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| Public Act 097-0788 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning State government.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Unemployment Insurance Act is amended by | ||||
adding Section 1900.2 as follows: | ||||
(820 ILCS 405/1900.2 new) | ||||
Sec. 1900.2. Economic Data Task Force. | ||||
(a) The General Assembly finds that substantial public | ||||
benefit is derived from enhanced access to State data and | ||||
particularly to data generated by the Department and that this | ||||
benefit takes the form both of private sector economic | ||||
development and of opportunities to improve public policy. The | ||||
General Assembly further finds that protecting the | ||||
confidentiality of individuals and companies in Illinois is | ||||
imperative for reasons both ethical and legal. Consequently, | ||||
the General Assembly seeks to understand the potential uses and | ||||
users of such data, as well as its applications for economic | ||||
development and other public purposes, and, in the context of | ||||
those uses, the best ways to make as much data as possible | ||||
available to those constituencies to serve those purposes while | ||||
protecting confidentiality and minimizing cost to the State. | ||||
(b) The Economic Data Task Force is created within the | ||||
Department. The Task Force shall consist of 11 members. The | ||||
following members shall be appointed within 60 days after the | ||
effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General | ||
Assembly: one member appointed by the President of the Senate; | ||
one member appointed by the Senate Minority Leader; one member | ||
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; one | ||
member appointed by the House Minority Leader; one member | ||
appointed by the Governor; and the Director, who shall serve as | ||
ex officio chairman and who shall appoint 5 additional members: | ||
one of whom shall be a representative citizen chosen from the | ||
employee class, one of whom shall be a representative citizen | ||
chosen from the employing class, one of whom shall be an | ||
employee of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics | ||
(hereinafter referred to as "BLS")(or, if no BLS employee is | ||
available, a government employee from outside of Illinois with | ||
appropriate expertise), and 2 of whom shall be academic | ||
researchers with appropriate expertise. All members shall be | ||
voting members. Members shall serve without compensation, but | ||
may be reimbursed for expenses associated with the Task Force. | ||
The Task Force shall begin to conduct business upon the | ||
appointment of all members. For purposes of Task Force | ||
meetings, a quorum is 6 members. If a vacancy occurs on the | ||
Task Force, a successor member shall be appointed by the | ||
original appointing authority. Meetings of the Task Force are | ||
subject to the Open Meetings Act. | ||
(c) The Task Force shall analyze the potential benefits and | ||
the feasibility of expanding public access to data produced and | ||
maintained by the Department including, but not limited to, | ||
data collected, estimated, and maintained under cooperative | ||
agreement with the United States Department of Labor or other | ||
federal agencies. The analysis shall include an analysis of | ||
potential uses of these data and the public benefit of those | ||
uses, and a review of current federal and State practices for | ||
providing public access to the data, as well as potential | ||
alternate processes by which the public could access data in | ||
the Department's possession. The Task Force shall hold at least | ||
3 public hearings as part of its analysis. The Task Force may | ||
establish any committees it deems necessary. | ||
(d) All findings, recommendations, public postings, and | ||
other relevant information pertaining to the Task Force shall | ||
be posted on the Department's website, subject to the | ||
confidentiality requirements established under federal and | ||
State law including, but not limited to, the federal | ||
Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency | ||
Act of 2002 and Section 1900. The Department shall provide | ||
staff and administrative support to the Task Force. The Task | ||
Force shall report its findings and recommendations to the | ||
Governor and the General Assembly no later than June 30, 2013, | ||
and shall be dissolved upon submission of the report. All | ||
recommendations shall be consistent with confidentiality | ||
requirements established under federal law including, but not | ||
limited to, disclosure proofing standards. | ||
(e) Each member of the Task Force and each Department | ||
employee must be designated as an agent of BLS pursuant to the | ||
federal Confidential Information Protection and Statistical | ||
Efficiency Act of 2002 subject to the civil and criminal | ||
sanctions for unauthorized disclosure of information protected | ||
by that Act as a condition of being able to participate in any | ||
activities of the Task Force and shall also be subject to the | ||
civil and criminal sanctions established under subsection C of | ||
Section 1900 for unauthorized disclosure of information | ||
protected by Section 1900. For purposes of this Section, | ||
information protected by Section 1900 includes, but is not | ||
limited to, the statistical formulation of disclosure-proofing | ||
methods.
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