Bill Text: IL HB0255 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Enrolled
Bill Title: Creates the Youth and Young Adult Conservation Education Act. Directs the Department of Natural Resources to establish a Youth and Young Adult Conservation Program in order to provide educational and employment opportunities to youth and young adults of this State while furthering the development and maintenance of the State's natural resources. Sets out various programmatic requirements. Specifies that the Department of Natural Resources is to have the full cooperation of various other State agencies in carrying out the Act. Specifies that funding for the Act and its programs is to be provided by State and federal funds. Authorizes the Department to enter into agreements to implement the Act. Grants the Department rulemaking authority to implement and administer the Act.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-4)
Status: (Enrolled) 2024-06-21 - Sent to the Governor [HB0255 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-HB0255-Enrolled.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning conservation.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||||
3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Youth | ||||||
5 | and Young Adult Conservation Education Act.
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6 | Section 5. Declaration of intent. The General Assembly | ||||||
7 | finds that youth, representing all segments of society, | ||||||
8 | benefit from education and employment in the healthful outdoor | ||||||
9 | atmosphere of the State's park systems, recreational | ||||||
10 | facilities, and other public land and water areas and, through | ||||||
11 | those education and employment opportunities, will develop, | ||||||
12 | enhance, and maintain the natural resources of the State of | ||||||
13 | Illinois while gaining an understanding and appreciation of | ||||||
14 | the State's environment and heritage. The General Assembly, | ||||||
15 | therefore, creates this Act to establish the Youth and Young | ||||||
16 | Adult Conservation and Education Pilot Program to provide | ||||||
17 | education and employment opportunities for the youth and young | ||||||
18 | adults of this State to further the development and | ||||||
19 | maintenance of the natural resources by Illinois' youth and, | ||||||
20 | in so doing, to prepare them for the responsibility of | ||||||
21 | maintaining and managing these resources.
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22 | Section 10. Definitions. |
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1 | As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise | ||||||
2 | requires: | ||||||
3 | "Department" means the Department of Natural Resources. | ||||||
4 | "Program" means the Youth and Young Adult Conservation and | ||||||
5 | Education Pilot Program created by this Act.
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6 | Section 15. Cooperation. The Department shall have the | ||||||
7 | full cooperation of the Illinois State Board of Education, the | ||||||
8 | Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Illinois | ||||||
9 | State Job Coordinating Council created by the Federal Job | ||||||
10 | Training Partnership Act (Public Law 97-300), and the | ||||||
11 | Department of Employment Security in carrying out the purposes | ||||||
12 | of this Act.
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13 | Section 20. Funding. Funding for the Program shall be from | ||||||
14 | any State or federal funds or grants or other funding received | ||||||
15 | by the Department. The Program is subject to appropriation by | ||||||
16 | the General Assembly.
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17 | Section 25. Youth and Young Adult Conservation and | ||||||
18 | Education Pilot Program. | ||||||
19 | (a) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall | ||||||
20 | administer the Program. The Program may consist of any of the | ||||||
21 | following: | ||||||
22 | (1) allocation of grants to units of local government | ||||||
23 | or non-profit entities to provide conservation education |
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1 | and employment opportunities for youth and young adults of | ||||||
2 | this State; | ||||||
3 | (2) development and implementation of conservation | ||||||
4 | education or job training programs; and | ||||||
5 | (3) internship opportunities with the Department for | ||||||
6 | youth and young adults of this State. | ||||||
7 | (b) The Program's education and employment opportunities | ||||||
8 | shall be limited to citizens of this State who at the time of | ||||||
9 | enrollment in the Program are 15 through 25 years of age. | ||||||
10 | Grants under this Act are limited to units of local government | ||||||
11 | and non-profit entities that are located in the State of | ||||||
12 | Illinois and that provide conservation education and | ||||||
13 | employment opportunities for youth and young adults of this | ||||||
14 | State. | ||||||
15 | (c) The Department shall designate suitable grant | ||||||
16 | opportunities, projects, internships, and educational | ||||||
17 | curriculum for the purposes of this Act. | ||||||
18 | Grants, projects, internships, and curriculum so | ||||||
19 | designated by the Department shall be for the purpose of: (1) | ||||||
20 | development, enhancement, and maintenance of the natural | ||||||
21 | resources of the State of Illinois, and offering related | ||||||
22 | educational opportunities; (2) environmental stewardship and | ||||||
23 | civic responsibility; (3) enhancement of public lands owned or | ||||||
24 | leased by the Department or developing and enhancing projects | ||||||
25 | or initiatives undertaken in whole or part by the Department; | ||||||
26 | or (4) any combination of the purposes described in items (1) |
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1 | through (3). Such projects, internships and curriculum shall | ||||||
2 | include improving the habitat of fauna and flora; improving | ||||||
3 | utilization of conservation or recreation facilities and lands | ||||||
4 | by the public; improving water quality; and any other project | ||||||
5 | deemed by the Department to improve the environmental, | ||||||
6 | economic, and recreational quality of the State's natural | ||||||
7 | resources. | ||||||
8 | All projects and internships designated by the Department | ||||||
9 | shall be within a reasonable commuting time for each | ||||||
10 | participant. In no circumstance shall interns be required to | ||||||
11 | spend more than 1 1/2 hours of commuting time to a project or a | ||||||
12 | designated area, but an intern may agree to spend more than 1 | ||||||
13 | 1/2 hours of commuting time to a project or a designated area. | ||||||
14 | (c) Interns shall receive at least the standard minimum | ||||||
15 | wage as set by the State of Illinois, when applicable, and | ||||||
16 | shall work normal working hours as determined by the | ||||||
17 | Department. The interns shall not be classified as employees | ||||||
18 | of the State for purposes of contributions to the State | ||||||
19 | Employees' Retirement System of Illinois or any other public | ||||||
20 | employment retirement system of the State. | ||||||
21 | (d) The Department may enter into contracts, | ||||||
22 | intergovernmental agreements, grants, cooperative agreements, | ||||||
23 | memoranda of understanding, or other instruments as necessary | ||||||
24 | to implement the Program. | ||||||
25 | (e) The Department shall adopt administrative rules | ||||||
26 | pertaining to implementation, standards, criteria, and |
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1 | administration of the Program.
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