Bill Text: IL HB3702 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Enrolled

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Reinserts the provisions of the engrossed bill with the following changes: In provisions concerning program metrics for the Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program, provides that Program Administrators shall collect data on the number of returning residents who graduated from the Program and remained employed, changed employment, or separated from employment in the clean energy industry and received employment in another industry within one and 3 years after release (rather than 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 years after release). Provides that, if practicable, Program Administrators shall consult with the Department of Employment Security to provide this data for 5, 7, and 10 years after release. Provides that the data shall be shared with the Office of Equity. Makes other changes.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-06-30 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 103-0198 [HB3702 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB3702-Enrolled.html

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AN ACT concerning State government.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Energy Transition Act is amended by
changing Section 5-50 as follows:
(20 ILCS 730/5-50)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on September 15, 2045)
Sec. 5-50. Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training
Program.
(a) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall develop
and, in coordination with the Department of Corrections,
administer the Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training
Program.
(b) As used in this Section:
"Commitment" means a judicially determined placement in
the custody of the Department of Corrections on the basis of a
conviction.
"Committed person" means a person committed to the
Department of Corrections.
"Community-based organization" means an organization that:
(1) provides employment, skill development, or related
services to members of the community;
(2) includes community colleges, nonprofits, and local

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governments; and
(3) has a history of serving committed persons or
justice-involved persons.
"Correctional institution or facility" means a Department
of Corrections building or part of a Department of Corrections
building where committed persons are detained in a secure
manner.
"Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity.
"Discharge" means the end of a sentence or the final
termination of a detainee's physical commitment to and
confinement in the Department of Corrections.
"Location" means where the returning resident is
physically located, such as:
(1) a correctional institution or facility;
(2) a county;
(3) a municipality or town; and
(4) a place of employment.
"Program" means the Returning Residents Clean Jobs
Training Program.
"Program Administrator" means, for each Program Delivery
Area, the administrator selected by the Department pursuant to
paragraph (1) of subsection (g) of this Section.
"Returning resident" means any United States resident who
is: (i) 17 years of age or older; (ii) in the physical custody
of the Department of Corrections; and (iii) scheduled to be

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re-entering society within 36 months.
(c) Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program.
(1) Connected services. The Program shall prepare
graduates to work in the clean energy and related sector
jobs as defined in Section 5-25.
(2) Recruitment of participants. The Program
Administrators shall, in coordination with the Department
of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, educate committed
persons in both men's and women's correctional
institutions and facilities on the benefits of the Program
and how to enroll in the Program.
(3) Connection to employers. The Program
Administrators shall, with assistance from the Regional
Administrators, connect Program graduates with potential
employers in the clean energy jobs industries.
(4) Graduation. Participants who successfully complete
all assignments in the Program shall receive a Program
graduation certificate and any certifications or
credentials earned in the process.
(5) Eligibility. A committed person in a correctional
institution or facility is eligible if the committed
person:
(i) is within 36 months of expected release;
(ii) consented in writing to participation in the
Program;
(iii) meets all Program and testing requirements;

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(iv) is willing to follow all Program
requirements; and
(v) does not pose a safety and security risk for
the facility or any person.
The Department of Corrections shall have sole discretion
to determine whether a committed person's participation in the
Program poses a safety and security risk for the facility or
any person. The Department of Corrections shall determine
whether a committed person is eligible to participate in the
Program.
(d) Program entry and testing requirements. To enter the
Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program, committed
persons must complete a simple application, undergo an
interview and coaching session, and must score a minimum of a
6.0 or above on the Test for Adult Basic Education or the
Illinois Community College Board approved assessment for
determining basic skills deficiency. The Returning Residents
Clean Jobs Training Program shall include a one-week
pre-program orientation that ensures the candidates understand
and are interested in continuing the Program. Candidates that
successfully complete the orientation may continue to the full
Program.
(d-5) Training. Once approved for the new program,
candidates must receive essential employability skills
training as part of vocational or occupational training.
Training must lead to certifications or credentials that

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prepare candidates for employment.
(e) Removal from the Program. The Department of
Corrections may remove a committed person enrolled in the
Program for violation of institutional rules; failure to
participate or meet expectations of the Program; failure of a
drug test; disruptive behavior; or for reasons of safety,
security, and order of the facility.
(f) Drug testing. A clean drug test is required to
complete the Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program.
A drug test shall be administered at least once prior to
graduation. The Department of Corrections shall be responsible
for the drug testing of applicants.
(g) Curriculum.
(1) The Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity shall design a curriculum for the Program that
is as similar as practical to the Clean Jobs Curriculum
and meets in-facility requirements. The curriculum shall
focus on preparing graduates for employment in the clean
energy and related sector jobs as defined in Section 5-25.
The Program shall include structured hands-on activities
in correctional institutions or facilities, including
classroom spaces and outdoor spaces, to instruct
participants in the core curriculum established in this
Act. The Department and the Department of Corrections
shall work together to ensure all curriculum elements may
be available within Department of Corrections facilities.

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(2) The Program Administrators shall collaborate to
create and publish a guidebook that allows for the
implementation of the curriculum and provides information
on all necessary and useful resources for Program
participants and graduates.
(h) Program administration.
(1) The Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity shall select a Program Administrator for each
Program Delivery Area to administer and coordinate the
Program. The Program Administrators shall have strong
capabilities, experience, and knowledge related to program
development and economic management; cultural and language
competency needed to be effective in the communities to be
served; committed persons or justice-involved persons;
knowledge and experience in working with providers of
clean energy jobs; and awareness of clean energy and
related sector trends and activities, workforce
development best practices, regional workforce development
needs, and community development.
The Program Administrator must pass a background check
administered by the Department of Corrections and be
approved by the Department of Corrections to work within a
secure facility prior to being hired by the Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity for a Program delivery
area.
(2) The Program Administrators shall:

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(i) coordinate with Regional Administrators and
the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program to ensure
that execution, performance, partnerships, marketing,
and Program access across the State consistent with
respecting regional differences;
(ii) work with community-based organizations
approved to provide industry-recognized credentials or
education institutions to deliver the Program;
(iii) collaborate to create and publish an
employer "Hiring Returning Residents" handbook that
includes benefits and expectations of hiring returning
residents, guidance on how to recruit, hire, and
retain returning residents, guidance on how to access
State and federal tax credits and incentives and State
and federal resources, guidance on how to update
company policies to support hiring and supporting
returning residents, and an understanding of the harm
in one-size-fits-all policies toward returning
residents. The handbook shall be updated every 5 years
or more frequently if needed to ensure that its
contents are accurate. The handbook shall be made
available on the Department's website;
(iv) work with potential employers to promote
company policies to support hiring and supporting
returning residents via employee/employer liability,
coverage, insurance, bonding, training, hiring

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practices, and retention support;
(v) provide services such as job coaching and
financial coaching to Program graduates to support
employment longevity; and
(vi) identify clean energy job opportunities and
assist participants in achieving employment. The
Program shall include at least one job fair; include
job placement discussions with clean energy employers;
establish a partnership with Illinois solar energy
businesses and trade associations to identify solar
employers that support and hire returning residents;
and involve the Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity, Regional Administrators, and the Advisory
Council in finding employment for participants and
graduates in the clean energy and related sector
industries.
(3) The Department shall select community-based
organizations to provide Program elements at each
facility. Community-based organizations shall be
competitively selected by the Department of Commerce and
Economic Opportunity. Community-based organizations
delivering the Program elements outlined may provide all
elements required or may subcontract to other entities for
the provision of portions of Program elements. All
contractors who have regular interactions with committed
persons, regularly access a Department of Corrections

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facility, or regularly access a committed person's
personal identifying information or other data elements
must pass a Department of Corrections background check
prior to being approved to administer the Program elements
at a facility.
(4) The Department of Corrections shall aim to include
training in conjunction with other pre-release procedures
and movements. Delays in a workshop being provided shall
not cause delays in discharge.
(5) The Program Administrators may establish shortened
Returning Resident Clean Jobs Training Programs to prepare
and place graduates in the Clean Jobs Workforce Network
Program or the Illinois Climate Works Preapprenticeship
Program following the graduate's release from commitment.
Graduates of these programs shall receive training that
leads to certification or credentials designed to lead to
employment and shall be prioritized for placement in a
Clean Jobs Workforce Hubs training program or the Illinois
Climate Works Preapprenticeship Program.
(6) The Director of Corrections shall:
(i) Ensure that the wardens or superintendents of
all correctional institutions and facilities visibly
post information on the Program in an accessible
manner for committed individuals.
(ii) Identify the institutions and facilities
within the Department of Corrections that will offer

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the Program. The determination of which facility will
offer the Program shall be based on available
programming space, staffing, population, facility
mission, security concerns, and any other relevant
factor in determining suitable locations for the
Program.
(i) Performance metrics.
(1) The Program Administrators shall collect and
disaggregate data by race, ethnicity, gender, age, and
location to evaluate and ensure Program and participant
success. This data shall be shared with the Office of
Equity and shall include , including:
(i) the number of returning residents who enrolled
in the Program;
(ii) the number of returning residents who were
accepted for enrollment into completed the Program;
(iii) the total number of returning residents who
applied for and were denied for enrollment into the
Program individuals discharged;
(iv) the demographics of each entering and
graduating class;
(v) the percentage of graduates employed at 6 and
12 months after release;
(vi) the number of returning residents who did not
complete the Program the recidivism rate of Program
participants at 3 and 5 years after release;

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(vii) the total number of individuals discharged
the candidates interviewed and hiring status;
(viii) the graduate employment status, such as
hire date, pay rates, whether full-time, part-time, or
seasonal, and separation date; and
(ix) continuing education and certifications
gained by Program graduates; .
(x) the recidivism rate of Program participants at
1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 years after release;
(xi) the candidates interviewed and their hiring
status;
(xii) the number of returning residents who
enrolled in the Program and were removed;
(xiii) the number of returning residents who
graduated from the Program and remained employed in
the clean energy industry within one year and 3 years
after release. If practicable, the Department shall
consult with the Department of Employment Security to
also provide this data for 5, 7, and 10 years after
release;
(xiv) the number of returning residents who
graduated from the Program and changed employment in
the clean energy industry within one year and 3 years
after release. If practicable, the Department shall
consult with the Department of Employment Security to
also provide this data for 5, 7, and 10 years after

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release;
(xv) the number of returning residents who
graduated from the Program and separated from
employment in the clean energy industry and received
employment in another industry within one year and 3
years after release. If practicable, the Department
shall consult with the Department of Employment
Security to provide this data for 5, 7, and 10 years
after release; and
(xvi) the number of returning residents who
completed the Program.
(2) The Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity shall publish an annual report containing
these performance metrics. Data may be disaggregated by
institution, discharge, or residence address of resident,
and other factors.
(j) Funding. Funding for the Program is subject to
appropriation from the Energy Transition Assistance Fund.
Funding may be made available from other lawful sources,
including donations, grants, and federal incentives.
(k) Access. The Program instructors and staff must pass a
background check administered by the Department of Corrections
prior to entering a Department of Corrections institution or
facility. The Warden or Superintendent shall have the
authority to deny a Program instructor or staff member entry
into an institution or facility for safety and security

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concerns or failure to follow all facility procedures or
protocols. A Program instructor or staff member administering
the Program may be terminated or have his or her contract
canceled if the Program instructor or staff member is denied
entry into an institution or facility for safety and security
concerns.