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| Public Act 103-0788
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| HB0255 Enrolled | LRB103 03779 RJT 48785 b |
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AN ACT concerning conservation.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, |
represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Youth |
and Young Adult Conservation Education Act.
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Section 5. Declaration of intent. The General Assembly |
finds that youth, representing all segments of society, |
benefit from education and employment in the healthful outdoor |
atmosphere of the State's park systems, recreational |
facilities, and other public land and water areas and, through |
those education and employment opportunities, will develop, |
enhance, and maintain the natural resources of the State of |
Illinois while gaining an understanding and appreciation of |
the State's environment and heritage. The General Assembly, |
therefore, creates this Act to establish the Youth and Young |
Adult Conservation and Education Pilot Program to provide |
education and employment opportunities for the youth and young |
adults of this State to further the development and |
maintenance of the natural resources by Illinois' youth and, |
in so doing, to prepare them for the responsibility of |
maintaining and managing these resources.
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Section 10. Definitions. |
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As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise |
requires: |
"Department" means the Department of Natural Resources. |
"Program" means the Youth and Young Adult Conservation and |
Education Pilot Program created by this Act.
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Section 15. Cooperation. The Department shall have the |
full cooperation of the Illinois State Board of Education, the |
Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Illinois |
State Job Coordinating Council created by the Federal Job |
Training Partnership Act (Public Law 97-300), and the |
Department of Employment Security in carrying out the purposes |
of this Act.
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Section 20. Funding. Funding for the Program shall be from |
any State or federal funds or grants or other funding received |
by the Department. The Program is subject to appropriation by |
the General Assembly.
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Section 25. Youth and Young Adult Conservation and |
Education Pilot Program. |
(a) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall |
administer the Program. The Program may consist of any of the |
following: |
(1) allocation of grants to units of local government |
or non-profit entities to provide conservation education |
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and employment opportunities for youth and young adults of |
this State; |
(2) development and implementation of conservation |
education or job training programs; and |
(3) internship opportunities with the Department for |
youth and young adults of this State. |
(b) The Program's education and employment opportunities |
shall be limited to citizens of this State who at the time of |
enrollment in the Program are 15 through 25 years of age. |
Grants under this Act are limited to units of local government |
and non-profit entities that are located in the State of |
Illinois and that provide conservation education and |
employment opportunities for youth and young adults of this |
State. |
(c) The Department shall designate suitable grant |
opportunities, projects, internships, and educational |
curriculum for the purposes of this Act. |
Grants, projects, internships, and curriculum so |
designated by the Department shall be for the purpose of: (1) |
development, enhancement, and maintenance of the natural |
resources of the State of Illinois, and offering related |
educational opportunities; (2) environmental stewardship and |
civic responsibility; (3) enhancement of public lands owned or |
leased by the Department or developing and enhancing projects |
or initiatives undertaken in whole or part by the Department; |
or (4) any combination of the purposes described in items (1) |
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through (3). Such projects, internships and curriculum shall |
include improving the habitat of fauna and flora; improving |
utilization of conservation or recreation facilities and lands |
by the public; improving water quality; and any other project |
deemed by the Department to improve the environmental, |
economic, and recreational quality of the State's natural |
resources. |
All projects and internships designated by the Department |
shall be within a reasonable commuting time for each |
participant. In no circumstance shall interns be required to |
spend more than 1 1/2 hours of commuting time to a project or a |
designated area, but an intern may agree to spend more than 1 |
1/2 hours of commuting time to a project or a designated area. |
(c) Interns shall receive at least the standard minimum |
wage as set by the State of Illinois, when applicable, and |
shall work normal working hours as determined by the |
Department. The interns shall not be classified as employees |
of the State for purposes of contributions to the State |
Employees' Retirement System of Illinois or any other public |
employment retirement system of the State. |
(d) The Department may enter into contracts, |
intergovernmental agreements, grants, cooperative agreements, |
memoranda of understanding, or other instruments as necessary |
to implement the Program. |
(e) The Department shall adopt administrative rules |
pertaining to implementation, standards, criteria, and |
