97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5715

 

Introduced 2/16/2012, by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Veterans State Employment Plan Act. Provides that the Act concerns veterans as to: delivery of State services; State employment; State agencies' goals; and a Veterans State Employment Plan. 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; prepare a Veterans State Employment Plan; annually report to the General Assembly State agency activities under the Plan; and assist State agencies with training programs. Provides that each State agency shall implement the Plan and provide a Plan report annually to the Department. Creates the Veterans State Employment Plan Advisory Council, with 11 members (each a subject matter expert on the employment of veterans), appointed by the Governor, who shall serve without compensation, but 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;
2    (h) establish the Veterans State Employment Plan Advisory
3Council; and
4    (i) coordinate any State activity or program, as
5appropriate, with any federal veterans program.
 
6    Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
7    "Department" means the Department of Central Management
8Services.
9    "State agency" or "agency", whether used in the singular or
10plural, means all departments, officers, commissions, boards,
11institutions, and bodies politic and corporate of the State.
12The term, however, does not mean the judicial branch,
13including, without limitation, the several courts of the State,
14the offices of the clerk of the supreme court and the clerks of
15the appellate court, and the Administrative Office of the
16Illinois Courts, nor does it mean the legislature or its
17committees or commissions.
18    "Veteran" means an Illinois resident who has served as a
19member of the United States Armed Forces on active duty or
20State active duty, a member of the Illinois National Guard, or
21a member of the United States Reserve Forces and who has
22received an honorable discharge.
 
23    Section 15. Veterans State Employment Plan.
24    (a) The Department shall have a full-time position

 

 

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1designated as the Veterans State Employment Coordinator to
2monitor compliance with the Veterans State Employment Plan.
3    (b) The Department shall develop and implement plans to
4increase the number of veterans employed by State agencies and
5the number of veterans employed by State agencies at
6supervisory, technical, professional, and managerial levels.
7    (c) The Department shall prepare and revise annually a
8Veterans State Employment Plan in consultation with
9individuals and organizations knowledgeable on this subject
10and with the Veterans State Employment Plan Advisory Council.
11The Department shall report to the General Assembly by February
121 of each year, beginning with February 1, 2013, each State
13agency's activities that implement the Veterans State
14Employment Plan. The Department shall coordinate the
15development and implementation of the Plan, as appropriate,
16with any federal program that is designed to assist veterans.
 
17    Section 20. State agency affirmative action and equal
18employment opportunity goals.
19    (a) Each State agency shall implement strategies and
20programs in accordance with the Veterans State Employment Plan
21to increase the number of veterans employed by that State
22agency and the number of veterans employed by that State agency
23at supervisory, technical, professional, and managerial
24levels.
25    (b) Each State agency shall report annually to the

 

 

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1Department and the Department of Human Rights, in a format
2prescribed by the Department, all of the agency's activities in
3implementing the Veterans State Employment Plan. Each agency's
4annual report shall include reports or information related to
5the agency's community employment strategies and programs that
6the agency has received from the Department, the Department of
7Human Rights, or the Auditor General, pursuant to their
8periodic review responsibilities; findings made by the
9Governor in his or her report to the General Assembly;
10assessments of service needs based upon the agency's service
11populations; information on the agency's studies and
12monitoring success concerning the number of veterans employed
13by the agency at the supervisory, technical, professional, and
14managerial levels and any increases in those categories from
15the prior year; and information concerning the agency's
16veterans employment budget allocations.
17    (c) The Department shall assist State agencies establish
18programs to meet goals established pursuant to the Veterans
19State Employment Plan. The Department shall survey State
20agencies to identify effective existing training programs and
21shall serve as a resource to other State agencies. The
22Department shall assist agencies in the development and
23modification of training programs to enable them to meet their
24affirmative action and equal employment opportunity goals and
25shall provide information regarding other existing training
26and educational resources, such as the Upward Mobility Program,

 

 

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

 

 

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1shall receive administrative support from the Department of
2Central Management Services and shall issue an annual report of
3its activities each year on or before December 1, beginning
4with December 1, 2013.
 
5    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
6becoming law.