093_HJ0021

                                     LRB093 11124 MKM 12151 r

 1                       HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, Illinois  has  always  been  a  State  that  has
 3    received  and  benefited  from  a  large,  diverse  immigrant
 4    population; and

 5        WHEREAS,  That  population now represents close to 13% of
 6    Illinois' total population, and families  with  an  immigrant
 7    member now represent some 20% of the State's population; and

 8        WHEREAS, Illinois has been a national leader in immigrant
 9    and  refugee integration efforts, and has offered support for
10    citizenship, healthcare, outreach, and interpretation through
11    the Immigrant Services Line Item; and

12        WHEREAS, Immigrants are moving to new communities  across
13    the  State, with 60% of the State's immigrants living outside
14    the City of Chicago; and

15        WHEREAS, Immigrants play a vital role in many sectors  of
16    our  economy,  including  agriculture,  education, hotels and
17    restaurants,     tourism,     manufacturing,      healthcare,
18    pharmaceuticals, high tech, and other industries; and

19        WHEREAS, It is important for immigrant workers to be able
20    to  learn  English,  acquire  useful employment, and gain the
21    skills necessary to move up the employment ladder; and

22        WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of the State and  the
23    immigrants  that  they  move  quickly from being newcomers to
24    being fully integrated into the economic, civic, and cultural
25    life of the State; and

26        WHEREAS, The Illinois Immigrant Policy  Project  and  the
27    Illinois  Coalition  for  Immigrant  and  Refugee Rights have
28    conducted a  series  of  reports  on  the  challenges  facing
29    immigrant   newcomers   to   Illinois,  including  education,
30    workplace challenges,  entrepreneurship,  health,  and  human
 
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 1    services; and

 2        WHEREAS,  It  is  important  for the State of Illinois to
 3    develop an immigrant policy for dealing successfully with our
 4    newcomers; therefore, be it

 5        RESOLVED,  BY  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES   OF   THE
 6    NINETY-THIRD  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
 7    SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created a Joint  Task
 8    Force  on Illinois Immigrants and Refugees for the purpose of
 9    examining their special needs and making  recommendations  to
10    the General Assembly concerning those needs as they relate to
11    health,  human services, education, employment opportunities,
12    and economic development; and be it further

13        RESOLVED,  That  the  Joint  Task   Force   on   Illinois
14    Immigrants  and  Refugees  shall  consist  of  the  following
15    members: (i) 2 co-chairpersons who are members of the General
16    Assembly,  one  of  whom  is  appointed by the Speaker of the
17    House and one of whom is appointed by the  President  of  the
18    Senate;  and  (ii)  2  spokespersons  who  are members of the
19    General Assembly, one of whom is appointed  by  the  Minority
20    Leader  of  the  House  and  one  of whom is appointed by the
21    Minority Leader of the Senate; and (iii) the Speaker  of  the
22    House,  the  President  of the Senate, the Minority Leader of
23    the House, and the Minority Leader of  the  Senate  may  each
24    appoint 4 additional members; and be it further

25        RESOLVED,  That  the  members  shall serve on a voluntary
26    basis and shall be responsible for any costs associated  with
27    their  participation  in  the  Joint  Task  Force;  and be it
28    further

29        RESOLVED, That all members of the Joint Task Force  shall
30    be considered to be members with voting rights, that a quorum
31    of the Joint Task Force shall consist of a simple majority of
32    the members of the Joint Task Force, and that all actions and
 
                            -3-      LRB093 11124 MKM 12151 r
 1    recommendations  of  the  Joint  Task  Force be approved by a
 2    simple majority of the members of the Joint Task  Force;  and
 3    be it further

 4        RESOLVED,   That   the   Joint  Task  Force  on  Illinois
 5    Immigrants and  Refugees  shall  meet  at  the  call  of  the
 6    chairpersons   and   shall   summarize   its   findings   and
 7    recommendations  in a report to the General Assembly no later
 8    than December 31, 2003.