99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2015 and 2016 SB0020

Introduced 1/15/2015, by Sen. William R. Haine

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

`New Act`
`20 ILCS 605/605-415`

Creates the Defense Infrastructure Improvement and Community Reinvestment Act. Creates the Defense Infrastructure Grant Program to support local infrastructure projects deemed to have a positive impact on the military value of installations within the State. Creates the Illinois Defense Reinvestment Grant Program to respond to the need for this State to work in conjunction with defense-dependent communities in developing and implementing strategies and approaches to help communities support the missions of military installations, and in developing and implementing alternative economic diversification strategies to transition from a defense economy to a nondefense economy. Defines a required term. Contains legislative findings. Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department shall coordinate grants and grant-based activities under the Defense Infrastructure Improvement and Community Reinvestment Act as part of its Job Training and Economic Development Grant Program.

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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,

3 represented in the General Assembly:

4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the

5 Defense Infrastructure Improvement and Community Reinvestment

6 Act.

7 Section 5. Findings and purpose. It is the intent of the

8 General Assembly to provide the necessary means to assist

9 communities with military installations in supporting and

10 sustaining those installations. It is further the intent to

11 encourage communities to initiate a coordinated program of

12 response and plan of action in advance of future actions of the

13 federal government relating to realignments and closures. It is

14 critical that communities develop and implement strategies to

15 preserve and protect military installations. The General

16 Assembly hereby recognizes that the State must coordinate all

17 efforts that can support military installations throughout the

18 State. The General Assembly, therefore, declares that

19 providing such assistance to support the defense-related

20 initiatives within this Act is a public purpose for which

21 public money may be used.

22 Section 10. The Defense Infrastructure Grant Program. From

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1 funds appropriated for that purpose, the Department of Commerce

2 and Economic Opportunity, in coordination with the Department

3 of Military Affairs and the Department of Veterans Affairs,

4 shall administer a Defense Infrastructure Grant Program to

5 support local infrastructure projects deemed to have a positive

6 impact on the military value of installations within the State.

7 Funds are to be used for projects that benefit both the local

8 community and the military installation. Infrastructure

9 projects to be funded under this program include, but are not

10 limited to, those related to encroachment, transportation and

11 access, utilities, communications, housing, environment, and

12 security. Grant requests will be accepted only from economic

13 development applicants serving in the official capacity of a

14 governing board of a county, municipality, special district, or

15 State agency that has the authority to maintain the project

16 upon completion. An applicant must represent a community or

17 county in which a military installation is located. There is no

18 limit as to the amount of any grant awarded to an applicant. A

19 match by the county or local community may be required. The

20 program may not be used to fund on-base military construction

21 projects. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

22 shall establish guidelines to implement the purpose of this

23 Section.

24 The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may

25 award nonfederal matching funds specifically appropriated for

26 construction, maintenance, and analysis of an Illinois defense

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1 workforce database. Such funds will be used to create a

2 registry of worker skills that can be used to match the worker

3 needs of companies that are relocating to this state or to

4 assist workers in relocating to other areas within this state

5 where similar or related employment is available.

6 Payment of administrative expenses shall be limited to no

7 more than 10% of any grants issued under this Act.

8 The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall

9 adopt rules and establish guidelines to implement and carry out

10 the purpose and intent of this Act.

11 Section 15. The Illinois Defense Reinvestment Grant

12 Program. From funds appropriated for that purpose, the

13 Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in

14 coordination with the Department of Military Affairs and the

15 Department of Veterans Affairs, shall administer an Illinois

16 Defense Reinvestment Grant Program to respond to the need for

17 this State to work in conjunction with defense-dependent

18 communities in developing and implementing strategies and

19 approaches that will help communities support the missions of

20 military installations, and in developing and implementing

21 alternative economic diversification strategies to transition

22 from a defense economy to a nondefense economy. Eligible

23 applicants include defense-dependent counties and cities, and

24 local economic development councils located within such

25 communities. The program shall be administered by the

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1 department and grant awards may be provided to support

2 community-based activities that:

3 (1) protect existing military installations;

4 (2) diversify the economy of a defense-dependent

5 community; or

6 (3) develop plans for the reuse of closed or realigned

7 military installations, including any plans necessary for

8 infrastructure improvements needed to facilitate reuse and

9 related marketing activities.

10 Applications for grants under this Section must include a

11 coordinated program of work or plan of action delineating how

12 the eligible project will be administered and accomplished,

13 which must include a plan for ensuring close cooperation

14 between civilian and military authorities in the conduct of the

15 funded activities and a plan for public involvement.

16 The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may

17 award nonfederal matching funds specifically appropriated for

18 construction, maintenance, and analysis of an Illinois defense

19 workforce database. Such funds will be used to create a

20 registry of worker skills that can be used to match the worker

21 needs of companies that are relocating to this state or to

22 assist workers in relocating to other areas within this state

23 where similar or related employment is available.

24 Payment of administrative expenses shall be limited to no

25 more than 10% of any grants issued under this Act.

26 The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall

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1 adopt rules and establish guidelines to implement and carry out

2 the purpose and intent of this Act.

3 Section 20. Award of grants.

4 (a) The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is

5 authorized to award grants on a competitive basis from any

6 funds available to it to support activities related to the

7 Illinois Defense Reinvestment Grant Program and the Illinois

8 Defense Infrastructure Grant Program.

9 (b) As used in this Section, the term "activities" means

10 studies, presentations, analyses, plans, and modeling. For the

11 purposes of the Illinois Defense Infrastructure Grant Program

12 in Section 10 of this Act, the term "activities" also includes,

13 but is not limited to, local roads and streets, access roads,

14 bridges, and sidewalks; waste disposal systems, water and sewer

15 line extensions, water distribution and purification

16 facilities, and sewage treatment facilities; rail or air or

17 water port improvements; gas and electric utility facilities;

18 transit capital facilities; development and improvement of

19 publicly owned industrial and commercial sites; or other public

20 capital improvements construction, land purchases, and

21 easements. Staff salaries are not considered an "activity" for

22 which grant funds may be awarded. Travel costs and costs

23 incidental thereto incurred by a grant recipient shall be

24 considered an "activity" for which grant funds may be awarded.

25 (c) The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

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1 shall require that an applicant:

2 (1) represent a local government with a military

3 installation or military installations that could be

4 adversely affected by federal actions;

5 (2) agree to match at least 30% of any grant awarded;

6 (3) prepare a coordinated program or plan of action

7 delineating how the eligible project will be administered

8 and accomplished; and

9 (4) provide documentation describing the potential for

10 changes to the mission of a military installation located

11 in the applicant's community and the potential impacts such

12 changes will have on the applicant's community.

13 (d) In making grant awards the Department of Commerce and

14 Economic Opportunity shall, at a minimum, consider:

15 (1) the relative value of the particular military

16 installation in terms of its importance to the local and

17 state economy relative to other military installations;

18 (2) the potential job displacement within the local

19 community should the mission of the military installation

20 be changed; and

21 (3) the potential impact on industries and

22 technologies which service the military installation.

23 Section 25. The Department of Commerce and Economic

24 Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is

25 amended by changing Section 605-415 as follows:

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1 (20 ILCS 605/605-415)

2 Sec. 605-415. Job Training and Economic Development Grant

3 Program.

4 (a) Legislative findings. The General Assembly finds that:

5 (1) Despite the large number of unemployed job seekers,

6 many employers are having difficulty matching the skills

7 they require with the skills of workers; a similar problem

8 exists in industries where overall employment may not be

9 expanding but there is an acute need for skilled workers in

10 particular occupations.

11 (2) The State of Illinois should foster local economic

12 development by linking the job training of unemployed

13 disadvantaged citizens with the workforce needs of local

14 business and industry.

15 (3) Employers often need assistance in developing

16 training resources that will provide work opportunities

17 for disadvantaged populations.

18 (b) Definitions. As used in this Section:

19 "Community based provider" means a not-for-profit

20 organization, with local boards of directors, that directly

21 provides job training services.

22 "Disadvantaged persons" has the same meaning as in Titles

23 II-A and II-C of the federal Job Training Partnership Act.

24 "Training partners" means a community-based provider and

25 one or more employers who have established training and

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1 placement linkages.

2 (c) From funds appropriated for that purpose, the

3 Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall

4 administer a Job Training and Economic Development Grant

5 Program. The Director shall make grants to community-based

6 providers. The grants shall be made to support the following:

7 (1) Partnerships between community-based providers and

8 employers for the customized training of existing

9 low-skilled, low-wage employees and newly hired

10 disadvantaged persons.

11 (2) Partnerships between community-based providers and

12 employers to develop and operate training programs that

13 link the work force needs of local industry with the job

14 training of disadvantaged persons.

15 (3) Coordination of grants and grant-based activities

16 among the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity,

17 the Department of Military Affairs, and the Department of

18 Veterans Affairs under the Defense Infrastructure

19 Improvement and Community Reinvestment Act.

20 (d) For projects created under paragraph (1) of subsection

21 (c):

22 (1) The Department shall give a priority to projects

23 that include an in-kind match by an employer in partnership

24 with a community-based provider and projects that use

25 instructional materials and training instructors directly

26 used in the specific industry sector of the partnership

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1 employer.

2 (2) The partnership employer must be an active

3 participant in the curriculum development and train

4 primarily disadvantaged populations.

5 (e) For projects created under paragraph (2) of subsection

6 (c):

7 (1) Community based organizations shall assess the

8 employment barriers and needs of local residents and work

9 in partnership with local economic development

10 organizations to identify the priority workforce needs of

11 the local industry.

12 (2) Training partners (that is, community-based

13 organizations and employers) shall work together to design

14 programs with maximum benefits to local disadvantaged

15 persons and local employers.

16 (3) Employers must be involved in identifying specific

17 skill-training needs, planning curriculum, assisting in

18 training activities, providing job opportunities, and

19 coordinating job retention for people hired after training

20 through this program and follow-up support.

21 (4) The community-based organizations shall serve

22 disadvantaged persons, including welfare recipients.

23 (f) The Department shall adopt rules for the grant program

24 and shall create a competitive application procedure for those

25 grants to be awarded beginning in fiscal year 1998. Grants

26 shall be based on a performance based contracting system. Each

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1 grant shall be based on the cost of providing the training

2 services and the goals negotiated and made a part of the

3 contract between the Department and the training partners. The

4 goals shall include the number of people to be trained, the

5 number who stay in the program, the number who complete the

6 program, the number who enter employment, their wages, and the

7 number who retain employment. The level of success in achieving

8 employment, wage, and retention goals shall be a primary

9 consideration for determining contract renewals and subsequent

10 funding levels. In setting the goals, due consideration shall

11 be given to the education, work experience, and job readiness

12 of the trainees; their barriers to employment; and the local

13 job market. Periodic payments under the contracts shall be

14 based on the degree to which the relevant negotiated goals have

15 been met during the payment period.

16 (Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06.)