20 ILCS 630/ Illinois Emergency Employment Development Act.

(20 ILCS 630/1) (from Ch. 48, par. 2401)

Sec. 1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Illinois Emergency Employment Development Act".

(Source: P.A. 84-792.)

(20 ILCS 630/2) (from Ch. 48, par. 2402)

Sec. 2. For the purposes of this Act, the following words have the meanings ascribed to them in this Section.

(a) "Advisory Committee" means the 21st Century Workforce Development Fund Advisory Committee.

(b) "Coordinator" means the Illinois Emergency Employment Development Coordinator appointed under Section 3.

(c) "Department" means the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

(d) "Director" means the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

(e) "Eligible business" means a for-profit business.

(f) "Eligible employer" means an eligible nonprofit agency, or an eligible business.

(g) "Eligible job applicant" means a person who (1) has been a resident of this State for at least one year; and (2) is unemployed; and (3) is not receiving and is not qualified to receive unemployment compensation or workers' compensation; and (4) is determined by the employment administrator to be likely to be available for employment by an eligible employer for the duration of the job.

(h) "Eligible nonprofit agency" means an organization exempt from taxation under the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, Section 501(c)(3).

(i) "Employment administrator" means the administrative entity designated by the Coordinator, and approved by the Advisory Committee, to administer the provisions of this Act in each service delivery area. With approval of the Advisory Committee, the Coordinator may designate an administrative entity authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act or private, public, or non-profit entities that have proven effectiveness in providing training, workforce development, and job placement services to low-income individuals.

(j) "Fringe benefits" means all non-salary costs for each person employed under the program, including, but not limited to, workers compensation, unemployment insurance, and health benefits, as would be provided to non-subsidized employees performing similar work.

(k) "Household" means a group of persons living at the same residence consisting of, at a maximum, spouses and the minor children of each.

(l) "Program" means the Illinois Emergency Employment Development Program created by this Act consisting of new job creation in the private sector.

(m) "Service delivery area" means an area designated as a Local Workforce Investment Area by the State.

(n) "Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act" means the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, any amendments to that Act, and any other applicable federal statutes.

(Source: P.A. 99-576, eff. 7-15-16; 100-477, eff. 9-8-17.)

(20 ILCS 630/3)

Sec. 3. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 97-581, eff. 8-26-11. Repealed by P.A. 103-363, eff. 7-28-23.)

(20 ILCS 630/4) (from Ch. 48, par. 2404)

Sec. 4. Funds shall be allocated to service delivery areas whose unemployment rate exceeds 6.5%, as determined every June 30 based upon the previous 12-month unemployment rate for that service delivery area. Each eligible service delivery area shall be allocated funds for a 12-month period. The amount of funds allocated to each eligible service delivery area shall be in a proportion equal to the number of excess unemployed in the service delivery area relative to the number of excess unemployed in all eligible service delivery areas.

(Source: P.A. 84-1399.)

(20 ILCS 630/5)

Sec. 5. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06. Repealed by P.A. 103-363, eff. 7-28-23.)

(20 ILCS 630/6) (from Ch. 48, par. 2406)

Sec. 6. Program funds; uses. Funds appropriated for the purposes of the program may be used as follows:

(a) To provide a State contribution for wages and fringe benefits for eligible job applicants for a maximum of 1,040 hours over a maximum period of 52 weeks per job applicant. The minimum allowable hourly wage for job applicants employed in this program shall not be below 120% of the current State minimum wage rate. At least 75% of the funds appropriated for the program must be used to pay wages and fringe benefits for eligible job applicants. State contribution amounts are as follows:

(1) For for-profit business employers, the State contribution for wages shall be 50% of the minimum allowable hourly wage for each eligible job applicant employed. The State contribution for fringe benefits may be up to 25% of the State wage contribution per hour for each eligible job applicant employed. The employer must match wages in an amount equal to or greater than the State contribution for this program. Employers are responsible for the remaining costs of any benefits provided and other employment related costs. The employer may use funds from other sources to provide increased wages and benefits to the applicants it employs;

(2) For non-profit employers participating in this program, the State contribution for wages shall be 75% of the minimum allowable hourly wage for each eligible job applicant employed. The State contribution for fringe benefits may be up to 25% of the state wage contribution per hour for each eligible job applicant employed. The employer must match wages in an amount equal to or greater than the State contribution for this program. The State contribution may be used to provide workers' compensation coverage to applicants employed by government or non-profit agencies under this Act. Employers are responsible for the remaining costs of any benefits. The employer may use funds from other sources to provide increased wages and benefits to the applicants it employs.

(b) To provide child care services or subsidies or other supportive services necessary to maintain employment to applicants employed under the program;

(c) To provide workers' compensation coverage to applicants employed by nonprofit agencies under the program;

(d) To provide job search assistance, labor market orientation, job seeking and work readiness skills, and referral for other services;

(e) To purchase supplies and materials for projects creating permanent improvements to public property in an amount not to exceed one percent of the funds appropriated; and

(f) To reimburse the Department in an amount not to exceed 1% of the funds appropriated for the actual cost of administering this Act, and to reimburse the Employment Administrators in an amount not to exceed 4.5% of the funds allocated to them for their actual cost of administering this Act. The Director and the Employment Administrators shall leverage funds from other sources to cover the administrative costs of this program whenever possible.

The Employment Administrator of each service delivery area shall submit to the Coordinator a spending plan establishing that funds allocated to the service delivery area will be used within one year after the effective date, in the manner required by this Act. Any funds allocated to a service delivery area for which there is no spending plan approved by the Coordinator shall be returned to the Department and may be reallocated by the Coordinator to other Employment Administrators.

(Source: P.A. 97-581, eff. 8-26-11.)

(20 ILCS 630/7) (from Ch. 48, par. 2407)

Sec. 7. Duties of State agencies.

(a) The Department of Employment Security shall post information publicizing the program and shall provide staff assistance as requested by employment administrators in the collection of data about participants in the program.

(b) The Secretary of Human Services shall make available to each employment administrator lists of local child care providers through the Child Care Resource and Referral Network available to persons employed under the program.

(c) The Secretary of Human Services shall post information publicizing the program to applicants and recipients of public aid.

(Source: P.A. 97-581, eff. 8-26-11.)

(20 ILCS 630/8) (from Ch. 48, par. 2408)

Sec. 8. A non-profit agency is an eligible employer with respect to temporary work relief projects determined by the employment administrator to have long-term benefit to or to be needed by the community. To be an eligible employer a nonprofit agency shall comply with the requirements of Section 9 concerning eligible businesses.

(Source: P.A. 84-792.)

(20 ILCS 630/9) (from Ch. 48, par. 2409)

Sec. 9. Eligible businesses.

(a) A business employer is an eligible employer if it enters into a written contract, signed and subscribed to under oath, with the employment administrator for its service delivery area containing assurances that:

(1) funds received by a business shall be used only as permitted under the program;

(2) the business has submitted a plan to the employment administrator (A) describing the duties and proposed compensation of each employee proposed to be hired under the program; and (B) demonstrating that with the funds provided under the program the business is likely to succeed and continue to employ persons hired under the program;

(3) the business will use funds exclusively for compensation and fringe benefits of eligible job applicants and will provide employees hired with these funds with fringe benefits and other terms and conditions of employment comparable to those provided to other employees of the business who do comparable work;

(4) the funds are necessary to allow the business to begin, or to employ additional people, but not to fill positions which would be filled even in the absence of funds from this program;

(5) the business will cooperate with the coordinator in collecting data to assess the result of the program; and

(6) the business is in compliance with all applicable affirmative action, fair labor, health, safety, and environmental standards.

(b) In allocating funds among eligible businesses, the employment administrator shall give priority to businesses which best satisfy the following criteria:

(1) have a high potential for growth and long-term job creation;

(2) are labor intensive;

(3) make high use of local and State resources;

(4) are under ownership of women and minorities;

(4.5) meet the definition of a small business as defined in Section 5 of the Small Business Advisory Act;

(4.10) produce energy conserving materials or services or are involved in development of renewable sources of energy;

(5) have their primary places of business in the State; and

(6) intend to continue the employment of the eligible applicant for at least 6 months of unsubsidized employment.

(c) (Blank).

(d) A business receiving funds under this program shall repay 70% of the amount received for each eligible job applicant employed who does not continue in the employment of the business for at least 6 months beyond the subsidized period unless the employer dismisses an employee for good cause and works with the Employment Administrator to employ and train another person referred by the Employment Administrator. The Employment Administrator shall forward payments received under this subsection to the Coordinator on a monthly basis. The Coordinator shall deposit these payments into the General Revenue Fund.

(Source: P.A. 99-576, eff. 7-15-16.)

(20 ILCS 630/10) (from Ch. 48, par. 2410)

Sec. 10. (1) An eligible employer may not terminate, lay off or reduce the working hours of an employee for the purpose of hiring an individual with funds available under the program.

(2) An eligible employer may not hire an individual with funds available under the program if any other person is on layoff from the same or a substantially equivalent job.

(3) In order to qualify as an eligible employer, a nonprofit agency or business must certify to the employment administrator that each job created and funded under the program

(a) will result in an increase in employment opportunities over those which would otherwise be available;

(b) will not result in the displacement of currently employed workers, including partial displacement such as reduction in hours of nonovertime work, wages or employment benefits; and

(c) will not impair existing contracts for service or result in the substitution of program funds for other funds in connection with work that would otherwise be performed.

(Source: P.A. 85-1393; 85-1424; 85-1440.)

(20 ILCS 630/11)

Sec. 11. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 99-576, eff. 7-15-16. Repealed by P.A. 102-276, eff. 8-6-21.)

(20 ILCS 630/12)

Sec. 12. Allocation of funds among service delivery areas.

(a) 90% of the funds available for allocation to Employment Administrators for the program must be allocated among service delivery areas as follows: each service delivery area shall be eligible to receive that proportion of the funds available which equals the number of unemployed persons in the service delivery area divided by the total number of unemployed persons in the State for the 12-month period ending on the most recent March 31.

(b) 10% of the funds available for allocation to employment administrators under the program must be allocated at the discretion of the Advisory Committee to Employment Administrators:

(1) who will maximize the use of the funds through coordination with other programs and State, local, and federal agencies, through the use of matching funds, or through the involvement of low-income constituent groups;

(2) who have demonstrated need beyond the allocation available under subsection (a); and

(3) who have demonstrated outstanding performance in job creation.

(Source: P.A. 97-581, eff. 8-26-11.)

(20 ILCS 630/13)

Sec. 13. Allocation within service delivery areas; priorities. Allocation of funds within a service delivery area shall be determined by the Employment Administrator in each service delivery area. The Employment Administrator shall give priority to job applicants who: (i) live in households with no other earned income source; (ii) have been unemployed for 6 months or more; or (iii) who would otherwise be eligible to receive Temporary Aid to Needy Families under Article IV of the Public Aid Code, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or general assistance under Article VI of the Illinois Public Aid Code.

(Source: P.A. 97-581, eff. 8-26-11.)

(20 ILCS 630/14)

Sec. 14. Employment Administrators; powers and duties.

(a) The Employment Administrator for each service delivery area has the powers and duties given in this Section and any additional duties given by the Coordinator.

(b) Each Employment Administrator shall develop an emergency employment development plan for its service delivery area under guidelines developed by the Advisory Committee and submit it to the Coordinator within the period allowed by the Coordinator. To the extent feasible, the Employment Administrator shall seek input from potential eligible employers and the public. The Employment Administrator shall consult with local sources of information to identify current local needs, including, but not limited to, local Workforce Investment Boards, economic development councils, community action agencies, and local Labor Market Information from the Department of Employment Security.

(c) Each Employment Administrator shall publicize the program within its service delivery area to seek maximum participation by eligible job applicants and employers.

(d) Each Employment Administrator shall enter into contracts with eligible employers setting forth the terms of their participation in the program as required by this Act.

(e) Each Employment Administrator shall screen job applicants and employers to achieve the best possible placement of eligible job applicants with eligible employers.

(f) Each Employment Administrator shall maintain a list of eligible job applicants unable to secure employment under the program at the time of application. The list shall prioritize eligible job applicants and shall be used to fill jobs with eligible employers as they become available. Each Employment Administrator shall receive and coordinate referrals from other local organizations.

(g) Each Employment Administrator shall cooperate with local educational and training institutions to coordinate and publicize the availability of their resources to assure that applicants may receive training needed before or while employed in jobs which are available under the program.

(h) Each Employment Administrator may disburse funds not to exceed 1% of the amount allocated to its service delivery area for the purchase of supplies and materials for projects creating permanent improvements to public property.

(Source: P.A. 97-581, eff. 8-26-11.)

(20 ILCS 630/17)

Sec. 17. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 100-863, eff. 8-14-18. Repealed by P.A. 102-276, eff. 8-6-21.)

(20 ILCS 630/18)

Sec. 18. Worker displacement.

(a) An eligible employer may not terminate, lay off, or reduce the working hours of an employee for the purpose of hiring an individual with funds available under this Act.

(b) An eligible employer may not hire an individual with funds available under this Act if any other person is on layoff from the same or substantially equivalent job.

(c) In order to qualify as an eligible employer, a government or non-profit agency or business must certify to the Employment Administrator that each job created and funded under this Act:

(1) will result in an increase in employment opportunity over the level that would otherwise be available;

(2) will not result in the displacement of currently employed workers, including partial displacement such as reduction in hours of non-overtime work, wages, or employment benefits; and

(3) will not impair existing contracts for service or result in the substitution of program funds for other funds in connection with work that would otherwise be performed.

(Source: P.A. 97-581, eff. 8-26-11.)