19 | | (1) Monitoring and commenting on existing and proposed | 20 | | legislation and programs designed to address the needs of | 21 | | African-Americans in Illinois;
| 22 | | (2) Assisting State agencies in developing programs, | 23 | | services, public policies, and research strategies that | 24 | | will expand and enhance the social and economic well-being | 25 | | of African-American children and families; and
| 26 | | (3) Facilitating the participation of and |
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| 1 | | representation of African-Americans in the development, | 2 | | implementation, and planning of policies, programs, and | 3 | | community-based services ; and .
| 4 | | (4) Promoting research efforts to document the impact | 5 | | of policies and programs on African-American families. | 6 | | The work of the Illinois African-American Family | 7 | | Commission shall include the use of existing reports, research | 8 | | and planning efforts, procedures, and programs.
| 9 | | (Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.) | 10 | | (20 ILCS 3903/20)
| 11 | | Sec. 20. Appointment; terms. The Illinois African-American | 12 | | Family Commission shall be comprised of 15 members . | 13 | | For those seats on the Commission with terms that expire in | 14 | | 2015, and for subsequent appointments to those seats, the | 15 | | Governor, the President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of | 16 | | the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and | 17 | | the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives shall each | 18 | | appoint one member to the Commission. | 19 | | For those seats on the Commission with terms that expire in | 20 | | 2016, and for subsequent appointments to those seats, the | 21 | | Governor, the President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of | 22 | | the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and | 23 | | the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives shall each | 24 | | appoint one member to the Commission. | 25 | | For those seats on the Commission with terms that expire in |
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| 1 | | 2017, and for subsequent appointments to those seats, the | 2 | | Governor shall appoint 5 members to the Commission who shall be | 3 | | appointed by the Governor . | 4 | | Each member shall have a working knowledge of human | 5 | | services, community development, and economic public policies | 6 | | in Illinois. The Governor shall appoint the chairperson or | 7 | | chairpersons. | 8 | | The members shall reflect regional representation to | 9 | | ensure that the needs of African-American families and children | 10 | | throughout the State of Illinois are met. The members shall be | 11 | | selected from a variety of disciplines. They shall be | 12 | | representative of a partnership and collaborative effort | 13 | | between public and private agencies, the business sector, and | 14 | | community-based human services organizations.
| 15 | | Members shall serve 3-year terms, except in the case of | 16 | | initial appointments. One-third of initially appointed | 17 | | members, as determined by lot, shall be appointed to 1-year | 18 | | terms; 1/3 shall be appointed to 2-year terms; and 1/3 shall be | 19 | | appointed to 3-year terms, so that the terms are staggered. | 20 | | Members will serve without compensation, but shall be | 21 | | reimbursed for Commission-related expenses.
| 22 | | The Department on Aging, the Department of Children and | 23 | | Family Services, the Department of Commerce and Economic | 24 | | Opportunity, the Department of Corrections, the Department of | 25 | | Human Services, the Department of Healthcare and Family | 26 | | Services, the Department of Public Health, the State Board of |
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| 1 | | Education, the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois | 2 | | Community College Board, the Department of Human Rights, the | 3 | | Capital Development Board, the Department of Labor, and the | 4 | | Department of Transportation shall each appoint a liaison to | 5 | | serve ex-officio on the Commission. The Office of the Governor, | 6 | | in cooperation with the State agencies appointing liaisons to | 7 | | the Commission under this Section, shall provide | 8 | | administrative support to the Commission.
| 9 | | (Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.) | 10 | | (20 ILCS 3903/25)
| 11 | | Sec. 25. Funding. The African-American Family Commission | 12 | | may shall receive funding through appropriations available for | 13 | | its purposes made to the Department on Aging, the Department of | 14 | | Children and Family Services, the Department of Commerce and | 15 | | Economic Opportunity, the Department of Corrections, the | 16 | | Department of Human Services, the Department of Healthcare and | 17 | | Family Services (formerly Department of Public Aid) , the | 18 | | Department of Public Health, the State Board of Education, the | 19 | | Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community College | 20 | | Board, the Department of Human Rights, the Capital Development | 21 | | Board, the Department of Labor, and the Department of | 22 | | Transportation. The Commission may also receive and expend | 23 | | funding from federal and private sources, including gifts, | 24 | | donations, and private grants.
| 25 | | (Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)
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| 1 | | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January | 2 | | 1, 2015. |
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