State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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90_SB1750

      New Act
          Creates the Accountability in Education and Job  Training
      Act.     Requires   certain   State   agencies   to   develop
      accountability  measures  for  each  of  their  job  services
      programs, minimal outcomes  for  their  programs,  and  pilot
      programs  for  performance  based  payments  for job training
      services.  Provides that the agencies  shall  report  certain
      information  to the Governor and the 4 legislative leaders no
      later than January 31 of each year.  Effective immediately.
                                                     LRB9010384MWpc
                                               LRB9010384MWpc
 1        An Act to create the Accountability in Education and  Job
 2    Training Act.
 3        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section 1.  Short title.  This Act may be  cited  as  the
 6    Accountability in Education and Job Training Act.
 7        Section 5.  Applicability.  This Act applies to the State
 8    Board of Education, the Illinois Community College Board, the
 9    Department  of Commerce and Community Affairs, the Department
10    of Employment Security, and the Department of Human Services.
11        Section 10.  Definitions.
12        "Additional barriers to employment" includes, but is  not
13    limited  to,  an  alcoholism  or  substance  abuse history, a
14    criminal record, a current  or  recent  history  of  being  a
15    victim  of  domestic  violence,  a history of incest or other
16    abuse, a  partial  disability  or  health  or  mental  health
17    problems,   or   receiving   public  aid  benefits  or  being
18    unemployed after the age of 18 for at least the last 5 years.
19        "Affected agency" means each agency  to  which  this  Act
20    applies.
21        "Community-based    providers"    means    not-for-profit
22    organizations  with  local  boards  of directors that provide
23    some or all of the job services defined in this Act.
24        "Education and job training services"  means  instruction
25    in  literacy,  English  as a Second Language, adult basic and
26    secondary  education,  General   Equivalency   Degree   (GED)
27    preparation,   job   readiness,   interviewing   and   resume
28    preparation,   job   seeking,   soft   skills  training,  and
29    vocational education, vocational skills,  and  apprenticeship
30    training in the classroom and on-the-job.
                            -2-                LRB9010384MWpc
 1        "Job placement services" means  identifying jobs in which
 2    there  are  open  positions  and  that  correspond  with  the
 3    education, training, and experience of the people enrolled in
 4    the   affected agency's job training program, coordination of
 5    client referrals to  identified  employers,    assistance  in
 6    making   application   for   the  open  jobs,  and  follow-up
 7    assistance with clients through the application process.
 8        "Job retention counseling and services" means counseling,
 9    direct services, and coordination  of  services  designed  to
10    help  newly  employed  workers  keep  their  jobs through job
11    counselors, job support groups, and job  mentors  who  assist
12    those  workers in resolving problems that arise on their jobs
13    as well as with  personal  or  practical  problems,  such  as
14    transportation  or  day care, that could affect their ability
15    to keep their jobs.
16        "Job services" means education and training services, job
17    placement services, job retention  and  counseling  services,
18    and re-employment services as defined in this Act.
19        "Re-employment services" means job training and placement
20    services  designed  to  help  individuals who have lost their
21    jobs or who are employed to quickly find new jobs.
22        "Soft  skills  training"  means   training   related   to
23    punctuality,  proper  work   attire, work habits, appropriate
24    on-the-job  problem  solving  and  conflict  resolution,  and
25    understanding and abiding by employer rules.
26        "Welfare recipients"  means  persons  who  are  receiving
27    public aid or have received public aid, as defined in Section
28    2-2  of  the  Public  Aid  Code,  within the last 2 years and
29    non-custodial parents of children receiving  public  aid  who
30    are unemployed or employed at wages below the poverty level.
31        Section 15.  Duties of affected agencies.
32        (a)  In  conjunction  with the Human Resources Investment
33    Council, each affected agency  shall  develop  accountability
                            -3-                LRB9010384MWpc
 1    measures  for  each of its job services programs, both broken
 2    down by individual contracts or  grants  and  combined.   The
 3    accountability  measures  shall measure, for all participants
 4    and separately  for  program  participants  who  are  welfare
 5    recipients  in  receipt  of  Temporary  Assistance  for Needy
 6    Families, the number of program  applicants,  the  number  of
 7    enrollees,  the  number  who complete the program, the number
 8    placed in jobs, the wages of persons placed in jobs, and  the
 9    job retention rate after 6 months.  Job service programs that
10    serve welfare recipients with multiple barriers to employment
11    shall separately tabulate the outcomes for that population.
12        (b)  Each  affected  agency shall establish and impose on
13    each  of  its  job  service   grantees,   sub-grantees,   and
14    contractors minimal outcomes for each program it operates and
15    for  collecting  and  collating  outcome data for each of its
16    program sites.  Separate minimal outcomes shall be  developed
17    for:
18             (1)  programs that serve people with a  steady  past
19        work history;
20             (2)  programs  that  serve  people  who  are welfare
21        recipients; and
22             (3)  programs  that  serve  people  with  additional
23        barriers to employment.
24        (c)  Each affected agency that has not already done so by
25    the effective date of this Act shall  establish  a  Statewide
26    pilot  program  with  its  funds  designated  for job service
27    activities and any other available funds,  including  federal
28    funds  whose  governing laws and rules do not disallow such a
29    program, of performance  based  payments  for  job  services.
30    Under  this  pilot program, payments for existing job service
31    programs, grants, and contracts shall be based on performance
32    and paid in part with a base grant.  Full payment  shall  not
33    be  earned  unless  the  student  is  placed  in unsubsidized
34    employment (exclusive of tax credits) of a least 20 hours per
                            -4-                LRB9010384MWpc
 1    week for part-time employment and at least 35 hours per  week
 2    for  full-time  employment  in  the  occupation for which the
 3    training was provided, or an occupation  with  an  equivalent
 4    starting  wage,  and  with  job  retention  of  at  least  90
 5    consecutive  regular work days or 150 non-consecutive regular
 6    work days.  Performance based payments may be  structured  in
 7    part, but no more than 60%,  based on agency-wide goals, with
 8    performance  payments  based on the collective performance of
 9    geographically close and substantively similar  grantees  and
10    contractors  so  as  to  not discourage appropriate referrals
11    among contractors and grantees.
12        (d)  Each affected agency shall provide a summary of  its
13    outcome  goals,  its  actual  outcomes,  and  the data it has
14    collected from its programs and a summary of its  performance
15    based contracting program and its results to the Governor and
16    to  the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority
17    Leader of the House of Representatives, the President of  the
18    Senate,  and  the  Minority Leader of the Senate.  The report
19    shall include a ranking by  outcomes  of  each  program  site
20    broken  down  by those with a work history, those on welfare,
21    and those with additional barriers to employment.  The report
22    shall be submitted no later than January  31  of  each  year.
23    This information shall also be made available to the public.
24        (e)  Each  affected  agency  shall  annually evaluate its
25    programs and contracting policies either to improve or cancel
26    the programs and services that are provided by program  sites
27    that do not meet the agency's minimal outcomes or fall within
28    the lower 40% of overall outcomes.  The affected agency shall
29    separately consider programs and services serving people with
30    a  steady  work  history,  people on welfare, and people with
31    additional barriers to  employment.    Each  affected  agency
32    shall recommend any legislative changes that are necessary to
33    meet its goals.
                            -5-                LRB9010384MWpc
 1    Section  99.    Effective  date.   This Act takes effect upon
 2    becoming law.

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