Full Text of HB1575 94th General Assembly
HB1575enr 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| AN ACT concerning agriculture.
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| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | 3 |
| represented in the General Assembly:
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| Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | 5 |
| Illinois
AgrAbility Act.
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| Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds the | 7 |
| following:
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| (1) Illinois is one of the leading | 9 |
| agricultural-producing
states in the nation. By being | 10 |
| involved in such a diverse
and highly mechanized industry, | 11 |
| the more than 500,000 agricultural
workers in Illinois are | 12 |
| susceptible to any one of a number of work-related
injuries | 13 |
| and chronic health problems that limit an individual's | 14 |
| ability to safely continue farming.
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| (2) Available estimates indicate that, each year in
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| Illinois, more than 200 farm workers sustain injuries, | 17 |
| which result
in permanent physical disabilities affecting | 18 |
| their future income.
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| (3) It is estimated that nationwide more than 200,000 | 20 |
| farmers,
ranchers, and other agricultural workers | 21 |
| experience injuries that
result in lost work time. Of these | 22 |
| injuries, 5% have serious or
permanent results.
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| (4) According to the most recent census data, | 24 |
| approximately 5,000 Illinois farmers have permanent | 25 |
| disabilities as a result of accidents, health related | 26 |
| ailments, and age.
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| (5) Farm operators and workers are typically highly | 28 |
| skilled individuals and the loss of these individuals to a | 29 |
| disability negatively impacts the Illinois farm economy. | 30 |
| The AgrAbility Project established by the U. S. Department | 31 |
| of
Agriculture has been successful in helping agricultural | 32 |
| workers who suffer from
a disability continue to farm. A |
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| similar program established by the State and working with | 2 |
| the existing AgrAbility Unlimited Program will assist even | 3 |
| more
Illinois citizens in receiving the assistance that | 4 |
| they need and will benefit
the State agriculture industry.
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| Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
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| "AgrAbility Unlimited" means the joint program of the | 7 |
| University of Illinois
Extension and the Easter Seals of | 8 |
| Central Illinois established
in accordance with the AgrAbility | 9 |
| Program established by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
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| "Department" means the Department of Agriculture.
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| "Director" means the Director of Agriculture.
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| "Production agriculture" has the meaning set forth in | 13 |
| Section 3-35
of the Use Tax Act.
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| Section 15. Illinois AgrAbility Program established.
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| (a) Subject to appropriation, the Department, in | 16 |
| cooperation with the University of Illinois Extension,
shall | 17 |
| contract with a non-profit disability service provider or other | 18 |
| entity that assists disabled farmers, to establish and | 19 |
| administer the Illinois AgrAbility Program in order to assist
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| individuals who are engaged in farming or an | 21 |
| agriculture-related activity and
who have been affected by | 22 |
| disability.
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| (b) Services provided by the Illinois AgrAbility Program | 24 |
| shall
include, but are not limited to, the following:
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| (1) A toll-free information and referral hotline.
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| (2) The establishment of networks with local
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| agricultural and rehabilitation professionals.
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| (3) The coordination of community resources.
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| (4) The establishment of networks with local | 30 |
| agricultural and health care professionals to
help | 31 |
| identify individuals who may be eligible for assistance and | 32 |
| to help
identify the best method of providing that | 33 |
| assistance.
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| (5) The provision of information on and assistance |
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| regarding equipment
modification.
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| (6) Job restructuring.
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| (7) The provision of information on and assistance | 4 |
| regarding the development of alternative jobs.
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| In order to provide these services, the Illinois AgrAbility | 6 |
| Program shall
cooperate and share resources, facilities, and | 7 |
| employees with AgrAbility
Unlimited, the University of | 8 |
| Illinois Extension, and the Office of Rehabilitation Services | 9 |
| of the Department of
Human Services.
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| The costs of the program, including any related | 11 |
| administrative expenses from the Department, may be paid from | 12 |
| any funds specifically appropriated or otherwise available to | 13 |
| the Department for that purpose. The Department may pay the | 14 |
| costs of the Illinois AgrAbility program by making grants to | 15 |
| the operating entity, by making grants directly to service | 16 |
| providers, by paying reimbursements for services provided, or | 17 |
| in any other appropriate manner. | 18 |
| (c) The Department has the power to enter into any | 19 |
| agreements that are necessary and appropriate for the | 20 |
| establishment, operation, and funding of the Illinois | 21 |
| AgrAbility Program. The Department may adopt any rules that it | 22 |
| determines necessary for the establishment, operation, and | 23 |
| funding of the Illinois AgrAbility Program.
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| Section 20. Eligibility. To be eligible to receive | 25 |
| assistance under
this Act, an individual must meet all of the | 26 |
| following:
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| (1) Be a resident of Illinois.
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| (2) Derive at least a portion of his or her income from
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| production agriculture.
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| (3) Be affected by a disability. | 31 |
| (4) Meet any additional eligibility requirements set
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| forth by the Department, in conjunction with the University | 33 |
| of Illinois
Extension.
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| Section 25. The Illinois AgrAbility Fund.
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| (a) The Illinois AgrAbility Fund is created as a special | 2 |
| appropriated fund
within the State treasury.
The Director shall | 3 |
| also accept and deposit into the Fund all gifts,
grants, | 4 |
| transfers, and other amounts from any legal source,
public or | 5 |
| private, that are designated for deposit into the Fund. All | 6 |
| interest
earned on moneys in the Fund shall be deposited into | 7 |
| the Fund.
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| (b) Subject to appropriation and as directed by the | 9 |
| Director, moneys
in the Illinois AgrAbility Fund may be | 10 |
| expended for the Illinois AgrAbility
Program and for no other | 11 |
| purpose.
No more than 15% of the moneys expended in a fiscal | 12 |
| year for the Program
may be expended for administrative costs.
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| Section 30. Reports. Unless otherwise required by federal | 14 |
| law, the
University of Illinois
Extension must provide the | 15 |
| Department with a copy of any report or other
document that it | 16 |
| provides to the U.S. Department of Agriculture concerning
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| AgrAbility Unlimited.
The non-profit disability service | 18 |
| provider or other entity awarded a contract under Section 15 | 19 |
| must annually up-date the University of Illinois Extension and | 20 |
| the Department in writing on the status of the Illinois | 21 |
| AgrAbility Program.
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| Section 95. The State Finance Act is amended by adding | 23 |
| Section
5.640 as follows:
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| (30 ILCS 105/5.640 new)
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| Sec. 5.640. The Illinois AgrAbility Fund. | 26 |
| Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | 27 |
| becoming law. |
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