HB2983 EngrossedLRB101 08994 KTG 54087 b

1    AN ACT concerning homeless youth.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Youth
5Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee Act.
 
6    Section 5. Legislative findings. The General Assembly
7finds that 1 in 10 young people ages 18-25 experience a form of
8homelessness over a 12-month period. Also 1 in 30 youths ages
913-17 experience a form of homelessness over a 12-month period.
10Homelessness disproportionately impacts African-American youth
11and mirrors the racial disparities in school suspensions,
12incarceration rates, and foster care placement. Youth who have
13interacted with State systems of care, such as the Department
14of Children and Family Services, the Department of Juvenile
15Justice, the Department of Human Services' Division of Mental
16Health, and the Department of Corrections, and youth who have
17been hospitalized for mental health problems are
18disproportionately overrepresented in the population of people
19experiencing homelessness. The U.S. Department of Education
20classifies youth living "doubled up" as homeless. "Doubled up"
21is a term that refers to a situation where individuals are
22unable to maintain their own housing situation and are forced
23to stay with a series of friends or extended family members.

 

 

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1The individual has no right or authority over the housing. The
2"homes" of such individuals are often unstable, not permanent,
3and can be as dangerous as living on the streets. As a result,
4doubled up housing situations are potentially detrimental to
5the health and well-being of these homeless youth. A study
6conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics found that
712% of prisoners were homeless at the time of their arrest.
8Similarly, a national survey of jail inmates concluded that
9more than 15% of the jail population had been homeless at some
10point in the preceding year, a rate 8 to 11 times the national
11average. Illinois needs a cohesive strategy across our child
12welfare, mental health, corrections, and human services
13agencies that is designed to reduce the rates of homelessness
14among youth and to lessen the likelihood of youth experiencing
15chronic homelessness into adulthood.
 
16    Section 10. Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee. In
172016 the Governor, by Executive Order, created a Governor's
18Cabinet on Children and Youth to ensure that all children and
19youth in Illinois are healthy, safe, well-educated, and
20successfully launched into self-sufficiency. To better serve
21youth leaving State systems of care and to bring Illinois in
22line with the national goal of ending youth homelessness by
232020, the Cabinet on Children and Youth shall create a
24subcommittee to drive the State's strategic vision for
25preventing homelessness among youth leaving State systems of

 

 

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1care. The subcommittee shall be known as the Youth Homelessness
2Prevention Subcommittee.
 
3    Section 15. Duties. The Youth Homelessness Prevention
4Subcommittee shall:
5        (1) Review the discharge planning, service plans, and
6    discharge procedures for youth leaving the custody or
7    guardianship of the Department of Children and Family
8    Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the
9    Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health,
10    and the Department of Corrections to determine whether such
11    discharge planning and procedures ensure housing stability
12    for youth leaving State systems of care.
13        (2) Collect data on the housing stability of youth for
14    one year after they are released from the custody or
15    guardianship of the Department of Children and Family
16    Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the
17    Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health, or
18    the Department of Corrections.
19        (3) Based on data collected under paragraph (2)
20    regarding youth experiencing homelessness after leaving
21    State systems of care, create a plan to improve discharge
22    policies and procedures to ensure housing stability for
23    youth leaving State systems of care.
24        (4) Provide recommendations on community plans for
25    sustainable housing; create education and employment plans

 

 

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1    for homeless youth; and create strategic collaborations
2    between the Department of Children and Family Services, the
3    Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Human
4    Services' Division of Mental Health, and the Department of
5    Corrections with respect to youth leaving State systems of
6    care.
 
7    Section 20. Membership. The Youth Homelessness Prevention
8Subcommittee shall include the following members:
9        (1) One representative from the Governor's office.
10        (2) The Director of the Department of Children and
11    Family Services.
12        (3) The Director of the Department of Healthcare and
13    Family Services.
14        (4) The Secretary of the Department of Human Services.
15        (5) The Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice.
16        (6) The Director of the Department of Corrections.
17        (7) The Director of the Department of Public Health.
18        (8) The Director of the Guardianship and Advocacy
19    Commission.
20        (9) Four representatives from agencies serving
21    homeless youth.
22        (10) One representative from a homeless advocacy
23    organization.
24        (11) One representative from a juvenile justice
25    advocacy organization.

 

 

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1        (12) Four youth who have a lived experience with
2    homelessness.
 
3    Section 25. Quorum. A majority of the members of the
4Subcommittee shall constitute a quorum, and all
5recommendations of the Subcommittee shall require approval of a
6majority of the total members of the Subcommittee.
 
7    Section 30. Administrative support. The Governor's Office
8shall provide administrative support to the Youth Homelessness
9Prevention Subcommittee as needed, including with respect to
10compliance with State ethics laws, the Open Meetings Act, and
11the Freedom of Information Act.
 
12    Section 35. Meetings. The Youth Homelessness Prevention
13Subcommittee shall hold at least 6 meetings each year, but
14otherwise shall meet at the call of the chair.
 
15    Section 40. Reports. The Youth Homelessness Prevention
16Subcommittee shall submit an interim report to the Governor
17every 6 months and an annual report to the Governor and the
18General Assembly.