Bill Text: IL HB5259 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Adds the Refugee Social Services Article to the Code. Requires the Department of Human Services to allocate appropriated federal funds, or appropriated State funds, for refugee social services programs to each county impacted by refugee arrivals and, at the Department's discretion, to a qualified nonprofit organization, based on the number of refugees receiving aid in the county or the number of refugees who reside in the eligible county. Permits the Department to utilize funding adjustments based on the length of time that the refugees have resided in the United States. Permits the Department to allocate any federal funds from the Office of Refugee Resettlement among eligible counties and qualified nonprofit organizations consistent with federal law. Permits the Department to contract with, or award grants to, qualified nonprofit organizations for the purpose of administering refugee social services programs within a county. Requires reporting, monitoring, and audits of services funded by such contracts or grants. Provides that counties administering refugee services must designate an agency to develop and implement a plan for the provision of services funded by refugee social services funds. Set forth minimum requirements for such county plans. Contains provisions concerning extended refugee social services. Requires each refugee social services program to provide culturally appropriate and responsive case management services. Requires the Department to, in collaboration with service providers, determine outcome metrics to define program success.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-09 - Referred to Rules Committee [HB5259 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB5259-Introduced.html

---

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB5259 Introduced , by Rep. Hoan Huynh SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
305 ILCS 5/2-12 from Ch. 23, par. 2-12
305 ILCS 5/Art. XVII heading new
305 ILCS 5/17-1 new
305 ILCS 5/17-2 new
305 ILCS 5/17-3 new
305 ILCS 5/17-4 new
305 ILCS 5/17-5 new
Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Adds the Refugee Social Services Article to the Code. Requires the Department of Human Services to allocate appropriated federal funds, or appropriated State funds, for refugee social services programs to each county impacted by refugee arrivals and, at the Department's discretion, to a qualified nonprofit organization, based on the number of refugees receiving aid in the county or the number of refugees who reside in the eligible county. Permits the Department to utilize funding adjustments based on the length of time that the refugees have resided in the United States. Permits the Department to allocate any federal funds from the Office of Refugee Resettlement among eligible counties and qualified nonprofit organizations consistent with federal law. Permits the Department to contract with, or award grants to, qualified nonprofit organizations for the purpose of administering refugee social services programs within a county. Requires reporting, monitoring, and audits of services funded by such contracts or grants. Provides that counties administering refugee services must designate an agency to develop and implement a plan for the provision of services funded by refugee social services funds. Set forth minimum requirements for such county plans. Contains provisions concerning extended refugee social services. Requires each refugee social services program to provide culturally appropriate and responsive case management services. Requires the Department to, in collaboration with service providers, determine outcome metrics to define program success.
LRB103 39080 KTG 69218 b
A BILL FOR
HB5259 LRB103 39080 KTG 69218 b
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 2-12 and by adding Article XVII as follows:
(305 ILCS 5/2-12) (from Ch. 23, par. 2-12)
Sec. 2-12. "Illinois Department"; "Department". In this
Code, "Illinois Department" or "Department", when a particular
entity is not specified, means the following:
(1) In the case of a function performed before July 1, 1997
(the effective date of the Department of Human Services Act),
the term means the Department of Public Aid.
(2) In the case of a function to be performed on or after
July 1, 1997 under Article III, IV, VI, IX, or IXA, XVI, or
XVII, the term means the Department of Human Services as
successor to the Illinois Department of Public Aid.
(3) In the case of a function to be performed on or after
July 1, 1997 under Article V, V-A, V-B, V-C, V-D, V-E, X, XIV,
or XV, the term means the Department of Healthcare and Family
Services (formerly Illinois Department of Public Aid).
(4) In the case of a function to be performed on or after
July 1, 1997 under Article I, II, VIIIA, XI, XII, or XIII, the
term means the Department of Human Services (acting as

HB5259 - 2 - LRB103 39080 KTG 69218 b
successor to the Illinois Department of Public Aid) or the
Department of Healthcare and Family Services (formerly
Illinois Department of Public Aid) or both, according to
whether that function, in the specific context, has been
allocated to the Department of Human Services or the
Department of Healthcare and Family Services (formerly
Department of Public Aid) or both of those departments.
(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)
(305 ILCS 5/Art. XVII heading new)
ARTICLE XVII. REFUGEE SOCIAL SERVICES
(305 ILCS 5/17-1 new)
Sec. 17-1. Definitions. As used in this Article:
(a) "Eligible county" means a county or city and county
designated as impacted using a formula developed by the
Department based upon the refugee arrivals in the county
during the preceding 60-month period for which the Department
has data.
(b) "Qualified nonprofit organization" means a nonprofit
organization that is exempt from federal income taxation under
Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and that
satisfies any additional eligibility criteria established by
the Department.
(c) "Refugee social services" include, but are not limited
to, English language and employment training, as funded

HB5259 - 3 - LRB103 39080 KTG 69218 b
through federal appropriations, or as funded through State
appropriations as described in Section 17-4.
(305 ILCS 5/17-2 new)
Sec. 17-2. Funding of refugee social services.
(a)(1) After setting aside the necessary State
administrative funds, the Department shall allocate
appropriated federal funds, or appropriated State funds as
described in Section 17-4, for refugee social services
programs to each eligible county and, if the Department
exercises its discretion in accordance with subsection (b), to
a qualified nonprofit organization, based on the number of
refugees receiving aid in the eligible county or the number of
refugees who reside in the eligible county. The Department
may, at its discretion, utilize funding adjustments based on
the length of time that the refugees have resided in the United
States.
(2) If an eligible county or qualified nonprofit
organization that receives funds under paragraph (1) declines
all or part of those funds, or returns unexpended funds, the
Department may exercise its discretion to reallocate the
declined or returned funds among eligible counties and
qualified nonprofit organizations.
(3) If the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement provides
funding in addition to the annual appropriation described in
paragraph (1) or designates funding for services to a specific

HB5259 - 4 - LRB103 39080 KTG 69218 b
population of eligible individuals, the Department may
exercise its discretion to allocate those funds among eligible
counties and qualified nonprofit organizations consistent with
federal law.
(b)(1) Notwithstanding any other law, and to the extent
permitted by federal law, the Department may, at its
discretion, contract with, or award grants to, qualified
nonprofit organizations for the purpose of administering
refugee social services programs within a county. An eligible
county providing refugee social services in accordance with
this Article may continue to administer those services while a
contractor or grantee is also providing refugee social
services in accordance with this Article within the county.
(2) If an eligible county and a qualified nonprofit
organization are administering refugee social services
simultaneously within the same county, the Department shall,
at its discretion, determine the amount of the funds to be
distributed to the eligible county and qualified nonprofit
organization.
(3) Contracts or grants awarded in accordance with this
subsection shall require reporting, monitoring, or audits of
services provided, as determined by the Department.
(305 ILCS 5/17-3 new)
Sec. 17-3. Implementation; plan requirements.
(a) The Department shall notify each eligible county's

HB5259 - 5 - LRB103 39080 KTG 69218 b
board of the availability of funds described in subsection (a)
of Section 17-2 or in subsection (b) of Section 17-4.
(b) A county administering refugee social services shall
designate an agency that is responsible for developing and
implementing a plan for the provision of services funded by
refugee social services funds.
(c)(1) The plan developed in accordance with subsection
(b) shall reflect the full intent of this Article that the
funding for, and provision of, refugee social services shall
lead to successful self-sufficiency and social integration for
all refugee recipients of refugee social services, in
accordance with guidelines issued by the Department.
(2) Any plan developed in accordance with subsection (b)
shall, at a minimum, meet all of the following requirements:
(A) Each eligible county's board shall ensure that the
county planning process is designed in such a way as to
facilitate refugee participation and public input in that
process.
(B) The plan shall include a description of how
available funds will be used to provide services to
refugees.
(C) The plan shall specifically address how services
will be delivered to refugees receiving aid in each
county.
(D) The plan shall provide for the priority
consideration for funding refugee community-based

HB5259 - 6 - LRB103 39080 KTG 69218 b
organizations if they demonstrate the capacity to
implement the proposed programs, which capacity shall be
comparable to that of other competitors who qualify for
funding.
(305 ILCS 5/17-4 new)
Sec. 17-4. Applicability; eligibility.
(a) The requirements established by this Article shall be
applicable only so long as federal funds are available for its
purposes, or so long as State funds are available as provided
in subsection (b).
(b)(1) This subsection shall be implemented only to the
extent an appropriation of State funds is made in the annual
Budget Act or another statute for the purpose of this
subsection.
(2) If a refugee recipient of refugee social services
under the federal Reception and Placement Program administered
by the U.S. Department of State completes 90 days of those
services and exhausts the federal funds allocated for that
recipient, the recipient shall be eligible for a 90-day
extension of refugee social services using State funds within
the first 12 months of arrival to the United States.
(3)(A) If a recipient completes the 90-day extension
described in paragraph (2) and seeks additional refugee social
services, the designated case manager shall conduct an
assessment of the recipient's needs and shall determine

HB5259 - 7 - LRB103 39080 KTG 69218 b
whether to grant the recipient an additional extension of
those services using State funds.
(B) The case manager's determination in subparagraph (A)
shall be on a case-by-case basis and subject to a finding by
the case manager that the recipient demonstrates extreme need
in accordance with criteria set forth by the Department. A
finding of extreme need shall be based on the level of need for
services as defined in subsection (c) of Section 17-1 or case
management services as described in subsection (b) of Section
17-5.
(C) An additional extension granted under this paragraph
shall be at a minimum 90 days and at a maximum 180 days,
resulting in a combined duration of no more than 270 days for
the extensions described in paragraph (2) and this paragraph
beyond the original 90 days under the federal Reception and
Placement Program, for a total of no more than 360 days of
those services. If the recipient is approved for the
additional extension in accordance with this paragraph, the
case manager shall determine the number of extension days
granted based on the assessment and on the level of the
recipient's extreme need.
(4) The refugee social services covered under this
subsection shall include the services as defined in subsection
(c) of Section 17-1 and the case management services described
in subsection (b) of Section 17-5.
(5) The refugee social services covered under this

HB5259 - 8 - LRB103 39080 KTG 69218 b
subsection may be provided by a qualified nonprofit
organization, as defined in Section 17-1, including a
community-based organization, or by an eligible county, as
defined in Section 17-1, or by any office or affiliate of the
agencies authorized under the federal Reception and Placement
Program, as applicable.
(305 ILCS 5/17-5 new)
Sec. 17-5. Required services.
(a)(1) Each refugee social services program established in
accordance with Section 17-2 shall provide culturally
appropriate and responsive case management services for
refugees, asylees, and other vulnerable noncitizens for up to
180 days, or as specified in paragraph (2), within the first
year following the grant of asylum or after having been deemed
eligible for services under Article 16.
(2)(A) If a recipient completes 180 days of case
management services as provided under paragraph (1) and seeks
an extension of those services, the designated case manager
shall conduct an assessment of the recipient's needs and shall
determine whether to grant the recipient the extension.
(B) The case manager's determination in subparagraph (A)
shall be on a case-by-case basis and subject to a finding by
the case manager that the recipient demonstrates extreme need
under criteria set forth by the Department. A finding of
extreme need shall be based on the level of need for services

HB5259 - 9 - LRB103 39080 KTG 69218 b
as defined in subsection (c) of Section 17-1 or case
management services as described in subsection (b).
(C) An additional extension granted under this paragraph
shall be at a minimum 90 days and at a maximum 180 days, for a
total of no more than 360 days of case management services. If
the recipient is approved for the additional extension under
this paragraph, the case manager shall determine the number of
extension days granted based on the assessment and on the
level of the recipient's extreme need.
(b) Case management services under each program shall
include assistance in identifying and applying for all
benefits to which the person is legally entitled, including
cultural orientation and integration programs, support in
accessing and navigating the public benefits and health care
systems, housing assistance, community connection and
relationship building, English language instruction, and
enrollment in an educational program or institution, financial
literacy education, employment training, job placement
assistance, and professional recredentialing and licensing
application assistance.
(c) Case management services under each program may be
provided by a qualified nonprofit organization, as defined in
Section 17-1, including a community-based organization, or by
any office or affiliate of the agencies authorized under the
federal Reception and Placement Program administered by the
U.S. Department of State, as applicable.

HB5259 - 10 - LRB103 39080 KTG 69218 b