§ 9b

Grants for asbestos abatement work undertaken on or after January 1, 1986. Schools which undertake corrective action on or after January 1, 1986 shall be eligible for grants for asbestos abatement activities conducted in accordance with this Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Funds shall be provided only to those schools which have been inspected pursuant to this Act. Schools which desire abatement grants shall apply to the Department for such grants on forms designed and provided by the Department. The Department shall evaluate applications to establish priorities for funding recognizing the degree of health hazard present and shall categorize school needs using a numerical ranking. In conjunction with the State Board of Education, the Department shall calculate the amount of grant for which a public school district is eligible, based upon a Grant Index developed by the State Board of Education. The Grant Index shall be based upon the equalized assessed valuation of the school district and other measures of relative wealth to determine the percentage of the total cost of corrective action for which grants shall be authorized. The Grant Index for any school district is equal to one minus the ratio of the district's equalized assessed valuation per pupil in weighted daily average attendance to the equalized assessed valuation per pupil in weighted average daily attendance of the district located at the ninetieth percentile for all districts of the same type. The Grant Index for any school district shall be not less than .50 and no greater than 1.00. The product of the district's Grant Index and the project cost, as determined by the Department for approved corrective action, equals the amount that shall be expended on behalf of the school. All non-public schools shall be eligible for grants in an amount equal to 50% of the cost of corrective action. In conjunction with the Capital Development Board, the Department shall issue grants to schools for corrective action. The Capital Development Board shall, in conjunction with the schools, contract with a contractor whose name appears on the Department's list of approved contractors for the corrective action determined necessary according to provisions of this Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. All such contractors shall be prequalified as may be required by The Illinois Purchasing Act. All contracts entered into by the schools and the Capital Development Board shall include a provision that all work to be conducted under that contract shall be undertaken in accordance with this Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. The Capital Development Board shall exercise general supervision over corrective action financed pursuant to the provisions of this Act and the rules promulgated thereunder in schools. The Capital Development Board shall request an annual appropriation in an amount sufficient to cover all expected grants to be awarded in that year. For purposes of reimbursement under this Section, corrective action means removal, encapsulation or enclosure. A school district may levy a tax in accordance with Section 17-2.11 of "The School Code" in order to provide local funding for corrective action ordered under this Act. A school may use federal loans or grants to finance the cost of corrective action, but no State funding shall be used to repay any federal loan received by a school for asbestos abatement projects.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 84-1096.)