BILL NUMBER:  S2716

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act in relation to enacting the "youth violence
prevention task force act"; and providing for the repeal of such
provisions upon expiration thereof

 PURPOSE :

Enacts the "Youth violence prevention task force act" to create the
violence prevention task force.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
the " violence prevention task force act". § 2. Violence prevention
task force; members 1. There is created the " violence prevention task
force" (hereinafter referred to as the task force" consisting of seven
members to be appointed as follows: a. one member of the senate who
shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate; b.  one
member of the senate who shall be appointed by the minority leader of
the senate; c. one member of the assembly who shall be appointed by
the speaker of the assembly; d. one member of the assembly who shall
be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly and e. three
members who shall be appointed by the governor, one of whom shall be
designated as the chairperson of the task force by the governor.

              

2. The members of the task force shall serve without compensation but
shall be entitled to reimbursement for their reasonable and necessary
expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

3. The task force may employ skilled experts with the approval of the
chairperson, and shall receive the cooperation of those state agencies
it deems appropriate to assist the task force in carrying out its
duties.

4. The task force shall hold hearings across the state.

§ 3. Violence prevention task force; duties. 1. The task force shall
have the following duties a. to study and evaluate and determine the
effectiveness of current and existing programs related to the
prevention f violence.

§ 4. Report. The task force shall report to the governor and the
legislature on or before December first of each year concerning its
activities during the previous year.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Youth violence is a widespread problem that can have lasting harmful
effects on victims and their families, friends and communities. It
includes various behaviors. Some violent acts, such as bullying,
slapping or hitting, can cause more emotional harm than physical.
Others, such as robbery or assault (with or without weapons) can lead
to serious injury or death. It is the second leading cause of death
for youth ages 10 to 24 years of age, both nationally and in Illinois.

But, as quoted by Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck, Director of the Illinois
Department of Public Health: "Violence is preventable, not
inevitable." Dr. Hasbrouck, a former medical epidemiologist for the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of
Violence Prevention and co-author of the Surgeon General's Report on
Youth Violence (2001), knows preventing youth violence is vital to
promoting the health and safety of youth and communities.



As outlined by STRYVE (Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere),
a national initiative by the CDC, the reasons why prevention of youth
violence is so vital include:

*Young people cannot learn and succeed in life if they are afraid to
go to school or work because of fear or harm.

*Children cannot play if their neighborhoods and playgrounds are
unsafe.

*Violence increases health care costs, decreases property values,
disrupts social services, and threatens the success of businesses.

*When youth violence occurs, quality of life diminishes, and
communities cannot thrive.

Making youth violence prevention a top priority is thus critical to
the short- and long-term health, safety, and viability of a community.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

TBD

 LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

TBD

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately, and be repealed on December
1st 2018