Bill Text: IL SB1551 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Energy Transition Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall create a network of 15 (rather than 13) Program delivery Hub Sites, including one Hub Site located in or near Nashville and Ina. Provides that the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program and the Clean Jobs Curriculum shall include a focus on digital infrastructure, including broadband and fiber optic infrastructure jobs. Provides that quarterly reports on Program performance metrics shall include demographic data on Program applicants and the acceptance rates across these demographics. Provides that the Clean Jobs Curriculum Provides that the definition of "equity focused populations" includes spouses and significant others of displaced energy workers. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2023-02-08 - Referred to Assignments [SB1551 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB1551-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB1551 Introduced 2/8/2023, by Sen. Terri Bryant SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
20 ILCS 730/5-5
20 ILCS 730/5-20
20 ILCS 730/5-25
Amends the Energy Transition Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall create a network of 15 (rather than 13) Program delivery Hub Sites, including one Hub Site located in or near Nashville and Ina. Provides that the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program and the Clean Jobs Curriculum shall include a focus on digital infrastructure, including broadband and fiber optic infrastructure jobs. Provides that quarterly reports on Program performance metrics shall include demographic data on Program applicants and the acceptance rates across these demographics. Provides that the Clean Jobs Curriculum Provides that the definition of "equity focused populations" includes spouses and significant others of displaced energy workers. Effective immediately.
LRB103 30564 SPS 56998 b
A BILL FOR
SB1551 LRB103 30564 SPS 56998 b
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 Sections 5-5, 5-20, 5-25, and 5-35 as follows:
(20 ILCS 730/5-5)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on September 15, 2045)
Sec. 5-5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
"Apprentice" means a participant in an apprenticeship
program approved by and registered with the United States
Department of Labor's Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training.
"Apprenticeship program" means an apprenticeship and
training program approved by and registered with the United
States Department of Labor's Bureau of Apprenticeship and
Training.
"Black, indigenous, and people of color" or "BIPOC" means
people who are members of the groups described in
subparagraphs (a) through (e) of paragraph (A) of subsection
(1) of Section 2 of the Business Enterprise for Minorities,
Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act.
"Community-based organizations" means an organization
that: (1) provides employment, skill development, or related
services to members of the community; (2) includes community

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colleges, nonprofits, and local governments; (3) has at least
one main operating office in the community or region it
serves; and (4) demonstrates relationships with local
residents and other organizations serving the community.
"Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity, unless the text solely specifies a particular
Department.
"Director" means the Director of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity.
"Equity eligible contractor" or "eligible contractor"
means:
(1) a business that is majority-owned by equity
investment eligible individuals or persons who are or have
been participants in the Clean Jobs Workforce Network
Program, Clean Energy Contractor Incubator Program,
Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program, Illinois
Climate Works Preapprenticeship Program, or Clean Energy
Primes Contractor Accelerator Program;
(2) a nonprofit or cooperative that is
majority-governed by equity investment eligible
individuals or persons who are or have been participants
in the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program, Clean Energy
Contractor Incubator Program, Returning Residents Clean
Jobs Training Program, Illinois Climate Works
Preapprenticeship Program, or Clean Energy Primes
Contractor Accelerator Program; or

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(3) an equity investment eligible person or an
individual who is or has been a participant in the Clean
Jobs Workforce Network Program, Clean Energy Contractor
Incubator Program, Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training
Program, Illinois Climate Works Preapprenticeship Program,
or Clean Energy Primes Contractor Accelerator Program and
who is offering personal services as an independent
contractor.
"Equity focused populations" means (i) low-income persons;
(ii) persons residing in equity investment eligible
communities; (iii) persons who identify as black, indigenous,
and people of color; (iv) formerly convicted persons; (v)
persons who are or were in the child welfare system; (vi)
energy workers; (vii) dependents of displaced energy workers;
(viii) women; (ix) LGBTQ+, transgender, or gender
nonconforming persons; (x) persons with disabilities; and (xi)
members of any of these groups who are also youth; and (xii)
spouses and significant others of displaced energy workers.
"Equity investment eligible community" and "eligible
community" are synonymous and mean the geographic areas
throughout Illinois which would most benefit from equitable
investments by the State designed to combat discrimination and
foster sustainable economic growth. Specifically, the eligible
community means the following areas:
(1) R3 Areas as established pursuant to Section 10-40
of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, where residents

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have historically been excluded from economic
opportunities, including opportunities in the energy
sector; and
(2) Environmental justice communities, as defined by
the Illinois Power Agency pursuant to the Illinois Power
Agency Act, but excluding racial and ethnic indicators,
where residents have historically been subject to
disproportionate burdens of pollution, including pollution
from the energy sector.
"Equity investment eligible person" and "eligible person"
are synonymous and mean the persons who would most benefit
from equitable investments by the State designed to combat
discrimination and foster sustainable economic growth.
Specifically, eligible persons means the following people:
(1) persons whose primary residence is in an equity
investment eligible community;
(2) persons who are graduates of or currently enrolled
in the foster care system; or
(3) persons who were formerly incarcerated.
"Climate Works Hub" means a nonprofit organization
selected by the Department to act as a workforce intermediary
and to participate in the Illinois Climate Works
Preapprenticeship Program. To qualify as a Climate Works Hub,
the organization must demonstrate the following:
(1) the ability to effectively serve diverse and
underrepresented populations, including by providing

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employment services to such populations;
(2) experience with the construction and building
trades;
(3) the ability to recruit, prescreen, and provide
preapprenticeship training to prepare workers for
employment in the construction and building trades; and
(4) a plan to provide the following:
(A) preparatory classes;
(B) workplace readiness skills, such as resume
preparation and interviewing techniques;
(C) strategies for overcoming barriers to entry
and completion of an apprenticeship program; and
(D) any prerequisites for acceptance into an
apprenticeship program.
(Source: P.A. 102-662, eff. 9-15-21.)
(20 ILCS 730/5-20)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on September 15, 2045)
Sec. 5-20. Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program.
(a) As used in this Section, "Program" means the Clean
Jobs Workforce Network Program.
(b) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall develop
and, through Regional Administrators, administer the Clean
Jobs Workforce Network Program to create a network of 15 13
Program delivery Hub Sites with program elements delivered by
community-based organizations and their subcontractors

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geographically distributed across the State including at least
one Hub Site located in or near each of the following areas:
Chicago (South Side), Chicago (Southwest and West Sides),
Waukegan, Rockford, Aurora, Joliet, Peoria, Champaign,
Danville, Decatur, Carbondale, East St. Louis, and Alton,
Nashville, and Ina.
(c) In admitting program participants, for each workforce
Hub Site, the Regional Administrators shall:
(1) in each Hub Site where the applicant pool allows:
(A) dedicate at least one-third of program
placements to applicants who reside in a geographic
area that is impacted by economic and environmental
challenges, defined as an area that is both (i) an R3
Area, as defined pursuant to Section 10-40 of the
Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, and (ii) an
environmental justice community, as defined by the
Illinois Power Agency, excluding any racial or ethnic
indicators used by the agency unless and until the
constitutional basis for their inclusion in
determining program admissions is established. Among
applicants that satisfy these criteria, preference
shall be given to applicants who face barriers to
employment, such as low educational attainment, prior
involvement with the criminal legal system, and
language barriers; and applicants that are graduates
of or currently enrolled in the foster care system;

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and
(B) dedicate at least two-thirds of program
placements to applicants that satisfy the criteria in
paragraph (1) or who reside in a geographic area that
is impacted by economic or environmental challenges,
defined as an area that is either (i) an R3 Area, as
defined pursuant to Section 10-40 of the Cannabis
Regulation and Tax Act, or (ii) an environmental
justice community, as defined by the Illinois Power
Agency, excluding any racial or ethnic indicators used
by the agency unless and until the constitutional
basis for their inclusion in determining program
admissions is established. Among applicants that
satisfy these criteria, preference shall be given to
applicants who face barriers to employment, such as
low educational attainment, prior involvement with the
criminal legal system, and language barriers; and
applicants that are graduates of or currently enrolled
in the foster care system; and
(2) prioritize the remaining program placements for:
applicants who are displaced energy workers as defined in
the Energy Community Reinvestment Act; persons who face
barriers to employment, including low educational
attainment, prior involvement with the criminal legal
system, and language barriers; and applicants who are
graduates of or currently enrolled in the foster care

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system, regardless of the applicant's area of residence.
The Department and Regional Administrators shall protect
the confidentiality of any personal information provided by
program applicants regarding the applicant's status as a
formerly incarcerated person or foster care recipient;
however, the Department or Regional Administrators may publish
aggregated data on the number of participants that were
formerly incarcerated or foster care recipients so long as
that publication protects the identities of those persons.
Any person who applies to the program may elect not to
share with the Department or Regional Administrators whether
he or she is a graduate or currently enrolled in the foster
care system or was formerly convicted.
(d) Program elements for each Hub Site shall be provided
by a community-based organization. The Department shall
initially select a community-based organization in each Hub
Site and shall subsequently select a community-based
organization in each Hub Site every 3 years. Community-based
organizations delivering program elements outlined in
subsection (e) may provide all elements required or may
subcontract to other entities for provision of portions of
program elements, including, but not limited to,
administrative soft and hard skills for program participants,
delivery of specific training in the core curriculum, or
provision of other support functions for program delivery
compliance.

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(e) The Clean Jobs Workforce Hubs Network shall:
(1) coordinate with Energy Transition Navigators: (i)
to increase participation in the Clean Jobs Workforce
Network Program and clean energy, broadband and fiber
optic infrastructure, and related sector workforce and
training opportunities; (ii) coordinate recruitment,
communications, and ongoing engagement with potential
employers, including, but not limited to, activities such
as job matchmaking initiatives, hosting events such as job
fairs, and collaborating with other Hub Sites to identify
and implement best practices for employer engagement; and
(iii) leverage community-based organizations, educational
institutions, and community-based and labor-based training
providers to ensure program-eligible individuals across
the State have dedicated and sustained support to enter
and complete the career pipeline for clean energy,
broadband and fiber optic infrastructure, and related
sector jobs;
(2) develop formal partnerships, including formal
sector partnerships between community-based organizations
and entities that provide clean energy and broadband and
fiber optic infrastructure jobs, including businesses,
nonprofit organizations, and worker-owned cooperatives, to
ensure that Program participants have priority access to
employment training and hiring opportunities; and
(3) implement the Clean Jobs and Digital

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Infrastructure Curriculum to provide, including, but not
limited to, training, certification preparation, job
readiness, and skill development, including soft skills,
math skills, technical skills, certification test
preparation, and other development needed, to Program
participants.
(f) Funding for the Program is subject to appropriation
from the Energy Transition Assistance Fund.
(g) The Department shall require submission of quarterly
reports, including program performance metrics by each Hub
Site to the Regional Administrator of their Program Delivery
Area. Program performance metrics include, but are not limited
to:
(1) demographic data, including racial, gender,
residency in eligible communities, and geographic
distribution data, on Program trainees entering and
graduating the Program;
(2) demographic data, including racial, gender,
residency in eligible communities, and geographic
distribution data, on Program trainees who are placed in
employment, including the percentages of trainees by race,
gender, and geographic categories in each individual job
type or category and whether employment is union,
nonunion, or nonunion via temporary agency;
(3) trainee job acquisition and retention statistics,
including the duration of employment (start and end dates

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of hires) by race, gender, and geography;
(4) hourly wages, including hourly overtime pay rate,
and benefits of trainees placed into employment by race,
gender, and geography;
(5) percentage of jobs by race, gender, and geography
held by Program trainees or graduates that are full-time
equivalent positions, meaning that the position held is
full-time, direct, and permanent based on 2,080 hours
worked per year (paid directly by the employer, whose
activities, schedule, and manner of work the employer
controls, and receives pay and benefits in the same manner
as permanent employees); and
(6) qualitative data consisting of open-ended
reporting on pertinent issues, including, but not limited
to, qualitative descriptions accompanying metrics or
identifying key successes and challenges; and .
(7) demographic data on Program applicants and the
acceptance rates across these demographics.
(h) Within 3 years after the effective date of this Act,
the Department shall select an independent evaluator to review
and prepare a report on the performance of the Program and
Regional Administrators.
(Source: P.A. 102-662, eff. 9-15-21.)
(20 ILCS 730/5-25)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on September 15, 2045)

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Sec. 5-25. Clean Jobs and Digital Infrastructure
Curriculum.
(a) As used in this Section, "clean energy and digital
infrastructure jobs", subject to administrative rules, means
jobs in the solar energy, wind energy, energy efficiency,
energy storage, solar thermal, green hydrogen, geothermal,
electric vehicle industries, other renewable energy
industries, industries achieving emission reductions,
broadband and fiber optics industries, and other related
sectors including related industries that manufacture,
develop, build, maintain, or provide ancillary services to
renewable energy resources or energy efficiency products or
services, including the manufacture and installation of
healthier building materials that contain fewer hazardous
chemicals. "Clean energy and digital infrastructure jobs"
includes administrative, sales, other support functions within
these industries and other related sector industries.
(b) The Department shall convene a comprehensive
stakeholder process that includes representatives from the
State Board of Education, the Illinois Community College
Board, the Department of Labor, community-based organizations,
workforce development providers, labor unions, building
trades, educational institutions, residents of BIPOC and
low-income communities, residents of environmental justice
communities, clean energy businesses, nonprofit organizations,
worker-owned cooperatives, representatives of Connect Illinois

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other groups that provide clean energy and digital
infrastructure jobs opportunities, groups that provide
construction and building trades job opportunities, and other
participants to identify the career pathways and training
curriculum needed for participants to be skilled, work ready,
and able to enter clean and digital infrastructure energy
jobs. The curriculum shall:
(1) identify the core training curricular competency
areas needed to prepare workers to enter clean energy and
related sector jobs;
(2) identify a set of required core cross-training
competencies provided in each training area for clean
energy and digital infrastructure jobs with the goal of
enabling any trainee to receive a standard set of skills
common to multiple training areas that would provide a
foundation for pursuing a career composed of multiple
clean energy job types;
(3) include approaches to integrate broad occupational
training to provide career entry into the general
construction and building trades sector and any remedial
education and work readiness support necessary to achieve
educational and professional eligibility thresholds; and
(4) identify on-the-job training formats, where
relevant, and identify suggested trainer certification
standards, where relevant.
(c) The Department shall publish a report that includes

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the findings, recommendations, and core curriculum identified
by the stakeholder group and shall post a copy of the report on
its public website. The Department shall convene the process
described to update and modify the recommended curriculum
every 3 years to ensure the curriculum contents are current to
the evolving clean energy industries, practices, and
technologies.
(d) Organizations that receive funding to provide training
under the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program, including, but
not limited to, community-based and labor-based training
providers, and educational institutions must use the core
curriculum that is developed under this Section.
(Source: P.A. 102-662, eff. 9-15-21.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.