This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter presents ISACo's Policy Brief identifying the provisions that affect counties within the new omnibus election law, provides an update about the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2022 State Budget along with links to updated ISACo Policy Briefs regarding LGDF and PPRT revenues, reports on the establishment of Juneteenth as an observable holiday, shares updated United States Department of the Treasury (USDT) guidance for State and Local Fiscal and Recovery Funds reporting requirements along with additional links to an updated "FAQ" for State and Local Fiscal and Recovery Funds, shares information about upcoming National Association of Counties (NACo) webinars, spotlights ISACo's corporate partner 2im Group and invites counties to join ISACo.

Omnibus Election Legislation Enacted into Law

On Thursday, June 17, 2021, Governor JB Pritzker signed SB 825 into law as P.A. 102-0015.

This new law contains several election law provisions, including date changes pertaining to the 2022 General Primary Election and the county board reapportionment process. Changing dates to allow counties additional time to utilize updated federal census data for reapportionment was a priority of ISACo's advocacy during the 2021 spring legislative session.

The new law also makes mail in voting and curbside voting permanent, creates a pilot program requiring election authorities to establish voting centers during the 2022 election and grants permissive authority for county sheriffs outside of Cook County to offer voting within county jails. 

ISACo has developed a Policy Brief identifying the provisions within the new law that affect counties. 

SFY 2022 State Budget Signed into Law

Governor JB Pritzker enacted the SFY 2022 budget by signing the following two bills into law: 

SB 2800 is the appropriation bill (P.A. 102-0017)

SB 2017 is the Budget Implementation (BIMP) bill (P.A. 102-0016)

The SFY 2022 state budget appropriates $42.2 billion in spending and anticipates revenue collections of $42.3 billion.

As we reported in our June 2, 2021, News and Views e-newsletter, the budget preserves Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) distributions at SFY 2021 levels, diverts additional revenue from the Personal Property Replacement Tax (PPRT) that would otherwise be distributed to local governments and maintains fully-funds local government "pass through" funds  [Motor Fuel Tax (MFT), Use Tax, Video/Casino Gaming, Statewide Emergency 9-1-1 funds, etc.]. 

Additional information about LGDF revenue is available in our updated Policy Brief.

Additional information about PPRT funds is available in our updated Policy Brief.

Governor Signs Juneteenth Legislation into Law

On Wednesday, June 16, 2021, Governor JB Pritzker signed into law legislation designating June 19 as Juneteenth National Freedom Day. The new law is P.A 102-0014 and it takes effect on January 1, 2022.

This day, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, is now an observable holiday throughout Illinois.

The new law provides that when June 19 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, neither the preceding Friday nor the following Monday shall be held or considered as a paid holiday (rather than the following Monday being considered a holiday). 

On Thursday, June 17, 2021, President Biden signed federal legislation into law establishing June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day. 

Treasury Releases Guidance for Fiscal Recovery Fund Reporting Requirements 

The U.S. Department of the Treasury (USDT) released the Compliance and Reporting Guidance (Reporting Guidance) for the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (Recovery Fund) authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act. The guidance provides additional detail and clarification for counties’ compliance and reporting responsibilities under the Recovery Fund.

On Tuesday, June 22 at 2 p.m. CST, Treasury will host a 30 minute introductory briefing on the new reporting requirements. Register for the briefing here.

Treasury will also host the following webinars for counties, which will focus on specific reporting requirements. The National Association of Counties (NACo) will share registration details when available.

• Counties with a population over 250,000 residents: Thursday, June 24 at 12:30 p.m. CST
   
• Counties with a population below 250,000 residents that received more than $5 million in State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) funding: Thursday, June 24 at 12 p.m. EDT and Friday, June 25 at 12:30 p.m. CST
   
• Counties with a population below 250,000 residents that received less than $5 million in SLFRF funding: Tuesday, June 22 at 10:30 a.m. CST and Wednesday, June 23 at 12:30 p.m. CST

Since the American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law, NACo has supported the U.S. Treasury's efforts to successfully implement the Recovery Fund. Included in the guidance are additional details and clarification for each recipient's compliance and reporting responsibilities, instructions on submitting reports, a report template and other guidance advocated for by counties. 

Click on this link for additional information provided by NACo regarding the new guidance for Fiscal Recovery Fund requirements.

Click on this link to view NACo's analysis of the American Rescue Plan Act.

Treasury Releases Updated "FAQ" for State and Local Fiscal and Recovery Funds

The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued an updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document on Thursday, June 17, 2021. This and other information about appropriate utilization of the State and Local Fiscal and Recovery Funds are being compiled on ISACo's website.

Upcoming NACo Webinars

NACo has announced the following upcoming webinar opportunities:

NACo Cyberattack Simulation: Pandemic

(Monday-Friday, June 21-25, 2021, 9:00am-10:00am CST)

In response to the growing threat landscape and complexity of the interdependent and networked business of counties, the NACo County Tech Xchange is partnering with the Professional Development Academy and their community of CISOs, CIOS, risk managers and cyber leaders to launch cyberattack simulation training.

Enrollment is free for NACo member counties. The NACo County Tech Xchange and partners are providing a scholarship of $795 per enrollee.

The NACo Cyberattack Simulation is a reality-based simulation that prepares county risk leaders for cyberattacks by assessing counties' current state of readiness and identifying gaps. This simulation will help attendees evaluate their incident response procedures and tools and guide them in developing a detailed cyberattack response strategy.

Course Objectives:

• Provide a certified test of incident management plans.
• Baseline current cybersecurity and risk management work capabilities.
• Strengthen the leadership skills of managers responsible for risk planning and incident resolution.
• Improve the quality of the incident management plans and playbook details.
• Develop immediate action plans to strengthen people, process, and technical security controls.

The NACo Cyberattack Simulation is designed for cybersecurity managers, their teams, and those responsible for risk defense, protection, and recovery, including HR, policy management, finance, public safety and emergency services. The time commitment is 30-60 minutes per day for one week. Activities can be completed on the participants’ schedule and accessed online anywhere. 

Click on this link to register for this event.

Click on this link for additional information and future NACo Cyberattack Simulations.

Vote Like a Pro at the 2021 Annual Business Meeting

(Monday, June, 21, 2021, 1:30pm-2:30pm CST)

Primary voting delegates can participate in the 2021 Annual Business Meeting during NACo’s hybrid Annual Conference in person at the Gaylord National Convention Center in Prince George’s County, Md. Join NACo to learn how to cast your votes and what you can expect during the business meeting. Following each webinar, registered voting delegates will receive a test ballot to practice using the secure online voting platform. 

Learn more about the credentials process by visiting NACo.org/VotingCredentials or by emailing credentials@naco.org. 

Click on this link to register for this event.

Protect the Financial Well-being of Your Employees and Their Furry Family Members

(Tuesday, June 22, 2021, 12:00pm-1:00pm CST)

This webinar will highlight two products that will be rolling out in the near future. NACo will be offering Pet Insurance and Cash Back Supplemental Insurance for county plans offered by Nationwide. Join us to learn more about these exciting products that can protect your employees as well as their furry family members!

Click on this link to register for this event.

Stepping Up and Connections to Care: Making the Case with Data

(Tuesday, June 2021, 1:00pm-2:30pm CST)

Hosted by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, the American Psychiatric Association Foundation, the National Association of Counties, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance

Counties across the country have made progress addressing the Stepping Up Four Key Measures. Yet counties often struggle with Key Measure 3: post-release connections to care for people who have a serious mental illness. This measure necessarily involves a handoff from the county jail system to the community-based behavioral health system, with implications for data collection and treatment initiation. This webinar will feature representatives from the Stepping Up initiative and Johnson County, Kansas, who will discuss the importance of tracking data on this key measure and how counties can set up systems to track this data accurately.

This is an external webinar

Click on this link to register for this event. 

Corporate Sponsor Spotlight

This week's corporate partner spotlight highlights ISACo's partnership with 2im Group. 

2im Group, LLC is a multi-disciplined civil engineering and environmental services firm, specializing in water resource management. Their experience includes working with transportation agencies and private sector clients. 2im Group, LLC strives to recognize its clients’ priorities to ensure project success!

​The project scopes include: Phase I studies, reports, and investigations; Phase II detailed plans, specifications, and engineer’s cost estimates; and Phase III construction engineering services.

​2im Group was established in July 2005 and has a combined personnel experience of over 100 years. Major clients include the Illinois Tollway and the Illinois Department of Transportation.

More information about the services provided by 2im Group, LLC is available via this link.

Click on this link to learn more about the benefits and opportunities available through ISACo's Corporate Partner Program.

Become an ISACo Member!