Illinois Code § 4.5

§ 4.5.

Duties. (a) The Board must perform all the functions of a state workforce innovation board under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, any amendments to that Act, and any other applicable federal statutes. The Board must also perform all other functions that are not inconsistent with the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act or this Act and that are assumed by the Board under its bylaws or assigned to it by the Governor. (b) The Board must cooperate with the General Assembly and make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly concerning legislation necessary to improve upon statewide and local workforce development systems in order to increase occupational skill attainment, employment, retention, or earnings of participants and thereby improve the quality of the workforce, reduce welfare dependency, and enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the State. The Board must annually submit a report to the General Assembly on the progress of the State in achieving state performance measures under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, including information on the levels of performance achieved by the State with respect to the core indicators of performance and the customer satisfaction indicator under that Act. The report must include any other items that the Governor may be required to report to the Secretary of the United States Department of Labor. (b-5) The Board shall implement a method for measuring the progress of the State's workforce development system by using benchmarks specified in the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The Board shall identify the most significant early indicators for each benchmark, establish a mechanism to collect data and track the benchmarks on an annual basis, and then use the results to set goals for each benchmark, to inform planning, and to ensure the effective use of State resources. (c) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require or allow the Board to assume or supersede the statutory authority granted to, or impose any duties or requirements on, the State Board of Education, the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community College Board, any State agencies created under the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, or any local education agencies. (d) No actions taken by the Illinois Human Resource Investment Council before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly and no rights, powers, duties, or obligations from those actions are impaired solely by this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly. All actions taken by the Illinois Human Resource Investment Council before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly are ratified and validated. (e) Upon the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, the Board shall conduct a feasibility study regarding the consolidation of all workforce development programs funded by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and conducted by the State of Illinois into one solitary agency to create greater access to job training for underserved populations. The Board shall utilize resources currently made available to them, including, but not limited to, partnering with institutions of higher education and those agencies currently charged with overseeing or administering workforce programs. The feasibility study shall: (1) assess the impact of consolidation on access for participants, including minority persons as defined in Section 2 of the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act, persons with limited English proficiency, persons with disabilities, and youth, and how consolidation would increase equitable access to workforce resources; (2) assess the cost of consolidation and estimate any long-term savings anticipated from the action; (3) assess the impact of consolidation on agencies in which the programs currently reside, including, but not limited to, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Department of Employment Security, the Department of Human Services, the Community College Board, the Board of Higher Education, the Department of Corrections, the Department on Aging, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Children and Family Services; (4) assess the impact of consolidation on State government employees and union contracts; (5) consider if the consolidation will provide avenues to maximize federal funding; (6) provide recommendations for the future structure of workforce development programs, including a proposed timeline for implementation; (7) provide direction for implementation by July 1, 2022 with regard to recommendations that do not require legislative change; (8) if legislative change is necessary, include legislative language for consideration by the 102nd General Assembly. The Board shall submit its recommendations the Governor and the General Assembly by May 1, 2021. (Source: P.A. 104-234, eff. 8-15-25.)