HB4597 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB094 17509 DRJ 52805 b

94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB4597

Introduced 01/11/06, by Rep. William Delgado

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

305 ILCS 5/12-4.36 new

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department of Human Services (DHS), with the advice of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, shall work with the Social Services Advisory Council to develop outcome measures, data-based performance indicators, and annual reports in connection with the various programs that support the work effort of lower-income workers, including TANF, Medicaid, General Assistance, Food Stamps, and KidCare. Sets forth performance indicators to be used in connection with the outcome measures of (i) the extent to which the estimated population of eligible people and families under each of the programs is enrolled in the program and utilizes features of the program and (ii) the extent to which DHS local offices and staff deliver quality services and administer the programs consistently with the Department's established policies and procedures. Requires DHS to conduct an annual hearing on the administration of work support programs at the local office level not later than September of each year. Requires DHS to prepare an annual report and present it to the General Assembly on October 1, 2006. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning public aid.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by adding Section 12-4.36 as follows:

(305 ILCS 5/12-4.36 new)

Sec. 12-4.36. Work support programs; outcomes and reporting.

(a) The General Assembly finds that it is in the best interests of Illinois and of Illinois families and children that families escape poverty and achieve financial progress through employment. It is also in the best interests of Illinois employers and the Illinois economy that workers be healthy, stable, and productive. To help accomplish these goals, the General Assembly has created programs that support the work effort of lower-income workers, including the programs under Articles IV, V, VI, IX, and IXA of this Code, the Food Stamp Program, and the programs under the Children's Health Insurance Program Act, among others. The General Assembly finds that the hearings, data, and annual reports by the Department of Human Services established under this Section will be useful in determining whether the administration of certain of these programs is effective in helping the programs accomplish their purposes as intended by the General Assembly.

(b) The Department of Human Services, with the advice of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, shall work with the Social Services Advisory Council to develop the outcome measures and data-based performance indicators and annual reports necessary to comply with this Section.

(c) The outcome measures shall address performance with respect to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, the Food Stamp program, and all the medical assistance programs for children and families. For each outcome measure, the Department of Human Services, in consultation with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the Social Services Advisory Council, shall develop performance indicators to help assess the level of attainment of the outcome measures. To the extent possible, the performance indicators shall be drawn from administrative data available from the Department or to the Department from other agencies of State or federal government. The outcome measures shall include, but need not be limited to, the following measures, and, for each such measure, the corresponding performance indicators shall include, but need not be limited to, the following indicators:

(1) Outcome measure: The extent to which the estimated population of eligible people and families under each of the programs is enrolled in the program and utilizes features of the program. Performance indicators:

(A) As of the date of the data collected for the annual report, a caseload profile for each Department of Human Services local office showing the numbers of cases receiving Food Stamps, Medicaid, TANF, MANG, KidCare, and Family Care. For each program, the caseload profile as to each local office shall also show the percentage of the caseload employed full-time, the percentage of the caseload employed part-time, and the percentage of the caseload engaged in documented social, health, or educational activities instead of employment. By program, aggregate data shall be provided that is relevant and available.

(B) As of the date of the data collected for the annual report, an estimate of the number of people in Illinois potentially eligible for each program, and the number enrolled in each program, broken down as to both potential eligibles and actual enrollees by categories of race and national origin, insofar as the administrative data for each program tracks race and national origin in the programs.

(C) Statewide, the number of people enrolled in one program who are income-eligible for one or more other programs and the number of those who are enrolled in such other programs.

(D) Statewide, the number of participants in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or Food Stamps who are participating, as full or partial compliance in program work requirements, in activities related to mental illness or depression, substance abuse, low literacy, domestic violence, or a physical disability. As part of this indicator, the number of people in the caseload identified as having one or more of these barriers to employment, the number of funded "slots" in programs meant to address these barriers, the extent to which these slots are filled, and the number of people needing these services who are not receiving them due to the unavailability of a funded program "slot".

(E) The number of individuals in any of these programs whose first language is not English, and the number who are provided translation services. In addition, the number of families whose first language is not English who participate in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or Food Stamps and who are participating in English as a Second Language classes.

(F) The number and percentage of program exits based on increased income, compared to the number and percentage of exits based on other factors.

(2) Outcome measure: The extent to which Department of Human Services local offices and staff deliver quality services and administer the programs consistently with the Department's established policies and procedures. Performance indicators:

(A) The ratio of caseworkers to cases in each program by local office.

(B) The ratio of non-English-speaking cases to caseworkers who speak the appropriate language, by office.

(C) The impact in service delivery improvement by technological upgrades made in local offices' case processing and application processes.

(D) The average time elapsed between the date of application and the date of disposition of the application in each program.

(E) The number of applications granted as to which assistance was provided after the deadline provided by law for the provision of assistance to successful applicants.

(F) The average number of visits to the local office by working applicants.

(G) The number and percentage of recipient families transitioning from Medicaid to Family Care.

(H) The number and percentage of recipient families transitioning from Medicaid to KidCare Assist, from KidCare Assist to KidCare Share, and from KidCare Share to KidCare Premium.

(I) The number of applications denied and the number of cases closed for procedural reasons (reasons other than substantive eligibility criteria based on income and family circumstances).

(J) The number of administrative appeals filed.

(d) The Department of Human Services shall conduct an annual hearing on the administration of work support programs at the local office level not later than September of each year. The hearing shall include testimony of people who have used or attempted to use the work support programs, officials familiar with the status of technology used in the administration of programs in the local offices, and Department of Human Services workers engaged in the administration of programs in the local offices. The first annual hearing shall be held so that the proceedings may be included in the October 1, 2006, annual report.

(e) The Department of Human Services shall prepare an annual report and present it to the General Assembly on October 1, 2006. The report shall cover the performance indicators based on data for the year July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006. The report shall also include a summary of the testimony provided at the annual hearing. Thereafter, each annual report shall be presented on October 1 and shall cover the performance indicators for July 1 of the previous year through June 30 of the year of the report, plus a summary of the testimony at the annual hearing that year. The performance indicators contained in the first report due October 1, 2006 may be limited to those as to which data reports are already generated by the departments of State government during the relevant year. Thereafter, however, the Department of Human Services or other units of State government shall generate administrative data reports as needed to document performance of the performance indicators, and the second and all further annual reports shall include reports on the performance indicators based on those data.

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