Public Act 095-0619
 		





SB1746 Enrolled
LRB095 11090 CMK 31417 b






    AN ACT concerning Latino families.

 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:


 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 
Illinois Latino Family Commission Act.
 
    Section 5. Legislative Findings. It is the policy of this 
State to promote family preservation and to strengthen 
families. 
    Latinos are well represented among the families of 
Illinois. The Illinois Latino population is the fifth largest 
in the nation. Over 14% of the estimated 12,000,000 people that 
live in Illinois are Latinos. According to the 2000 Census 
figures, more than 1,750,000 Latinos make Illinois their home. 
This figure represents a 69.2% increase from the 1990 Census 
figures compared to about 3.5% for non-Latinos. The Latino 
population explosion accounted for two-thirds of the total 
population change in Illinois and it is visible throughout the 
State.
    In Cook County alone, the Latino population has increased 
to about 1,071,740. In the 6 county region including Cook 
County, nearly 69% of new residents were Hispanic. Roughly 
23.7% of Kane County  residents are Latino. In Lake County, 
Latinos make up 14.4% of the total county population.
    Latinos are not only the fastest growing ethnic group in 
the State, they are also the youngest. The median age for 
Latinos in Illinois is 25, compared to 36 for non-Latinos. 
Despite unprecedented population growth, Latinos lag behind in 
major indicators of well-being relative to education, health, 
employment, and child welfare, as well as representation 
throughout the State. Moreover, Latino children and families 
present unique linguistic, cultural, and immigration issues 
for the State.
    Latinos have a well-established presence in the child 
welfare system. Of the total 86,973 children that were reported 
abused or neglected in Fiscal Year 2001, about 8,442 or 9.7% 
were Hispanic children. About 25% of these hotline reports were 
indicated, for a total of 2,155 Latino children in Fiscal Year 
2001. As of August 2003, there were about 1,367 open Latino 
child abuse cases in Illinois. This figure is only slightly 
lower than the 1,491 open Latino child cases reported for the 
previous fiscal year. Hispanic cases make up about 6% of all 
open child cases (excluding adoption assistance and home of 
parent living arrangement). Latino families receiving services 
make up about 16% of all intact family cases. It is estimated 
that between 60% and 80% of all Latino families involved with 
the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services (IDCFS) 
will need bilingual services at some point during the time 
their case is open. However, IDCFS struggles to meet the demand 
for bilingual services. There are similar examples throughout 
the State demonstrating that Illinois lacks a unified and 
comprehensive strategy for addressing the unique needs of 
Latino families.
    Latino families remain outside of the margins of 
opportunities in the State. There are tremendous challenges 
faced by Latino families and children in the State. Clearly, 
the growing Latino presence demands that government, child and 
family advocates, and other key stakeholders come together to 
identify and implement policy strategies that can create an 
infrastructure of support for Latino families in the State. 
Building this needed infrastructure of policies must involve 
multiple State agencies. The Illinois Latino Family Commission 
shall lead the effort, advising the Governor and assisting 
State agencies with this task.
 
    Section 10. Established. The Illinois Latino Family 
Commission is established. 
 
    Section 15. Purpose and objectives. 
    (a) The purpose of the Illinois Latino Family Commission is 
to advise the Governor and General Assembly, as well as work 
directly with State agencies to improve and expand existing 
policies, services, programs, and opportunities for Latino 
families. Subject to appropriation, the Illinois Latino Family 
Commission shall guide the efforts of and collaborate with 
State agencies, including: the Department on Aging, the 
Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of 
Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Department of 
Corrections, the Department of Human Services, the Department 
of Public Aid, the Department of Public Health, the Department 
of Transportation, the Department of Employment Security, and 
others. This shall be achieved primarily by:


        (1) monitoring and commenting on existing and proposed 
    legislation and programs designed to address the needs of 
    Latinos in Illinois;

        (2) assisting State agencies in developing programs, 
    services, public policies, and research strategies that 
    will expand and enhance the social and economic well-being 
    of Latino children and families;

        (3) facilitating the participation and representation 
    of Latinos in the development,
implementation, and 
    planning of policies, programs, and services; and

        (4) promoting research efforts to document the impact 
    of policies and programs
on Latino families.

    The work of the Illinois Latino Family Commission shall 
include the use of existing reports, research, and planning 
efforts, procedures, and programs.
 
    Section 20. Appointment; terms. The Illinois Latino Family 
Commission shall be comprised of 15 members. The Governor, the 
President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Minority 
Leader of the House of Representatives shall each appoint 3 
members to the Commission. Each member shall have working 
knowledge of human services, community development, and 
economic public policies in Illinois. The Governor shall 
appoint the chairperson or chairpersons.
    The members shall reflect regional representation to 
ensure that the needs of Latino families and children 
throughout the State are met. The members shall be selected 
from a variety of disciplines. They shall represent a 
partnership and collaborative effort between public and 
private agencies, the business sector, and community-based 
human services organizations.
    Members shall serve 3-year terms, except in the case of 
initial appointments. Five members, as determined by lot, shall 
be appointed to one-year terms; 5 members shall be appointed to 
2-year terms; and 5 members shall be appointed to 3-year terms, 
so that the terms are staggered. Members shall serve without 
compensation, but shall be reimbursed for Commission-related 
expenses.
    The Department on Aging, the Department of Children and 
Family Services, the Department of Commerce and Economic 
Opportunity, the Department of Corrections, the Department of 
Employment Security, the Department of Human Services, the 
Department of Public Aid, the Department of Public Health, and 
the Department of Transportation shall each appoint a liaison 
to serve ex-officio on the Commission. The Office of the 
Governor, in cooperation with the State agencies appointing 
liaisons to the Commission under this paragraph,  shall provide 
administrative support to the Commission.
 
    Section 25. Funding. The Illinois Latino Family Commission 
may receive funding through specific appropriations available 
for its purposes made to the Department on Aging, the 
Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of 
Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Department of 
Corrections, the Department of Human Services, the Department 
of Public Aid, the Department of Public Health, and the 
Department of Transportation. The funding allocation for the 
Commission shall be no less than $500,000.
 
    Section 30. Reporting. The Illinois Latino Family 
Commission shall annually report to the Governor and the 
General Assembly on the Commission's progress towards its goals 
and objectives.
 

    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.