102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB5721

 

Introduced 3/9/2022, by Rep. Lindsey LaPointe

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 1305/10-75 new

    Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Creates the Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness. Provides that the State Homelessness Chief established in Executive Order 2021-21 shall chair the Task Force, co-chair the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness established within the Task Force, and lead the State's comprehensive efforts to decrease homelessness and unnecessary institutionalization in Illinois, improve health and human services outcomes for people who experience homelessness, and strengthen the safety nets that contribute to housing stability. Provides that the State Homelessness Chief shall serve as a policymaker and spokesperson on homelessness prevention, including coordinating the multi-agency effort through legislation, rules, and budgets and communicating with the General Assembly and federal and local leaders on this critical issue. Provides that the purpose of the Task Force is to (i) plan, develop, and implement a State Plan to address homelessness and unnecessary institutionalization; (ii) recommend policy, regulatory, and resource changes necessary to accomplish goals and objectives laid out in the State Plan; (iii) provide leadership for and collaborate with those developing and implementing local plans to end homelessness in Illinois; and other matters. Contains provisions on the composition of the Task Force; meetings; and other matters. Creates the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness within the Task Force to make recommendations to the Task Force regarding homelessness prevention. Contains provisions on the composition of the Advisory Council; meetings; and other matters. Provides that nothing in the amendatory Act shall be construed to contravene any federal or State law or regulation. Provides that nothing in the amendatory Act shall affect or alter the existing statutory powers of any State agency or be construed as a reassignment or reorganization of any State agency. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

HB5721LRB102 26564 KTG 37253 b

1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Department of Human Services Act is amended
5by adding Section 10-75 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 1305/10-75 new)
7    Sec. 10-75. Illinois Interagency Task Force on
8Homelessness.
9    (a) Establishment. The Illinois Interagency Task Force on
10Homelessness ("Task Force") is created.
11    A State Homelessness Chief has been established as
12provided in Executive Order 2021-21, to be housed in the
13Department and to report to the Secretary of Human Services.
14The State Homelessness Chief shall chair the Task Force,
15co-chair the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness
16established under subsection (d), and lead the State's
17comprehensive efforts to decrease homelessness and unnecessary
18institutionalization in Illinois, improve health and human
19services outcomes for people who experience homelessness, and
20strengthen the safety nets that contribute to housing
21stability. The State Homelessness Chief shall serve as a
22policymaker and spokesperson on homelessness prevention,
23including coordinating the multi-agency effort through

 

 

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1legislation, rules, and budgets and communicating with the
2General Assembly and federal and local leaders on these
3critical issues.
4    (b) Purpose. The purpose of the Interagency Task Force on
5Homelessness is to:
6        (1) Plan, develop, and implement a State Plan to
7    address homelessness and unnecessary institutionalization
8    with the goals of achieving functional zero homelessness,
9    improving health and human services outcomes for people
10    experiencing homelessness, and strengthening the safety
11    nets that contribute to housing stability.
12        (2) Recommend policy, regulatory, and resource changes
13    necessary to accomplish goals and objectives laid out in
14    the State Plan.
15        (3) Serve within State government and in the State at
16    large as an advocate for people experiencing homelessness.
17        (4) Provide leadership for and collaborate with those
18    developing and implementing local plans to end
19    homelessness in Illinois, including, but not limited to,
20    the Community Advisory Council and its members.
21        (5) Convene stakeholders, customers, and advocates to
22    inform the Task Force's policy recommendations, as needed.
23        (6) Recommend the resources needed for successful
24    implementation and oversee that implementation.
25        (7) Recommend and promote effective interagency
26    collaboration and system integration to converge related

 

 

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1    efforts, including coordination with the Illinois Youth
2    Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee, the Illinois
3    Commission on the Elimination of Poverty, and the Illinois
4    Commission to End Hunger on drafting policy
5    recommendations related to the intersection of
6    homelessness and poverty.
7        (8) Recommend needed policy, regulatory, and resource
8    distribution changes; make oversight recommendations that
9    will ensure accountability, results, and sustained
10    success; and develop specific proposals and
11    recommendations for action to provide to the Governor and
12    the General Assembly.
13        (9) Prepare an annual report to the Governor and
14    General Assembly by December 1 of each year, starting
15    December 1, 2022, summarizing the Task Force's activities,
16    summarizing progress on preventing and ending homelessness
17    in Illinois, summarizing the recommendations of the
18    Community Advisory Council and the Task Force's responsive
19    recommendations and actions; and reporting on outcomes and
20    measures relating to homelessness.
21    (c) Task Force membership; meetings; administrative
22support.
23        (1) The Task Force shall include 4 members of the
24    General Assembly and senior members of State agencies that
25    have relevance to ending and preventing homelessness.
26    Members to the Task Force shall be appointed, unless

 

 

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1    otherwise indicated, by the Governor in consultation with
2    the State Homelessness Chief. At a minimum, the Task Force
3    shall consist of the following members:
4            (A) The State Homelessness Chief, who shall serve
5        as Chair of the Task Force.
6            (B) One member representing the Illinois Housing
7        Development Authority.
8            (C) One member representing the Department of
9        Human Services.
10            (D) One member representing the Department of
11        Healthcare and Family Services, with expertise on
12        issues related to healthcare delivery systems.
13            (E) One member representing the Illinois State
14        Board of Education, with expertise on education
15        programs serving students and families experiencing
16        homelessness.
17            (F) One member representing the Illinois Board of
18        Higher Education, with expertise on education programs
19        serving students and families experiencing
20        homelessness.
21            (G) One member representing the Illinois Community
22        College Board, with expertise on education programs
23        serving students and families experiencing
24        homelessness.
25            (H) One member representing the Department of
26        Corrections.

 

 

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1            (I) One member representing the Department of
2        Veterans' Affairs.
3            (J) One member representing the Department of
4        Children and Family Services.
5            (K) One member representing the Department of
6        Public Health.
7            (L) One member representing the Department on
8        Aging.
9            (M) One member representing the Department of
10        Juvenile Justice.
11            (N) One member representing the Department of
12        Commerce and Economic Opportunity, with expertise on
13        issues related to workforce development.
14            (O) One member representing the Department of
15        Employment Security.
16            (P) One member representing the Illinois State
17        Police.
18            (Q) Two members representing the House of
19        Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House
20        of Representative.
21            (R) Two members representing the Senate, appointed
22        by the President of the Senate.
23        At the recommendation of the State Homelessness Chief,
24    one member, each, from additional State agencies may be
25    appointed as necessary for the work of the Task Force.
26        (2) Organizational meeting. The organizational meeting

 

 

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1    of the Task Force shall take place after all members are
2    appointed but no later than 60 days after the effective
3    date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly.
4        (3) Compensation. Members of the Task Force shall
5    serve without compensation.
6        (4) Committees. The Task Force may establish
7    subcommittees to address specific issues or populations
8    and may collaborate with individuals with relevant
9    expertise who are not members of the Task Force to assist
10    the subcommittee in carrying out its duties.
11        (5) Meetings; quorum; voting. The full Task Force
12    shall meet at least once each quarter. A majority plus one
13    of the voting members shall constitute a quorum. All
14    actions of the Task Force and any subcommittees
15    established by the Task Force shall be approved by a
16    majority vote of the Task Force or subcommittee as
17    applicable. The meetings of the Task Force shall be
18    conducted in accordance with the provisions of Section 2
19    of the Open Meetings Act.
20        (6) Administrative support. The Department shall
21    provide staff and administrative support to assist the
22    Task Force in carrying out its duties.
23    (d) Community Advisory Council.
24        (1) The Community Advisory Council on Homelessness
25    ("Community Advisory Council") is created within the Task
26    Force. The Community Advisory Council shall consist of

 

 

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1    diverse stakeholders that represent the goals and
2    population described in this Section and shall be
3    appointed by the Governor. Members shall be geographically
4    diverse to represent the needs of urban, suburban, and
5    rural communities across Illinois. The State Homelessness
6    Chief may include any State agency staff that he or she
7    deems necessary as ex officio, non-voting members of the
8    Community Advisory Council. At a minimum, the Community
9    Advisory Council shall consist of the following members:
10            (A) The State Homelessness Chief shall serve as a
11        co-chair with another Community Advisory Council
12        member who is selected by the Governor from one of the
13        appointed members listed in subparagraphs (B) through
14        (J).
15            (B) Three members with lived experience, which may
16        include, but are not limited to, formerly incarcerated
17        persons, veterans, and youth (16 to 25 years old).
18            (C) One member representing people with
19        disabilities.
20            (D) Two members from the philanthropic private
21        funding sector.
22            (E) One member representing a statewide behavioral
23        health advocacy organization.
24            (F) One member representing a statewide housing
25        advocacy organization.
26            (G) A minimum of 2 members representing local

 

 

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1        Continuums of Care.
2            (H) A minimum of 3 members representing local
3        units of government (municipal, county, or township).
4            (I) A minimum of 4 members representing providers
5        of the homeless response system including emergency
6        supportive housing, rapid rehousing, permanent
7        supportive housing, and homeless prevention.
8            (J) Two at-large members, who may or may not meet
9        the qualification requirements for the other
10        appointees.
11        (2) Meetings. The Community Advisory Council shall
12    meet at least 4 times per year to discuss and make
13    recommendations to the Task Force regarding homelessness
14    and unnecessary institutionalization with the goals of
15    achieving functional zero homelessness, improving health
16    and human services outcomes for people experiencing
17    homelessness, and strengthening the safety nets that
18    contribute to housing stability.
19        (3) Compensation. Public members of the Community
20    Advisory Council may be reimbursed for reasonable and
21    necessary travel expenses incurred during the performance
22    of their duties.
23    (e) Statutory powers. Nothing in this Section shall be
24construed to contravene any federal or State law or
25regulation. Unless specifically referenced in this Section,
26nothing in this Section shall affect or alter the existing

 

 

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1statutory powers of any State agency or be construed as a
2reassignment or reorganization of any State agency.
 
3    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
4becoming law.