97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5781

 

Introduced 2/16/2012, by Rep. Bill Mitchell

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
See Index

    Amends the School Code, the Higher Education Student Assistance Act, and the Illinois Youth and Young Adult Employment Act of 1986. Provides that after July 1, 2012 persons may not be nominated for General Assembly scholarships and that General Assembly scholarships may not be awarded after that date unless the nomination is made prior to that date. Prevents both second nominations for any lapsed General Assembly scholarship and nominating persons to the unused or unexpired parts of any vacated General Assembly scholarship after July 1, 2012. Beginning with the 2012-2013 academic year, requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to receive and consider applications for scholarship assistance from participants in the Young Adult Component of the Illinois Conservation Corps enrolled or accepted for enrollment at a public university or community college in this State. Provides that a total of 100 scholarships shall be awarded each year. Provides that recipients shall be selected from among qualified applicants based upon academic excellence and an intent to study a natural resource or environment-related major field of study. Provides that preference may be given to previous recipients of assistance. Provides that each scholarship shall be in an amount sufficient to pay the tuition and fees of the public university or community college at which the recipient is enrolled. Requires the Commission to administer the scholarship program and make all necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with these provisions for their effective implementation. Provides that an enrollee of the Illinois Conservation Corps program shall not receive payment for work performed (instead of receiving at least the standard minimum wage) if he or she is or was a recipient of a scholarship. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections
530-9, 30-10, 30-11, and 30-12 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/30-9)  (from Ch. 122, par. 30-9)
7    Sec. 30-9. General Assembly scholarship; conditions of
8admission; award by competitive examination.
9    (a) The provisions of this subsection (a) are subject to
10subsection (b). Each member of the General Assembly may
11nominate annually 2 persons of school age and otherwise
12eligible, from his district; each shall receive a certificate
13of scholarship in any State supported university designated by
14the member. Any member of the General Assembly in making
15nominations under this Section may designate that his nominee
16be granted a 4 year scholarship or may instead designate 2 or 4
17nominees for that particular scholarship, each to receive a 2
18year or a one year scholarship, respectively. The nominee, if a
19graduate of a school accredited by the University to which
20nominated, shall be admitted to the university on the same
21conditions as to educational qualifications as are other
22graduates of accredited schools. If the nominee is not a
23graduate of a school accredited by the university to which

 

 

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1nominated, he must, before being entitled to the benefits of
2the scholarship, pass an examination given by the
3superintendent of schools of the county where he resides at the
4time stated in Section 30-7 for the competitive examination.
5The president of each university shall prescribe the rules
6governing the examination for scholarship to his university.
7    A member of the General Assembly may award the scholarship
8by competitive examination conducted under like rules as
9prescribed in Section 30-7 even though one or more of the
10applicants are graduates of schools accredited by the
11university.
12    A member of the General Assembly may delegate to the
13Illinois Student Assistance Commission the authority to
14nominate persons for General Assembly scholarships which that
15member would otherwise be entitled to award, or may direct the
16Commission to evaluate and make recommendations to the member
17concerning candidates for such scholarships. In the event a
18member delegates his nominating authority or directs the
19Commission to evaluate and make recommendations concerning
20candidates for General Assembly scholarships, the member shall
21inform the Commission in writing of the criteria which he
22wishes the Commission to apply in nominating or recommending
23candidates. Those criteria may include some or all of the
24criteria provided in Section 25 of the Higher Education Student
25Assistance Act. A delegation of authority under this paragraph
26may be revoked at any time by the member.

 

 

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1    Failure of a member of the General Assembly to make a
2nomination in any year shall not cause that scholarship to
3lapse, but the member may make a nomination for such
4scholarship at any time thereafter through July 1, 2012; before
5the expiration of his term, and the person so nominated shall
6be entitled to the same benefits as holders of other
7scholarships provided herein. Any such scholarship for which a
8member has made no nomination on or before July 1, 2012 prior
9to the expiration of the term for which he was elected shall
10lapse upon the expiration of that term.
11    (b) After July 1, 2012 no person may be nominated to
12receive any one-year, 2-year, 4-year, or other scholarship or
13certificate of scholarship under this Section, nor may any such
14scholarship be awarded under this Section after July 1, 2012
15unless the person was nominated prior to that date to receive
16that scholarship.
17(Source: P.A. 93-349, eff. 7-24-03.)
 
18    (105 ILCS 5/30-10)  (from Ch. 122, par. 30-10)
19    Sec. 30-10. Filing nominations-Failure to accept or
20pass-Second nomination.     Nominations that are made , under
21Section 30-9 on or before July 1, 2012 and that show , showing
22the name and address of the nominee, and the term of the
23scholarship, whether 4 years, 2 years or one year, must be
24filed with the State Superintendent of Education not later than
25the opening day of the semester or term with which the

 

 

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1scholarship is to become effective. The State Superintendent of
2Education shall forthwith notify the president of the
3university of such nomination. No valid nomination to any
4scholarship may be made under Section 30-9 after July 1, 2012.
5    If the nominee fails to accept the nomination or, not being
6a graduate of a school accredited by the university, fails to
7pass the examination for admission, the president of the
8university shall at once notify the State Superintendent of
9Education. Upon receiving such notification, the State
10Superintendent of Education shall notify the nominating
11member, who may, on or before, but not after July 1, 2012, name
12another person for the scholarship. The second nomination must
13be received by the State Superintendent of Education not later
14than the middle of the semester or term with which the
15scholarship was to have become effective under the original
16nomination in order to become effective as of the opening date
17of such semester or term otherwise it shall not become
18effective until the beginning of the next semester or term
19following the making of the second nomination; provided that
20the second nomination must be made, if at all, on or before
21July 1, 2012 or the scholarship shall be deemed to have lapsed
22by operation of law. Upon receiving such notification of a
23second nomination on or before July 1, 2012, the State
24Superintendent of Education shall notify the president of the
25university of such second nomination. If any person nominated
26after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1973 to

 

 

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1receive a General Assembly scholarship changes his residence to
2a location outside of the district from which he was nominated,
3his nominating member may terminate that scholarship at the
4conclusion of the college year in which he is then enrolled,
5but after July 1, 2012 no person may be nominated to receive or
6otherwise be awarded all or any part of the scholarship that is
7unused or unexpired at the time the scholarship is so
8terminated. For purposes of this paragraph, a person changes
9his residence if he registers to vote in a location outside of
10the district from which he was nominated, but does not change
11his residence merely by taking off-campus housing or living in
12a nonuniversity residence.
13(Source: P.A. 93-349, eff. 7-24-03.)
 
14    (105 ILCS 5/30-11)  (from Ch. 122, par. 30-11)
15    Sec. 30-11. Failure to use scholarship - Further
16nominations. If any nominee under Section 30-9 or 30-10
17discontinues his course of instruction or fails to use the
18scholarship, leaving 1, 2, 3, or 4 years thereof unused, the
19member of the General Assembly may, except as otherwise
20provided in this Article, nominate some other person eligible
21under this Article from his district who shall be entitled to
22the scholarship for the unexpired period thereof; provided that
23the nomination for the unexpired period of the scholarship must
24be made, if at all, on or before July 1, 2012 or such
25nomination shall be invalid, and the scholarship and its

 

 

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1unexpired period shall be deemed to have lapsed by operation of
2law. Such appointment to an unexpired scholarship vacated
3before July 1, 1961, may be made only by the member of the
4General Assembly who made the original appointment and during
5the time he is such a member. If a scholarship is vacated on or
6after July 1, 1961, and the member of the General Assembly who
7made the original appointment has ceased to be a member, some
8eligible person may be nominated in the following manner to
9fill the vacancy: If the original appointment was made by a
10Senator, such nomination shall be made by the Senator from the
11same district; if the original appointment was made by a
12Representative, such nomination shall be made by the
13Representative from the same district. Every nomination to fill
14a vacancy must be made on or before July 1, 2012 and
15accompanied either by a release of the original nominee or if
16he is dead then an affidavit to that effect by some competent
17person. The failure of a nominee to register at the university
18within 20 days after the opening of any semester or term shall
19be deemed a release by him of the nomination, unless he has
20been granted a leave of absence in accordance with Section
2130-14 or unless his absence is by reason of his entry into the
22military service of the United States. The university shall
23immediately upon the expiration of 20 days after the beginning
24of the semester or term notify the State Board of Education as
25to the status of each scholarship, who shall forthwith notify
26the nominating member of any nominee's failure to register or,

 

 

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1if the nominating member has ceased to be a member of the
2General Assembly, shall notify the member or members entitled
3to make the nomination to fill the vacancy. All nominations to
4unused or unexpired scholarships, if made on or before July 1,
52012, shall be effective as of the opening of the semester or
6term of the university during which they are made if they are
7filed with the university during the first half of the semester
8or term, otherwise they shall not be effective until the
9opening of the next following semester or term; provided that
10no nomination to an unused or unexpired scholarship is valid if
11made after July 1, 2012, and an unused or unexpired scholarship
12shall be deemed to have lapsed by operation of law unless the
13nomination to that unused or unexpired scholarship is made on
14or before July 1, 2012.
15(Source: P.A. 93-349, eff. 7-24-03.)
 
16    (105 ILCS 5/30-12)  (from Ch. 122, par. 30-12)
17    Sec. 30-12. Failure to begin or discontinuance of course
18because of military service.
19    Any nominee, under Sections 30--9, 30--10, or 30--11, who
20fails to begin or discontinues his course of instruction
21because of his entry into the military service of the United
22States, leaving all or a portion of the scholarship unused,
23may, upon completion of such service, use the scholarship or
24the unused portion thereof, regardless of whether or not the
25member of the General Assembly who nominated him is then a

 

 

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1member; provided that during the nominee's period of military
2service no other person may be nominated by such member to all
3or any portion of such unused or unfinished scholarship unless
4the nomination is accompanied either by a release of the
5original nominee or if he is dead then an affidavit to that
6effect by some competent person and unless the nomination is
7made on or before July 1, 2012.
8(Source: Laws 1961, p. 31.)
 
9    Section 10. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
10amended by adding Section 65.90 as follows:
 
11    (110 ILCS 947/65.90 new)
12    Sec. 65.90. Illinois Conservation Corps scholarships.
13    (a) Beginning with the 2012-2013 academic year, the
14Commission shall, each year, receive and consider applications
15for scholarship assistance under this Section. A total of 100
16scholarships shall be awarded each year. An applicant is
17eligible for a scholarship under this Section if the Commission
18finds that the applicant meets all of the following
19qualifications:
20        (1) He or she is a United States citizen or eligible
21    noncitizen.
22        (2) He or she is a resident of this State.
23        (3) He or she is enrolled or accepted for enrollment at
24    a public university or community college in this State.

 

 

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1        (4) He or she is a participant in the Young Adult
2    Component of the Illinois Conservation Corps.
3    (b) Recipients shall be selected from among applicants
4qualified pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section based upon
5the following criteria, as determined by the Commission:
6        (1) academic excellence; and
7        (2) an intent to study a natural resource or
8    environment-related major field of study.
9Preference may be given to previous recipients of assistance
10under this Section, provided they continue to maintain
11eligibility and maintain satisfactory academic progress as
12determined by the public university or community college at
13which they enroll.
14    (c) Each scholarship awarded under this Section shall be in
15an amount sufficient to pay the tuition and fees of the public
16university or community college at which the recipient is
17enrolled.
18    (d) The total amount of scholarship assistance awarded by
19the Commission under this Section to an individual in any given
20fiscal year, when added to other financial assistance awarded
21to that individual for that year, shall not exceed the cost of
22attendance at the public university or community college at
23which the student is enrolled.
24    (e) A recipient may receive up to 8 semesters scholarship
25assistance under this Section.
26    (f) All applications for scholarship assistance to be

 

 

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1awarded under this Section shall be made to the Commission in a
2form as set forth by the Commission. The form of application
3and the information required to be set forth in the application
4shall be determined by the Commission, and the Commission shall
5require eligible applicants to submit with their applications
6such supporting documents as the Commission deems necessary.
7    (g) Subject to a separate appropriation made for such
8purposes, payment of any scholarship awarded under this Section
9shall be determined by the Commission. All scholarship funds
10distributed in accordance with this Section shall be paid to
11the public university or community college on behalf of the
12recipients. Scholarship funds are applicable toward 2
13semesters of enrollment within an academic year.
14    (h) The Commission shall administer the scholarship
15program established by this Section and shall make all
16necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with this Section
17for its effective implementation.
 
18    Section 15. The Illinois Youth and Young Adult Employment
19Act of 1986 is amended by changing Section 7 as follows:
 
20    (525 ILCS 50/7)  (from Ch. 48, par. 2557)
21    Sec. 7. Illinois Conservation Corps. With respect to the
22Illinois Conservation Corps program:
23    (a) Enrollment. The Illinois Conservation Corps Youth
24Component shall be limited to citizens of this State who at the

 

 

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1time of enrollment are 16 through 18 years of age inclusive and
2who are unemployed. The Illinois Conservation Corps Young Adult
3Component shall be limited to citizens of this State who at the
4time of enrollment are 18 through 25 years of age inclusive and
5who are unemployed.
6    The Department shall make public notification of the
7availability of jobs for eligible youths and young adults in
8the Illinois Conservation Corps by the means of newspapers,
9electronic media, educational facilities, units of local
10government and the Department of Employment Security offices.
11    The Department shall promulgate reasonable rules
12pertaining to application for jobs with the Illinois
13Conservation Corps.
14    Any applicant who knowingly and purposely provides
15wrongful information regarding age, employment or educational
16records shall be deemed ineligible to participate in the
17program. Any applicant who successfully gains employment in the
18program and is later proven to have falsified his or her
19application shall be dismissed immediately from the program.
20    (b) Terms of Employment. The enrollment period for any
21successful applicant of the Illinois Conservation Corps Youth
22Component shall not be longer than 60 working days during the
23months of June, July and August. Once enrolled in the program,
24each enrollee shall receive at least the standard minimum wage
25as set by the State of Illinois, unless the enrollee is or was
26a recipient of an Illinois Conservation Corps scholarship under

 

 

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1Section 65.90 of the Higher Education Student Assistance Act,
2in which case the enrollee shall not receive payment for work
3performed. An enrollee and shall work normal working hours as
4determined by the Department. The enrollees shall not be
5classified as employees of the State for purposes of
6contributions to the State Employees' Retirement System or any
7other public employment retirement system of the State.
8    (c) Permissible Activities. The Director shall designate
9suitable projects in which enrollees of the program shall
10participate. No project designated for enrollee participation
11shall result in the displacement of individuals currently
12employed or positions currently existing, either directly or
13under contract with any private contractor, by the Department
14through the reduction of overtime or nonovertime hours, wages
15or employment benefits.
16    Projects so designated by the Director shall be for the
17purpose of enhancing public lands owned or leased by the
18Department. Such projects shall include improving the habitat
19of fauna and flora; improving utilization of recreation
20facilities by the public; improving water quality; and any
21other project deemed by the Department to improve the
22environmental, economic and recreational quality of the State
23owned or leased lands.
24    All projects designated for activity by the Director shall
25be within a reasonable commuting time for each enrollee. To the
26extent possible, the Director shall designate areas where a

 

 

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1pool of enrollees may work. In no circumstance shall enrollees
2be required to spend more than 1 1/2 hours of commuting time to
3a project or a designated area; provided, an enrollee, or an
4enrollee who is a minor with the express concurrence of his
5parent or guardian, may agree to spend more than 1 1/2 hours of
6commuting time to a project or a designated area.
7(Source: P.A. 84-1430.)
 
8    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
9becoming law.

 

 

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1 INDEX
2 Statutes amended in order of appearance
3    105 ILCS 5/30-9from Ch. 122, par. 30-9
4    105 ILCS 5/30-10from Ch. 122, par. 30-10
5    105 ILCS 5/30-11from Ch. 122, par. 30-11
6    105 ILCS 5/30-12from Ch. 122, par. 30-12
7    110 ILCS 947/65.90 new
8    525 ILCS 50/7from Ch. 48, par. 2557