This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter includes links to newly tracked bills, includes a link to ISACo's 2024 Legislative Agenda and County Platform, shares a Receiving Communities Toolkit document created by the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, reports on grants received for Local Park and Recreational Facility Projects throughout the state, shares details about $5 million in funding available through the Back to Business (B2B) Local Chambers program, makes county officials aware of the Federal Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant Program, reports on an additional $3.4 Million awarded to 92 community water suppliers, shares registration information for the 2024 NACo Legislative Conference, announces upcoming National Association of Counties (NACo) webinar opportunities, highlights ISACo corporate partner Comcast and invites counties to join ISACo.

List of Newly Tracked Bills

The following bills have recently been added to ISACo's tracked bill list. If there is no position listed then the bill is still under review by staff. A complete list of ISACo tracked bills is available via this link.

HB 4349 - 22nd Judicial CT-CFS Agency (No Position)

HB 4350 - Child Abuse Notice Act (No Position)

HB 4351 - Civ Pro-Process Servers (No Position)

HB 4354 - Property Tax-Extensions (Oppose)

HB 4355 - IDPH-Puberty Blocker Report (No Position)

HB 4356 - Women's Health Protection Act (No Position)

HB 4359 - Fire Protection District-Funds (No Position)

HB 4361 - Elec Cd-Write-In Candidates (No Position)

HB 4363 - Elec Cd/Procurement Cd-Various (No Position)

HB 4368 - Elec Cd-Voter Preregistration (No Position)

HB 4375 - Land Transfer-Monroe, Kane Co (No Position)

HB 4401 - FOIA/Local Records-Junk Mail

HB 4402 - Open Mtg-Emergency Defined

ISACo's Legislative Agenda for 2024

On December 14, 2023, ISACo's Board of Directors approved the Association's 2024 Legislative Agenda, also referred to as ISACo's Illinois County Action Program (ICAP). The Board also approved the 2024 County Platform.

To date, ISACo staff has secured sponsorship for the following agenda bills:

HB 4428 - Counties-Motor Fuel (Representative Guzzardi, D-Chicago)

HB 4440 - Counties Code-Diversity Goals (Representative Will Davis, D-East Hazel Crest)

We would like to thank the sponsors for their interest in and willingness to carry legislation from our 2024 agenda.

The ICAP includes several proactive proposals that ISACo staff will actively pursue in 2024. These proposals can be viewed by clicking on the image below:

Please click on this link to visit the webpage with information about ISACo's 2024 Legislative Agenda that includes the County Platform, position statements on proactive ISACo legislation and the document that summarizes each ISACo initiative. 

Receiving Communities Toolkit

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released a Receiving Communities Toolkit in response to an influx of migrants entering the country. DHS is coordinating with officials across the nation to identify ways we can continue to maximize our support for local communities hosting recently arrived migrants, while enforcing the law and returning or removing those without a legal basis to remain in the country.

The toolkit is available via this link. 

$28 Million Awarded for Local Park and Recreational Facility Projects

On January 10, 2024, Governor JB Pritzker announced that more than $28 million in state grant funding has been awarded to local governments throughout Illinois for the construction, renovation and improvement of buildings or land purchases for public recreational opportunities. 

The Parks and Recreational Construction Program (PARC) provides up to 90 percent of project costs to help build, renovate, and improve recreational buildings used by the public or purchase land to be used for public access and recreational purposes, with local governments matching the value of the grants awarded.

The full list of recipients and press release is available via this link.

$5 Million Available in B2B Grants for Local Chambers Program

On January 11, 2024, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced $5 million in available grant funding through the Back to Business (B2B) Local Chambers program. Following state recovery programming for businesses totaling $1.5 billion, the latest American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)-funded opportunity is designed to provide additional support for local chambers of commerce that experienced negative economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Qualified entities can apply for grants up to $50,000, to be determined by 1/6 of the annual revenue lost between 2019 and 2020. Applications will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on February 15, 2024. To help applicants prepare to apply for funding, DCEO is offering live Help Desk support to walk through each step of the application at chambers@a4cb.org and 312-275-3000. Interested parties are encouraged to reach out to CEO.GrantHelp@illinois.gov for application assistance.

The press release and additional information on how to apply for the grant is available via this link.

Federal Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant Program Open

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) is encouraging local governments, community-based nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education to pursue an unprecedented federal funding opportunity to address climate challenges and reduce pollution. The Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant Program (Community Change Grants), created by the Inflation Reduction Act and administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), offers $2 billion in grants over two tracks of funding.

Track I, Community-Driven Investments for Change, is expected to award approximately $1.96 billion for 150 projects for $10-20 million each. Track II, Meaningful Engagement for Equitable Governance, is expected to award approximately $40 million for 20 projects for $1-3 million each.

The press release and additional information on how to apply is available via this link.

Additional $3.4 Million Awarded to 92 Community Water Suppliers

On January 12, 2024, IEPA Director John J. Kim announced the recipients of the third round of funding which will assist 92 additional community water suppliers (CWSs) in meeting the requirements outlined in the Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act (LSLRN Act). The Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) Grant Program offers grants to local government units ranging from $20,000 - $50,000 to fund the creation of a complete lead service line inventory. Under this grant program, a total of 260 Illinois systems have benefited from this funding in calendar year 2023.

The press release is available via this link. 

What We're Reading

AI-based Tool Helps Governments Recruit the Right Job Candidates from a Diverse Pool (American City and County)

New Illinois Law Allows 16-Year-Olds to Pre-Register to Vote (WCIA)

Illinois Supreme Court to Determine if Cannabis Odor Can be Cause for Vehicle Search (Capitol News Illinois)

Illinois Lawmakers Discuss Potential Move to Universal Vote-by-Mail System (WAND)

State Opens Migrant Shelter, Pritzker Talks Supplemental Spending Plan (Capitol News Illinois)

Upcoming NACo Webinars

NACo has announced the following upcoming webinar opportunities. ISACo is a proud partner with NACo and encourages counties to participate in NACo membership and activities. 

Boosting Career Opportunities in Coal and Manufacturing Communities

(Wednesday, January 18, 2024, 2:00pm-3:00pm CST)

The flexibility of a county’s workforce is crucial for success. Learn how county initiatives promote professional growth and career transitions to strengthen the local job market. Join NACo’s Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities (BRECC) National Network and Counties for Career Success (C4CS) initiatives for this collaborative webinar that showcases successful programs in coal and manufacturing communities.

Click on this link to register for the webinar.

Transforming Communities: County-Level Solutions for Mental Health and System Challenges

(Monday, January 22, 2024, 1:00pm-2:00pm CST)

Falcon is a behavioral health consulting and management firm that works to provide solutions for counties in the intersection between justice system and community care. Falcon provides expertise to counties to assess their systems of care and transform them to achieve better justice, public health, and safety outcomes.

This presentation will focus on the following topics:

The Sequential Intercept Model to include the continuum of care in the community
Necessary components of and process through the continuum of care
Identifying and addressing the areas of vulnerability in your system of care
Wellness for staff and clients across the continuum of care

Click on this link to register for the webinar.

PFAS Litigation: What Counties Need to Know

(Tuesday, January 23, 2024, TBA CST)

Join this webinar, cohosted by NACo and the International Municipal Lawyers Association, to learn about current legal actions local communities are taking against manufacturers of PFAS chemicals.

Click on this link to register for the webinar.

First-Time Attendee Orientation

(Wednesday, January 31, 2024, 2:00pm-3:00pm CST)

Learn tips and tricks to maximize the value of your first NACo conference.

Click on this link to register for the webinar.

Coal Countries: Transition Strategies from Coal Communities Across the Globe

(Thursday, February 1, 2024, 1:00pm-2:00pm CST)

Coal communities across the world share challenges. Learn transition strategies from local governments in England, India and Canada for how localities are navigating clean energy infrastructure, strengthening their economies and supporting the local workforce. Join NACo’s Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities (BRECC) National Network for this collaborate webinar with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Click on this link to register for the webinar.

CORPORATE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Comcast Corporation is a global media and technology company with three primary businesses: Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal, and Sky. Comcast Cable is one of the United States’ largest video, high-speed internet, and phone providers to residential customers under the Xfinity brand, and also provides these services to businesses. It also provides wireless and security and automation services to residential customers under the Xfinity brand. NBCUniversal is global and operates news, entertainment, and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures, and Universal Parks and Resorts. Sky is one of Europe’s leading media and entertainment companies, connecting customers to a broad range of video content through its pay television services. It also provides communications services, including residential high-speed internet, phone, and wireless services. Sky operates the Sky News broadcast network and sports and entertainment networks, produces original content and has exclusive content rights.

With more than 6,000 local employees, Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region (https://chicago.comcast.com) serves customers in central and northern Illinois, including the Chicago area, northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan.

​Click here to learn more about Comcast.