Rep. Greg Harris • 13th District
Springfield Update • February 2, 2022
Governor Pritzker’s Proposed FY23 Budget
The Governor’s proposed fiscal year 2023 general funds budget of $45.4 billion continues on the path of responsible management. It provides the services people need, cares for the most vulnerable Illinoisans and reinvigorates Illinois’ economy to create jobs and boost economic activity. Below are highlights of the Governor’s proposed fiscal year 2023 budget.
FISCAL STABILITY
Under previous administrations, Illinois had suffered decades of credit downgrades, leaving our bond rating hovering just one notch above junk status. Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, Illinois’ credit rating has been upgraded twice, with ratings agency S&P announcing “The political gridlock that stymied governance a few fiscal years ago has dissipated.”
When Governor Pritzker first took office, our state was facing a $3.2 billion structural deficit. Through the administration’s prudent fiscal management, Illinois will end this fiscal year with a $1.7 billion surplus, the first in over 25 years. The Governor’s proposed budget takes additional steps to restore fiscal stability to Illinois by:
• Contributing an additional $500 million directly to the Pension Stabilization Fund on top of the statutory required payment. This first of its kind payment, will reduce long-term liabilities by $1.8 billion.
• Adding nearly $900 million to the Rainy Day Fund over FY22 and FY23.
• Eliminating the $898 million owed for employee health insurance.
• Consolidating state government office leases and closing sale of James R Thompson Center to save nearly $750 million in long-term costs.
FAMILY RELIEF ACT
This fiscal surplus gives us an opportunity to provide relief to Illinois families struggling with the rising cost of living and inflation caused by disruptions to global supply chains. The governor’s proposed FY23 budget provides Illinois families with:
• $475 million in property tax rebates, in the form of a one-time 5% property tax rebate, up to $300 for eligible homeowners.
• $360 million by freezing the state’s tax on groceries, one of the most regressive taxes.
• $135 million by freezing the planned increase in the gas tax, which will not jeopardize any planned projects.
HEALTHCARE
The State’s healthcare system has faced unprecedented challenges over the last two years. The Governor’s proposed budget provides funding to rebuild and expand Illinois’ healthcare workforce while also directing needed funds immediately into the existing system.
Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare (PATH) Workforce Program
The proposed fiscal year 2023 budget includes $25 million for the creation of a healthcare workforce pipeline program to develop new nurses, certified nursing assistants, respiratory therapists, emergency medical technicians, and other high-demand positions. Governor Pritzker’s proposed PATH Workforce Program, through the state community college system, is a direct response to the shortage of healthcare workers due to the overwhelming impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Through the PATH Workforce Program, participants will be able to obtain an industry-recognized credential or community college certificate in the shortest possible time, while enhancing their eligibility for employment in the healthcare sector. The funding also will provide wraparound student support services including, among other things, transportation, child care, food vouchers and tutoring. Maintaining a focus on equity, the PATH Workforce Program will target incumbent workers; new students on a healthcare pathway; and low-income, first-generation, and minority students.
Additionally, the proposed budget increases funding to existing scholarship programs that will target the rebuilding of the healthcare workforce:
• Adds $2 million in the Nursing Education Scholarship Program to encourage and support the recruitment and retention of nursing professionals.
• Doubles funding for the Competitive Grants for Nursing Schools to increase the number of graduating nurses.
• Doubles funding for the Nurse Educator Fellowships.
• Includes an increase of $214,000 for the Nurse Educator Loan Repayment Program.
Healthcare Workforce Initiative
The Governor is directing the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) to reinvest $180 million to preserve and grow the healthcare workforce, with a focus on Medicaid providers and providers in underserved areas of the State, including rural areas. This significant infusion of revenue will provide funding for staff bonuses, continuing education trainings for providers and other vital investments in staff retention and recruitment that result in expanded healthcare access. Funding will be available to a broad range of healthcare providers, including hospitals, clinics, behavioral health providers, home health workers and more.
This new workforce initiative is in addition to the almost $1 billion the State has invested through appropriations to healthcare providers from federal COVID-19 response and recovery funds. It is also in addition to the significant investment that was made in safety net hospitals through over $80 million in new funding beginning in fiscal year 2020 and approximately $800 million provided through rate increases to medical providers such as hospitals, nursing homes, physicians and other providers in the last two years.
The Pritzker administration also recommends waiving certain licensing fees at the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation totaling $21 million, resulting in direct savings to the State’s healthcare workforce in fiscal year 2023
Community Supports
The fiscal year 2023 budget recommends $4 million for Get Covered Illinois, the State’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace, to increase outreach to consumers seeking affordable health insurance coverage. The funding will allow for consistent advertisement statewide throughout the extended open enrollment period, create a more robust TV presence, and support marketing in both English and Spanish.
Additionally, the proposed fiscal year 2023 budget includes $2.5 million for the Department of Public Health (DPH) to collaborate with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) and the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) to adopt a process to certify academic-based training programs so that individuals may obtain a community health worker certification.
Meeting Our Funding Commitments
Finally, the fiscal year 2023 budget proposal (and recommended fiscal year 2022 supplemental appropriations) will provide another key support to the healthcare industry – timely payments of state obligations to healthcare providers within the State’s employee and retiree health insurance plan. The plan has been plagued with payment delays since 2009. The recommended supplemental appropriation of nearly $900 million for fiscal year 2022 will eliminate the backlog in this program. The recommended fiscal year 2023 budget fully funds annual group insurance, ensuring no return of the backlog.
EDUCATION
The COVID-19 Pandemic has been extremely challenging for the State’s education systems. PreK-12 schools and post-secondary institutions have undertaken unprecedented responsibilities in promoting the safety of their students, staff and greater communities by adhering to the guidance issued by DPH and ISBE. The pandemic has exacerbated the teacher shortage, caused temporary transitions to remote learning, limited bus service availability, and contributed to both an increase in chronic absenteeism and a reduction in the percentage of students meeting State standards. Despite these circumstances, educational leaders have demonstrated remarkable resiliency and have taken all possible measures to provide safe, in-person learning opportunities for their students.
The Governor intends to continue working with leaders at ISBE, IBHE, ICCB, Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) and the Office of Early Childhood Education (OECE) to maintain forward progress on improving education at all levels statewide while working with schools to deploy federal funding in a strategic manner.
Education funding will focus on the following areas:
• Providing high-quality comprehensive services and preparing children for kindergarten;
• Continuing progress on improving equity for Illinois students;
• Addressing teacher and healthcare-related shortages throughout our education systems; and
• Increasing resources and expanding eligibility for short-term certificate programs in institutions of higher education.
Early Childhood Education and Child Care Funding
The proposed FY23 budget:
• Provides an additional $54.4 million for the Early Childhood Block Grant to continue support for the program, including Downstate Prevention Initiative grants and the State’s support for Preschool for All grants. This increased funding will reach an estimated 7,100 additional children.
• Continues the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) by providing funding for a 3.5 percent increase to child care providers on July 1, 2022, and another 4.5 percent increase on December 1, 2022.
• Provides $300 million to continue stabilization payments to child care providers through Department of Human Services.
• Includes full funding for the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE), established by Public Act 102-0174 to address the shortage of qualified early childhood educators by encouraging the pursuit of credentials and advanced degrees in early childhood education.
• ECACE provides scholarship opportunities to Illinois students and offers the necessary resources to provide this program at all Illinois public universities, Illinois community colleges and several private institutions of higher education.
K-12 Education
The proposed FY23 budget:
• Invests $350.2 million in the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) Formula to achieve the statutory target for annual funding. ISBE uses the tiered formula to distribute state funding based on need.
• This investment brings the total EBF program to $7.9 billion, or a $1.093 billion increase in annual funding during the Pritzker administration. In total, schools will have received an additional $2.6 billion in EBF funds over four years.
• Includes a $96.0 million increase, for a total of $1.029 billion in grants for Mandated Categorical Programs (MCATs).
• Provides $51.7 million in additional funds for Special Education-Transportation and Regular/Vocational Transportation categorical grants.
• Increases Special Education-Private Tuition funding by $30.5 million to achieve a targeted 90 percent proration to provide critical resources to this vulnerable population of students.
• Fully funds the Special Education-Orphanage Tuition and Regular Orphanage budget lines to ensure claims are 100 percent funded for the education of students that are primarily under the care and custody of the DCFS guardianship administrator.
• Includes $2 million in additional funding for Agricultural Education to provide more resources in the classrooms to participating districts. This additional funding supports the Growing Agriculture Science Teachers (GAST) program to recruit new teachers and the Preservice Internship Program aimed at improving preparation and retention of agricultural education teachers.
• Allows ISBE to continue management and coordination of the massive infusion of federal dollars in schools.
• Illinois has received $7.87 billion in federal ESSER2 funding through multiple federal pandemic relief packages, and 90 percent of funds are to be distributed directly to Title I school districts, schools with the highest low-income populations.
• The State has already invested $1.82 billion of the funding, and an additional $6.05 billion will be disbursed to schools in need.
Higher Education
Public universities and community colleges continue to provide a meaningful pathway to economic empowerment for students of all ages despite the challenges associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic. The State’s mitigation strategies combined with a commitment by institutional leaders to promote vaccination and testing on campuses in every region allow students to continue pursuing degrees, credentials and career training. In recognition of the State’s obligation to foster opportunities for all residents. In 2021, IBHE approved and ICCB and ISAC endorsed a new higher education strategic plan rooted in equity, sustainability and growth.
The proposed higher education budget begins implementation of the plan by emphasizing college affordability and providing increased funding for public universities and community colleges. These resources will expand economic opportunities for students and communities throughout the State.
The proposed FY23 budget includes:
• An increase of $122 million to the Monetary Award Program (MAP) to $601 million, keeping the Governor’s pledge to increase MAP funding by 50 percent during his term. The increase represents record funding for MAP grants.
• The historic investment will make available need-based financial aid to at least 24,000 more students and allow the State to increase the size of the maximum grant award from $6,468 to $8,508, which is 50 percent of the average cost of tuition and fees at a public university in Illinois.
• As part of the Governor’s commitment to affordable education and expansion of opportunities for all, the Governor is proposing to expand eligibility to students seeking short-term credentials and certificates.
• A $68 million, or 5 percent, general funds increase for public universities ($54.8 million) and community colleges ($13.2 million) to provide financial stability to our students and our institutions of higher education from fiscal year 2022 levels.
• In addition to proposed fiscal year 2023 investments, the budget includes a $68 million supplemental request for Illinois’ current fiscal year higher education investments.
• An additional $2.5 million for Adult Education and Career and Technical Education to provide more resources for integrated academic and technical instruction, work-based learning, dual credit opportunities and potential for continuing education at the baccalaureate level.
• An additional $2.3 million for the Minority Teacher Scholarship program.
• $230 million for the College Illinois! Prepaid Tuition Program to address the remaining unfunded liabilities of the program. This upfront funding avoids the program’s projected future insolvency and reduces the cost of the State’s commitment by an estimated $75 million over the program’s life.
HUMAN SERVICES
Protecting the Safety Net
State programs and the vast network of State social service providers play a crucial role in providing a safety net for Illinoisans in need. The proposed fiscal year 2023 budget for human service agencies includes funding to help strengthen and preserve families; protect and promote good health; provide benefits to the unemployed; and expand services to people with developmental disabilities, people with mental illness and senior citizens.
Behavioral Health Services
As the pandemic continues into its third year, it continues to take a toll on Illinoisans’ mental health and exacerbate the need for additional behavioral health services. From frontline workers and caregivers coping with burnout, to students struggling in school, to adults feeling more isolated as they protect themselves from COVID-19, to those suffering from mental health disorders who have been unable to access the help they need, many Illinoisans could benefit from the assistance behavioral health services provide.
Early in the pandemic, the Pritzker administration recognized the negative impact the public health crisis could have on Illinois’ service providers. As a result, the administration focused its efforts on strengthening those providers so they could continue to meet the needs of the State’s most vulnerable residents. In fiscal year 2022, the Pritzker administration provided $63 million in pandemic sustainability payments to strengthen behavioral health organizations, provide pandemic bonus and retention payments to frontline workers and invest in mental health programs.
The proposed FY23 budget includes key investments to support the State’s critical behavioral health partners. The proposed fiscal year 2023 budget includes $140 million to fund Behavioral Health provider rate enhancements through HFS and DHS.
Additionally, in collaboration with the DHS Divisions of Mental Health and Substance Use Prevention and Recovery, HFS is requesting federal approval of a two-component approach to address shortages in the behavioral health workforce and to further foster quality and innovation in service delivery. HFS is proposing to spend approximately $20 million in enhanced federal matching dollars for each component, yielding a total of just over $40 million.
Providers enrolled as Community Mental Health Centers, Behavioral Health Clinics or as providers of substance use disorder services will qualify to receive Workforce Challenge funding. This funding can be used to address staffing stabilization, retention, recruitment and related purposes important to ensuring access to critically needed behavioral health services for the State’s Medicaid customers. Fostering Innovation and Quality payments may be used for the creation and expansion of new services, service delivery mechanisms or enhanced provider capacity and will benefit the same provider types as the Workforce Challenge funding.
The proposed FY23 budget also includes $150 million to fully implement the Pathways to Success Program for children with serious mental illnesses. This program helps Medicaid-enrolled children under age 21 who have complex behavioral health needs and require intensive services and support. The program provides intensive care coordination and additional home and community-based services and provides children and their families with the services necessary to support their success at home, school and in their communities.
Department of Children and Family Services
The proposed FY23 budget invests in supporting the critical work of ensuring the safety of our most vulnerable youth who come into the care of the State. The proposed budget reforms how DCFS invests in Illinois’ private sector partners, reimbursing them for their work at a level that will attract some of the state’s brightest social workers to child welfare. It creates a salary structure that better aligns the salaries of private agency partners with those of comparable state workers and increases private agency partners’ staffing levels, ensuring more children can be served every day in safe and supportive environments.
Research has shown that nationally, more than 40 percent of foster youth are homeless within 18 months of emancipation. The fiscal year 2023 budget provides a new investment of $7 million for a completely redesigned independent living program which will better support youth transitioning out of DCFS’ care.
The proposed FY23 budget for DCFS:
• Includes $87.1 million investment in rate reform for private sector providers in order to address the staffing shortages of social service workers.
• Adds $25 million for Level of Care Support Services which will address the issue of youth receiving placement services in the most clinically appropriate setting. This will include funding for new residential capacity as well as stabilizing the existing workforce.
• Includes $15.5 million to hire an additional 360 staff, focusing on child protection, family preservation and permanency positions in addition to day care licensing, call center, legal and clinical positions.
• Increases by $29.7 million funding to support caseload growth in the foster homes program and adds $10.3 million in increased funding for adoption and guardianship services.
• Includes $4.8 million in increased funding to support simulation training labs for child welfare
workers.
Department of Human Services
The proposed FY23 budget for DHS:
• Provides over $2 billion for services for people with development disabilities (DD) in support of the Ligas consent decree, including $121.8 million to continue implementation of the rate
recommendations contained in the Guidehouse DD rate study.
• Includes $240 million in new funding for the Reimagine Public Safety Act to address firearm violence in our communities.
• Increases funding by $96.4 million for the Home Services Program to confront continued caseload growth and address provider wage increases.
• Includes $10 million to continue the eviction mitigation program for outreach, case management and legal assistance to individuals impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• Since 2020, the Pritzker Administration has provided over $800 million in emergency rental assistance to help keep more than 108,500 Illinois seniors, families and others safely housed. Illinois continues to be a national leader in providing critical emergency rental assistance to vulnerable households impacted by the pandemic with additional relief to be provided during this calendar year.
• Funds the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) at $2.989 billion and provides up to $300.0 million in provider stabilization payments in fiscal year 2023.
• Includes $70 million in funding for Crisis Response services for individuals who are experiencing a mental health crisis and call into the 9-8-8 hotline.
Department of Healthcare and Family Services
The proposed FY23 budget for HFS, Illinois’ primary Medicaid agency:
• Provides a $33.1 billion ($8.1 billion general funds) budget with which the department will provide medical assistance to more than 3.5 million Illinoisans, including:
- Just over 1.53 million children;
- More than 535,000 seniors and adults with disabilities;
- Nearly 655,000 adults in Family Care; and
- Almost 835,000 adults eligible through the Affordable Care Act.
• Anticipates the 6.2 percentage point enhanced federal Medicaid match that began in March 2020 due to the pandemic will continue through the end of September 2022.
• Projects that an additional 325,000 individuals could be added to the Medicaid program in fiscal year 2022, building on the increase of nearly 500,000 individuals added between February 2020 and June 2021.
• These projections are based upon the assumption that the federal public health emergency declaration continues through July 2022.
• Enrollment is expected to peak at approximately 3.8 million individuals by the end of fiscal year 2022 and then begin dropping in fiscal year 2023 as eligibility redeterminations resume.
• As a condition set by the federal government to receive the 6.2 percentage point enhanced match and protect access to healthcare for hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans, states are required to suspend eligibility redeterminations while the federal public health emergency is in place.
Department of Public Health
The proposed FY23 budget for DPH:
• Maintains appropriation authorization at $2 billion in federal funding and adds $20 million of general funds for public health preparedness and COVID-19 response activities at the department and at local health departments for vaccination efforts, contact tracing, testing and laboratory services.
• Includes $10 million to hire 175 additional staff for:
- Nursing home survey and monitoring;
- Assisted living survey and monitoring; and
- Epidemiologists, and infectious disease specialists.
• Maintains funding for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Program and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program.
• Includes $1 million for Alzheimer’s disease outreach, research, care and support.
• Includes $1 million for Sickle Cell prevention, care and treatment.
• Includes $3 million for technology improvements at laboratories.
• Includes $2.5 million for the Community Health Worker certification program.
Department on Aging
The proposed FY23 budget for DoA:
• Includes a $100.7 million funding increase for the Community Care Program (CCP) to accommodate caseload growth and utilization, with the assistance of increased federal aid.
• CCP helps seniors, who might otherwise need nursing home care, remain in their own homes by providing in-home and community-based services. In fiscal year 2023, an estimated 65,700 seniors will be served through CCP.
• Includes $14 million to fund a rate increase for CCP providers beginning January 1, 2023.
• Allows for the expansion of the Home Delivered Meals program to provide an additional 360,000 meals to seniors More than 95,000 seniors will benefit from the program in fiscal year 2023 with an estimated 12 million meals served.
• Creates and funds the $4 million Family Caregiver Program, which provides support to family members and friends caring for older adults.
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
The proposed FY23 budget IDVA:
• Maintains staffing at the State’s five veterans’ homes.
• Provides funding of $17.5 million to operate the new 200-bed Chicago Veterans’ Home which began receiving residents in January of 2022. This facility will provide skilled care for Illinois veterans, including accommodations for Alzheimer’s care.
• Supports the creation of a Veteran’s Suicide Prevention program in fiscal year 2023, in partnership with DHS.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION
Alongside the economic devastation of the COVID-19 Pandemic is an increase in crime across many cities and states throughout the nation. In Illinois, we have grieved over acts of violence and loss of life, much of which were preventable. Personal safety and the safety of our communities are two of the most basic needs and expectations of all Illinoisans. The proposed FY23 budget responds to those needs and expectations of Illinoisans through strategic investments in public safety.
Reimagine Public Safety Act
In November 2021, the Governor declared gun violence a public health crisis and launched a
comprehensive plan to tackle the problem. The administration pledged a $250 million State investment to be appropriated over the next three years to implement the plan in partnership with community-based organizations. The Reimagine Public Safety Act builds upon this initiative by requiring the State to pursue a data-driven approach to high-risk youth intervention programs and technical assistance and training.
Programs implemented under the Act will be administered by DHS, in partnership with the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) and the Firearm Violence Research Group.
Restore, Reinvest, and Renew Grants.
The Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) Program continues to provide historic grant awards to organizations in communities impacted by economic disinvestment, violence and the damage caused by the war on drugs, which disproportionately impacted low-income Illinoisans and communities of color.
In FY21, the R3 Board awarded $31.5 million in the first round of funding to organizations that provide violence prevention, legal aid, youth development, economic development, and re-entry services to communities in Illinois. The R3 Board announced a second round of funding in FY22 which totaled $45 million and will provide necessary resources to communities in need. Another $3.5 million was provided in FY22 for capacity-building grants to help small organizations expand. The proposed budget builds on these investments with a $125.0 million appropriation, a $50.0 million increase if revenues become available.
Twenty-five percent of revenue from adult-use cannabis sales fund the R3 grants, which were included in the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA) signed by Governor Pritzker in 2019. Awardees included nonprofit organizations, local units of government, tax-exempt faith-based organizations, businesses and other community organizations that serve residents of, or are based in, eligible R3 zones.
SAFE-T Act
In fiscal year 2021, Governor Pritzker signed into law the Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity– Today (SAFE-T) Act that impacts many aspects of the criminal justice system. The SAFE-T Act will lead to the end of cash bail in 2023, required adjustments to pre-arrest diversion/deflection programs, pretrial assessments that determine risk, expanded training for current law enforcement and public safety officers and updated public safety standards.
Additional impacts of the SAFE-T Act include:
• Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (LETSB) is required to update and create new training for new and current law enforcement and public safety officers. The SAFE-T Act requires more police accountability, and to further this goal, the board will create and maintain a public officer misconduct database and portal and will increase its investigations staff. The proposed budget also provides an additional $10 million to LETSB for grants to help local governments with the costs of procuring body and motor vehicle cameras.
• The SAFE-T Act established requirements for law enforcement officers to wear body cameras. In FY22, the Illinois State Police was able to provide 500 cameras to its sworn officers and the necessary cloud storage space to keep records for 90 days, as required by law. The proposed FY23 budget provides additional resources for the next phase of cameras for officers to meet the goal of every sworn Illinois State Police officer being outfitted with body cameras by 2025 by funding an additional 550 cameras.
• The proposed FY23 budget includes funding for the Illinois Supreme Court’s request of $26 million for the first phase of a three-part effort to establish comprehensive pretrial services in the 63 counties without such services, as authorized by Public Act 102-694. The funding establishes an Office of Statewide Pretrial Services with 165 new positions and provides for operational expenses.
Criminal Justice Information Authority
The proposed FY23 budget:
• Includes $125 million in spending authority for the R3 Program to allow for additional grants to be awarded in the event that adult-use cannabis revenues continue to increase and to allow flexibility in administering those grants.
• Provides an additional $4 million in Community-Based Violence Intervention Programs to expand the reach of violence prevention services and ensure access to wraparound services such as behavioral health services, trauma recovery, supports for those impacted by domestic violence, workforce development services, housing services and restorative justice programming.
• Adds $20 million for the Gang Crime Witness Protection Program, as established in Public Act 98-0058, to provide temporary housing support, relocation expenses and costs associated with
transitional housing needs.
• Includes $545 thousand for a new initiative called the Innovation Institute which will provide training and support for newer grassroots organizations new to the state grants application process.
Department of Corrections
The Department of Corrections (DOC) continues its efforts to lower the recidivism rate, focus on
streamlining classifications, establish targeted treatments and rehabilitations and eliminate barriers for a successful re-entry into society. The department has made substantial progress toward eliminating barriers for successful re-entry. In partnership with the Office of the Secretary of State, DOC began issuing State IDs to individuals prior to release. Additionally, in collaboration with DHS, DOC began a pilot program at several facilities that provides individuals in custody slated for imminent release with SNAP enrollment forms. The proposed fiscal year 2023 budget allows the department to expand these efforts.
The proposed FY23 budget:
• Provides $16.3 million in funding for the operational and contractual expenses associated with the Joliet Inpatient Treatment Center, scheduled to open in Fall 2022. The opening of the Joliet Inpatient Treatment Center is another step toward compliance with the Rasho settlement agreement to provide quality healthcare to adult prisoners.
• Includes an additional $15 million for continuing technology upgrades.
• Includes an additional $2 million for an increase in necessary outside medical services for individuals in custody.
Department of Juvenile Justice
In July 2020, Governor Pritzker and Lieutenant Governor Stratton announced the 21st Century Illinois Transformation Model, which focuses on reducing the harm of incarceration by transitioning youth to smaller, regional residential centers and investing significantly in community wrap-around support and intervention services. This plan is to be phased in through calendar year 2024. The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) has made strides in engaging key stakeholders and initiating capital projects to begin the transition to smaller, more community-based settings. Illinois Youth Center (IYC)- Lincoln is centrally located in the state to allow youths to be closer to their families and is expected to be operational in fall 2023.
The proposed FY23 budget:
• Supports additional funding of $1.9 million for community providers to offer youths more services through the Community Services Division.
• Includes a $274 thousand increase for telecommunications services to ensure youths can remain connected to their loved ones at no cost to their families.
• Provides $2 million to allow DJJ to purchase necessary equipment for IYC-Lincoln.
Illinois State Police In order to address the increase in crime on Illinois expressways, three Illinois State Police (ISP) cadet classes are proposed in fiscal year 2023. A significant portion of the 300 newly sworn officers will be dedicated to patrolling the Chicago expressways in the ISP Chicago District. Sworn trooper visibility and proactive enforcement efforts will help to reduce the occurrence of reckless driving and violent gun crimes on Illinois highways to ensure the safe travel of Illinois’ residents and visitors.
Illinois State Police (ISP)
ISP has achieved significant reductions to its DNA backlogs. According to the fiscal year 2021 DNA Testing Accountability Report, FY20 started with a backlog of 8,776 cases, and through a blend of in-house and strategic outsourcing, the backlog was reduced by almost 60 percent to 3,670 cases by the end of FY21. Currently, ISP operates six forensic labs throughout the State, located in Belleville, Chicago, Joliet, Morton, Rockford and Springfield. To continue the progress in addressing the backlog, ISP will open a new forensic laboratory in Decatur. This additional forensic lab will reduce the need to outsource critical cases and help
the department keep pace with its cases.
The proposed FY23 budget:
• Provides $18.6 million in general funds to support 3 ISP cadet classes to hire and train 300 additional sworn troopers in addition to 1 class expected to graduate in FY22.
• Includes $5.4 million in funding for the new Decatur Forensic Laboratory scheduled to open in August 2022. This funding provides personnel and the necessary equipment to provide these critical services.
• Adds $4.5 million dedicated to motor vehicle and body cameras and cloud storage.
• Includes funding for the Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) program to continue progress on the backlog of FOID renewal applications. The backlog reached 138,722 in November 2020, but through strategic workflow changes, the backlog dropped by almost 95 percent, to 7,800, in a little over a year.
Law Enforcement Training Standards Board
LETSB is making strides to increase transparency, accountability, and the operational support needed to
meet the requirements outlined in the SAFE-T Act.
The proposed FY23 budget:
• Maintains $8 million in general funds deposited into the Traffic and Criminal Conviction Surcharge Fund to allow level funding for basic and in-service training reimbursements.
• Includes a $10 million appropriation for a newly created Law Enforcement Training Fund to pay for critical operational expenses associated with the SAFE-T Act and increase authorized staffing from 40 in FY22 to 66 in FY23.
• Provides $10 million in general funds deposited into the LETSB Camera Grants Fund to provide additional resources to local law enforcement agencies for grants for law enforcement and public safety officers body cameras and motor vehicle cameras.
Illinois Emergency Management Agency
The proposed FY23 budget:
• Provides a $3.4 million increase for operational expenses associated with disaster response and
recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic and to maintain high quality services to state and local
governments for disaster recovery efforts. This budget supports an increase in 20 authorized staff positions in areas such as homeland security, cybersecurity and regional disaster planning.
• Includes continued support for management of the COVID-19 response through federal pandemic response funds and the federal Public Assistance Program.
• Provides $20 million in funding for the Illinois’ Nonprofit Security Grant Program per Public Act 100-508, which will provide grants and support to organizations throughout the State for security
improvements that assist in preventing, preparing for, or responding to acts of terrorism.
• Maintains funding for the Safe2Help tip line, previously at the ISP, to raise awareness of the 21st century threats facing schoolchildren in Illinois. Safe2Help Illinois offers students a safe, confidential way in which to share information that is intended to prevent suicides, bullying, school violence or other threats to school safety.
I welcome any comments or questions you might have about the budget. As always, feel free to reach out to our office by email at Greg@GregHarris.org or by phone at 773-348-3434.