[ Search ] [ PDF text ] [ Legislation ]
[ Home ] [ Back ] [ Bottom ]
92_HR0168 LRB9208532ARsb 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION 2 WHEREAS, Poverty and welfare dependence are widespread 3 throughout the State of Illinois, with almost 1,500,000 of 4 its citizens being dependent on the State's public assistance 5 programs for their most basic needs, and over 200,000 6 families, including 500,000 children, relying on cash 7 assistance from the State for all or part of their 8 subsistence needs; and 9 WHEREAS, Poverty and unemployment diminish individual 10 self-esteem, can undermine family stability, and affect 11 family formation, community security, and cohesion; and 12 WHEREAS, Under the new federal welfare law, the Personal 13 Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 14 1996, cash assistance benefits will be limited to 60 months, 15 and over 100,000 adult heads of households in the Illinois 16 welfare caseload must be employed by the year 2002 or the and 17 their children will be destitute; and 18 WHEREAS, Voluntary efforts by the private sector to 19 employ welfare recipients are laudable and to be commended, 20 but the State must also take direct responsibility to ensure 21 that welfare recipients are hired in jobs that will allow 22 them to leave the welfare rolls altogether; and 23 WHEREAS, The State spends billions of dollars each year 24 to improve its economy and infrastructure and to deliver 25 services to the people of the State, all of which also serves 26 to provide jobs for its citizens; and 27 WHEREAS, The State can accomplish the objectives of 28 relieving welfare dependency and ensuring economic 29 self-sufficiency as well as the objectives related to 30 carrying out necessary governmental operations at the same 31 time, and with significant savings in State outlays in cash -2- LRB9208532ARsb 1 assistance and supportive service dollars; and 2 WHEREAS, Poverty and welfare dependency can be alleviated 3 by targeting some of the resources of the State and making 4 jobs available to the welfare poor, specifically by bringing 5 qualified poor persons into the State workforce and into 6 workforces that are generated through State contracts, 7 without causing the displacement of existing workers; and 8 WHEREAS, Some State jobs that are newly created or that 9 are open through attrition and some jobs created under State 10 contracts, can be filled by qualified welfare recipients 11 without compromising the integrity of the hiring process, 12 contractor profits, collective bargaining agreements, timely 13 completion of projects, or the health and safety of Illinois 14 workers; and 15 WHEREAS, To the extent that these jobs are filled by 16 welfare recipients, the State accomplishes 4 important 17 governmental objectives simultaneously: (1) the alleviation 18 of welfare dependency, ensuring of economic self-sufficiency, 19 and lifting of individuals and families out of poverty, (2) 20 the stabilization of families and communities that are 21 hardest hit by persistent poverty and unemployment, (3) the 22 accomplishment of the essential work of the State which must 23 be performed through these jobs, and (4) the reduction of 24 State outlays for cash assistance and services for the poor; 25 and 26 WHEREAS, The State's immediate, direct, and significant 27 interest in relieving welfare dependency and the employment 28 of the poor in jobs generated through the expenditure of 29 State funds are important issues that must be addressed; 30 therefore be it 31 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 32 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that -3- LRB9208532ARsb 1 there is created the Welfare to Work Task Force consisting of 2 5 members appointed as follows: 3 members of the House of 3 Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of 4 Representatives, one of whom shall be designated the 5 chairperson by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 6 and 2 members of the House of Representatives appointed by 7 the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, all of 8 whom shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed 9 for their reasonable and necessary expenses from funds 10 appropriated for that purpose; and be it further 11 RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall study various issues 12 relating to the placement of qualified welfare recipients in 13 State jobs or jobs contracted out by the State; the Task 14 Force shall examine, among any other issues it chooses to 15 investigate, the following issues: (1) the feasibility of 16 requiring State agencies to provide the Department of Human 17 Services with a job announcement simultaneously with the 18 posting of its positions, except for those positions subject 19 to recall by laid-off employees, or those otherwise exempt, 20 (2) the ability of the Department of Human Services to review 21 positions, make eligibility determinations, recruit and 22 screen potential employees, and refer aid recipients to fill 23 those positions, and (3) the feasibility of requiring 24 employers to employ qualified aid recipients for not less 25 than 5% of the hours worked on a State contract; and be it 26 further 27 RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall receive the 28 assistance of legislative staff, may employ skilled experts 29 with the approval of the Speaker of the House of 30 Representatives, and shall report its findings to the General 31 Assembly on or before March 31, 2002.