Bill Text: IL HJR0150 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Engrossed

---

Bill Title: Creates the Statewide Task Force on Disconnected Youth in order to examine and develop ways to address the growing number of disconnected youth who are out of school and jobless in Illinois.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-11-09 - Referred to Assignments [HJR0150 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2015-HJR0150-Engrossed.html

---

HJ0150 Engrossed LRB099 21717 MST 48313 r
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 150
WHEREAS, Disconnected youth are young people ages 16 to 24
who are neither working nor in school; according to a recent
study by the Great Cities Institute at University of Illinois
at Chicago, in 2014, there were 154,094 disconnected youth in
Illinois; of those 37,975 were between 16 and 19 years of age,
and 116,119 between the ages of 20 and 24; and
WHEREAS, Of the 154,094 disconnected youth in Illinois in
2014, 37,975 were white, 32,024 Hispanic, and 67,772 were
African American; and
WHEREAS, The vast majority of disconnected youth come from
low income areas in both Chicago and downstate; and
WHEREAS, Many of these disconnected youth and young adults
would benefit from education and employment opportunities if
these opportunities were structured using the best program
practices of smaller, more flexible, and more structured
comprehensive programming to address their education, work,
and social development needs; and
WHEREAS, Illinois currently has a shortage of skilled
workers; provided with the right opportunities, these
disconnected youth could be trained to fill those vacancies for

HJ0150 Engrossed - 2 - LRB099 21717 MST 48313 r
the benefit of the employers, the Illinois economy, and their
own futures; and
WHEREAS, According to the Illinois Department of
Corrections Fiscal Report for 2014, only 19.7% of inmates in
Illinois prisons completed high school; only 19.2% completed a
GED program; leaving a shocking 62% of inmates in Illinois
without an education higher than 11th grade; and
WHEREAS, Disconnected youth without high school diplomas
earn $516,000 less over their lifetimes than those with high
school diplomas and some college education; and
WHEREAS, The benefit to Illinois taxpayers is $312,000 in
tax revenue over the lifetime of a disconnected youth who earns
a high school diploma; there would also be savings to the State
in social service expenditures such as welfare, mental health
and dependency services, and reduced risk of imprisonment or
other criminal justice related costs; and
WHEREAS, There is significant research and program
experience to draw upon to assist in the development of
successful programs to support disconnected youth so as to
improve their education and find employment; therefore be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE

HJ0150 Engrossed - 3 - LRB099 21717 MST 48313 r
NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Statewide
Task Force on Disconnected Youth in order to examine and
develop programs to address the growing numbers of disconnected
youth in Illinois; and be it further
RESOLED, That the purpose of the Task Force is to examine
policies, programs, and other issues related to developing a
variety of successful approaches using best program practices
for disconnected youth, with the goal of improving their
education, work-related skills, and social development, so
that they can successfully enter the workforce and become
productive adults; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall be composed of the
following members:
1)eight legislators, two appointed by the president of the
Senate, two appointed by the Speaker of the House, two
appointed by the House Minority Leader, and two appointed
by the Senate Minority Leader;
2)one representative from the Governor's office appointed
by the Governor;
3)one representative of the State Board of Education
appointed by the State Superintendent of Education;
4)one representative of the Department of Human Services

HJ0150 Engrossed - 4 - LRB099 21717 MST 48313 r
appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Human
Services;
5)one representative of the Department of Children and
Family Services appointed by its Director;
6)one representative of the Illinois Department of
Juvenile Justice appointed by its Director;
7)one representative of the Department of Commerce and
Economic Opportunity appointed by its Director;
8)one representative of the Illinois Community College
Board appointed by its President; and
9)25 representatives of organizations with successful
experience working with disconnected youth, four
appointed by the President of the Senate, four appointed by
the Speaker of the House, four appointed by the House
Minority Leader, four appointed by the Senate Minority
Leader, and nine appointed by the Governor, with one of
these public representatives service as the Chairperson of
the Task Force; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the duties of the Task Force shall include
conducting a series of public hearings and listening sessions
throughout the State to discuss the issue of disconnected youth
and their impact on various regions of the State; completing a
reviewing of data regarding disconnected youth comparing
Illinois with other states in the region and nationally;
including a review of various financing and funding mechanisms

HJ0150 Engrossed - 5 - LRB099 21717 MST 48313 r
used by other states, counties, cities, foundations, and other
financial funding sources; and producing a final report with
recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on
ways and means to address the challenge of disconnected youth
who have left school without a high school diploma; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Human Services is
requested to provide administrative support when needed; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall issue an interim report
of its findings to the Governor and the General Assembly no
later than November 30, 2016; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall issue a final report by
December 31, 2016; and be it further
RESOLVED, That upon the filing of the final report the Task
Force is dissolved.