Bill Text: IL SB1922 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Creates the 2-1-1 Service Act. Sets forth the findings of the General Assembly. Provides that "2-1-1" is created as the official State dialing code for public access to information and referral for health and human services and information about access to services after a natural or non-natural disaster. Contains provisions concerning the designation of a lead entity for 2-1-1. Contains provisions concerning the establishment or prohibition of new information services by specified parties. Contains provisions concerning 2-1-1 services, including the promotion of 2-1-1. Requires participants in 2-1-1 service to meet certain guidelines. Contains provisions concerning the liability of 2-1-1 providers. Amends the State Finance Act to create the 2-1-1 Account Fund in the State treasury to hold moneys from specified sources. Contains provisions concerning the use of moneys for projects and activities in support of 2-1-1-eligible activities. Provides that the lead entity shall provide an annual report to the General Assembly and the Illinois Commerce Commission beginning in calendar year 2010. Contains a severability clause.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-2)

Status: (Passed) 2009-08-21 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 96-0599 [SB1922 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2009-SB1922-Enrolled.html

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AN ACT concerning information referral.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 2-1-1
Service Act.
Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds that the
implementation of a single, easy to use telephone number,
2-1-1, for public access to information and referral for health
and human services and information about access to services
after a natural or non-natural disaster will benefit the
citizens of this State by providing easier access to available
health and human services, by reducing inefficiencies in
connecting people with the desired service providers, and by
reducing duplication of efforts.
Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
"2-1-1" means the abbreviated dialing code assigned by the
Federal Communications Commission on July 21, 2000, for
consumer access to community information and referral
services.
"Department" means the Department of Human Services.
"Lead entity" means an Illinois 501(c)(3) non-profit
agency or organization designated by the Department to manage

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use of the 2-1-1 dialing code for the purpose of providing the
public access to information about health and human services.
"Approved 2-1-1 service provider" means a public or
nonprofit agency or other organization designated by the lead
entity to provide 2-1-1 services.
"2-1-1 service area" means an area of Illinois identified
by the lead entity as an area within which a recognized 2-1-1
service provider is authorized to provide 2-1-1 services.
"2-1-1 services" means information and referral services
provided through the use of 2-1-1 and intended to promote and
provide access to human services, and to aid in disaster
response and recovery.
"Recognized 2-1-1 service provider" means an organization
recognized by the lead entity as an appropriate administrator
and authorized user of the 2-1-1 dialing code in a 2-1-1
service area.
"Human services" means services provided by government,
nonprofit, or faith-based organizations to ensure the health
and well-being of Illinois residents. "Human services"
includes services designed to provide relief or assistance
after a natural or non-natural disaster.
"Pay telephone" means any coin, coinless, or credit card
reader telephone, provided that the end user pays or arranges
to pay for exchange and interexchange, intraMSA, and interMSA
calls from such instrument on an individual call basis.
"Private branch exchange" or "PBX" means a private

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telephone system and associated equipment located on the user's
property that provides communications between stations and
external networks.
"Telecommunications carrier" has the same meaning ascribed
to that term in Section 13-202 of the Public Utilities Act.
Section 15. 2-1-1 System. "2-1-1" is created as the
official State dialing code for public access to information
and referral for health and human services and information
about access to services after a natural or non-natural
disaster.
Section 20. Designation of lead entity for 2-1-1.
(a) Subject to subsection (e) of this Section, the
Department is authorized to identify, designate, and enter into
a contract with a lead entity to provide governance and
oversight, including the ability to design, implement,
support, and coordinate a State-wide 2-1-1 system.
(b) Qualifications for designation of the lead entity shall
include:
(1) a public or private governance structure with
representation from State health and human service
departments, specifically the Department, the Department
of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department on Aging,
the Department of Public Health, the Illinois Emergency
Management Agency, the Illinois Commerce Commission, and

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non-governmental entity stakeholders; non-governmental
entity stakeholders shall constitute a minimum of
two-thirds of the representatives;
(2) demonstrated expertise or experience, or both, in
planning for a State-wide information and referral system;
and
(3) demonstrated support from community partners.
(c) The lead entity shall encourage the orderly and
efficient use of 2-1-1 to:
(1) provide access to human services; and
(2) collect needed information about human services
and the delivery of human services in Illinois.
(d) The lead entity shall provide periodic reports on
activities, accomplishments, and other issues to the
Department.
(e) In awarding the contract under subsection (a) of this
Section, the Department shall ensure that the 2-1-1 lead entity
has the organizational capacity to carry out the terms of the
contract and that the contract is cost-neutral to the
Department.
Section 25. New information services. Before a State agency
that provides health and human services establishes a new
public information hotline to provide information and
referrals, the State agency shall consult with the Department
in conjunction with the lead entity about using the 2-1-1

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system to provide public access to the information.
Section 30. 2-1-1 services. Only a service provider
approved by the lead entity may provide 2-1-1 telephone
services. The lead entity shall approve 2-1-1 service
providers, after considering all of the following:
(1) the ability of the proposed 2-1-1 service provider
to meet the national 2-1-1 standards recommended by the
Alliance of Information and Referral Systems;
(2) the financial stability and health of the proposed
2-1-1 service provider;
(3) the community support for the proposed 2-1-1
service provider;
(4) the relationships with other information and
referral services; and
(5) any other criteria as the lead entity deems
appropriate.
Section 35. Promotion of 2-1-1. A person or organization
may not disseminate information to the public about the
availability of 2-1-1 or 2-1-1 services in an area of the State
except in accordance with rules established by the lead entity.
Section 45. Liability of 2-1-1 providers or
telecommunications carriers. A recognized 2-1-1 service
provider or telecommunications carrier and its employees,

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directors, officers, and agents are not liable to any person in
a civil action for injuries or loss to persons or property as a
result of an act, omission, or delay of the recognized 2-1-1
service provider or telecommunications carrier, and its
employees, directors, officers, or agents, in connection with:
(1) developing, adopting, implementing, maintaining,
or operating a 2-1-1 system;
(2) making 2-1-1 available for use by the public; or
(3) providing 2-1-1 services;
except for injuries or loss resulting from the willful or
wanton misconduct of the 2-1-1 service provider or
telecommunications carrier and its employees, directors,
officers, or agents.
Section 50. 2-1-1 Account Fund. The 2-1-1 Account Fund is
established in the State treasury and is separate and distinct
from the General Revenue Fund. All moneys received by the
Department for the 2-1-1 system under this Section shall be
deposited into the Fund and may be spent only pursuant to
appropriation to the Department for grants to the lead entity
to use pursuant to Section 55 of this Act. The 2-1-1 Account
Fund consists of the following:
(1) Money appropriated to the Fund by the General
Assembly.
(2) Funds received from the federal government for the
support of 2-1-1 services in this State.

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(3) Earnings attributable to money in the Fund.
(4) Money received from any other source for deposit
into the Fund, including gifts and grants.
Section 55. Use of moneys for projects and activities in
support of 2-1-1-eligible activities.
(a) The lead entity shall study, design, implement,
support, coordinate, and evaluate a State-wide 2-1-1 system.
(b) Activities eligible for assistance from the 2-1-1
Account Fund include, but are not limited to:
(1) Creating a structure for a State-wide 2-1-1
resources database that will meet the Alliance for
Information and Referral Systems standards for information
and referral systems databases and that will be integrated
with local resources databases maintained by approved
2-1-1 service providers.
(2) Developing a State-wide resources database for the
2-1-1 system.
(3) Maintaining public information available from
State agencies, departments, and programs that provide
health and human services for access by 2-1-1 service
providers.
(4) Providing grants to approved 2-1-1 service
providers to design, develop, and implement 2-1-1 for its
2-1-1 service area.
(5) Providing grants to approved 2-1-1 service

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providers to enable 2-1-1 service providers to provide and
evaluate 2-1-1 service delivery on an ongoing basis.
(6) Providing grants to approved 2-1-1 service
providers to enable the provision of 2-1-1 services on a
24-hours per-day, 7-days per-week basis.
Section 60. Annual reports. The lead entity shall provide
an annual report to the General Assembly and the Department
beginning in calendar year 2010.
Section 65. Private branch exchange implementation. An
entity that utilizes a private branch exchange may implement
2-1-1 service. This Section is repealed 2 years after the
effective date of this Act.
Section 900. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
Section 5.719 as follows:
(30 ILCS 105/5.719 new)
Sec. 5.719. The 2-1-1 Account Fund.
Section 905. The Human Services 211 Collaboration Board Act
is amended by adding Section 90 as follows:
(20 ILCS 3956/90 new)
Sec. 90. Repealer. This Act is repealed upon designation by

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the Secretary of Human Services that a lead entity is under
contract with the Department of Human Services to carry out the
provisions of the 2-1-1 Service Act. The Secretary shall
designate that a lead entity is under contract with the
Department of Human Services to carry out the provisions of the
2-1-1 Service Act by filing a statement with the Index
Department of the Secretary of State.
Section 997. Severability. The provisions of this Act are
severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.