Bill Text: IL HB5721 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Creates the Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness. Provides that the State Homelessness Chief established in Executive Order 2021-21 shall chair the Task Force, co-chair the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness established within the Task Force, and lead the State's comprehensive efforts to decrease homelessness and unnecessary institutionalization in Illinois, improve health and human services outcomes for people who experience homelessness, and strengthen the safety nets that contribute to housing stability. Provides that the State Homelessness Chief shall serve as a policymaker and spokesperson on homelessness prevention, including coordinating the multi-agency effort through legislation, rules, and budgets and communicating with the General Assembly and federal and local leaders on this critical issue. Provides that the purpose of the Task Force is to (i) plan, develop, and implement a State Plan to address homelessness and unnecessary institutionalization; (ii) recommend policy, regulatory, and resource changes necessary to accomplish goals and objectives laid out in the State Plan; (iii) provide leadership for and collaborate with those developing and implementing local plans to end homelessness in Illinois; and other matters. Contains provisions on the composition of the Task Force; meetings; and other matters. Creates the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness within the Task Force to make recommendations to the Task Force regarding homelessness prevention. Contains provisions on the composition of the Advisory Council; meetings; and other matters. Provides that nothing in the amendatory Act shall be construed to contravene any federal or State law or regulation. Provides that nothing in the amendatory Act shall affect or alter the existing statutory powers of any State agency or be construed as a reassignment or reorganization of any State agency. Effective immediately.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-03-09 - Referred to Rules Committee [HB5721 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-HB5721-Introduced.html

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102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2021 and 2022 HB5721 Introduced , by Rep. Lindsey LaPointe SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
20 ILCS 1305/10-75 new
Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Creates the Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness. Provides that the State Homelessness Chief established in Executive Order 2021-21 shall chair the Task Force, co-chair the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness established within the Task Force, and lead the State's comprehensive efforts to decrease homelessness and unnecessary institutionalization in Illinois, improve health and human services outcomes for people who experience homelessness, and strengthen the safety nets that contribute to housing stability. Provides that the State Homelessness Chief shall serve as a policymaker and spokesperson on homelessness prevention, including coordinating the multi-agency effort through legislation, rules, and budgets and communicating with the General Assembly and federal and local leaders on this critical issue. Provides that the purpose of the Task Force is to (i) plan, develop, and implement a State Plan to address homelessness and unnecessary institutionalization; (ii) recommend policy, regulatory, and resource changes necessary to accomplish goals and objectives laid out in the State Plan; (iii) provide leadership for and collaborate with those developing and implementing local plans to end homelessness in Illinois; and other matters. Contains provisions on the composition of the Task Force; meetings; and other matters. Creates the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness within the Task Force to make recommendations to the Task Force regarding homelessness prevention. Contains provisions on the composition of the Advisory Council; meetings; and other matters. Provides that nothing in the amendatory Act shall be construed to contravene any federal or State law or regulation. Provides that nothing in the amendatory Act shall affect or alter the existing statutory powers of any State agency or be construed as a reassignment or reorganization of any State agency. Effective immediately.
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A BILL FOR
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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 Department of Human Services Act is amended
by adding Section 10-75 as follows:
(20 ILCS 1305/10-75 new)
Sec. 10-75. Illinois Interagency Task Force on
Homelessness.
(a) Establishment. The Illinois Interagency Task Force on
Homelessness ("Task Force") is created.
A State Homelessness Chief has been established as
provided in Executive Order 2021-21, to be housed in the
Department and to report to the Secretary of Human Services.
The State Homelessness Chief shall chair the Task Force,
co-chair the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness
established under subsection (d), and lead the State's
comprehensive efforts to decrease homelessness and unnecessary
institutionalization in Illinois, improve health and human
services outcomes for people who experience homelessness, and
strengthen the safety nets that contribute to housing
stability. The State Homelessness Chief shall serve as a
policymaker and spokesperson on homelessness prevention,
including coordinating the multi-agency effort through

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legislation, rules, and budgets and communicating with the
General Assembly and federal and local leaders on these
critical issues.
(b) Purpose. The purpose of the Interagency Task Force on
Homelessness is to:
(1) Plan, develop, and implement a State Plan to
address homelessness and unnecessary institutionalization
with the goals of achieving functional zero homelessness,
improving health and human services outcomes for people
experiencing homelessness, and strengthening the safety
nets that contribute to housing stability.
(2) Recommend policy, regulatory, and resource changes
necessary to accomplish goals and objectives laid out in
the State Plan.
(3) Serve within State government and in the State at
large as an advocate for people experiencing homelessness.
(4) Provide leadership for and collaborate with those
developing and implementing local plans to end
homelessness in Illinois, including, but not limited to,
the Community Advisory Council and its members.
(5) Convene stakeholders, customers, and advocates to
inform the Task Force's policy recommendations, as needed.
(6) Recommend the resources needed for successful
implementation and oversee that implementation.
(7) Recommend and promote effective interagency
collaboration and system integration to converge related

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efforts, including coordination with the Illinois Youth
Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee, the Illinois
Commission on the Elimination of Poverty, and the Illinois
Commission to End Hunger on drafting policy
recommendations related to the intersection of
homelessness and poverty.
(8) Recommend needed policy, regulatory, and resource
distribution changes; make oversight recommendations that
will ensure accountability, results, and sustained
success; and develop specific proposals and
recommendations for action to provide to the Governor and
the General Assembly.
(9) Prepare an annual report to the Governor and
General Assembly by December 1 of each year, starting
December 1, 2022, summarizing the Task Force's activities,
summarizing progress on preventing and ending homelessness
in Illinois, summarizing the recommendations of the
Community Advisory Council and the Task Force's responsive
recommendations and actions; and reporting on outcomes and
measures relating to homelessness.
(c) Task Force membership; meetings; administrative
support.
(1) The Task Force shall include 4 members of the
General Assembly and senior members of State agencies that
have relevance to ending and preventing homelessness.
Members to the Task Force shall be appointed, unless

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otherwise indicated, by the Governor in consultation with
the State Homelessness Chief. At a minimum, the Task Force
shall consist of the following members:
(A) The State Homelessness Chief, who shall serve
as Chair of the Task Force.
(B) One member representing the Illinois Housing
Development Authority.
(C) One member representing the Department of
Human Services.
(D) One member representing the Department of
Healthcare and Family Services, with expertise on
issues related to healthcare delivery systems.
(E) One member representing the Illinois State
Board of Education, with expertise on education
programs serving students and families experiencing
homelessness.
(F) One member representing the Illinois Board of
Higher Education, with expertise on education programs
serving students and families experiencing
homelessness.
(G) One member representing the Illinois Community
College Board, with expertise on education programs
serving students and families experiencing
homelessness.
(H) One member representing the Department of
Corrections.

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(I) One member representing the Department of
Veterans' Affairs.
(J) One member representing the Department of
Children and Family Services.
(K) One member representing the Department of
Public Health.
(L) One member representing the Department on
Aging.
(M) One member representing the Department of
Juvenile Justice.
(N) One member representing the Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity, with expertise on
issues related to workforce development.
(O) One member representing the Department of
Employment Security.
(P) One member representing the Illinois State
Police.
(Q) Two members representing the House of
Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House
of Representative.
(R) Two members representing the Senate, appointed
by the President of the Senate.
At the recommendation of the State Homelessness Chief,
one member, each, from additional State agencies may be
appointed as necessary for the work of the Task Force.
(2) Organizational meeting. The organizational meeting

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of the Task Force shall take place after all members are
appointed but no later than 60 days after the effective
date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly.
(3) Compensation. Members of the Task Force shall
serve without compensation.
(4) Committees. The Task Force may establish
subcommittees to address specific issues or populations
and may collaborate with individuals with relevant
expertise who are not members of the Task Force to assist
the subcommittee in carrying out its duties.
(5) Meetings; quorum; voting. The full Task Force
shall meet at least once each quarter. A majority plus one
of the voting members shall constitute a quorum. All
actions of the Task Force and any subcommittees
established by the Task Force shall be approved by a
majority vote of the Task Force or subcommittee as
applicable. The meetings of the Task Force shall be
conducted in accordance with the provisions of Section 2
of the Open Meetings Act.
(6) Administrative support. The Department shall
provide staff and administrative support to assist the
Task Force in carrying out its duties.
(d) Community Advisory Council.
(1) The Community Advisory Council on Homelessness
("Community Advisory Council") is created within the Task
Force. The Community Advisory Council shall consist of

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diverse stakeholders that represent the goals and
population described in this Section and shall be
appointed by the Governor. Members shall be geographically
diverse to represent the needs of urban, suburban, and
rural communities across Illinois. The State Homelessness
Chief may include any State agency staff that he or she
deems necessary as ex officio, non-voting members of the
Community Advisory Council. At a minimum, the Community
Advisory Council shall consist of the following members:
(A) The State Homelessness Chief shall serve as a
co-chair with another Community Advisory Council
member who is selected by the Governor from one of the
appointed members listed in subparagraphs (B) through
(J).
(B) Three members with lived experience, which may
include, but are not limited to, formerly incarcerated
persons, veterans, and youth (16 to 25 years old).
(C) One member representing people with
disabilities.
(D) Two members from the philanthropic private
funding sector.
(E) One member representing a statewide behavioral
health advocacy organization.
(F) One member representing a statewide housing
advocacy organization.
(G) A minimum of 2 members representing local

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Continuums of Care.
(H) A minimum of 3 members representing local
units of government (municipal, county, or township).
(I) A minimum of 4 members representing providers
of the homeless response system including emergency
supportive housing, rapid rehousing, permanent
supportive housing, and homeless prevention.
(J) Two at-large members, who may or may not meet
the qualification requirements for the other
appointees.
(2) Meetings. The Community Advisory Council shall
meet at least 4 times per year to discuss and make
recommendations to the Task Force regarding homelessness
and unnecessary institutionalization with the goals of
achieving functional zero homelessness, improving health
and human services outcomes for people experiencing
homelessness, and strengthening the safety nets that
contribute to housing stability.
(3) Compensation. Public members of the Community
Advisory Council may be reimbursed for reasonable and
necessary travel expenses incurred during the performance
of their duties.
(e) Statutory powers. Nothing in this Section shall be
construed to contravene any federal or State law or
regulation. Unless specifically referenced in this Section,
nothing in this Section shall affect or alter the existing

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statutory powers of any State agency or be construed as a
reassignment or reorganization of any State agency.