093_HB1448ham001

 










                                     LRB093 06893 NHT 12595 a

 1                    AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1448

 2        AMENDMENT NO.     .  Amend House Bill 1448 as follows:

 3    by replacing everything after the enacting  clause  with  the
 4    following:

 5        "Section  5.  The  Criminal  Code  of  1961 is amended by
 6    adding Section 17-2.5 as follows:

 7        (720 ILCS 5/17-2.5 new)
 8        Sec. 17-2.5. False academic degrees.
 9        (a)  It is unlawful for a person to knowingly manufacture
10    or produce for profit or for sale a  false  academic  degree,
11    unless  the  degree  explicitly  states "for novelty purposes
12    only".
13        (b)  It is unlawful for a person to knowingly use a false
14    academic degree for the purpose of  obtaining  employment  or
15    admission  to  an institution of higher learning or admission
16    to an advanced degree program at  an  institution  of  higher
17    learning  or  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining a promotion or
18    higher compensation in employment.
19        (c)  Sentence. A person  who  violates  this  Section  is
20    guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
21        (d)  In this Section:
 
                            -2-      LRB093 06893 NHT 12595 a
 1        "False  academic  degree"  means  a certificate, diploma,
 2    transcript, or other document purporting to be issued  by  an
 3    institution of higher learning or purporting to indicate that
 4    a person has completed an organized academic program of study
 5    at  an institution of higher learning when the person has not
 6    completed the organized academic program of  study  indicated
 7    on the certificate, diploma, transcript, or other document.
 8        "Institution  of  higher  learning"  means  a  public  or
 9    private  college, university, or community college located in
10    the State of Illinois that is  authorized  by  the  Board  of
11    Higher  Education  or the Illinois Community College Board to
12    issue post-secondary degrees, or a public or private college,
13    university, or community  college  located  anywhere  in  the
14    United  States  that  is  or  has been legally constituted to
15    offer degrees and instruction  in  its  state  of  origin  or
16    incorporation.

17        Section  99.  Effective  date. This Act takes effect upon
18    becoming law.".