093_HB2413

 
                                     LRB093 06749 DRJ 10996 b

 1        AN ACT in relation to aging.

 2        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:


 4        Section  1.  Short  title.  This  Act may be cited as the
 5    Community Senior Services and Resources Act.

 6        Section 5.  Legislative findings.  The  General  Assembly
 7    recognizes   that  community  senior  services  and  resource
 8    centers:
 9             (1)  serve   as   the    Department    on    Aging's
10        community-level counterpart;
11             (2)  serve  as  the  infrastructure  of  the  senior
12        services delivery system;
13             (3)  provide  one-stop  convenience  for seniors and
14        their families;
15             (4)  assist  seniors   in   avoiding   inappropriate
16        institutionalization; and
17             (5)  address  the  health, safety, and well-being of
18        those who receive senior services at home and  those  who
19        receive them in an institutional setting.

20        Section  10.  Legislative intent. It is the intent of the
21    General Assembly that the Department advocate  on  behalf  of
22    community  senior  services  and resource centers and promote
23    their  financial  stability   through   direct   grants   and
24    identification of alternative funding sources.

25        Section 15.  Definitions. For the purposes of this Act:
26        "Advisory  Committee" means the Community Senior Services
27    and Resource Center Advisory Committee created under  Section
28    35.
 
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 1        "Center"  means  a community senior services and resource
 2    center.
 3        "Department" means the Department on Aging.
 4        "Director" means the Director of Aging.
 5        "Senior" means an individual 60 years of age or older.
 6        "Home  or  community   based   services"   includes   the
 7    following:    elder   abuse;   home-delivered   meals;   case
 8    management; wellness and fitness programs; counseling;  adult
 9    day   services;   respite  care;  senior  benefits  outreach;
10    congregate meals;  long-term  care  ombudsman  services;  job
11    training   and  placement;  transportation;  chore  homemaker
12    services;  caregiver  support;  computer  literacy;  and  any
13    program that assists participants in  avoiding  inappropriate
14    institutional  placement  or  addresses participants' health,
15    safety,  or well-being, regardless of whether the service  is
16    received  in  a  participant's  home  or  in an institutional
17    setting and a majority of participants are seniors or  family
18    of seniors.

19        Section  20.  Duties. The Department shall perform all of
20    the following duties:
21             (1)  Administer this Act and promulgate  any  rules,
22        regulations, guidelines, and directives necessary for its
23        implementation.
24             (2)  Establish   a  Community  Senior  Services  and
25        Resource Center Advisory Committee.
26             (3)  Make grants to non-profit agencies and units of
27        local  government  under  Section  25  of  this  Act   in
28        consultation with the Advisory Committee.
29             (4)  Facilitate  access  to  government-issued bonds
30        for the purpose of capital improvement.
31             (5)  Provide technical assistance to centers.
32             (6)  Develop a comprehensive list of centers and the
33        senior  services  they  offer  for  publication  on   the
 
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 1        Department's  web site and for distribution through other
 2        promotional opportunities.
 3             (7)  Develop  a  survey  for   annual   distribution
 4        through  the centers to gather information concerning the
 5        lack or inadequacy of senior  services  and  to  identify
 6        service  demand  trends  and  the  unique  needs of older
 7        Illinoisans and their families.
 8             (8)  Conduct an annual survey of centers  to  assess
 9        their facility, program, and operational needs.
10             (9)  Report   annually   in   conjunction  with  the
11        Advisory  Committee  to  the  Governor  and  the  General
12        Assembly. The report  shall  include  findings  from  all
13        surveys  conducted  pursuant  to  this  Act,  a  list  of
14        grantees  by  county,  and recommendations concerning the
15        ongoing financial stability of centers.
16             (10)  Pursue alternative funding opportunities.

17        Section  25.  Community  senior  services  and   resource
18    center grants.
19        (a)  On  and  after  January  1, 2005, the Department may
20    award grants under this Act. It  is  the  General  Assembly's
21    intent  that  grants  awarded under this Act shall be made to
22    the extent of the availability and  level  of  appropriations
23    made for this purpose by the General Assembly.
24        (b)  A  center  must  meet  the  following criteria to be
25    eligible to receive a grant under this Section:
26             (1)  It must be a non-profit agency  or  a  unit  of
27        local government.
28             (2)  It must be housed in a building or portion of a
29        building that includes space for group activities offered
30        to the community at large.
31             (3)  It  must be open 5 or more days each week, 7 or
32        more hours per day.
33             (4)  It must employ paid staff.
 
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 1             (5)  It must offer 5 or more home or community-based
 2        services to the community at large on a daily basis.
 3             (6)  A majority of the participants in the  center's
 4        programs must be seniors or family members of seniors.
 5        (c)  A  center  must  apply  for  a  grant  in the manner
 6    prescribed by the Department. At a minimum,  the  application
 7    must do the following:
 8             (1)  Describe the services offered by the center.
 9             (2)  Identify  the  special  needs of the center and
10        how the  grant  will  be  used  to  alleviate  identified
11        funding problems.
12             (3)  Demonstrate   that  the  center  addresses  the
13        service needs of seniors in the community served  by  the
14        center.
15             (4)  Describe other potential funding sources.
16             (5)  Describe  additional  funding opportunities, if
17        any, to be leveraged with grant funds.
18             (6)  Provide proof of the  center's  involvement  in
19        the community's greater service delivery system.

20        Section  30.  Funding; waivers. The Director may seek and
21    obtain  non-State  resources  for  which  the  State  may  be
22    eligible and other dedicated revenue  streams  and  may  also
23    seek and obtain waivers of federal requirements from the U.S.
24    Department of Health and Human Services.

25        Section   35.  Community  Senior  Services  and  Resource
26    Center Advisory Committee.
27        (a)  The Community Senior Services  and  Resource  Center
28    Advisory  Committee  shall  be established by the Department.
29    The Advisory Committee  shall  advise  the  Director  in  all
30    aspects  of  the  administration  of  this Act, including the
31    determination of grant awards.
32        (b)  The Advisory Committee  shall  be  composed  of  the
 
                            -5-      LRB093 06749 DRJ 10996 b
 1    Director,  who  shall serve as a nonvoting ex officio member,
 2    and 12 voting members. The  voting  members  shall  select  a
 3    chairperson  from  among  their  number.  The  Governor shall
 4    appoint the 12 voting members as follows:
 5             (1)  Two  members  selected   from   recommendations
 6        provided   by   an  association  representing  non-profit
 7        centers.
 8             (2)  Two  members  selected   from   recommendations
 9        provided   by   an   association   representing  township
10        governments.
11             (3)  Two  members  selected   from   recommendations
12        provided by an association representing park districts.
13             (4)  Two   members   selected  from  recommendations
14        provided by an association representing municipalities.
15             (5)  Two  members  selected   from   recommendations
16        provided by statewide membership-based organizations that
17        engage  solely  in  advocacy  on  behalf  of  the  senior
18        population.
19             (6)  Two  members  selected from individuals who are
20        active participants in programs at a center.
21        (c)  All voting members shall be appointed by January  1,
22    2004. As determined by lot at the time of their appointment,
23    4  of the initial appointee's terms shall expire in one year;
24    4 in 2 years; and  4  in  3  years.  Thereafter,  all  voting
25    members  shall  be appointed to serve for terms of 3 years. A
26    voting member's term does not expire  until  a  successor  is
27    appointed  by the Governor. A voting member appointed to fill
28    a vacancy occurring before the expiration  of  the  term  for
29    which his or her predecessor was appointed shall be appointed
30    for the remainder of that term.
31        (d)  The  Advisory  Committee  shall  meet on a quarterly
32    basis and at other times  at  the  call  of  the  chair.  The
33    affirmative vote of 7 members of the Advisory Committee shall
34    be required to take action. Members of the Advisory Committee
 
                            -6-      LRB093 06749 DRJ 10996 b
 1    shall receive no compensation for their service and shall not
 2    be reimbursed for expenses related to their service.
 3        (e)  To  the  extent  possible,  members  of the Advisory
 4    Committee shall assist  the  Department  in  reviewing  grant
 5    applications.
 6        (f)  The  Advisory Committee shall be provided with draft
 7    copies of proposed survey instruments for  their  review  and
 8    comment before the survey is conducted.
 9        (g)  The Advisory Committee shall be provided with copies
10    of  all  administrative  rules  and changes to administrative
11    rules implementing this Act  for  their  review  and  comment
12    before  notice  of  the proposed rules or changes is given as
13    required under the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.  If
14    the  Advisory  Committee,  having  been asked for its review,
15    fails to comment to the Department on the proposed  rules  or
16    changes  within  90  days,  the  Department  may  proceed  as
17    required  for  rulemaking  under  the Illinois Administrative
18    Procedure Act.

19        Section  40.  Community  Senior  Services  and  Resources
20    Fund. The Community Senior Services  and  Resources  Fund  is
21    created  as  a special fund in the State treasury. All moneys
22    received by the Department for the implementation of this Act
23    shall be deposited into the Fund. Subject  to  appropriation,
24    moneys in the Fund shall be used for grant awards and for the
25    administration  of this Act. Interest earned on moneys in the
26    Fund shall be credited to the Fund.

27        Section 90.  The State Finance Act is amended  by  adding
28    Section 5.595 as follows:

29        (30 ILCS 105/5.595 new)
30        Sec.  5.595.  The Community Senior Services and Resources
31    Fund.
 
                            -7-      LRB093 06749 DRJ 10996 b
 1        Section 99.  Effective date. This Act takes  effect  upon
 2    becoming law.