Legislative Update -- October 1, 2020

October 1, 2020
  • Census 2020: As of September 28, 2020, Illinois' total enumerated percentage is 99%! This includes 70.9% in self-response and an additional 28.2% via nonresponse follow-up efforts. The total enumerated nationwide is 98.4%. Last week U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh issued the ruling to extend the 2020 Census count through October 31 nationwide. This ruling blocks the President’s plan to end the 2020 Census count early, on September 30. The President’s administration is appealing to this order to the ninth circuit, which means the Census deadline continues to be uncertain. The reason for the deadline for data collection is to allow time for apportionment data to be provided by December 31, as required by law. H.R. 8250, the 2020 Census Deadlines Extension Act and its companion in the Senate, S. 4571, have been filed to extend that deadline to April 30, 2021 and to preclude the cessation of data collection prior to October 31, 2020.
  • Federal COVID-19 Relief: As of this writing, Congress is expected to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government funded at current FY2020 levels and avoid a government shutdown through December 11. COVID-19 relief funding decisions are expected to take place following the November 3 election. The U.S. House of Representatives has gone back to try to come up with a new package, after passage in the House but no forward progress since then of the HEROES Act. "HEROES II" reveals the benefit of library advocacy efforts: Funding for and through IMLS is at $135 million, as opposed to $5 million in the original. Additional funding proposals have been incorporated into HEROES II, to include library-related, educational, cultural, and broadband funding as follows:
    IMLS: $135 million to support libraries and museums with costs and expenses associated with coronavirus, including operational supports and providing technology and resources for their communities.
    Broadband: $12 billion for Wi-Fi Hotspots & devices for students and libraries; $3 billion for Emergency Home Connectivity
    Education: $225 billion, as follows: K-12, $175 billion; Higher Ed, $38.9 billion; $5 billion for Emergency School Facilities Repairs; $4 billion for Governors fund to restore state and local funding; $2 billion for Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools and Tribal Colleges and Universities; $32 million for National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and math assessments
    Library of Congress: $12 million for unanticipated IT costs & telework expenses
    National Endowment for the Arts: $135 million for grants to respond to the impacts of COVID
    National Endowment for the Humanities: $135 million for grants to respond to the impacts of COVID
    National Archives: $92 million for losses and telework
    Census: $400 million for expenses related to delays in counting
    Worker Training: $1.2 billion supporting state grants for dislocated worker employment and training activities, including summer employment for youth and distance learning services through one-stop programs.
  • Potential ILA Legislative Agenda Want to reach out to ILA's Public Policy Committee? Use the "Contact Us" button on PPC's page on the ILA website.
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