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20 ILCS 4020/ Prairie State 2000 Authority Act.

(20 ILCS 4020/1) (from Ch. 48, par. 1501)     Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the "Prairie State 2000 Authority Act". (Source: P.A. 84‑1090.)

(20 ILCS 4020/2) (from Ch. 48, par. 1502)     Sec. 2. Declaration of findings and purpose. (a) The General Assembly finds that     (i) The State of Illinois possesses a highly talented, conscientious and industrious labor force, unmatched by any other state or nation;     (ii) Substantial changes being experienced in all economic sectors and the rapid growth of industries which employ new technologies have caused severe economic and employment dislocations in this State;     (iii) Such dislocations have caused substantial hardships for all people of the State of Illinois;     (iv) There exists a large surplus of workers throughout the State who are ready, willing and able to work but who lack the appropriate skills to perform the specialized tasks for modern business and industry;     (v) A significant barrier to re‑employment and new employment is the financial cost of participation in high quality technical and educational programs which will qualify an individual for modern employment opportunities;     (vi) A substantial impediment to attracting new businesses and to encouraging the modernization of existing businesses in Illinois has been the shortage of workers who can perform the specialized tasks required by the new technologies of modern business;     (vii) It is the duty and responsibility of the State to offer educational and vocational training opportunities to its citizens.     (b) The General Assembly declares it is the policy of the State of Illinois to encourage continuing educational, technical and vocational training by providing a source of assistance to individuals who wish to improve their skills, talent and education and by providing training grants and loans to employers who are retraining workers threatened with layoff or who are increasing the number of jobs available to Illinois workers, are expanding the tax base in Illinois or are increasing Illinois exports.     (c) The purpose of this Act is to establish employment training programs which foster job creation, reduce employer unemployment costs, and meet the needs of the economy for skilled workers by providing job‑linked training for unemployment insurance claimants and potentially displaced workers who could become such claimants. (Source: P.A. 84‑1438.)

(20 ILCS 4020/3) (from Ch. 48, par. 1503)     Sec. 3. Definitions. For the purposes of this Act, the following words have the meanings ascribed to them in this Section.     "Authority" shall mean the Prairie State 2000 Authority established by this Act.     "Benefits" shall mean the educational or vocational training vouchers authorized under this Act.     "Board" shall mean the Board of Directors of the Authority.     "Fund" shall mean the Prairie State 2000 Fund established in the State Treasury.     "Benefit year", "employer", "employment", and "unemployed individual" shall have the same meanings as provided, respectively, by The Unemployment Insurance Act. (Source: P.A. 84‑1090.)

(20 ILCS 4020/4) (from Ch. 48, par. 1504)     Sec. 4. Establishment of the Authority. The Prairie State 2000 Authority is hereby established as a body politic and corporate of the State for the purpose of establishing, operating and maintaining educational and vocational training programs consisting of (a) a system of job‑linked educational and vocational training vouchers issued to qualified institutions on behalf of individuals which, upon redemption shall defray part of the tuition and fee expenses for qualified educational and vocational training programs; and (b) grants and loans to qualified employers who are retraining workers threatened with layoff or who are expanding employment, the tax base or exports in Illinois, which grants and loans shall be used to defray the cost of qualified educational and vocational training programs provided by the employers or their training agents. (Source: P.A. 84‑1090.)

    (20 ILCS 4020/7)(from Ch. 48, par. 1507)
    Sec. 7. (a) The Prairie State 2000 Authority shall be governed and operated by a Board of Directors consisting of the State Treasurer, the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Director of Employment Security, or their respective designees, as ex officio members, and 4 public members who shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate and who shall be of high moral character and expert in educational or vocational training matters, employee benefits, or finance. Each public member shall be appointed for an initial term as provided in paragraph (b) of this Section. Thereafter, each public member shall hold office for a term of 4 years and until his successor has been appointed and assumes office. The Board shall elect a public member to be Chairman. A vacancy shall occur upon resignation, death, conviction of a felony, or removal from office of a Director. The Governor may remove any public member from office on a formal finding of incompetence, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office. Within 30 days after the office of any appointed member becomes vacant for any reason, the Governor shall fill the vacancy for the unexpired term in the same manner as that in which appointments are made. If the Senate is not in session when the first appointments are made or when the Governor fills a vacancy, the Governor shall make temporary appointments until the next meeting of the Senate, when he shall nominate persons to be confirmed by the Senate. No more than 2 public members shall be members of the same political party. Every public member's term shall commence on July 1, except for the terms of the public members initially appointed, whose terms shall commence upon the appointment of all 4 public members.
    (b) The initial terms of public members shall be as follows:
        (i) Two Directors not members of the same political

party shall be appointed to serve until July 1, 1987;

(ii) Two Directors not members of the same political

party shall be appointed to serve until July 1, 1985.

No public member may serve as a Director for an aggregate of more than 8 years. A Director appointed under this paragraph (b) shall serve until his successor shall have been appointed and assumes office. (Source: P.A. 94‑793, eff. 5‑19‑06.)

(20 ILCS 4020/8) (from Ch. 48, par. 1508)     Sec. 8. Meetings. The Board of Directors shall meet no less than quarterly and may meet at other times upon the call of the Chairman, issued in writing no less than 48 hours prior to the proposed day and hour of the Board meeting, or upon a request for a meeting presented in writing to the Chairman no less than 72 hours prior to the proposed day and hour of the Board meeting and signed by at least a majority of the Directors, whereupon the Chairman shall convene a meeting of the Board at the time and place stated in the request.     A majority of all members of the Board shall constitute a quorum to transact business, but no vacancy shall impair the right of the remaining Directors to exercise all of the powers of the Board.     Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the affirmative vote of a majority of all Directors is necessary for approving any contract or agreement, adopting any rule, regulation or resolution, or taking any action required by this Act. (Source: P.A. 83‑650.)

(20 ILCS 4020/9) (from Ch. 48, par. 1509)     Sec. 9. Members of the Board of Directors shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for necessary and actual expenses incurred in the discharge of their official duties. (Source: P.A. 83‑650.)

(20 ILCS 4020/10) (from Ch. 48, par. 1510)     Sec. 10. Officers of the Authority. In addition to the Chairman, there shall be a Treasurer, Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Authority.     (a) The Board of Directors shall select a Treasurer and Secretary who shall serve at the pleasure of the Board and may but need not be Directors of the Authority.     (b) The Board of Directors shall select a Chief Executive Officer who shall not be a Director of the Authority and who shall serve at the pleasure of the Board. He shall serve as the chief operating officer and shall manage the properties and activities of the Authority and its employees, direct enforcement of all policies, rules, regulations and resolutions of the Board, and perform such other duties as may be prescribed from time to time by the Board. Compensation for the Chief Executive Officer shall be fixed by the Board. The Chief Executive Officer shall not be employed by or otherwise receive compensation from any corporation, partnership, unit of local government, or other persons other than the Authority.     Before entering upon the duties of their respective offices, the Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and Chief Executive Officer shall take and subscribe to the constitutional oath of office, and the Treasurer shall execute a bond with corporate sureties to be approved by the Authority. The bond shall be payable to the Authority in whatever penal sum may be directed by the Board and conditioned upon the Treasurer's faithful performance of the duties of the office and the payment of all money received by him according to law and the orders of the Board. The Board may, at any time, require a new bond from the Treasurer in such penal sum as may then be determined by the Board. The obligation of the sureties shall not extend to any loss sustained by the insolvency, failure or closing of any national or state bank wherein the Treasurer has deposited funds if the bank has been approved by the Board as a depository for those funds. The oaths of office and Treasurer's bond shall be filed in the principal office of the Board.     All monies of the Authority on hand as of the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1985 shall remain in the name of the Fund and shall be withdrawn or paid out only by check or draft upon the bank signed by the Treasurer and countersigned by the Chairman of the Authority. The Board may designate any of its members or any officer or employee of the Authority to affix the signature of the Chairman and another to affix the signature of the Treasurer to any check or draft for payment of salaries or wages and for payment of any other obligations of not more than $2,500.     In case any officer whose signature appears upon any check or draft issued pursuant to this Act ceases to hold his office before the delivery thereof to the payee, his signature shall have the same validity and effect as if he had remained in office until delivery thereof.     All other monies of the Authority granted, appropriated or donated to the Authority shall be deposited in the Prairie State 2000 Fund in the State Treasury and shall be withdrawn or paid out as provided by law. (Source: P.A. 84‑1090.)

(20 ILCS 4020/11) (from Ch. 48, par. 1511)     Sec. 11. Personnel. (a) The Board shall appoint, retain and employ such persons as it deems necessary to achieve the purposes of the Act. The Board shall establish regulations to insure that discharge shall not be arbitrary and that hiring and promotion are based on merit. No unlawful discrimination, as defined in the Illinois Human Rights Act, shall be made in any term or aspect of employment nor shall there be discrimination based upon political reasons.     The Authority is subject to the Illinois Human Rights Act and the remedies and procedures established thereunder. The Authority shall develop an affirmative action program and file it with the Department of Human Rights to assure that the employment of applicants and treatment of employees are without unlawful discrimination. Such affirmative action program shall include provisions relating to hiring, upgrading, demotion, transfer, recruitment, recruitment advertising, selection for training and rates of pay or other forms of compensation.     (b) The Board shall organize the staff, assign their functions and duties fix their compensation and conditions of employment and regulate their travel.     (c) The Authority may enter into contracts for group insurance for the benefit of its employees and provide for retirement benefits, pensions or other benefit arrangements for such employees. (Source: P.A. 84‑1090.)

    (20 ILCS 4020/12)(from Ch. 48, par. 1512)
    Sec. 12. General Powers and Duties of the Board. Except as otherwise limited by this Act, the Board shall have all powers necessary to meet its responsibilities and to carry out its purposes, including but not limited to the following powers:
    (a) To sue and be sued.
    (b) To establish and maintain petty cash funds as provided in Section 13.3 of "An Act in relation to State finance", approved June 10, 1919, as amended.
    (c) To make, amend and repeal bylaws, rules, regulations and resolutions consistent with this Act.
    (d) To make and execute all contracts and instruments necessary or convenient to the exercise of its powers.
    (e) To exclusively control and manage the Authority and all monies donated, paid or appropriated for the relief or benefit of unemployed or inappropriately skilled workers.
    (f) To order and direct the issuance of benefit vouchers provided for by this Act, signed by the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer, to persons entitled thereto in amounts to which such persons are entitled under Section 14. The Board may designate any of its members, or any officer or employee of the Authority, to affix the signature of the Chairman and another to affix the signature of the Chief Executive Officer to the benefit vouchers.
    (g) Upon determining that appropriate and sufficient educational or vocational training services are being provided by a participating educational or vocational training institution to the bearer of a voucher, to cause prompt payment of the amount stated on the face of the voucher to such participating educational or vocational training institution, on the condition that such amount shall not exceed the benefit levels to which the bearer is entitled.
    (h) To undertake such studies with respect to job training which will assist the Authority in carrying out the purposes of this Act. The Board shall prepare a report on the feasibility of individual training accounts.
    (i) To annually review the Prairie State 2000 Authority Program and the provisions of this Act and to make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding changes to this Act or some other Act to make improvements in the Program.
    (j) To have an audit of the accounts of the Authority made annually by persons competent to perform such work and to provide a copy of such audit to the Auditor General who shall review such audit and make such other investigations and audits as he deems necessary, on the condition that the Auditor General shall each biennium conduct an audit independent of the audit conducted by the persons retained by the Board. The Board and the Auditor General shall report the findings revealed by their audits to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Minority Leaders of each house of the General Assembly.
    (k) To prepare and submit a budget and request for appropriations for the necessary and contingent operating expenses of the Authority.
    (l) To encourage participation in the Program by means of advertising, incentives, and other marketing devices with special attention to geographic areas with levels of unemployment or underemployment which are substantially above the statewide level of unemployment.
    (m) To adopt, alter and use a corporate seal.
    (n) To accept appropriations, grants and funds from the federal and State governments and any agency thereof and expend those monies in accordance with, and in furtherance of the purposes of, this Act.
    (o) To enter into intergovernmental agreements with other governmental entities, including the Department of Employment Security and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in order to implement and execute the powers and duties set forth in this Section and all other Sections of this Act.
(Source: P.A. 94‑793, eff. 5‑19‑06.)

(20 ILCS 4020/13) (from Ch. 48, par. 1513)     Sec. 13. Benefits ‑ Generally. (a) All benefits provided by this Act shall be in the form of tuition or educational fee vouchers redeemable by a qualified educational or vocational training institution for reimbursable services performed by the institution on behalf of the individual presenting the voucher.     (b) Each tuition or educational fee voucher shall state on its face the value of such voucher and the conditions to be met for partial or full redemption.     (c) Each tuition or education fee voucher shall refer to all provisions, rules and regulations governing the proper use of such voucher and all penalties which may result in the event such voucher is not used in accordance with such provisions, rules and regulations. (Source: P.A. 84‑1090.)

(20 ILCS 4020/14) (from Ch. 48, par. 1514)     Sec. 14. Qualification for Benefits. An individual is entitled to receive benefits under this Act if it is determined that:         (a) the individual is (i) within a benefit year as

defined in the Unemployment Insurance Act or has been employed as defined under Section 206 of the Unemployment Insurance Act a minimum of 3 of the 10 years previous to the date of an application for benefits; or (ii) employed but is in need of additional skills for continued employment and would be determined to meet the requirements of the Unemployment Insurance Act to establish a benefit year if such individual became unemployed through a lack of suitable work opportunities; or (iii) certified to be a dislocated worker under the federal Job Training Partnership Act or any successor federal Act;

(b) the individual has enrolled in a job‑linked

program at a qualified institution, which program has been certified by the Board as eligible for reimbursement through issuance of vouchers from the Prairie State 2000 Fund; and established vocational goals directed toward the acquisition of marketable skills relevant to current local labor market needs by means of individual or multi‑course programs which may contain either remedial or academic components; and

(c) the individual has not been issued vouchers in

the maximum amount authorized under Section 15 within the 24 months previous to the pending determination that he or she is eligible for receipt of benefits under this Section and the individual is not receiving funds for a job training program under the federal Job Training Partnership Act.

(Source: P.A. 91‑357, eff. 7‑29‑99.)

(20 ILCS 4020/15) (from Ch. 48, par. 1515)     Sec. 15. Amount of Benefits. (a) An individual who claims benefits under this Act, who is determined to be entitled to receive benefits under the provisions of paragraphs (b) and (c) and subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of Section 14, or is certified to be a dislocated worker under the federal Job Training Partnership Act, may receive vouchers, the aggregate value of which for the 12 months commencing on the first day of the week when such claim is made shall not exceed the aggregate costs for tuition and educational fees eligible for payment under rules of the Board, but in no event shall the aggregate value of the vouchers to be issued together with all such vouchers issued within the 24 months previous to the determination exceed $2000.     (b) An individual who claims benefits under this Act and who has been determined to be qualified for benefits under paragraphs (b) and (c) and subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (a) of Section 14 may receive vouchers, the aggregate value of which for the 12 months commencing on the first day of the week during which a claim is made shall not exceed 1/2 the aggregate costs for tuition or other educational fees eligible for payment under rules of the Board, but in no event shall the aggregate value of the vouchers to be issued together with all such vouchers issued within the 24 months previous to the determination exceed $1000.     (c) No person shall be entitled to receive vouchers under this Act unless funds have been appropriated or otherwise made available for such purposes during the fiscal year. In the event adequate funds are not available to meet all training applications pending approval by the Board on a current basis, priority shall be given to those applicants who are unemployed over those applicants who are employed but inappropriately skilled.     (d) A voucher is deemed to be received by the individual making a claim for benefits under this Act at the time the Board delivers such voucher to the institution providing qualified educational or vocational training services. Delivery of a voucher by the Board to an institution is the same as though the individual on whose behalf the voucher is made delivered such voucher himself. A voucher may not be issued for any qualified claim after 52 weeks from the first day of the week during which such claim is made and for educational or vocational training services which are not completed before 92 weeks after the first day of the week during which such claim is made.     (e) An individual who is receiving benefits under this Act, the amount of which is determined by paragraph (b), is eligible to receive benefits in the amount determined under paragraph (a) on the condition that the individual has established a benefit year as determined under The Unemployment Insurance Act and has been unemployed for not fewer than 4 consecutive weeks during such benefit year or is certified to be a dislocated worker under the federal Job Training Partnership Act, and on the further condition that the amount of benefits determined under paragraph (a) shall be reduced by the amount of benefits which the individual has received under paragraph (b) for any qualified claim made under paragraphs (b) and (c) and subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (a) of Section 14 within the 24 months preceding the date on which the individual is determined to be eligible for benefits under paragraphs (b) and (c) and subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of Section 14.     (f) An individual who has received benefits under this Act, the amount of which was determined under paragraph (a) is not eligible to receive benefits in the amount determined under paragraph (b) until such individual is qualified to receive benefits under paragraphs (b) and (c) and subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (a) of Section 14. (Source: P.A. 84‑1090.)

(20 ILCS 4020/16) (from Ch. 48, par. 1516)     Sec. 16. Utilization of Benefits. (a) An individual determined to be entitled to benefits under this Act shall apply such benefits toward defraying the cost of qualified job‑linked educational or vocational training programs which will help to qualify the individual for more advanced work in the same occupational field or for work in some other occupational field.     (b) Upon becoming admitted to a qualified job‑linked educational or vocational training program, such individual may cause the institution which operates such program to notify the Board of the individual's admission, the cost of participation in such program, the courses of instruction which comprise such program and the term periods of such program.     (c) Upon receiving the notice described in paragraph (b), and conducting any other investigations it determines are necessary to make certain such individual is qualified and has been admitted in a qualified educational or vocational training program, the Board shall immediately issue a voucher in the appropriate amount. Such voucher shall be delivered to the institution providing such qualified vocational training program. A copy of such voucher shall be delivered to the individual receiving benefits under this Act. Upon receipt of the voucher, the institution shall deliver the voucher to the State Comptroller who shall draw his warrant on the State Treasurer for payment from the Fund to the educational or vocational training institution. (Source: P.A. 84‑1090.)

(20 ILCS 4020/17) (from Ch. 48, par. 1517)     Sec. 17. Qualification of Training Programs. The Board shall, at the beginning of each calendar quarter, publish a list of qualified training courses, training programs and training providers, including all such training approved in accordance with the federal Job Training Partnership Act, or paragraph C5 of Section 500 of The Unemployment Insurance Act, or approved as an apprenticeship training program by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Such training shall be provided by an educational or vocational training institution which is located in this State, and which is operated by a public school, as provided by The School Code, or by a public community college as provided for by the Public Community College Act, or which is operated publicly or privately on a not for profit basis and meets standards substantially equivalent to those of comparable institutions operated by this State or by public community colleges, or which is operated by a college or any business, trade, technical or vocational school which is recognized or accredited by a recognized national or multistate organization or association which regularly recognizes or accredits colleges or schools. Such training shall provide vocational training in semi‑technical or technical fields, or semi‑skilled or skilled vocational fields. Programs shall at all times reflect current local labor market needs, and shall be specifically structured to develop marketable skills. In preparing such a list, the Board shall solicit the recommendations of the State Board of Higher Education, the State Board of Education, the Illinois Community College Board, and such other agencies of the State and associations and consortia of educational or vocational training institutions as the Board deems appropriate. The Board is authorized to qualify educational or vocational training programs which are operated by a concern which has as its principal business some activity other than the provision of educational and vocational training programs where such programs are operated as a distinct unit of the concern, on the condition that participation in such programs is not contingent on an individual's becoming an employee of that concern. (Source: P.A. 84‑1090.)

(20 ILCS 4020/18) (from Ch. 48, par. 1518)     Sec. 18. Training Grants or Loans to Eligible Employers. (a) The Board may make grants or loans to eligible employers for the purposes of providing training to employees in fields for which there are critical demands for certain skills. Under procedures which it shall establish by rule, the Board shall review applications for funding, and shall, in its sole judgment, make such grants or loans as it determines to the employer, or the training agent under contract with the employer,     (1) who will provide job‑linked training which offers special skills for career advancement or which is preparatory for, and leads directly to, jobs with definite career potential and long‑term job security;     (2) who is unable to provide sufficient funds internally, or from other available sources, including federal, State or locally administered employment and training programs; and     (3) (i) who is expanding its business enterprise in this State, is locating a new business enterprise in this State, is introducing more efficient technology into its operations which will result in greater output per employee, is expanding into new markets, or is expanding exports from Illinois, and is thereby increasing tax revenues for State and local governments; or     (ii) whose existing employees are threatened with layoff unless additional training is made available to them.     Before making a final determination on a training grant or loan, the Board may assist the employer in the preparation of a final needs assessment and design of a training program. The cost of such an assessment and design may be paid fully by the Board. The cost of such assistance shall be made part of the final grant of training funds notwithstanding any other provision of this Act.     (b) Apprenticeship and training programs which are specifically the subject of an existing collective bargaining agreement are eligible for funding under this Section. No grant or loan shall be made which provides for a training program which is specifically the subject of an existing collective bargaining agreement, unless the signatory labor organization agrees to the training program in writing.     (c) Any grant shall be made on such terms and conditions as the Board shall determine, provided, however, that no grant shall exceed 1/2 of the cost of the training program to be provided by the employer or its agent. Each grant shall require that not less than 25% of the amount shall be withheld until the trainee has been retained in employment for 90 days after the end of training, except for those occupations in which it is not customary for a worker to be employed 90 consecutive days with a single employer. In such cases the Board may substitute a period similar to the probationary period customary to such occupation, which shall be not less than 500 work hours. The Board may allow exceptions under this provision when individuals are not retained in employment for the appropriate period due to medical disability or death.     (d) Any loan shall be made on such terms and conditions as the Board shall determine, including terms and conditions with respect to interest rate and maturity of the loan. Any loan may provide that for each individual who remains continuously employed on a full‑time basis with the employer for one year after completion of training, up to 25% of the training costs attributable to that employee and financed by the loan may be credited as partial repayment of the principal of such loan.     (e) No person shall receive employment training under this Section for a period of more than 18 months. No grant or loan to an employer shall be used to provide training for a period exceeding 24 months.     (f) It is the intention of this Section that, from funds available for that purpose, the Board shall make grants and loans to employers for training programs which will maximize the number of jobs to be created or retained. It is the further intention of this Section that no grant shall be made to an employer unless the Board shall determine that a loan would not achieve the purposes of this Section. (Source: P.A. 86‑428.)

(20 ILCS 4020/19) (from Ch. 48, par. 1520)     Sec. 19. Verification of completion of courses. The Board shall promulgate rules and regulations which establish reasonable procedures for verifying that an educational or vocational training program for which it has expended funds has been successfully completed by the benefit recipient in accordance with the practices of the educational or vocational training institution, employer or training agent providing such services. An individual receiving benefits under Section 15 of this Act who fails to successfully complete such a program shall refund the amount of all vouchers paid on his or her behalf unless the Board finds such individual was unable to complete such program because of medical disability, death or undue family hardship. (Source: P.A. 84‑1090.)

(20 ILCS 4020/22) (from Ch. 48, par. 1523)     Sec. 22. Fraud. Any person who obtains, causes to be obtained, or attempts to obtain from the Fund any benefits provided by this Act, by falsely or fraudulently representing material information used in the determination of qualification for benefits, grants or loans, or the amount of benefits, grants or loans shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony where such benefits equal or exceed $25 and shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor where such benefits are less than $25. (Source: P.A. 84‑1090.)