104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB3541 Introduced , by Rep. Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr. SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 20 ILCS 730/5-40 Amends the Energy Transition Act. Provides that the Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program shall recruit, prescreen, and provide 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 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB3541 Introduced , by Rep. Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr. SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 20 ILCS 730/5-40 20 ILCS 730/5-40 Amends the Energy Transition Act. Provides that the Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program shall recruit, prescreen, and provide 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 LRB104 11392 HLH 21480 b A BILL FOR
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB3541 Introduced , by Rep. Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr. SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
20 ILCS 730/5-40 20 ILCS 730/5-40
20 ILCS 730/5-40
Amends the Energy Transition Act. Provides that the Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program shall recruit, prescreen, and provide 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).
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A BILL FOR
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1 AN ACT concerning State government.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Energy Transition Act is amended by
5 changing Section 5-40 as follows:
6 (20 ILCS 730/5-40)
7 (Section scheduled to be repealed on September 15, 2045)
8 Sec. 5-40. Illinois Climate Works Preapprenticeship
9 Program.
10 (a) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall
11 develop, and through Regional Administrators administer, the
12 Illinois Climate Works Preapprenticeship Program. The goal of
13 the Illinois Climate Works Preapprenticeship Program is to
14 create a network of hubs throughout the State that will
15 recruit, prescreen, and provide preapprenticeship skills
16 training, for which participants may attend free of charge and
17 receive a stipend, to create a qualified, diverse pipeline of
18 workers who are prepared for careers in the construction and
19 building trades and clean energy jobs opportunities therein.
20 Upon completion of the Illinois Climate Works
21 Preapprenticeship Program, the candidates will be connected to
22 and prepared to successfully complete an apprenticeship
23 program.
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB3541 Introduced , by Rep. Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr. SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
20 ILCS 730/5-40 20 ILCS 730/5-40
20 ILCS 730/5-40
Amends the Energy Transition Act. Provides that the Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program shall recruit, prescreen, and provide 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).
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A BILL FOR
20 ILCS 730/5-40
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1 (b) Each Climate Works Hub that receives funding from the
2 Energy Transition Assistance Fund shall provide an annual
3 report to the Illinois Works Review Panel by April 1 of each
4 calendar year. The annual report shall include the following
5 information:
6 (1) a description of the Climate Works Hub's
7 recruitment, screening, and training efforts, including a
8 description of training related to construction and
9 building trades opportunities in clean energy jobs;
10 (2) the number of individuals who apply to,
11 participate in, and complete the Climate Works Hub's
12 program, broken down by race, gender, age, and veteran
13 status;
14 (3) the number of the individuals referenced in
15 paragraph (2) of this subsection who are initially
16 accepted and placed into apprenticeship programs in the
17 construction and building trades; and
18 (4) the number of individuals referenced in paragraph
19 (2) of this subsection who remain in apprenticeship
20 programs in the construction and building trades or have
21 become journeymen one calendar year after their placement,
22 as referenced in paragraph (3) of this subsection.
23 (c) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall provide
24 funding to 3 Climate Works Hubs throughout the State,
25 including one to the Illinois Department of Transportation
26 Region 1, one to the Illinois Department of Transportation
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1 Regions 2 and 3, and one to the Illinois Department of
2 Transportation Regions 4 and 5. An eligible organization may
3 serve as the designated Climate Works Hub for all 5 regions.
4 Climate Works Hubs shall be awarded grants in multi-year
5 increments not to exceed 36 months. Each grant shall come with
6 a one year initial term, with the Department renewing each
7 year for 2 additional years unless the grantee either declines
8 to continue or fails to meet reasonable performance measures
9 that consider apprenticeship programs timeframes. The
10 Department may take into account experience and performance as
11 a previous grantee of the Climate Works Hub as part of the
12 selection criteria for subsequent years.
13 (d) The Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program shall
14 recruit, prescreen, and provide pre-apprenticeship training
15 relevant to clean energy apprenticeships in the construction
16 and building trades and shall meet all of the following:
17 (1) The Program shall dedicate at least one-third of
18 Program placements to applicants who reside in a
19 geographic area that is (i) an R3 Area, as defined in
20 Section 10-40 of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, (ii)
21 an environmental justice community, as defined in the
22 Illinois Power Agency Act, and (iii) impacted by economic
23 and environmental challenges, excluding any racial or
24 ethnic indicators used by the Agency unless and until the
25 constitutional basis for the inclusion of the factors in
26 determining Program admissions is established. Among
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1 applicants that satisfy these criteria, preference shall
2 be given to applicants who face barriers to employment,
3 including low educational attainment, prior involvement
4 with the criminal justice system, and language barriers,
5 and applicants that are graduates of or currently enrolled
6 in the foster care system.
7 (2) The Program shall dedicate at least two-thirds of
8 Program placements to applicants that satisfy the criteria
9 in paragraph (1) or who reside in a geographic area that is
10 (i) an R3 Area, as defined in Section 10-40 of the Cannabis
11 Regulation and Tax Act, or an environmental justice
12 community, as defined in the Illinois Power Agency Act,
13 and (ii) that is impacted by economic and environmental
14 challenges, excluding any racial or ethnic indicators used
15 by the Agency unless and until the constitutional basis
16 for the inclusion of the factors in determining Program
17 admissions is established. Among applicants that satisfy
18 these criteria, preference shall be given to applicants
19 who face barriers to employment, including low educational
20 attainment, prior involvement with the criminal legal
21 system, and language barriers, and applicants that are
22 graduates of or currently enrolled in the foster care
23 system; and
24 (3) The Program shall prioritize the remaining Program
25 placements for the following:
26 (i) applicants who are displaced energy workers,
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1 as defined in the Energy Community Reinvestment Act;
2 (ii) persons who face barriers to employment,
3 including low educational attainment, prior
4 involvement with the criminal justice system, and
5 language barriers; and
6 (iii) applicants who are graduates of or currently
7 enrolled in the foster care system, regardless of the
8 applicant's area of residence. Each Climate Works Hub
9 that receives funding from the Energy Transition
10 Assistance Fund shall:
11 (1) recruit, prescreen, and provide preapprenticeship
12 training to equity investment eligible persons;
13 (2) provide training information related to
14 opportunities and certifications relevant to clean energy
15 jobs in the construction and building trades; and
16 (3) provide preapprentices with stipends they receive
17 that may vary depending on the occupation the individual
18 is training for.
19
20 (d-5) Priority shall be given to Climate Works Hubs that
21 have an agreement with North American Building Trades Unions
22 (NABTU) to utilize the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum or
23 successor curriculums.
24 (e) Funding for the Program is subject to appropriation
25 from the Energy Transition Assistance Fund.
26 (f) The Department shall adopt any rules deemed necessary
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