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    AN ACT concerning State government.

 
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    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
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represented in the General Assembly: 


 
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    Section 5. The Department of Human Services Act is amended  
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by adding Section 10-32 as follows:
 
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    (20 ILCS 1305/10-32  new)
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    Sec. 10-32. Task Force on the Condition of African American 
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Men in Illinois.
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    (a) The General Assembly finds and declares that African 
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American men: (1) are disproportionately less likely to 
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complete high school and to obtain a post-secondary education; 
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(2) are more likely to be incarcerated or on parole; (3) are 
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more likely to have lower lifetime economic earnings; (4)  are 
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more likely to have been a part of the child welfare 
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population; (5) are more likely to have a shorter life 
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expectancy; and (6) are more likely to have health problems, 
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such as HIV/AIDS, drug dependency, heart disease, obesity, and 
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diabetes. The General Assembly further finds and declares that 
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the State of Illinois has a compelling interest in determining 
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the causes of these problems and in developing appropriate 
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remedies.
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    (b) The Task Force on the Condition of African American Men 
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in Illinois is created within the Department of Human Services. 
 


 






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Within 60 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act 
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of the 95th General Assembly, the President of the Senate, the 
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Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of 
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the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the House of 
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Representatives shall each appoint 2 members to the Task Force. 
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In addition, the Director or Secretary of each of the 
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following, or his or her designee, are  members: the Department 
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of Human Services, the Department of Corrections, the 
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Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the 
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Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of 
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Human Rights, the Illinois State Board of Education, the 
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Illinois Board of Higher Education, and the Illinois Community 
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College Board. Members shall not receive compensation, but 
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shall be reimbursed for their necessary expenses from 
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appropriations made for that purpose. The Department of Human 
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Services shall provide staff and other assistance to the Task 
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Force.
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    (c) The purposes of the Task Force are as follows: to 
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determine the causal factors for the condition of African 
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American men; to inventory State programs and initiatives that 
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serve to improve the condition of African American men; to 
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identify gaps in services to African American men; and to 
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develop strategies to reduce duplication of services and to  
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maximize coordination between State agencies, providers, and 
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educational institutions, including developing benchmarks to 
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measure progress.
 


 






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    (d) The Task Force shall report its findings and 
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recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by 
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December 31, 2008.
 

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    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
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becoming law.