Public Act 095-0619
 
SB1746 Enrolled LRB095 11090 CMK 31417 b

    AN ACT concerning Latino families.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
Illinois Latino Family Commission Act.
 
    Section 5. Legislative Findings. It is the policy of this
State to promote family preservation and to strengthen
families.
    Latinos are well represented among the families of
Illinois. The Illinois Latino population is the fifth largest
in the nation. Over 14% of the estimated 12,000,000 people that
live in Illinois are Latinos. According to the 2000 Census
figures, more than 1,750,000 Latinos make Illinois their home.
This figure represents a 69.2% increase from the 1990 Census
figures compared to about 3.5% for non-Latinos. The Latino
population explosion accounted for two-thirds of the total
population change in Illinois and it is visible throughout the
State.
    In Cook County alone, the Latino population has increased
to about 1,071,740. In the 6 county region including Cook
County, nearly 69% of new residents were Hispanic. Roughly
23.7% of Kane County residents are Latino. In Lake County,
Latinos make up 14.4% of the total county population.
    Latinos are not only the fastest growing ethnic group in
the State, they are also the youngest. The median age for
Latinos in Illinois is 25, compared to 36 for non-Latinos.
Despite unprecedented population growth, Latinos lag behind in
major indicators of well-being relative to education, health,
employment, and child welfare, as well as representation
throughout the State. Moreover, Latino children and families
present unique linguistic, cultural, and immigration issues
for the State.
    Latinos have a well-established presence in the child
welfare system. Of the total 86,973 children that were reported
abused or neglected in Fiscal Year 2001, about 8,442 or 9.7%
were Hispanic children. About 25% of these hotline reports were
indicated, for a total of 2,155 Latino children in Fiscal Year
2001. As of August 2003, there were about 1,367 open Latino
child abuse cases in Illinois. This figure is only slightly
lower than the 1,491 open Latino child cases reported for the
previous fiscal year. Hispanic cases make up about 6% of all
open child cases (excluding adoption assistance and home of
parent living arrangement). Latino families receiving services
make up about 16% of all intact family cases. It is estimated
that between 60% and 80% of all Latino families involved with
the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services (IDCFS)
will need bilingual services at some point during the time
their case is open. However, IDCFS struggles to meet the demand
for bilingual services. There are similar examples throughout
the State demonstrating that Illinois lacks a unified and
comprehensive strategy for addressing the unique needs of
Latino families.
    Latino families remain outside of the margins of
opportunities in the State. There are tremendous challenges
faced by Latino families and children in the State. Clearly,
the growing Latino presence demands that government, child and
family advocates, and other key stakeholders come together to
identify and implement policy strategies that can create an
infrastructure of support for Latino families in the State.
Building this needed infrastructure of policies must involve
multiple State agencies. The Illinois Latino Family Commission
shall lead the effort, advising the Governor and assisting
State agencies with this task.
 
    Section 10. Established. The Illinois Latino Family
Commission is established.
 
    Section 15. Purpose and objectives.
    (a) The purpose of the Illinois Latino Family Commission is
to advise the Governor and General Assembly, as well as work
directly with State agencies to improve and expand existing
policies, services, programs, and opportunities for Latino
families. Subject to appropriation, the Illinois Latino Family
Commission shall guide the efforts of and collaborate with
State agencies, including: the Department on Aging, the
Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Department of
Corrections, the Department of Human Services, the Department
of Public Aid, the Department of Public Health, the Department
of Transportation, the Department of Employment Security, and
others. This shall be achieved primarily by:
        (1) monitoring and commenting on existing and proposed
    legislation and programs designed to address the needs of
    Latinos in Illinois;
        (2) assisting State agencies in developing programs,
    services, public policies, and research strategies that
    will expand and enhance the social and economic well-being
    of Latino children and families;
        (3) facilitating the participation and representation
    of Latinos in the development, implementation, and
    planning of policies, programs, and services; and
        (4) promoting research efforts to document the impact
    of policies and programs on Latino families.
    The work of the Illinois Latino Family Commission shall
include the use of existing reports, research, and planning
efforts, procedures, and programs.
 
    Section 20. Appointment; terms. The Illinois Latino Family
Commission shall be comprised of 15 members. The Governor, the
President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Minority
Leader of the House of Representatives shall each appoint 3
members to the Commission. Each member shall have working
knowledge of human services, community development, and
economic public policies in Illinois. The Governor shall
appoint the chairperson or chairpersons.
    The members shall reflect regional representation to
ensure that the needs of Latino families and children
throughout the State are met. The members shall be selected
from a variety of disciplines. They shall represent a
partnership and collaborative effort between public and
private agencies, the business sector, and community-based
human services organizations.
    Members shall serve 3-year terms, except in the case of
initial appointments. Five members, as determined by lot, shall
be appointed to one-year terms; 5 members shall be appointed to
2-year terms; and 5 members shall be appointed to 3-year terms,
so that the terms are staggered. Members shall serve without
compensation, but shall be reimbursed for Commission-related
expenses.
    The Department on Aging, the Department of Children and
Family Services, the Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity, the Department of Corrections, the Department of
Employment Security, the Department of Human Services, the
Department of Public Aid, the Department of Public Health, and
the Department of Transportation shall each appoint a liaison
to serve ex-officio on the Commission. The Office of the
Governor, in cooperation with the State agencies appointing
liaisons to the Commission under this paragraph, shall provide
administrative support to the Commission.
 
    Section 25. Funding. The Illinois Latino Family Commission
may receive funding through specific appropriations available
for its purposes made to the Department on Aging, the
Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Department of
Corrections, the Department of Human Services, the Department
of Public Aid, the Department of Public Health, and the
Department of Transportation. The funding allocation for the
Commission shall be no less than $500,000.
 
    Section 30. Reporting. The Illinois Latino Family
Commission shall annually report to the Governor and the
General Assembly on the Commission's progress towards its goals
and objectives.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.