Bill Text: IL HB3757 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. In a provision concerning income threshold amounts under the child care assistance program, provides that beginning in fiscal year 2015 the specified threshold must be no less than 200% of the then-current federal poverty level for each family size.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-1)

Status: (Failed) 2014-12-03 - Session Sine Die [HB3757 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2013-HB3757-Introduced.html

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98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2013 and 2014 HB3757 Introduced , by Rep. Christian L. Mitchell SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
305 ILCS 5/9A-11 from Ch. 23, par. 9A-11
Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. In a provision concerning income threshold amounts under the child care assistance program, provides that beginning in fiscal year 2015 the specified threshold must be no less than 200% of the then-current federal poverty level for each family size.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning public aid.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
changing Section 9A-11 as follows:
(305 ILCS 5/9A-11) (from Ch. 23, par. 9A-11)
Sec. 9A-11. Child Care.
(a) The General Assembly recognizes that families with
children need child care in order to work. Child care is
expensive and families with low incomes, including those who
are transitioning from welfare to work, often struggle to pay
the costs of day care. The General Assembly understands the
importance of helping low income working families become and
remain self-sufficient. The General Assembly also believes
that it is the responsibility of families to share in the costs
of child care. It is also the preference of the General
Assembly that all working poor families should be treated
equally, regardless of their welfare status.
(b) To the extent resources permit, the Illinois Department
shall provide child care services to parents or other relatives
as defined by rule who are working or participating in
employment or Department approved education or training
programs. At a minimum, the Illinois Department shall cover the

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following categories of families:
(1) recipients of TANF under Article IV participating
in work and training activities as specified in the
personal plan for employment and self-sufficiency;
(2) families transitioning from TANF to work;
(3) families at risk of becoming recipients of TANF;
(4) families with special needs as defined by rule; and
(5) working families with very low incomes as defined
by rule.
The Department shall specify by rule the conditions of
eligibility, the application process, and the types, amounts,
and duration of services. Eligibility for child care benefits
and the amount of child care provided may vary based on family
size, income, and other factors as specified by rule.
In determining income eligibility for child care benefits,
the Department annually, at the beginning of each fiscal year,
shall establish, by rule, one income threshold for each family
size, in relation to percentage of State median income for a
family of that size, that makes families with incomes below the
specified threshold eligible for assistance and families with
incomes above the specified threshold ineligible for
assistance. Through and including fiscal year 2007, the
specified threshold must be no less than 50% of the
then-current State median income for each family size.
Beginning in fiscal year 2008, the specified threshold must be
no less than 185% of the then-current federal poverty level for

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each family size. Beginning in fiscal year 2015, the specified
threshold must be no less than 200% of the then-current federal
poverty level for each family size.
In determining eligibility for assistance, the Department
shall not give preference to any category of recipients or give
preference to individuals based on their receipt of benefits
under this Code.
The Department shall allocate $7,500,000 annually for a
test program for families who are income-eligible for child
care assistance, who are not recipients of TANF under Article
IV, and who need child care assistance to participate in
education and training activities. The Department shall
specify by rule the conditions of eligibility for this test
program.
Nothing in this Section shall be construed as conferring
entitlement status to eligible families.
The Illinois Department is authorized to lower income
eligibility ceilings, raise parent co-payments, create waiting
lists, or take such other actions during a fiscal year as are
necessary to ensure that child care benefits paid under this
Article do not exceed the amounts appropriated for those child
care benefits. These changes may be accomplished by emergency
rule under Section 5-45 of the Illinois Administrative
Procedure Act, except that the limitation on the number of
emergency rules that may be adopted in a 24-month period shall
not apply.

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The Illinois Department may contract with other State
agencies or child care organizations for the administration of
child care services.
(c) Payment shall be made for child care that otherwise
meets the requirements of this Section and applicable standards
of State and local law and regulation, including any
requirements the Illinois Department promulgates by rule in
addition to the licensure requirements promulgated by the
Department of Children and Family Services and Fire Prevention
and Safety requirements promulgated by the Office of the State
Fire Marshal and is provided in any of the following:
(1) a child care center which is licensed or exempt
from licensure pursuant to Section 2.09 of the Child Care
Act of 1969;
(2) a licensed child care home or home exempt from
licensing;
(3) a licensed group child care home;
(4) other types of child care, including child care
provided by relatives or persons living in the same home as
the child, as determined by the Illinois Department by
rule.
(c-5) Solely for the purposes of coverage under the
Illinois Public Labor Relations Act, child and day care home
providers, including licensed and license exempt,
participating in the Department's child care assistance
program shall be considered to be public employees and the

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State of Illinois shall be considered to be their employer as
of the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th
General Assembly, but not before. The State shall engage in
collective bargaining with an exclusive representative of
child and day care home providers participating in the child
care assistance program concerning their terms and conditions
of employment that are within the State's control. Nothing in
this subsection shall be understood to limit the right of
families receiving services defined in this Section to select
child and day care home providers or supervise them within the
limits of this Section. The State shall not be considered to be
the employer of child and day care home providers for any
purposes not specifically provided in this amendatory Act of
the 94th General Assembly, including but not limited to,
purposes of vicarious liability in tort and purposes of
statutory retirement or health insurance benefits. Child and
day care home providers shall not be covered by the State
Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971.
In according child and day care home providers and their
selected representative rights under the Illinois Public Labor
Relations Act, the State intends that the State action
exemption to application of federal and State antitrust laws be
fully available to the extent that their activities are
authorized by this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly.
(d) The Illinois Department shall establish, by rule, a
co-payment scale that provides for cost sharing by families

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that receive child care services, including parents whose only
income is from assistance under this Code. The co-payment shall
be based on family income and family size and may be based on
other factors as appropriate. Co-payments may be waived for
families whose incomes are at or below the federal poverty
level.
(d-5) The Illinois Department, in consultation with its
Child Care and Development Advisory Council, shall develop a
plan to revise the child care assistance program's co-payment
scale. The plan shall be completed no later than February 1,
2008, and shall include:
(1) findings as to the percentage of income that the
average American family spends on child care and the
relative amounts that low-income families and the average
American family spend on other necessities of life;
(2) recommendations for revising the child care
co-payment scale to assure that families receiving child
care services from the Department are paying no more than
they can reasonably afford;
(3) recommendations for revising the child care
co-payment scale to provide at-risk children with complete
access to Preschool for All and Head Start; and
(4) recommendations for changes in child care program
policies that affect the affordability of child care.
(e) (Blank).
(f) The Illinois Department shall, by rule, set rates to be

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paid for the various types of child care. Child care may be
provided through one of the following methods:
(1) arranging the child care through eligible
providers by use of purchase of service contracts or
vouchers;
(2) arranging with other agencies and community
volunteer groups for non-reimbursed child care;
(3) (blank); or
(4) adopting such other arrangements as the Department
determines appropriate.
(f-5) (Blank).
(g) Families eligible for assistance under this Section
shall be given the following options:
(1) receiving a child care certificate issued by the
Department or a subcontractor of the Department that may be
used by the parents as payment for child care and
development services only; or
(2) if space is available, enrolling the child with a
child care provider that has a purchase of service contract
with the Department or a subcontractor of the Department
for the provision of child care and development services.
The Department may identify particular priority
populations for whom they may request special
consideration by a provider with purchase of service
contracts, provided that the providers shall be permitted
to maintain a balance of clients in terms of household

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incomes and families and children with special needs, as
defined by rule.
(Source: P.A. 97-422, eff. 8-16-11.)