Employee Wellness Program Grant Act (30 ILCS 770/)

Chapter 30 — Finance

Grants and Aid

This text is maintained by the Legislative Reference Bureau for legislative drafting purposes and is NOT the official text of the Illinois Compiled Statutes; the only official copy is the printed copy maintained by the Secretary of State.

Sec. 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Employee Wellness Program Grant Act.

(Source: P.A. 88-312.)

Sec. 5. Legislative findings

The General Assembly finds that lifestyle factors contribute to more than half of all deaths in this State. These health risk factors include the following: smoking, obesity, stress, nutrition, blood pressure, and alcohol and drug use.

The citizens of this State should be encouraged to adopt lifestyles that lead to wellness. The State can help provide that encouragement by promoting the adoption of wellness programs in the workplace. The benefits of these programs include the following: better health, reduced absenteeism, higher morale, health care cost savings, increased job satisfaction and productivity, and decreased workers' compensation claims.

(Source: P.A. 88-312.)

Sec. 10. Definition

As used in this Act, "Department" means the Illinois Department of Public Health.

(Source: P.A. 88-312.)

Sec. 15. Grants for employee wellness programs

(a) Contingent upon specific appropriation, the Department shall make grants to employers in this State to assist those employers in providing one or more of the following health promotion or wellness services to their employees to reduce the prevalence of health risk factors for their employees:

(1) Aerobic exercise.

(2) Alcohol and substance abuse education.

(3) Blood cholesterol screening.

(4) Fitness and exercise testing.

(5) Health risk appraisals.

(6) Blood pressure screening and education.

(7) Internal evaluation and monitoring.

(8) Nutrition education.

(9) Program planning.

(10) Safety belt education.

(11) Smoking cessation.

(12) Stress management.

(13) Weight loss.

(14) Woman's health education.

(15) Informational campaigns (only with other services).

(16) Stress analysis screening.

(b) Grants shall be made under this Section only to employers that employ fewer than 500 persons in this State. In addition, the Department, in making grants, shall give special consideration to employers and programs that meet one or more of the following criteria:

(1) The employer is less likely to start programs offering health promotion or wellness services without financial or technical assistance.

(2) The employer wants to do or has done program planning.

(3) The employer has recently begun offering wellness activities for its employees.

(4) The employer has employee groups that are at higher risk for premature death and disability.

(5) The program addresses 2 or more of the health risk factors described in Section 5.

(6) The program is conducted by 2 or more employers or employee organizations.

(c) Programs funded under this Act may provide services to employees, dependents of employees, and retired employees.

(d) The Department shall accept applications for grants under this Act from employers according to procedures established by the Department in rules.

(Source: P.A. 88-312; 89-692, eff. 12-31-96.)

Sec. 20. List of service providers

The Department shall develop a list of providers of health promotion and wellness services authorized under Section 15 and shall endeavor to make employers in this State aware of those service providers.

(Source: P.A. 88-312.)

Sec. 25. Rules

The Department shall adopt all rules necessary and appropriate to implement this Act.

(Source: P.A. 88-312.)

Sec. 30.

(Amendatory provisions; text omitted).

(Source: P.A. 88-312; text omitted.)

Sec. 35.

(Amendatory provisions; text omitted).

(Source: P.A. 88-312; text omitted.)

Sec. 40.

(Amendatory provisions; text omitted).

(Source: P.A. 88-312; text omitted.)

Sec. 45.

(Amendatory provisions; text omitted).

(Source: P.A. 88-312; text omitted.)

Sec. 99.

This Act takes effect upon becoming law.

(Source: P.A. 88-312.)