HB 3541 — ILLINOIS CLIMATE WORKS PROGRAM

*LRB10411392HLH21480b* HB3541 104THEngrossed GENERALLRB104 ASSEMBLY11392 StateHLH of21480 Illinoisb andAN 2026ACT HB3541concerning IntroducedState 2/18/2025,government. by Rep.

Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr.

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

ILCS 730/5-40 Pre-ApprenticeshiperProgramsitshallctrecruit,es prescreen,liande Wprovide pre-apprenticeship training relevant to clean energy apprenticeships in the construction and building trades and that the Program shall meet certain requirements regarding applicant placements (rather than requiring each Climate Works Hub that receives funding from the Energy Transition Assistance Fund to perform certain actions).

LRB104 11392 HLH 21480 b A BILL FOR HB3541 LRB104 11392 HLH 21480 b AN ACT concerning State government.

HB3541 Engrossed - 2 - LRB104 11392 HLH 21480 b (b) Each Climate Works Hub that receives funding from the Energy Transition Assistance Fund shall provide an annual report to the Illinois Works Review Panel by April 1 of each calendar year.

(c) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall provide funding to 3 Climate Works Hubs throughout the State, including one to the Illinois Department of Transportation Region 1, one to the Illinois Department of Transportation HB3541 Engrossed - 3 - LRB104 11392 HLH 21480 b Regions 2 and 3, and one to the Illinois Department of Transportation Regions 4 and 5.

(d) TheEach Climate Works Pre-ApprenticeshipHub Programthat shallreceives recruit,funding prescreen,from andthe provideEnergy pre-apprenticeshipTransition trainingAssistance relevantFund toshall cleanrecruit, energyprescreen, apprenticeships in the construction and buildingprovide tradespreapprenticeship andtraining shallto meetprogram allparticipants. of the following:

(1)Each TheClimate ProgramWorks shallHub dedicate at least one-third of Program placements to applicants who reside in a geographic area that isreceives (i)funding anfrom R3 Area, as defined in Section 10-40 of the CannabisEnergy RegulationTransition andAssistance TaxFund Act,shall: (ii) an environmental justice community, as defined in the Illinois Power Agency Act, and (iii) impacted by economic and environmental challenges, excluding any racial or ethnic indicators used by the Agency unless and until the constitutional basis for the inclusion of the factors in determining Program admissions is established.

Among(1) HB3541in -each 4Hub -Site LRB104where 11392 HLH 21480 b applicants that satisfy these criteria, preference shall be given to applicants who face barriers to employment, including low educational attainment, prior involvement with the criminalapplicant justicepool system,allows: and language barriers, and applicants that are graduates of or currently enrolled in the foster care system.

(2)(A) The Program shall dedicate at least two-thirdsone-third of Program placements to applicants thatwho satisfyreside thein criteriaa ingeographic paragrapharea (1)that oris whoimpacted resideby ineconomic aand geographicenvironmental challenges, defined as an area that is both (i) an R3 Area, as defined inpursuant to Section 10-40 of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, orand (ii) an environmental justice community, as defined inby the Illinois Power Agency Act,under andthe (ii)Illinois thatPower isAgency impactedHB3541 byEngrossed economic- and4 environmental- challenges,LRB104 11392 HLH 21480 b Act, excluding any racial or ethnic indicators used by the Agency unless and until the constitutional basis for the inclusion of the factors in determining Program admissions is established.established;

Amongamong applicants that satisfy these criteria, preference shall be given to applicants who face barriers to employment, including low educational attainment, prior involvement with the criminal legaljustice system, and language barriers, and applicants that are graduates of or currently enrolled in the foster care system;

and (3)(B) Thededicate at least two-thirds of Program shallplacements prioritizeto applicants who reside in a geographic area that is impacted by economic or environmental challenges, defined as an area that is either (i) an R3 Area, as defined pursuant to Section 10-40 of the remainingCannabis ProgramRegulation placementsand Tax Act, or (ii) an environmental justice community, as defined by the Illinois Power Agency in the Illinois Power Agency Act, excluding any racial or ethnic indicators used by the Agency unless and until the constitutional basis for the following:inclusion of the factors in determining Program admissions is established;

(i)among applicants that satisfy these criteria, preference shall be given to applicants who areface displacedbarriers energyto workers,employment, including low educational attainment, prior HB3541 Engrossed - 5 - LRB104 11392 HLH 21480 b asinvolvement definedwith the criminal legal system, and language barriers, and applicants that are graduates of or currently enrolled in the Energyfoster Communitycare Reinvestmentsystem; Act;

and (C) prioritize the remaining Program placements for the following:

(i) applicants who are displaced energy workers, as defined in the Energy Community Reinvestment Act;

and (iii) applicants who are graduates of or currently enrolled in the foster care system, regardless of the applicant's area of residence.residence;

HB3541 Engrossed - 6 - LRB104 11392 HLH 21480 b (d-5) Priority shall be given to Climate Works Hubs that have an agreement with North American Building Trades Unions (NABTU) to utilize the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum or successor curriculums.

(f) The Department shall adopt any rules deemed necessary HB3541 - 6 - LRB104 11392 HLH 21480 b to implement this Section.

1-27-23.) Section 10.

The Illinois Works Jobs Program Act is amended by changing Section 20-15 as follows:

(30 ILCS 559/20-15) Sec.

20-15.

Illinois Works Preapprenticeship Program;

Illinois Works Bid Credit Program.

(a) The Illinois Works Preapprenticeship Program is established and shall be administered by the Department.

The goal of the Illinois Works Preapprenticeship Program is to create a network of community-based organizations throughout the State that will recruit, prescreen, and provide preapprenticeship skills training, for which participants may attend free of charge and receive a stipend, to create a qualified, diverse pipeline of workers who are prepared for careers in the construction and building trades.

Upon HB3541 Engrossed - 7 - LRB104 11392 HLH 21480 b completion of the Illinois Works Preapprenticeship Program, the candidates will be skilled and work-ready.

(b) There is created the Illinois Works Fund, a special fund in the State treasury.

The Illinois Works Fund shall be administered by the Department.

The Illinois Works Fund shall be used to provide funding for community-based organizations throughout the State.

In addition to any other transfers that may be provided for by law, on and after July 1, 2019 at the direction of the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget, the State Comptroller shall direct and the State Treasurer shall transfer amounts not exceeding a total of $50,000,000 from the Rebuild Illinois Projects Fund to the Illinois Works Fund.

(b-5) In addition to any other transfers that may be provided for by law, beginning July 1, 2024 and each July 1 thereafter, or as soon thereafter as practical, the State Comptroller shall direct and the State Treasurer shall transfer $20,000,000 from the Capital Projects Fund to the Illinois Works Fund.

(c) Each community-based organization that receives funding from the Illinois Works Fund shall provide an annual report to the Illinois Works Review Panel by April 1 of each calendar year.

The annual report shall include the following information:

(1) a description of the community-based organization's recruitment, screening, and training HB3541 Engrossed - 8 - LRB104 11392 HLH 21480 b efforts;

(2) the number of individuals who apply to, participate in, and complete the community-based organization's program, broken down by race, gender, age, and veteran status;

and (3) the number of the individuals referenced in item (2) of this subsection who are initially accepted and placed into apprenticeship programs in the construction and building trades.

(d) The Department shall create and administer the Illinois Works Bid Credit Program that shall provide economic incentives, through bid credits, to encourage contractors and subcontractors to provide contracting and employment opportunities to historically underrepresented populations in the construction industry.

The Illinois Works Bid Credit Program shall allow contractors and subcontractors to earn bid credits for use toward future bids for public works projects contracted by the State or an agency of the State in order to increase the chances that the contractor and the subcontractors will be selected.