101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB5827
 
Introduced , by Rep. Mary E. Flowers
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:



New Act

 Creates the Committee on the Elimination of Eugenics-Inspired Laws Act. Creates the Committee on the Elimination of Eugenics-Inspired Laws. Provides for the membership of the Committee and further requirements concerning Committee members and meetings. Requires the Committee to research and identify any and all Eugenics-Inspired laws and administrative rules of this State, and any other related matters it deems necessary to its inquiry. Requires the Committee to also produce and make available to the public educational materials on the history and impact of eugenics and eugenics-inspired laws and administrative rules in the United States, as well as a summary of its annual report. Requires the Committee to issue an annual report of its findings concerning eugenics-inspired laws and rules to the Governor and the General Assembly, and make recommendations to eliminate, remediate, or mitigate the harmful effects of such laws, rules, and policies. Requires each State agency to perform an internal examination for the existence of eugenics-inspired rules, policies, and procedures, and issue an annual report to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Committee. Requires each State agency to implement strategies and programs to eliminate and prevent any disparities created by discriminatory rules, policies, and procedures, and make the services provided by the State agency more readily accessible to the public. Defines terms.



LRB101 21990 RJF 73003 b


 
 
A BILL FOR
 


HB5827LRB101 21990 RJF 73003 b



1 AN ACT concerning government.


2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

3represented in the General Assembly:



4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 
5Committee on the Elimination of Eugenics-Inspired Laws Act.

6 Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
7 "Committee" means the Committee on the Elimination of 
8Eugenics-Inspired Laws created under this Act.
9 "Eugenics-inspired laws" means any law, administrative 
10rule, or policy, including State agency rules, policies, and 
11procedures, derived from a belief that heredity is the 
12fundamental determinant of an individual's ability to 
13contribute to society, which excludes, or has the effect of 
14excluding, persons and groups judged to be inferior, based upon 
15such characteristics as race, ethnicity, mental and physical 
16disabilities, country of origin, and poverty, while promoting, 
17or having the effect of promoting, those judged to be superior.
18 "State agency" means: all officers, boards, commissions 
19and agencies created by the Constitution or by statute, 
20excluding the legislative and judicial branches; all officers, 
21departments, boards, commissions, agencies, institutions, 
22authorities, universities, bodies politic and corporate of the 
23State; all administrative units or corporate outgrowths of the 
 
 
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1State government which are created by or pursuant to statute, 
2other than units of local government and their officers, school 
3districts and boards of election commissioners; and all 
4administrative units and corporate outgrowths of the above and 
5as may be created by executive order of the Governor.

6 Section 10. Committee on the Elimination of 
7Eugenics-Inspired Laws.
8 (a) The Committee on the Elimination of Eugenics-Inspired 
9Laws is hereby created.
10 (b) The Committee shall consist of the following members:
11  (1) one member who is a qualified expert on the history 
12 of eugenics appointed by the Governor;
13  (2) two members appointed by the Speaker of the House 
14 of Representatives;
15  (3) two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the 
16 House of Representatives;
17  (4) two members appointed by the President of the 
18 Senate;
19  (5) two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the 
20 Senate;
21  (6) the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, 
22 or his or her designee;
23  (7) the Director of Public Health, or his or her 
24 designee; and
25  (8) the Director of Human Rights, or his or her 
 
 
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1 designee.
2 (c) Each appointed member of the Committee shall serve for 
3a term of 2 years
and until his or her successor is appointed.

4Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring
otherwise than 
5by expiration of a term shall be appointed only
for the 
6unexpired term of the member whom he or she shall succeed and 
7until his or her successor is appointed.
8 (d) The Committee shall initially meet within 30 days after 
9the effective date of this Act, and as many times thereafter as 
10deemed necessary to fulfill its purposes under this Act. The 
11Committee shall choose its chairperson from among its members. 
12Members of the Committee shall receive no compensation for 
13their service as members, but may be reimbursed for expenses 
14from appropriations made by law. The Office of the Governor 
15shall provide administrative support to the Committee.


16 Section 15. Committee duties; report.
17 (a) The Committee shall research and identify any and all 
18eugenics-inspired laws and administrative rules of this State, 
19and any other related matters it deems necessary to its inquiry 
20under this Section, including, but not limited to, the 
21following:
22  (1) disparities in access to healthcare;
23  (2) disparities in access to education, including de 
24 facto and de jure segregation and impediments to receiving 
25 education funding;
 
 
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1  (3) disparities in access to employment opportunities, 
2 including impediments to receiving professional licensure, 
3 and disparities in the treatment of employees;
4  (4) disparities in access to housing, including 
5 redlining practices, property tax issues, and housing 
6 insurance issues; and
7  (5) any other matter concerning disparities in 
8 healthcare, employment, education, and housing that the 
9 Committee deems necessary to its inquiry under this 
10 Section.
11 (b) Based upon its findings, the Committee shall, from time 
12to time, produce and make available to the public educational 
13materials on the history and impact of eugenics and 
14eugenics-inspired laws and administrative rules in the United 
15States, as well as a summary of its annual report issued under 
16this Section.
17 (c) On or before February 1, 2022, and on or before each 
18February 1 thereafter, the Committee shall issue a report of 
19its findings concerning eugenics-inspired laws and 
20administrative rules to the Governor and the General Assembly, 
21and make recommendations, including, but not limited to, 
22proposed legislation and changes to administrative rules, to 
23eliminate, remediate, or mitigate the harmful effects of such 
24laws, rules, and policies.

25 Section 20. State agency reporting; remedial strategies.
 
 
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1 (a) Each State agency shall perform an internal examination 
2for the existence of eugenics-inspired administrative rules, 
3policies, and procedures, or administrative rules, policies, 
4and procedures that otherwise have or may have a discriminatory 
5impact creating disparities between classes of persons, and 
6issue an annual report to the Governor, the General Assembly, 
7and the Committee. Each State agency shall also make its report 
8available to the public on its Internet website.
9 (b) Each State agency shall implement strategies and 
10programs to eliminate and prevent any disparities created by 
11discriminatory administrative rules, policies, and procedures, 
12and make the services provided by the State agency more readily 
13accessible to the public.