110 ILCS 305/165

(110 ILCS 305/165)

Sec. 165. Climate Jobs Institute.

(a) Subject to appropriation and Section 7 of the Board of Higher Education Act, the Board of Trustees shall establish and operate a Climate Jobs Institute for the purpose of producing high-quality, reliable, and accurate research on labor, employment, and the broader social and economic impacts of decarbonizing the State's economy. The Institute shall be under the direction of the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Dean of the School of Labor and Employment Relations shall select the Executive Director of the Climate Jobs Institute. The Executive Director shall submit a budget that includes a staff plan to the Board of Trustees for approval. The Executive Director shall consider suggestions from the Climate Jobs Advisory Council in preparing the budget.

(b) The Climate Jobs Advisory Council is created. The Climate Jobs Advisory Council shall consist of stakeholders in the clean-energy economy and be composed of the following members:

(1) Four members representing statewide labor organizations, appointed by the Governor.

(2) Three members representing environmental advocacy organizations, appointed by the Governor.

(3) Three members representing the renewable energy industry, appointed by the Governor.

(4) Two members from University of Illinois School of Labor and Employment Relations faculty, appointed by the Chancellor in consultation with the Dean of the School of Labor and Employment Relations.

(5) Two members appointed by the President of the Senate, who may or may not be elected officials.

(6) Two members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who may or may not be elected officials.

(7) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, who may or may not be an elected official.

(8) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, who may or may not be an elected official.

(9) One member of the Illinois Senate Latino Caucus, appointed by the President of the Senate.

(10) One member of the Illinois Senate Black Caucus, appointed by the President of the Senate.

(11) One member of the Illinois House Latino Caucus, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(12) One member of the Illinois House Black Caucus, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Members appointed to the Council shall serve 2-year terms and may be reappointed. If a seat becomes vacant in the middle of a term, the Governor shall appoint a replacement, who shall serve for the remainder of that term. Members of the Council shall serve without compensation.

(c) The Climate Jobs Institute's Executive Director, with input from the Climate Jobs Advisory Council, shall set the priorities, work processes, and timeline for implementing the Institute's work. The Climate Jobs Institute's Executive Director shall serve as Chairperson of the Council, and the Council shall meet at the call of the Executive Director.

(d) The Climate Jobs Institute shall provide high-quality, accurate information through research and education that addresses key issues and questions to guide the State's implementation and transition goals to a strong, equitable, decarbonized economy. The Climate Jobs Institute may respond to inquiries submitted by State lawmakers and State agencies.

(e) The Climate Jobs Institute shall do all of the following:

(1) Evaluate how workforce opportunities in the clean-energy industry can provide just transitions for displaced energy workers in the State. This duty shall include, but is not limited to, identifying the industries and demographics that will be most impacted by the transition to a clean-energy economy, finding workforce transition opportunities available to workers based on level of skill and geographic location, identifying and eliminating barriers that may prevent workers from entering the clean-energy industry, and defining the nature and level of job support that is necessary for a successful employment transition to clean-energy jobs.

(2) Identify opportunities to maximize job creation and workforce development in the State's clean-energy industry, being particularly mindful of job creation in historically underrepresented populations and environmental justice communities. This duty shall include, but is not limited to, identifying the types of workforce development training programs and activities that are needed to meet the workforce demand in the clean-energy industry, identifying the types of clean-energy activities that provide the greatest job creation and economic benefits to various regions in the State, and classifying the quantity and category of jobs needed to meet the State's clean-energy commitment.

(3) Recommend policies that will create high-quality family and community-sustaining jobs in the clean-energy economy. This duty shall include, but is not limited to, identifying how wages, workforce development training, and labor standards improve the quality of clean-energy jobs, evaluating the economic impact of implementing high labor standards, and identifying effective labor-standard enforcement measures.

(4) Develop strategies to address current and future supply chain vulnerabilities and challenges in the clean-energy manufacturing industry. This duty shall include, but is not limited to, identifying how the State can incentivize the development of a clean-energy manufacturing supply chain, including end-of-life recycling for renewable-energy-generation components, identifying the types of information and support that are needed to help businesses transition to providing products and services for the clean-energy economy, and assessing what forms of low-interest loans, grants, and technical assistance will best support business communities through this transition.

(5) Identify how to expand access to high-quality clean-energy jobs for environmental justice communities and other frontline communities that have faced historical inequities. This duty shall include, but is not limited to, identifying best practices for building a pipeline for workers participating in on-the-job training programs to high quality careers in the clean-energy industry and identifying how the State can utilize clean-energy jobs hubs and United States Department of Labor registered apprenticeship programs to advance labor market equity.

(6) Assess the types of support that local governments will need to help communities develop their own community energy, climate, and jobs plans. This duty shall include, but is not limited to, identifying the sociological, ecological, and economic impact on local communities resulting from the transition to a clean-energy economy and ascertaining the type of financial and technical support that local governments may need to navigate the transition to a decarbonized economy.

(7) Evaluate initiatives, including the Public Schools Carbon-Free Assessment programs, to retrofit schools for energy efficiencies to create a safe, healthy, cost-effective school environment, while contributing to an environmentally sustainable State. This duty shall include, but is not limited to, identifying the type of research support that school districts may need to assess initiatives to decarbonize public schools, identifying best practices to prioritize assistance for school districts most impacted by climate change, and synthesizing the results of school energy audits to inform policy decision making.

(f) The Climate Jobs Institute's research shall be disseminated in ways that maximize the public dissemination of the Institute's research and recommendations, including public policy reports, academic articles, highly interactive web-based platforms, and labor, community, legislative, and media outreach and education programs.

(g) The Climate Jobs Institute may coordinate with the Department of Labor and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to share data collected for, but not limited to, the Bureau on Apprenticeship Programs and Clean Energy Jobs and the Energy Community Reinvestment Report.

(Source: P.A. 102-699, eff. 4-19-22.)