State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ Engrossed ][ House Amendment 001 ]

90_HB0918enr

      New Act
          Creates the Illinois Youthbuild Act to be administered by
      the Department of  Children and  Family  Services.   Provides
      disadvantaged  youth age 16 to 24, who meet certain criteria,
      with  opportunities  for  employment,  education,  leadership
      development, entrepreneurial skills development, and training
      in the construction or rehabilitation of housing for  special
      need  populations,  very low-income households, or low-income
      households.    Establishes   requirements   for    Youthbuild
      programs,   eligible   activities,   entities   eligible   to
      administer  a  Youthbuild  program, and grant applications to
      administer a Youthbuild program.
                                                     LRB9003757SMdv
HB0918 Enrolled                                LRB9003757SMdv
 1        AN ACT relating to youth skills training, education,  job
 2    placement, personal development, and leadership development.
 3        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section 1.  Short title.  This Act may be  cited  as  the
 6    Illinois Youthbuild Act.
 7        Section   5.   Purpose.   The  purpose  of  the  Illinois
 8    Youthbuild Act is:
 9        (a)  To   enable   economically   disadvantaged    youth,
10    especially youth who have not finished high school, to obtain
11    the  education,  job  skills  training,  personal counseling,
12    leadership  development  skills   training,   job   placement
13    assistance,  and  long-term  follow-up services necessary for
14    them to achieve permanent economic self-sufficiency, while at
15    the same  time  providing  valuable  community  service  that
16    addresses  urgent  community  needs  including the demand for
17    affordable housing and the need for  young  role  models  and
18    mentors for younger teenagers and children.
19        (b)  To  provide communities the opportunity to establish
20    or rebuild neighborhood stability in  economically  depressed
21    and  low-income  areas,  as  well as historic areas requiring
22    restoration or  preservation,  while  providing  economically
23    disadvantaged  youth  and  youth  who  have not finished high
24    school  an  opportunity  for  meaningful   participation   in
25    society.
26        (c)  To   allow  communities  to  expand  the  supply  of
27    affordable  housing  for  homeless   and   other   low-income
28    individuals   by   utilizing  the  energies  and  talents  of
29    economically disadvantaged youth and young  people  who  have
30    not graduated from high school.
31        (d)  To foster the development of leadership skills and a
HB0918 Enrolled             -2-                LRB9003757SMdv
 1    commitment to community development among youth.
 2        Section 10.  Definitions.  In this Act:
 3        "Applicant"  means  a  public  or  private not-for-profit
 4    agency eligible to provide education and employment  training
 5    under federal or State employment training programs.
 6        "Secretary" means the Secretary of Human Services.
 7        "Very  low-income"  means  a  person  or  household whose
 8    income is at or  below  50%  of  the  median  family  income,
 9    adjusted  for  household  size,  for  the  county  where  the
10    household is located.
11        "Youthbuild"    means    any    program   that   provides
12    disadvantaged  youth  with  opportunities   for   employment,
13    education,  leadership  development,  entrepreneurial  skills
14    development,    and   training   in   the   construction   or
15    rehabilitation of housing for special need populations,  very
16    low-income households, or low-income households.
17        Section  15.  Program  requirements.   The  Secretary  is
18    authorized  to  make  grants to applicants for the purpose of
19    carrying out  Youthbuild  programs  as  approved  under  this
20    Section.    All programs funded pursuant to the provisions of
21    this  Section  shall  reflect  strong  youth  and   community
22    involvement.    In  addition,  funding  provided  under  this
23    Section shall be used by each Youthbuild program to  provide,
24    at a minimum, the following services:
25        (a)  Acquisition,    rehabilitation,    acquisition   and
26    rehabilitation,  or  construction  of  housing  and   related
27    facilities  to  be  used  for  the  purpose of providing home
28    ownership for disadvantaged persons, residential housing  for
29    homeless  individuals,  and  low-income  and  very low-income
30    families,  or  transitional  housing  for  persons  who   are
31    homeless,     have     disabilities,     are     ill,     are
32    deinstitutionalized,    or    have    special    needs,   and
HB0918 Enrolled             -3-                LRB9003757SMdv
 1    rehabilitation or construction of community facilities  owned
 2    by not-for-profit or public agencies.
 3        (b)  Integrated   education   and   job  skills  training
 4    services and activities which are evenly divided  within  the
 5    program,  with 50% of students' time spent in classroom-based
 6    instruction,   counseling,   and    leadership    development
 7    instruction  and  50%  of  their  time  spent in experiential
 8    training  on  the  construction  site.   The  programs  shall
 9    include, at a minimum, the following elements:
10             (1)  An education  component  which  includes  basic
11        skills  instruction,  secondary  education  services, and
12        other activities designed to lead to the attainment of  a
13        high  school  diploma  or its equivalent.  The curriculum
14        for this component shall  include  math,  language  arts,
15        vocational   education,   life  skills  training,  social
16        studies related to the cultural and community history  of
17        the  students, leadership skills, and other topics at the
18        discretion of the programs.  Bilingual services shall  be
19        available    for    individuals    with   limited-English
20        proficiency.  The  desired  minimum  teacher  to  student
21        ratio shall be one teacher for every 18 students.
22             (2)  A work experience and skills training component
23        apprenticeship program that includes the construction and
24        rehabilitation  activities  described  in subsection (a).
25        The process of construction must be coupled  with  skills
26        training   and   with   close   on-site   supervision  by
27        experienced trainers.  The curriculum for this  component
28        shall  contain  a  set  of locally agreed upon skills and
29        competencies  that  are  systematically  taught,  with  a
30        student's mastery assessed  individually  on  a  regular,
31        ongoing  basis.   Safety  skills  shall  be taught at the
32        outset.  The desired trainer to student  ratio  shall  be
33        one  trainer  for  every 7 students.  The work experience
34        and skills training component shall be coordinated to the
HB0918 Enrolled             -4-                LRB9003757SMdv
 1        maximum  extent  feasible  with   preapprenticeship   and
 2        apprenticeship programs.
 3             (3)  Assistance    in   attaining   post   secondary
 4        education  and  required  financial  aid  shall  be  made
 5        available to participants prior to graduation.
 6        (c)  Counseling services designed to assist  participants
 7    to  positively  participate  in society, which should include
 8    all of the following if necessary: outreach, assessment,  and
 9    orientation;  individual  and  peer  counseling;  life skills
10    training, drug and alcohol abuse  education  and  prevention;
11    and  referral  to  appropriate  drug rehabilitation, medical,
12    mental  health,  legal,  housing,  and  other  services   and
13    resources   in  the  community.   The  desired  counselor  to
14    participant  ratio  shall  be  one  counselor  for  every  28
15    students.
16        (d)  Leadership  development   training   that   provides
17    participants   with   meaningful   opportunities  to  develop
18    leadership skills such as decision making,  problem  solving,
19    and   negotiating.    The   program   must   also   encourage
20    participants  to  develop strong peer group ties that support
21    their mutual pursuit of skills and values.
22        All programs must establish  a  youth  council  in  which
23    participants  are  afforded  opportunities  to develop public
24    speaking and negotiating skills, and  management  and  policy
25    making participation in specific aspects of the program.
26        (e)  Stipends  and  wages.   A  training  subsidy, living
27    allowance, or stipend that will be no less than minimum  wage
28    must  be  provided to program participants for the time spent
29    at  the  worksite  in  construction  training.    For   those
30    participants  who  receive  public  assistance, this training
31    subsidy, living allowance, or stipend will not  affect  their
32    housing  benefits,  medical  benefits, child care benefits or
33    food stamp benefits.  Stipends and wages may  be  distributed
34    in a manner that offers incentives for good performance.
HB0918 Enrolled             -5-                LRB9003757SMdv
 1        (f)  Full  time  participation  in  a  Youthbuild program
 2    shall be offered for a period of not less than 6  months  and
 3    not more than 24 months.
 4        (g)  A   concentrated   effort  shall  be  made  to  find
 5    construction, construction-related, and nonconstruction  jobs
 6    for  all  graduates  of  the program who have performed well.
 7    The skills training  curriculum  shall  provide  participants
 8    with  basic  preparation  for  seeking and maintaining a job.
 9    Follow-up counseling and assistance in job-seeking shall also
10    be provided to  participants  for  the  12  months  following
11    graduation from the program.
12        (h)  All   programs  serving  28  trainees  or  more  are
13    required to have a full-time  director  responsible  for  the
14    coordination of all aspects of the Youthbuild program.
15        Section  20.  Eligible activities.  Implementation grants
16    may be used to carry out the activities listed in Section 15.
17    Other eligible activities include the following:
18        (a)  Legal fees for housing acquisition.
19        (b)  Administrative costs of the applicant which may  not
20    exceed  15%  of  the  amount  of assistance provided, or such
21    higher percentage as the Secretary determines is necessary to
22    support  capacity  development   of   a   private   nonprofit
23    community-based organization.
24        (c)  Defraying   costs   for  the  ongoing  training  and
25    technical assistance needs of the recipient that are  related
26    to   developing  and  carrying  out  the  Youthbuild  program
27    including:
28             (1)  The Secretary may  reserve  up  to  5%  of  the
29        Illinois  Youthbuild program appropriations to enter into
30        a contract with Youthbuild USA to provide  assistance  to
31        the  Secretary  in  the  provision  of  training  and  to
32        technical   assistance   to,   or   in   the  management,
33        supervision, and  coordination  of,  Youthbuild  programs
HB0918 Enrolled             -6-                LRB9003757SMdv
 1        under this Act.
 2        Section     25.  Eligible     participants.      Eligible
 3    participants   are   youth   16  to  24  years  old  who  are
 4    economically disadvantaged as defined in United States  Code,
 5    Title  29,  Section  1503,  and  who  are  part of one of the
 6    following groups:
 7        (a)  Persons who are not attending any  school  and  have
 8    not received a secondary school diploma or its equivalent.
 9        (b)  Persons  currently  enrolled  in  a  traditional  or
10    alternative  school  setting  or a GED program and who are in
11    danger of dropping out of school.
12        (c)  Very low-income persons.
13        Up to 25% of the  participants  in  the  program  may  be
14    individuals  who  do not meet the requirements of subsections
15    (a), (b), and (c), but who have educational needs despite the
16    attainment of a high school diploma.
17        Section  30.  Selection  criteria.    Priority   in   the
18    awarding of funds under this Act shall be given to applicants
19    with    experience    in   operating   Youthbuild   programs.
20    Organizations claiming to have operated  Youthbuild  programs
21    must  be  licensed by Youthbuild USA or be organizations that
22    have received federal HUD Youthbuild funding.
23        Section 35.  Eligible entities.   Those  eligible  to  be
24    awarded  funds  under  this  Act  are  not-for-profit private
25    agencies, or public  agencies  with  experience  operating  a
26    Youthbuild  program  or  with a plan to incubate a Youthbuild
27    program until it  can  be  established  as  a  not-for-profit
28    private agency.
29        Section  40.   Application  requirements.   The Secretary
30    shall require that an application for Youthbuild funds  under
HB0918 Enrolled             -7-                LRB9003757SMdv
 1    this Act contain at a minimum:
 2        (1)  a  request  for  an implementation grant, specifying
 3    the amount of the grant requested and its proposed uses;
 4        (2)  a description of the applicant and  a  statement  of
 5    its   qualifications,   including   a   description   of  the
 6    applicant's past experience running a Youthbuild program, and
 7    with housing rehabilitation or construction  and  with  youth
 8    and   youth   education,  youth  leadership  development  and
 9    employment training programs, and its relationship with local
10    unions and youth apprenticeship programs, and other community
11    groups;
12        (3)  a description of the proposed construction site  for
13    the program and evidence of site control;
14        (4)  a  description  of  the educational and job training
15    activities, work opportunities, and other services that  will
16    be provided to participants;
17        (5)  a   description  of  the  proposed  construction  or
18    rehabilitation  activities   to   be   undertaken   and   the
19    anticipated schedule for carrying out such activities;
20        (6)  a description of the manner in which eligible youths
21    will  be  recruited  and selected, including a description of
22    the arrangements which  will  be  made  with  community-based
23    organizations, local educational agencies, including agencies
24    of  Native  American nations, public assistance agencies, the
25    courts  of  jurisdiction  for  status  and  youth  offenders,
26    shelters for homeless individuals  and  other  agencies  that
27    serve   homeless  youth,  foster  care  agencies,  and  other
28    appropriate public and private agencies;
29        (7)  a description of the special efforts  that  will  be
30    undertaken  to  recruit eligible young women (including young
31    women with dependent  children)  with  appropriate  supports,
32    especially childcare;
33        (8)  a  description  of  how the proposed program will be
34    coordinated with other federal, State, and  local  activities
HB0918 Enrolled             -8-                LRB9003757SMdv
 1    and   activities   conducted   by  Native  American  nations,
 2    including public schools, national service, crime  prevention
 3    programs,   vocational,   adult,   and   bilingual  education
 4    programs, and job training;
 5        (9)  assurances that there will be a sufficient number of
 6    adequately trained supervisory personnel in the  program  who
 7    have attained the level of journeyman or its equivalent;
 8        (10)  a  description of the applicant's relationship with
 9    any local building trade unions which  may  exist,  regarding
10    their  involvement  in  training, and the relationship of the
11    Youthbuild program with established apprenticeship programs;
12        (11)  a description of activities that will be undertaken
13    to develop the leadership skills of  participants,  including
14    their role in decision making;
15        (12)  a  detailed  budget and a description of the system
16    of fiscal controls and auditing and accountability procedures
17    that will be used to ensure fiscal soundness;
18        (13)  a description of  any  contracts  and  arrangements
19    entered  into  between  the  applicant and other agencies and
20    entities including all in-kind donations and grants from both
21    public and  private  entities  that  will  serve  to  augment
22    Illinois Youthbuild Act funds;
23        (14)  identification  and  description  of  the financing
24    proposed for any:
25             (A)  acquisition of the property;
26             (B)  rehabilitation; or
27             (C)  construction;
28        (15)  identification and description of the  entity  that
29    will operate and manage the property;
30        (16)  a certification that the applicant will comply with
31    the  requirements  of  the  Fair Housing Act, Title VI of the
32    Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of  the  Rehabilitation
33    Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and will
34    affirmatively further fair housing; and
HB0918 Enrolled             -9-                LRB9003757SMdv
 1        (17)  the  qualifications  and  past  experience  of  the
 2    person who will fill the full-time program director position.

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