HB5785 EngrossedLRB099 18973 MLM 43362 b

1    AN ACT concerning finance.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
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
17energy costs on low-income households. The Initiative seeks to
18increase employment and entrepreneurship opportunities through
19the installation and manufacturing of low-cost weatherization
20materials. In particular, the Initiative is intended to
21weatherize owner-occupied, single family homes and
22multi-family (6 units or fewer) housing in census tracts with
23high rates of unemployment, underemployment, and poverty and to

 

 

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1ensure that residents of those communities are able to access
2the work as a local employment engine. The Initiative also
3seeks to implement outreach strategies to increase awareness of
4cost savings and job training services associated with the
5program.
6    (c) The efforts of the Urban Weatherization Initiative
7shall be coordinated with those of federal weatherization
8programs, including, but not limited to, the weatherization
9programs of the United States Department of Energy. The
10Department shall administer the Initiative so as to qualify for
11any federal grant or matching programs that may from time to
12time be offered to the State of Illinois or any political
13subdivision thereof. Employees hired under the Initiative
14shall be paid in accordance with the hourly wages associated
15with the federal prevailing wage rates for weatherization
16workers.
17(Source: P.A. 96-37, eff. 7-13-09.)
 
18    (30 ILCS 738/40-20)
19    Sec. 40-20. Award of grants.
20    (a) The Department shall award grants under this Article
21using a competitive request-for-proposal process administered
22by the Department and overseen by the Board. No more than 2% of
23funds used for grants may be retained by the Department for
24administrative costs, program evaluation, and technical
25assistance activities.

 

 

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1    (b) The Department must award grants competitively in
2accordance with the priorities described in this Article.
3Grants must be awarded in support of the implementation,
4expansion, or implementation and expansion of weatherization
5and job training programs consistent with the priorities
6described in this Article. Strategies for grant use include,
7but are not limited to, the following:
8        (1) Repair or replacement of inefficient heating and
9    cooling units.
10        (2) Addressing of air infiltration with weather
11    stripping, caulking, thresholds, minor repairs to walls,
12    roofs, ceilings, and floors, and window and door
13    replacement.
14        (3) Repair or replacement of water heaters.
15        (4) Pipe, duct, or pipe and duct insulation.
16    (c) Portions of grant funds may be used for:
17        (1) Work-aligned training in weatherization skill
18    sets, including skills necessary for career advancement in
19    the energy efficiency field.
20        (2) Basic skills training, including soft-skill
21    training, and other workforce development services,
22    including mentoring, job development, support services,
23    transportation assistance, and wage subsidies tied to
24    training and employment in weatherization.
25    (d) All grant applicants must include a comprehensive plan
26for local community engagement. Grant recipients may devote a

 

 

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

 

 

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1authorize the awarding of grants to applicants serving areas or
2populations not included in the target areas and populations
3set forth in Section 40-25 if the Board determines that there
4are special circumstances involving the areas or populations
5served by the applicant.
6    (b) The Board shall consist of 5 voting members appointed
7by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The
8initial members shall have terms as follows as designated by
9the Governor: one for one year, one for 2 years, one for 3
10years, one for 4 years, and one for 5 years, or until a
11successor is appointed and qualified. Thereafter, members
12shall serve 5-year terms or until a successor is appointed and
13qualified. Two voting members shall have experience in
14residential weatherization or energy efficiency; one voting
15member shall have experience in workforce development. The
16voting members shall elect a voting member to serve as chair
17for a one-year term. Vacancies shall be filled in the same
18manner for the balance of a term.
19    (c) The Board shall also have 4 non-voting ex officio
20members appointed as follows: one Representative appointed by
21the Speaker of the House, one Representative appointed by the
22House Minority Leader, one Senator appointed by the President
23of the Senate, and one Senator appointed by the Senate Minority
24Leader, each to serve at the pleasure of the appointing
25authority.
26    (d) Members shall receive no compensation, but may be

 

 

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1reimbursed for necessary expenses from appropriations to the
2Department available for that purpose.
3    (e) The Board may adopt rules under the Illinois
4Administrative Procedure Act.
5    (f) A quorum of the Board is at least 3 voting members, and
6the affirmative vote of at least 3 voting members is required
7for Board decisions and adoption of rules.
8    (g) The Department shall provide staff and administrative
9assistance to the Board.
10    (h) By May December 31 of each year, the Board shall file
11an annual report with the Governor and the General Assembly
12concerning the Initiative, grants awarded, and grantees and
13making recommendations for any changes needed to enhance the
14effectiveness of the Initiative.
15(Source: P.A. 96-37, eff. 7-13-09.)
 
16    Section 10. The Energy Assistance Act is amended by
17changing Section 7 as follows:
 
18    (305 ILCS 20/7)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1407)
19    Sec. 7. State Weatherization Plan and Program.
20    (a) The Department shall, after consultation with the
21Policy Advisory Council, prepare and promulgate an annual State
22Weatherization Plan beginning in the year this Act becomes
23effective. To the extent practicable, such Plan shall provide
24for targeting use of both State and federal weatherization

 

 

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1funds to the households of eligible applicants pursuant to this
2Act whose ratios of energy costs to income are the highest. The
3State Weatherization Plan shall include but need not be limited
4to the following:
5        (1) a description of the demographic characteristics
6    and energy use patterns of people eligible for assistance
7    pursuant to this Act;
8        (2) the methodology used by the Department in targeting
9    weatherization funds;
10        (3) a description of anticipated activity and results
11    for the year covered by the Plan, including an estimate of
12    energy cost savings expected to be realized by the
13    weatherization program; and
14        (4) every third year, beginning in 2002, an evaluation
15    of results from the weatherization program in the year
16    preceding the plan year, including the effect of State
17    Weatherization Program investments on energy consumption
18    and cost in the population eligible for assistance pursuant
19    to this Act, and the effect of targeted weatherization
20    investments on the costs of the energy assistance program
21    authorized by this Act.
22    (b) The Department shall implement the State
23Weatherization Plan by rule through a program which provides
24targeted weatherization assistance to eligible applicants for
25energy assistance pursuant to this Act. The Department may
26enter into such contracts and other arrangements with local

 

 

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1agencies as may be necessary for the purpose of administering
2the weatherization program. Individuals performing
3weatherization work under the weatherization program shall be
4paid in accordance with the hourly wages associated with the
5federal prevailing wage rates for such weatherization
6classifications as determined by the United States Department
7of Labor, until specifically superseded by additional
8standards and regulations.
9(Source: P.A. 92-690, eff. 7-18-02.)