State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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92_HB0971

 
                                               LRB9207383ARsb

 1        AN  ACT  in  relation  to  home  modifications  for older
 2    persons and persons with disabilities.

 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    Home Modification for Prevention of Institutionalization Act.

 7        Section 5.  Findings.  The General Assembly finds that it
 8    is far preferable for older persons and adults  and  children
 9    with  disabilities to live in their own homes or in the homes
10    of family members in their own  communities  rather  than  in
11    more  restrictive  institutionalized  settings  removed  from
12    their  friends  and loved ones.  The General Assembly further
13    finds that  older  persons   and  adults  and  children  with
14    disabilities  often  are  unnecessarily  placed  or forced to
15    remain in institutionalized  settings  due  to  the  lack  of
16    resources  needed to make modifications to their dwellings to
17    enable them to  remain  in  or  return  to  their  homes  and
18    communities. The General Assembly further finds that it is in
19    the  best  interests  of  the  State  of  Illinois to support
20    community-based living  for  older  persons  and  adults  and
21    children  with  disabilities  by  implementing  a  program to
22    enable them to make modifications to their dwellings to avoid
23    unnecessary  placement  outside  of  their  own   homes   and
24    communities.

25        Section  10.  Purpose.   The  purpose  of  this Act is to
26    authorize the Department of Human Services and the Department
27    on Aging to jointly establish a program  to  provide  funding
28    for  necessary home modifications and assistive technology to
29    enable  older  persons   and   adults   and   children   with
30    disabilities  to  remain in or return to their homes in order
 
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 1    to allow them to live as independently  as  possible  for  as
 2    long as possible.

 3        Section 15.  Program.  Subject to appropriation for these
 4    purposes, the Department of Human Services and the Department
 5    on  Aging  shall  jointly establish a Home Modification Grant
 6    and Loan Program. The Program shall have 2  components.   One
 7    component  shall  be  administered by the Department of Human
 8    Services and the other component shall be administered by the
 9    Department on Aging.  The Department of  Human  Services  and
10    the  Department  on  Aging  shall  cooperate  in  the overall
11    administration of the Program.

12        Section 20.  Eligibility.  Persons age  60  or  over  and
13    adults  and  children with disabilities shall be eligible for
14    grants or loans or both under the Home Modification Grant and
15    Loan Program if they have verifiable  functional  limitations
16    for which some modification of their dwelling is required and
17    they  are unable to afford, because of limited resources, the
18    cost of the  modification.   Preference  shall  be  given  to
19    applicants    who:    (1)    are    at   imminent   risk   of
20    institutionalization or who are already in  an  institutional
21    setting but are ready to return home and who would be able to
22    live at home if a modification or modifications are made, (2)
23    have  inadequate  resources or no current access to resources
24    as a result of the geographic location of their dwelling, the
25    lack of other available State or federal funds  such  as  the
26    Community  Development  Block Grant, rural housing assistance
27    programs or income  limitations  such  as  the  inability  to
28    qualify for a low-interest loan, or  (3) have access to other
29    resources, but those resources are inadequate to complete the
30    necessary  modifications.   Adults under 60 years of age with
31    disabilities and children  with  disabilities  shall  receive
32    services  under  the component of the Program administered by
 
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 1    the Department of Human Services.  An adult 60 years  of  age
 2    or  older  may  elect to receive services under the component
 3    administered by the Department of Human Services if,  at  the
 4    time  he  or  she  reached  age  60,  he  or  she was already
 5    receiving home services under subsection (f) of Section 3  of
 6    the  Disabled  Persons  Rehabilitation  Act and he or she was
 7    already receiving services under the component of the Program
 8    administered by the Department of Human Services.  All  other
 9    adults  60 years of age or older receiving services under the
10    Program  shall   receive   services   under   the   component
11    administered by the Department on Aging.

12        Section   25.  Rulemaking.    The   Department  of  Human
13    Services and the Department on Aging shall jointly promulgate
14    administrative rules governing the  Home  Modification  Grant
15    and Loan Program consistent with this Act.

16        Section 30.  Advisory Committee.  The Department of Human
17    Services  and the Department on Aging shall jointly establish
18    an Advisory Committee for the  Home  Modification  Grant  and
19    Loan  Program  to  advise the Secretary of Human Services and
20    the Director on Aging on policies and procedures under  which
21    the  Program  shall  operate.    The Advisory Committee shall
22    consist of no fewer than 9 nor more than 15 members and shall
23    include at  least  one  individual  with  a  disability,  one
24    individual  over  the  age  of  60,  the  Secretary  of Human
25    Services or his or her designee, the Director of Aging or his
26    or her designee, a representative of an Area Agency on Aging,
27    the Executive Director of the  Statewide  Independent  Living
28    Council  or  his  or  her designee, a representative from the
29    construction industry who specializes in  home  modifications
30    for  individuals  with  disabilities  and  older persons, the
31    Executive  Director  of  the  Illinois  Assistive  Technology
32    Project or his or her designee, and the Executive Director of
 
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 1    the Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities  in  Illinois  or
 2    his or her designee.

 3        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
 4    becoming law.

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