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90_SB1350enr
20 ILCS 625/4.1 new
Amends the Illinois Economic Opportunity Act. Provides
that DCCA shall administer a family and community development
grant program to make services available to families that are
at risk for long-term economic dependency and to work with
communities to provide economic opportunities. Creates a
Community Services Advisory Council within DCCA. Sets forth
the powers and duties of DCCA and the Council in relation to
selecting grantees, requirements for the program, and other
matters. Effective immediately.
LRB9008934MWpc
SB1350 Enrolled LRB9008934MWpc
1 AN ACT in relation to welfare-to-work programs.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Illinois Literacy Act is amended by
5 changing Section 15 as follows:
6 (15 ILCS 322/15)
7 Sec. 15. Grants.
8 (a) The Secretary of State, in consultation with the
9 Literacy Advisory Board created by Section 7.2 of the State
10 Library Act, is authorized to award grants that develop,
11 expand, or support adult literacy programs in Illinois
12 through community programs administered by education
13 agencies, libraries, volunteer or community-based
14 organizations, or a coalition of any of those groups.
15 (b) The Secretary of State, in consultation with the
16 Literacy Advisory Board created by Section 7.2 of the State
17 Library Act, is authorized to award grants for workplace
18 programs to public or private employers or entities acting on
19 behalf of a coalition of employers to improve the basic
20 skills of current and prospective their employees. Current
21 and prospective employees' lack of basic skills may impede
22 hiring, have impeded effective job performance, or
23 eligibility for advancement. Public funds awarded under this
24 grant program must be matched by the business with funds at
25 least equal to the amount of public funds awarded.
26 (c) The Secretary of State is authorized to make family
27 literacy grants that will assist in breaking the
28 intergenerational cycle of illiteracy. The grants must
29 involve an adult literacy component and an entity working
30 with children at risk of school failure. Programs will focus
31 on parents or guardians and children involved in reciprocal
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1 learning and teaching. In addition to other grants authorized
2 in this subsection, the Secretary of State may make family
3 literacy grants, upon his or her approval of application from
4 entities, for innovative programming in the area of parent
5 and child learning activities. The Secretary of State shall
6 establish criteria for awarding the grants by rule. The
7 Secretary of State may expend appropriations statewide for
8 direct purchases of equipment and services that support
9 families learning together.
10 (Source: P.A. 89-697, eff. 1-6-97.)
11 Section 10. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
12 adding Sections 12-4.103 and 12-4.104 as follows:
13 (305 ILCS 5/12-4.103 new)
14 Sec. 12-4.103. Individual Development Accounts. Subject
15 to funding availability, the Illinois Department shall
16 establish a program that allows eligible low-income
17 individuals to open and maintain Individual Development
18 Accounts for the purpose of enabling the individual to
19 accumulate funds for a qualified purpose. A qualified purpose
20 for establishing an Individual Development Account shall be
21 one or more of the following:
22 (1) to pay for postsecondary education expenses if the
23 expenses are paid directly to an eligible educational
24 institution;
25 (2) to acquire a principal residence if the individual is
26 buying a home for the first time and if the funds are paid
27 directly to the person to whom the amounts required for the
28 purchase are due; or
29 (3) to finance business capitalization expenses if the
30 funds are paid directly into a business capitalization
31 account at a federally insured financial institution and are
32 restricted to use solely for qualified business
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1 capitalization expenses.
2 An individual may make contributions to his or her
3 Individual Development Account only from earned income as
4 defined in Section 911(d)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of
5 1986.
6 An Individual Development Account program shall be
7 established in accordance with subsection (h) of Section 404
8 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
9 Reconciliation Act of 1996. State funds made available for
10 this program and federal funds, to the extent they may be
11 used for this purpose, shall be used (i) to match, dollar for
12 dollar, contributions made by individuals participating in an
13 Individual Development Account program approved by the
14 Illinois Department, (ii) to fund or supplement other funds
15 available for the costs of the administration of an
16 Individual Development Account program by a not-for-profit
17 organization, and (iii) for a grant or grants to
18 not-for-profit organizations to provide technical assistance
19 and training to other not-for-profit organizations in the
20 State that wish to establish an Individual Development
21 Account program consistent with this Section. No Individual
22 Development Account program shall qualify for State funds
23 under this Section unless the administering not-for-profit
24 organization verifies that it has secured at least a dollar
25 for dollar match from other sources for contributions made by
26 participating individuals.
27 The Illinois Department shall by rule establish
28 qualifications for a not-for-profit organization to
29 administer an Individual Development Account program. The
30 Illinois Department shall establish eligibility criteria for
31 individuals seeking to participate in an Individual
32 Development Account program. The Illinois Department shall
33 promulgate rules regarding the administration of Individual
34 Development Account programs by approved not-for-profit
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1 organizations administering the programs.
2 Notwithstanding any other provision of State law, funds
3 in an Individual Development Account, including accrued
4 interest and matching deposits, shall be disregarded for the
5 purpose of determining the eligibility and benefit levels
6 under this Code of the individual establishing the Individual
7 Development Account with respect to any period during which
8 such individual maintains or makes contributions into such an
9 account. Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a
10 not-for-profit organization which does not receive State
11 matching funds from administering an approved Individual
12 Development Account under this Section.
13 (305 ILCS 5/12-4.104 new)
14 Sec. 12-4.104. Family and Community Development Grant
15 Program.
16 (a) Subject to funding availability, a family and
17 community development grant program shall be administered by
18 the Department of Human Services. The program shall be
19 designed to make services available to families who are at
20 risk of long-term economic dependency and to work with
21 communities to provide economic opportunities. The purpose of
22 the program is to fund, evaluate, and provide recommendations
23 on not less than 8 nor more than 10 projects to move 100
24 families at risk of long-term economic dependency to
25 self-sufficiency through the family and community development
26 program.
27 (b) As used in this Section only:
28 "Applicant" means a public or private organization that
29 makes application for a grant through the request for
30 proposals process.
31 "Council" means the Social Services Advisory Council.
32 "Department" means the Department of Human Services.
33 "Grant" means an award to fund a project approved by the
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1 Department with the advice of the Council.
2 "Grantee" means the recipient of a grant approved by the
3 Department.
4 (c) The Social Services Advisory Council as established
5 within the Department of Human Services shall, with respect
6 to the family and community development grants administered
7 by the Department, involve a representative of the Human
8 Resource Investment Council in considering proposed projects
9 and monitoring approved projects.
10 (d) The Council shall:
11 (1) Identify the factors and conditions that place
12 Illinois families at risk of long-term dependency upon
13 the AFDC program or its successor program. The Council
14 shall seek to use relevant research findings and national
15 and Illinois-specific data on TANF (formerly AFDC).
16 (2) Identify the factors and conditions that place
17 Illinois families at risk of family instability,
18 long-term economic dependency, and foster care placement.
19 (3) Report those findings to the Secretary of Human
20 Services for his or her evaluation.
21 (4) Recommend grants to public or private
22 organizations to provide family and community development
23 services to families at risk of long-term economic
24 dependency.
25 (5) In cooperation with the Illinois Community
26 Action Association, use family and community development
27 outcome measures to independently evaluate the
28 effectiveness of demonstration projects.
29 (6) Seek the support of an Illinois accredited
30 university to continue research and evaluation
31 responsibilities.
32 (7) Seek additional support for the funding of
33 family and community development grants.
34 (8) Make recommendations to the Governor, the
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1 General Assembly, and the Secretary of Human Services on
2 the effectiveness of family and community development
3 intervention programs in Illinois.
4 (9) Evaluate and make recommendations regarding the
5 cost and benefits to the expansion of the services
6 provided under TANF (formerly AFDC) to include tuition
7 for parenting skills programs, family support and
8 counseling services, child development services, job
9 readiness and job skill training, and transportation and
10 child care expenses associated with the programs and
11 services.
12 (e) In cooperation with the Illinois Community Action
13 Association, the grantees shall identify families that
14 receive TANF (formerly AFDC) payments that may place families
15 at risk of long-term economic dependency.
16 (f) The Department shall adopt rules for the operation
17 of this program.
18 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
19 becoming law.