SB2662sam001 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sen. Laura M. Murphy

Filed: 4/4/2018

10000SB2662sam001 LRB100 18771 KTG 37667 a

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 2662

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 2662 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Task Force on Human Services Contracting Act.

Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds all of the following:

(1) According to a 2010 survey, the State of Illinois had 7,625 contracts and grants with nonprofit human service providers.

(2) Among all states, Illinois ranked at the bottom, that is number one, for the percentage of nonprofit human service providers with late payments.

(3) Illinois ranked third from the bottom, that is number 3, for the percentage of nonprofit human service providers having problems with changes to contracts and grants.

(4) Illinois ranked third from the bottom, that is number 3, for the percentage of nonprofit human service providers having problems with payments not covering full costs.

(5) State government relies heavily on nonprofit human service providers to deliver a range of essential services, from youth services to job training to services for older adults, but little is known about the effectiveness of the partnership.

(6) In 2016, Illinois Partners for Human Service conducted a research study and found that reimbursement rates in nearly every field have fallen behind the cost of living, steadily losing value; and that stagnant reimbursement rates present severe challenges, including difficulty covering operating costs, high employee turnover, and an inability to meet increased needs.

Section 10. Purpose. It is the purpose of this Act to create a task force to study State contracting with private nonprofit human service providers and the challenges faced by those providers, and to develop recommendations on how to improve the contracting relationship and partnership between State departments and agencies and private nonprofit human service providers so that they work effectively and efficiently to improve the well-being of Illinoisans.

Section 15. Task Force on State Contracting with Private Nonprofit Human Service Providers.

(a) The Task Force on State Contracting with Private Nonprofit Human Service Providers is created to study State contracting with private nonprofit human service providers and to develop recommendations on how to improve the contracting relationship and partnership between State departments and agencies and private nonprofit human service providers so that they work effectively and efficiently to improve the well-being of Illinoisans. The Task Force shall perform the following actions:

(1) Review data provided by State departments and agencies that contract with private nonprofit human service providers regarding the effectiveness of the system of service provision.

(2) Collect and review data on each of the following:

(A) Service system planning: the means by which State departments and agencies and private nonprofit human service providers assess needs, identify gaps, and establish system goals, especially the flow of information collected by the State departments and agencies and shared back with private nonprofit human service providers.

(B) Contract negotiation: the process by which State departments and agencies engage private nonprofit human service providers to provide specific services and achieve specific goals, especially the adequacy of time to review and adjust.

(C) Reimbursement rate methodologies: the processes by which State departments and agencies establish rates, the frequency of review and adjustment, and the adequacy of those rates to achieve the outcomes sought by the State.

(D) Monitoring of service and administration: the process by which State departments and agencies evaluate performance, especially the efficiency of data collection and review, and prevent or resolve processes and reports that are duplicative, costly, and wasteful of staff time and that slow the process of permanency and contribute to unnecessary staff turnover.

(E) Business processes: the means by which State departments and agencies provide approvals for services, activities, plans and changes, especially preventing the unnecessary delays that arise from delayed or slowed approvals, which also slow the process of permanency and unnecessarily add to the stress and trauma experience of children in State care.

(F) Timely payment: the process by which State departments and agencies make payments, including the timeliness of payments and the opportunities for appeal; and the court of claims process as it relates to human service contracting.

(3) In each of the study categories described in subparagraphs (A) through (F) of paragraph (2), develop recommendations on how to improve the contracting relationship and partnership between State departments and agencies and private nonprofit human service providers so that they work effectively and efficiently to improve the well-being of Illinoisans. The Task Force shall also issue specific recommendations on procedures that will improve the court of claims process, as it relates to human service contracting, to make it operate more expeditiously and efficiently.

(b) Members of the Task Force shall include:

(1) 2 legislative members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be designated as Co-Chairperson;

(2) 2 legislative members appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives;

(3) 2 legislative members appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom shall be designated as Co-Chairperson;

(4) 2 legislative members appointed by the Senate Minority Leader;

(5) 6 members who are representatives of private nonprofit human service providers from each of the regions of the Department of Children and Family Services, appointed by the co-chairs;

(6) the Director of Children and Family Services, or his or her designee;

(7) the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget, or his or her designee;

(8) the chief executive officer of the Illinois Collaboration on Youth, or his or her designee;

(9) the executive director of Illinois Partners for Human Service, or his or her designee; and

(10) the president and chief executive officer of Forefront, or his or her designee.

(c) The Task Force may establish a method to gather testimony and input from individuals and organizations that are not members of the Task Force.

(d) The Office of the Auditor General shall provide administrative and other support to the Task Force.

(e) The Task Force shall submit a preliminary electronic report to the Auditor General, the General Assembly, and the Governor no later than October 1, 2019, and a final electronic report, along with recommendations and any proposed legislation, to the General Assembly and the Governor by January 1, 2020. The Task Force is dissolved on January 1, 2021.

Section 20. Repeal. This Act is repealed on January 1, 2021.

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