Rep. Mary E. Flowers

Filed: 3/7/2023

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1039

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1039 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Marshall Plan for Moms Interagency Task Force Act.
 
6    Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds the
7following:
8        (1) Any relief and long-term recovery from the
9    economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic must recognize
10    the disproportionate burden mothers have weathered. Women,
11    especially mothers, have faced the brunt of the economic
12    challenges of the pandemic due to social barriers and
13    policy failures that have been compounded by enduring
14    racism and gender injustices, including the lack of care
15    infrastructure, lack of family-supportive workplaces, and
16    gender and racial pay inequities.

 

 

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1        (2) Women continue to face unjust gender and racial
2    wage gaps, and are overrepresented in low-wage jobs,
3    despite their gains in workforce participation.
4    Asian-American and Pacific Islander women, particularly
5    Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander women, get paid as
6    little as $0.50 for every dollar a White man makes. Black
7    women make only $0.63 for every dollar a White man makes,
8    and as a result may lose $946,000 in their lifetimes.
9    Latina women earn $0.55 for every dollar earned by a White
10    man, and as a result may lose over $1,100,000 in wages over
11    the course of a 40-year career. Native American women are
12    paid $0.60 for every dollar a White man makes and are
13    murdered at 10 times the rate of the national average,
14    even though financial independence and security can
15    increase chances of escaping violence for these women.
16    Women's wages are key to their families' economic security
17    and survival. Across the country, mothers are breadwinners
18    in almost half of families with children under 18, even
19    though mothers face a greater pay gap than women as a
20    whole. Even prior to the pandemic, working mothers faced
21    continued biases and stigmas in the workplace that
22    caregiving responsibilities will negatively impact their
23    work performance.
24        (3) Women have suffered the majority of
25    pandemic-related job losses. Since February 2020, women
26    have lost over 5,400,000 net jobs and account for 55% of

 

 

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1    overall net job loss since the beginning of the crisis.
2    Women of color are experiencing higher rates of job loss
3    than White women. According to the Bureau of Labor
4    Statistics January 2021 unemployment data, the jobless
5    rate for Black women and Latina women aged 20 and over is
6    over 60% higher than their White counterparts. Asian
7    Americans recorded the highest jobless rates among women
8    in the last 6 months of 2020, even though before the
9    pandemic their average unemployment rate was the lowest.
10        (4) Women face a disproportionate burden of caregiving
11    responsibilities. Mothers are 3 times more likely than
12    fathers to be responsible for most of the caregiving and
13    household work. Single mothers are more likely than other
14    parents to take care of all housework and childcare
15    responsibilities in their household, and are more likely
16    than other mothers to experience financial insecurity.
17        (5) Throughout the pandemic, women of color have
18    played integral roles on the front lines as essential
19    workers, including as nursing assistants, home health
20    aides, and child care educators.
21        (6) The unprecedented burdens of child care, work, and
22    remote learning have strained mental and emotional health
23    for mothers. These points of stress are compounded by
24    financial instability, racial injustice, being a single
25    parent, having children with special needs, and many other
26    factors.
 

 

 

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1    Section 10. Task Force.
2    (a) The Marshall Plan for Moms Interagency Task Force is
3established. The Task Force shall consist of the following
4members or their designees:
5        (1) the Director of Labor, who shall serve as chair;
6        (2) the Secretary of Human Services;
7        (3) the Chairman of the Illinois Workers' Compensation
8    Commission;
9        (4) the Director of Public Health;
10        (5) the Director of Human Rights;
11        (6) two members, who shall be appointed by the
12    Governor, one upon the recommendation of the Illinois
13    AFL-CIO and one upon the recommendation of the Illinois
14    Manufacturers' Association;
15        (7) one member, who shall be appointed by the Speaker
16    of the House of Representatives; and
17        (8) one member, who shall be appointed by the
18    President of the Senate.
19    (b) Upon the appointment of a quorum of members, the Task
20Force shall meet as often as is necessary, but no less than
21once per quarter and where otherwise appropriate to fulfilling
22its duties under this Act. The members of the Task Force shall
23serve without compensation but shall be entitled to
24reimbursement for all necessary expenses incurred in the
25performance of their duties.

 

 

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1    (c) The Department of Labor shall provide staff and other
2assistance to the Task Force.
 
3    Section 15. Policy areas; proposals and recommendations.
4The Task Force shall examine the following policy areas and
5may issue proposals and recommendations thereon:
6        (1) The utilization of recurring payments or financial
7    assistance to mothers and other caregivers and any
8    equivalent policies under all current State and federal
9    programs.
10        (2) The current utilization rates and impacts of
11    family leave programs as well as specific impacts of the
12    programs on mothers and other caregivers.
13        (3) Current State policy impacting the childcare
14    industry and the access or availability of child care in
15    all areas of the State.
16        (4) The impact of any new policies imposed by the
17    federal government or by State or local officials during
18    the COVID-19 pandemic that have impacted mothers and other
19    caregivers in the workforce.
20        (5) The availability and access to mental health
21    support for mothers and other caregivers, and the impact
22    of access or availability to mental health support on such
23    families.
24        (6) The access and availability of all such programs
25    for immigrant families, and the impact of inaccessibility

 

 

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1    or unavailability of any such programs on immigrant
2    families and the State.
3        (7) Any other areas the Task Force deems relevant in
4    the review of policies that may impact mothers and other
5    caregivers.
 
6    Section 20. Hearings. Within one year after the effective
7date of this Act, in carrying out its functions, the Task Force
8shall hold 2 public hearings around the State to foster
9discussions among, and conduct formal public hearings with
10requisite public notice to solicit input and recommendations
11from statewide and regional stakeholder interests. The Task
12Force shall also accept public input in writing. The Task
13Force may utilize remote access such as web conferencing in
14order to comply with the provisions of this Section.
 
15    Section 25. Findings and recommendations. Within 2 years
16after the effective date of this Act, the Task Force shall
17report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and
18the General Assembly and shall publicize its findings on a
19website provided by the Department of Labor.
 
20    Section 30. Findings and recommendations. This Act is
21repealed 3 years after the effective date of this Act.
 
22    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon

 

 

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1becoming law.".