[ Search ] [ Legislation ]
[ Home ] [ Back ] [ Bottom ]
91_HB1147
LRB9103340SMdv
1 AN ACT to amend the Illinois Public Aid Code by adding
2 Section 12-4.17a.
3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
5 Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
6 adding Section 12-4.17a as follows:
7 (305 ILCS 5/12-4.17a new)
8 Sec. 12-4.17a. Customer service enhancement.
9 (a) The Department shall provide each caseworker charged
10 with the administration of cash or medical assistance
11 programs under this Code with a current paper or on-line
12 version of the Policy Manual and the Worker Action Guide.
13 (b) The Department shall on at least a quarterly basis
14 provide to all caseworkers in-person training on policies and
15 procedures and changes thereto, including how to locate
16 policies and procedures in the Policy Manual and the Worker
17 Action Guide. In addition, the Department shall upon hiring
18 and on at least an annual basis provide to all caseworkers
19 training in interviewing and case management skills to help
20 them identify barriers, including but not limited to learning
21 disabilities, other physical or mental disabilities, domestic
22 violence, substance abuse, and mental illness; accommodate
23 needs; and develop productive relationships with customers.
24 The Department shall develop the caseworker training agenda
25 in consultation with the customer service advisory council
26 described in subsection (f).
27 (c) The Department shall provide in the waiting area of
28 each local office written information regarding applicants'
29 and recipients' rights to appeal action or inaction and to
30 file a grievance, as well as sufficient quantities of appeal
31 and grievance forms in appropriate languages.
-2- LRB9103340SMdv
1 (d) The Department shall establish pilot projects in at
2 least 3 local offices, at least one of which shall be in a
3 city of over 500,000 and at least one of which shall be in a
4 local office serving a primarily rural area, under which the
5 local offices will be open at least one weekday evening and
6 Saturday each week to accommodate the schedules of applicants
7 and recipients who cannot visit the office during normal
8 office hours. No applicant or recipient shall be required to
9 attend a meeting during these extended hours if he or she is
10 able to attend during normal office hours.
11 (e) The Department shall establish a customer service
12 review process in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
13 program under Article IV of this Code. Under the customer
14 service review process, all cases scheduled to be closed due
15 to non-cooperation with program requirements, non-cooperation
16 with eligibility requirements, or noncompliance with work
17 activity, child support, paternity establishment, or school
18 attendance requirements, shall be reviewed.
19 (1) Reviewers shall be persons who are not subject
20 to supervision of any Department of Human Services local
21 office.
22 (2) Prior to closing a case the caseworker or
23 supervisor must attempt a personal contact with the
24 family and document in the case file the factual and
25 policy bases for closing the case.
26 (3) Under the customer service review process,
27 prior to closing a case a reviewer must attempt to
28 contact the family and: determine the problem that lead
29 to the scheduled closure; determine whether there has
30 been an error of fact or policy; determine whether the
31 parent, caretaker, or other family member is exempt from
32 complying or has good cause or a valid reason for failure
33 to comply; and determine whether the parent, caretaker,
34 or other family member now agrees to comply. If it is
-3- LRB9103340SMdv
1 determined that there exists an exemption, good cause, or
2 valid reason for noncompliance, or the family agrees to
3 comply and demonstrates compliance within 14 days, the
4 Department shall not close the case.
5 (4) The Department shall send written notice to
6 families whose cases are closed after the customer
7 service review process informing them of the factual
8 basis for closing the case, what can be done to retain
9 eligibility, and the availability of crisis assistance.
10 (5) The Department shall collect and maintain
11 records relating to the customer service review process
12 and produce an annual report regarding the customer
13 service review process. The report shall be made
14 available to the customer service advisory council
15 described in subsection (f).
16 (f) The Department shall establish an ongoing statewide
17 customer service advisory council to monitor customer service
18 and annually make customer service recommendations to the
19 Secretary of the Department and to the Governor. The council
20 shall include but not be limited to the Secretary or his or
21 her designee, persons who are receiving or have received
22 public benefits through the Department, advocates
23 representing recipients and low-income persons eligible for
24 public benefits, caseworkers or their collective bargaining
25 representatives, and service providers.