SPRINGFIELD – Thanks to a new law led by State Senator Javier Loera Cervantes, applicants for grants through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICIJA) will soon see faster turnarounds on their approvals.

“The current bureaucratic process around grading ICIJA grant applications puts an unnecessary burden on workers and can delay the grants being awarded,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “This measure is a long overdue update that will ensure the grant application process is efficient for all parties.” 

ICIJA utilizes volunteer workers to score grant applications — a rule intended to keep the process unbiased. However, this can lead to lengthy delays due to dips in volunteer work, or unreliable expertise levels in the grading process.

Senate Bill 106 gives ICIJA the ability to contract outside organizations to help review and score grant applications, which would expedite the process and ensure applications are reviewed by accredited, unbiased professionals. This will relieve the burden the volunteer-based system placed on ICIJA employees who were required to finish work not completed by volunteers, and organizations submitting grant applications forced to wait longer than necessary for their results.  

Senate Bill 106 was signed into law on Friday. It is effective immediately. 

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