State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_HB4118

 
                                              LRB9110629MWgcA

 1        AN  ACT to amend the Department of Commerce and Community
 2    Affairs Law of the Civil Administrative Code of  Illinois  by
 3    adding Section 605-830.

 4        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 5    represented in the General Assembly:

 6        Section 5.  The  Department  of  Commerce  and  Community
 7    Affairs  Law  of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is
 8    amended by adding Section 605-830 as follows:

 9        (20 ILCS 605/605-830 new)
10        Sec. 605-830. Transportation to Work Program.
11        (a)  There is created the Transportation to Work  program
12    in  the  Department  of  Commerce and Community Affairs.  The
13    program consists of the Transportation to Work Grants Program
14    and the Car Purchase Loans Program.
15        (b)  Transportation to Work Grants Program.
16             (1)  The Transportation to Work Grants Program is  a
17        program  of  grants  to units of local government for the
18        purpose  of  fulfilling  plans  those  units   of   local
19        government have submitted to the Department for provision
20        of  transportation  assistance  to  low income workers to
21        allow those workers travel to and from  their  places  of
22        employment.
23             (2)  Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph,
24        the  Department  may  not make more than one grant in any
25        one county of this State in any fiscal year. In  counties
26        with  a  population  of  more than 3,000,000 containing a
27        municipality with a population of  more  than  1,000,000,
28        the municipality with a population of more than 1,000,000
29        and the other parts of the county shall each qualify as a
30        "county"   for   all   purposes  of  this  Section.   The
31        Department must adopt, by rule, a system that distributes
 
                            -2-               LRB9110629MWgcA
 1        the funds  proportionately  according  to  each  county's
 2        share  of  the  statewide  number  of households that are
 3        below 50% of the State median income.   The  distribution
 4        system  must  also  provide  that  in any year in which a
 5        county's proportionate share of  the  funds  appropriated
 6        for  the  program  would be below $5,000, that county may
 7        not participate in the program and  the  available  funds
 8        shall be apportioned among the other counties.
 9             (3)  The  Department  shall solicit qualifying plans
10        from units of local government  before each  fiscal  year
11        and  shall include in the solicitation an estimate of the
12        expected level of available funds.  In counties in  which
13        more   than   one   qualifying  plan  is  submitted,  the
14        Department must award the grant  to  the  unit  of  local
15        government     with    the   plan   that   will   provide
16        transportation to work for the most  low  income  workers
17        according  to  criteria  established by the Department by
18        rule.  If no unit of local government   within  a  county
19        submits  a  plan  by the deadline for submission of plans
20        announced by the Department, the funds allocated for that
21        county shall be proportionately distributed  to  increase
22        the grants made in that year to units of local government
23        in   other   counties.    The   Department   shall   make
24        proportional  adjustments  to  the  grants  if  the final
25        appropriation  for  the  fiscal  year  differs  from  the
26        announced expected level of funding.
27             (4)  The Department shall adopt rules  for  reports,
28        audits,   review   of   public  comments  on  plans,  and
29        administration of the program.
30             (5)  In this Section:
31                  "Qualifying plan" means a plan that proposes to
32             use grant funds to provide transportation assistance
33             to low income workers.  The plan must state the need
34             to be addressed in the specific locality,  the  plan
 
                            -3-               LRB9110629MWgcA
 1             for addressing the need, the capacity of the unit of
 2             local  government to carry out the plan, the numbers
 3             of low  income  workers  residing  in  the  locality
 4             expected  to be served with program funds, the means
 5             of determining that  the  served  workers  are  "low
 6             income"  as  defined in this Section, the methods of
 7             administration, and any other information  specified
 8             by  the  Department. The plan must take into account
 9             public  comments  and  suggestions  and  contain   a
10             description   of   the  process  for  gathering  the
11             comments  and  suggestions  and  a  summary  of  the
12             substance of the comments and suggestions  submitted
13             in  that process. Nothing in this Section prevents a
14             unit of  local  government  from  adding  additional
15             funds  from any source to its program.  A qualifying
16             plan must also provide that no more than 10% of  the
17             granted  funds will be used for administration, and,
18             if funds other than granted funds will be  used,  it
19             must specify how administration will be paid for.
20                  "Low  income  worker"  means an employed person
21             living within, but not necessarily employed  within,
22             the  locality  that  has submitted a qualifying plan
23             whose gross income does not exceed 50% of the  State
24             median   income   as   annually   announced  by  the
25             Department.  The Department must  adopt  rules  that
26             allow  units  of  local  government  to presume that
27             people are low income  workers  when  those  persons
28             prove that they are current recipients of need-based
29             benefits  or  services  as  to which the eligibility
30             guidelines are at  or  below  50%  of  State  median
31             income, including, but not limited to Kidcare, State
32             child   care  subsidies,  food  stamps,  and  school
33             breakfasts or lunches.
34                  "Transportation    assistance"    means     any
 
                            -4-               LRB9110629MWgcA
 1             assistance  that  helps low income workers travel to
 2             and from their places of employment, whether  within
 3             or  outside  of the locality submitting a qualifying
 4             plan, and  other  places  necessary  to  their  work
 5             effort,  such  as  the location where their children
 6             are cared for while they are at work.  The  unit  of
 7             local  government shall specify the specific form of
 8             assistance  in  a  qualifying  plan.   There  is  no
 9             limitation on the type of transportation  assistance
10             that  may  be provided for in a qualifying plan.  It
11             may, but need not necessarily, include subsidies for
12             public   transportation   or   automobile   mileage,
13             contracts  with  local  taxi  companies  or   public
14             transit  companies,  contracts  for  group travel in
15             vans,  subsidies   for   car   pooling,   or   other
16             transportation         assistance        strategies.
17             Transportation assistance must be available  to  low
18             income  workers  who  meet the criteria specified in
19             the local plan as resources permit.
20                  "Unit of local government" means  a  county  or
21             one of its departments, a municipality or one of its
22             departments,  a workforce board, a community college
23             or public university,  a  regional  entity,  or  any
24             other  unit  of  local government described in State
25             law.
26        (c)  Car Purchase Loans Program.
27             (1)  The Car Purchase Loans Program  provides  loans
28        to  eligible  workers  who wish to purchase an automobile
29        that, in the judgment of the Department or contractor, is
30        in  good  condition  and  affordable   to   the   worker,
31        considering  all  payments  that will have to be made for
32        the acquisition and normal maintenance.
33             (2)  Loans under  the  Car  Purchase  Loans  Program
34        shall  be  available,  to the extent resources permit, to
 
                            -5-               LRB9110629MWgcA
 1        any person who qualifies as a "low income  worker"  under
 2        paragraph  (5)  of  subsection (b) and under the criteria
 3        set by the Department for approval of loans.
 4             (3)  The   Department   shall   contract   out   the
 5        administration of  the  Car  Purchase  Loans  Program  to
 6        non-profit  organizations, to for-profit organizations on
 7        a not-for-profit basis, or to units of local  government.
 8        The Department shall announce a request for proposals for
 9        the  contracting  of  the  administration of the program.
10        Contracts   may   include   a   reasonable   amount   for
11        administrative expenses, with a  maximum  the  Department
12        shall  specify by rule.  Legal proceedings for collection
13        on delinquent loans may be performed by the Department or
14        contracted separately.
15             (4)  Loans may include an amount for the  mechanical
16        inspection  of  the  car  being  purchased  to  ascertain
17        whether it is in sufficiently "good condition", either as
18        is  or  with  a  reasonable  amount  of  repairs, to be a
19        reliable source  of  transportation  to  and  from  work.
20        Loans may not be more than $2,500.  Loans shall be a lien
21        on  the title to the automobile.  Loans must be made with
22        no more than 2% interest and  must  be  repaid  in  equal
23        monthly  installments  over  a period of not less than 24
24        months.  If any payment is in default for  more  than  60
25        days,  the  contractor  may pursue any remedies available
26        under law and the contract with the Department,  but  may
27        also  extend  additional  forbearance  on  a case by case
28        basis.
29             At the option of the worker, and for a fee of $50 to
30        be added to the balance of the loan, if  the  worker  has
31        payments  to make on the automobile to a third party over
32        and above the amount of the loan, the  first  payment  on
33        the  loan  may  be  delayed  for  up to one year from the
34        purchase of the automobile.  When payments  on  the  loan
 
                            -6-               LRB9110629MWgcA
 1        begin,  the  worker  shall  receive  a credit against the
 2        principal of the loan of $25 for each month in which  the
 3        worker  both  makes  the payment due on the loan and does
 4        not receive cash assistance under the TANF program.
 5             (5)  The Department must adopt rules  governing  the
 6        minimum  standards contractors must observe in making and
 7        collecting loans.  The rules must leave reasonable leeway
 8        for case-by-case decision-making by the  contractor.  The
 9        Department  must also adopt any other rules necessary for
10        the administration of the program.

11        Section 99.  Effective date. This Act takes  effect  upon
12    becoming law.

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