97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB3787

 

Introduced 5/30/2011, by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford - Jim Sacia - Charles E. Jefferson - Linda Chapa LaVia - Ron Stephens, et al.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Veterans State Employment Plan Act. Provides that the Act is designed to: (1) improve State services delivery to Illinois' veterans; (2) increase the number of veterans: who are employed throughout State government, who are promoted, and who are hired by State government; (3) assist State agencies meet goals established by the Veterans State Employment Plan; and (4) establish a Veterans State Employment Plan Advisory Council. Provides that "veteran" means an Illinois resident who has served as a member of the United States Armed Forces on active duty or State active duty, a member of the Illinois National Guard, or a member of the United States Reserve Forces and who has received an honorable discharge. Provides that the Department of Central Management Services shall: develop and implement plans to increase the number of veterans employed by the State, including those at supervisory, technical, professional, and managerial levels; prepare a Veterans State Employment Plan; annually report to the General Assembly State agency activities that implement the Plan; and assist State agencies with training programs. Provides that each State agency shall: implement programs under the Plan to increase the number of veterans employed by the State, including at supervisory, technical, professional, and managerial levels; and report annually to the Department its activities that implement the Plan. Provides that the Veterans State Employment Plan Advisory Council is created, consisting of 11 members each of whom shall be a subject matter expert on the employment of veterans appointed by the Governor. Provides that members shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses from appropriated funds. Includes other provisions. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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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 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Veterans State Employment Plan Act.
 
6    Section 5. Purposes. The purposes of this Act are as
7follows:
8    (a) improve the delivery of State services to Illinois'
9veterans by increasing the number of veterans who are State
10employees and the number of veterans who are State employees
11serving in supervisory, technical, professional, and
12managerial positions;
13    (b) identify State agencies' staffing needs and
14qualification requirements;
15    (c) track hiring practices and promotions of veterans who
16are employed by State agencies;
17    (d) increase the number of veterans employed by State
18agencies;
19    (e) increase the number of veterans who are State employees
20who are promoted;
21    (f) increase the number of veterans hired by State
22agencies;
23    (g) assist State agencies to meet their goals established

 

 

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1pursuant to the Veterans State Employment Plan; and
2    (h) establish the Veterans State Employment Plan Advisory
3Council.
 
4    Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
5    "Department" means the Department of Central Management
6Services.
7    "State agency" or "agency", whether used in the singular or
8plural, means all departments, officers, commissions, boards,
9institutions, and bodies politic and corporate of the State.
10The term, however, does not mean the judicial branch,
11including, without limitation, the several courts of the State,
12the offices of the clerk of the supreme court and the clerks of
13the appellate court, and the Administrative Office of the
14Illinois Courts, nor does it mean the legislature or its
15committees or commissions.
16    "Veteran" means an Illinois resident who has served as a
17member of the United States Armed Forces on active duty or
18State active duty, a member of the Illinois National Guard, or
19a member of the United States Reserve Forces and who has
20received an honorable discharge.
 
21    Section 15. Veterans State Employment Plan.
22    (a) The Department shall have a full-time position
23designated as the Veterans State Employment Coordinator to
24monitor compliance with the Veterans State Employment Plan.

 

 

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1    (b) The Department shall develop and implement plans to
2increase the number of veterans employed by State agencies and
3the number of veterans employed by State agencies at
4supervisory, technical, professional, and managerial levels.
5    (c) The Department shall prepare and revise annually a
6Veterans State Employment Plan in consultation with
7individuals and organizations knowledgeable on this subject
8and with the Veterans State Employment Plan Advisory Council.
9The Department shall report to the General Assembly by February
101 of each year, beginning with February 1, 2012, each State
11agency's activities that implement the Veterans State
12Employment Plan.
 
13    Section 20. State agency affirmative action and equal
14employment opportunity goals.
15    (a) Each State agency shall implement strategies and
16programs in accordance with the Veterans State Employment Plan
17to increase the number of veterans employed by that State
18agency and the number of veterans employed by that State agency
19at supervisory, technical, professional, and managerial
20levels.
21    (b) Each State agency shall report annually to the
22Department and the Department of Human Rights, in a format
23prescribed by the Department, all of the agency's activities in
24implementing the Veterans State Employment Plan. Each agency's
25annual report shall include reports or information related to

 

 

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1the agency's community employment strategies and programs that
2the agency has received from the Department, the Department of
3Human Rights, or the Auditor General, pursuant to their
4periodic review responsibilities; findings made by the
5Governor in his or her report to the General Assembly;
6assessments of service needs based upon the agency's service
7populations; information on the agency's studies and
8monitoring success concerning the number of veterans employed
9by the agency at the supervisory, technical, professional, and
10managerial levels and any increases in those categories from
11the prior year; and information concerning the agency's
12veterans employment budget allocations.
13    (c) The Department shall assist State agencies required to
14establish preparation and promotion training programs under
15subsection (H) of Section 7-105 of the Illinois Human Rights
16Act for failure to meet their affirmative action and equal
17employment opportunity goals. The Department shall survey
18State agencies to identify effective existing training
19programs and shall serve as a resource to other State agencies.
20The Department shall assist agencies in the development and
21modification of training programs to enable them to meet their
22affirmative action and equal employment opportunity goals and
23shall provide information regarding other existing training
24and educational resources, such as the Upward Mobility Program,
25the Illinois Institute for Training and Development, the
26Central Management Services Training Center, Executive

 

 

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1Recruitment Internships, and Graduate Public Service
2Internships.
 
3    Section 25. Veterans State Employment Plan Advisory
4Council.
5    (a) The Veterans State Employment Plan Advisory Council is
6created, consisting of 11 members, each of whom shall be a
7subject matter expert on the employment of veterans, appointed
8by the Governor.
9    (b) All members of the Veterans State Employment Plan
10Advisory Council shall serve without compensation, but shall be
11reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses from
12funds appropriated for that purpose.
13    (c) The Veterans State Employment Plan Advisory Council
14shall examine: (1) the prevalence and impact of veterans
15employed by State government; (2) the barriers faced by
16veterans who seek employment or promotional opportunities in
17State government; and (3) possible incentives that could be
18offered to foster the employment of and the promotion of
19veterans in State government.
20    (d) The Council shall meet quarterly to provide
21consultation to State agencies and the Veterans State
22Employment Coordinator.
23    (e) The Veterans State Employment Plan Advisory Council
24shall receive administrative support from the Department of
25Central Management Services and shall issue an annual report of

 

 

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1its activities each year on or before December 1, beginning
2with December 1, 2012.
 
3    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
4becoming law.