Rep. Monique D. Davis

Filed: 3/19/2014

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 3827

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 3827 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The Urban Weatherization Initiative Act is
5amended by changing Sections 40-10, 40-20, and 40-40 as
6follows:
 
7    (30 ILCS 738/40-10)
8    Sec. 40-10. Urban Weatherization Initiative established;
9purpose.
10    (a) The Urban Weatherization Initiative is created. The
11Initiative shall be administered by the Department of Commerce
12and Economic Opportunity in consultation with other
13appropriate State agencies and overseen by the Weatherization
14Initiative Board.
15    (b) The purpose of the Urban Weatherization Initiative is
16to promote the State's interest in reducing the impact of high

 

 

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1energy costs on low-income households. The Initiative seeks to
2increase employment and entrepreneurship opportunities through
3the installation and manufacturing of low-cost weatherization
4materials. In particular, the Initiative is intended to
5weatherize owner-occupied, single family homes and
6multi-family (6 units or fewer) housing in census tracts with
7high rates of unemployment, underemployment, and poverty and to
8ensure that residents of those communities are able to access
9the work as a local employment engine. The Initiative also
10seeks to implement outreach strategies to increase awareness of
11cost savings and job training services associated with the
12program.
13    (c) The efforts of the Urban Weatherization Initiative
14shall be coordinated with those of federal weatherization
15programs, including, but not limited to, the weatherization
16programs of the United States Department of Energy. The
17Department shall administer the Initiative so as to qualify for
18any federal grant or matching programs that may from time to
19time be offered to the State of Illinois or any political
20subdivision thereof.
21(Source: P.A. 96-37, eff. 7-13-09.)
 
22    (30 ILCS 738/40-20)
23    Sec. 40-20. Award of grants.
24    (a) The Department shall award grants under this Article
25using a competitive request-for-proposal process administered

 

 

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1by the Department and overseen by the Board. No more than 2% of
2funds used for grants may be retained by the Department for
3administrative costs, program evaluation, and technical
4assistance activities.
5    (b) The Department must award grants competitively in
6accordance with the priorities described in this Article.
7Grants must be awarded in support of the implementation,
8expansion, or implementation and expansion of weatherization
9and job training programs consistent with the priorities
10described in this Article. Strategies for grant use include,
11but are not limited to, the following:
12        (1) Repair or replacement of inefficient heating and
13    cooling units.
14        (2) Addressing of air infiltration with weather
15    stripping, caulking, thresholds, minor repairs to walls,
16    roofs, ceilings, and floors, and window and door
17    replacement.
18        (3) Repair or replacement of water heaters.
19        (4) Pipe, duct, or pipe and duct insulation.
20    (c) Portions of grant funds may be used for:
21        (1) Work-aligned training in weatherization skill
22    sets, including skills necessary for career advancement in
23    the energy efficiency field.
24        (2) Basic skills training, including soft-skill
25    training, and other workforce development services,
26    including mentoring, job development, support services,

 

 

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1    transportation assistance, and wage subsidies tied to
2    training and employment in weatherization.
3    (d) All grant applicants must include a comprehensive plan
4for local community engagement. Grant recipients may devote a
5portion of awarded funds to conduct outreach activities
6designed to assure that eligible households and relevant
7workforce populations are made aware of the opportunities
8available under this Article. A portion of outreach activities
9must occur in convenient, local intake centers, including but
10not limited to churches, local schools, and community centers.
11    (e) Any private, public, and non-profit entities that
12provide, or demonstrate desire and ability to provide,
13weatherization services that act to decrease the impact of
14energy costs on low-income areas and incorporate an effective
15local employment strategy are eligible grant applicants.
16    (f) For grant recipients, maximum per unit expenditure
17shall not exceed $10,000 $6,500.
18    (g) A grant recipient may not be awarded grants totaling
19more than $2,000,000 $500,000 per fiscal year.
20    (h) A grant recipient may not use more than 15% of its
21total grant amount for administrative expenses.
22(Source: P.A. 96-37, eff. 7-13-09.)
 
23    (30 ILCS 738/40-40)
24    Sec. 40-40. Weatherization Initiative Board.
25    (a) The Weatherization Initiative Board is created within

 

 

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1the Department. The Board must approve or deny all grants from
2the Fund.
3    (a-5) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article,
4the Board has the authority to direct the Department to
5authorize the awarding of grants to applicants serving areas or
6populations not included in the target areas and populations
7set forth in Section 40-25 if the Board determines that there
8are special circumstances involving the areas or populations
9served by the applicant.
10    (b) The Board shall consist of 5 voting members appointed
11by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The
12initial members shall have terms as follows as designated by
13the Governor: one for one year, one for 2 years, one for 3
14years, one for 4 years, and one for 5 years, or until a
15successor is appointed and qualified. Thereafter, members
16shall serve 5-year terms or until a successor is appointed and
17qualified. Two voting members shall have experience in
18residential weatherization or energy efficiency; one voting
19member shall have experience in workforce development. The
20voting members shall elect a voting member to serve as chair
21for a one-year term. Vacancies shall be filled in the same
22manner for the balance of a term.
23    (c) The Board shall also have 4 non-voting ex officio
24members appointed as follows: one Representative appointed by
25the Speaker of the House, one Representative appointed by the
26House Minority Leader, one Senator appointed by the President

 

 

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1of the Senate, and one Senator appointed by the Senate Minority
2Leader, each to serve at the pleasure of the appointing
3authority.
4    (d) Members shall receive no compensation, but may be
5reimbursed for necessary expenses from appropriations to the
6Department available for that purpose.
7    (e) The Board may adopt rules under the Illinois
8Administrative Procedure Act.
9    (f) A quorum of the Board is at least 3 voting members, and
10the affirmative vote of at least 3 voting members is required
11for Board decisions and adoption of rules.
12    (g) The Department shall provide staff and administrative
13assistance to the Board.
14    (h) By May December 31 of each year, the Board shall file
15an annual report with the Governor and the General Assembly
16concerning the Initiative, grants awarded, and grantees and
17making recommendations for any changes needed to enhance the
18effectiveness of the Initiative.
19(Source: P.A. 96-37, eff. 7-13-09.)".