GOVERNOR’S HIGHLIGHTS:
Violence Prevention Funding: Organizations are encouraged to apply for $100 million in grants to fund gun violence prevention programs in municipalities across Illinois. This second round of funding, which is part of the Reimagine Public Safety Act, will support nonprofit community-based organizations and local governments in 16 municipal areas outside of the City of Chicago as they work to prevent and interrupt gun violence in their communities.
The second round grants will be awarded by the OFVP and will go to programs in Illinois municipalities that are disproportionately impacted by violence, based on a data-focused approach to prioritizing the highest need areas of the State. RPSA programs are specifically designed to address populations that are high risk of perpetrating or becoming victim to firearm violence.
Notice of Funding Opportunities are available here.
Opioid Settlement Executive Order: Executive Order 2022-19 establishes the Office of Opioid Settlement Administration within the Illinois Department of Human Services. The Office is authorized to leverage existing resources to assist with the recovery of individuals experiencing substance use disorder. The Office will create and oversee the Illinois Opioid Remediation Advisory Board which will make advisory recommendations to the Opioid Overdose Prevention and Recovery Steering Committee ensuring an equitable allocation of resources to all parts of the state.
Electric Vehicle Rebates: The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency announced the second funding round for Illinois’ Electric Vehicle (EV) Rebate Program will be open Tuesday, November 1, 2022 – Tuesday, January 31, 2023.
The current EV Rebate funding cycle, which opened on July 1, 2022, will close Friday, September 30, 2022. Individuals that have purchased an all-electric vehicle since July 1, 2022 can still access and complete an application for a rebate under Illinois’ EV Rebate Program here. Applications for the first funding round must be postmarked on or before September 30, 2022. EV purchasers must apply for a rebate within 90 days of the vehicle purchase date.
To be eligible for a rebate, the vehicle must be exclusively powered and refueled by electricity, plugged in to charge, and licensed to drive on public roadways. Electric mopeds, electric off-highway vehicles, hybrid electric or extended-range electric vehicles that are also equipped with conventional fueled propulsion or auxiliary engines are not eligible under the program.
Eligibility requirements for an EV rebate in Illinois include, but are not limited to:
- The purchaser must reside in Illinois at time of vehicle purchase and at the time the rebate is issued.
- The vehicle must be purchased from a dealer licensed by the Illinois Secretary of State.
- Rented or leased vehicles do not qualify for the rebate.
- The vehicle cannot have been the subject of a previous EV rebate under this new program in Illinois.
- The rebate amount cannot exceed the purchase price of the vehicle.
- The purchaser must retain ownership of the vehicle for a minimum of 12 consecutive months immediately after the vehicle purchase date.
- The purchaser must apply for the rebate within 90-days after the vehicle purchase date.
- Documentation requirements include a copy of purchase invoice, proof of purchase, vehicle registration, and IRS W-9 or W-8 forms.
State Employment and Retention Strategy: Governor Pritzker announced new measures as part of the ongoing efforts to address staffing shortages in the State of Illinois’ agencies that provide essential health and safety services to Illinois’ most vulnerable residents. The State is working to fill vacancies and hire thousands of frontline staff in the Departments of Human Services, Corrections, and Veteran’s Affairs. Interested individuals may visit work.illinois.gov to apply and search for jobs by agency, title, or county.
Specific agency strategies include the following:
- On an emergency basis, the Department of Central Management Services (CMS) will develop and implement a State-wide recruiting campaign focused on direct care staff serving in State mental health centers, homes for persons with developmental disabilities, and veterans’ homes, as well as staff supporting the State’s corrections facilities.
- On an emergency basis, CMS will assess, draft, and implement retention measures targeting employees at facilities that are open 24/7, which are unique and may require specialized resources. Given the financial and operational costs resulting from extensive employee turnover and unfilled positions in these vital functions, it is critical the State take as many steps as possible to address retention.
- CMS, working with the Departments of Human Services (DHS), Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), and Corrections (DOC), is directed to leverage all existing State resources and community partnerships available. This includes expanding their recruitment teams and partnering with the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) to amplify available vacancies to those individuals who are experiencing unemployment. Additionally, IDES is directed to send targeted outreach to those receiving unemployment insurance benefits or participating in the State’s Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment program.
- CMS, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and IDES are directed to leverage existing local workforce partners to encourage additional targeted outreach intended to bolster the applicant pool of qualified candidates for State jobs. These agencies are also directed to increase virtual job fairs across State platforms to recruit new workers.
Energy Assistance: Illinois families in need can apply for $300 million in available funding for energy bill assistance. All families who meet the eligibility criteria and provide required documentation are eligible to receive bill assistance for natural gas, propane, and electricity through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Applications open September 1.