State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

   [ Search ]   [ Legislation ]
[ Home ]   [ Back ]   [ Bottom ]



91_HB1425

 
                                              LRB9101761NTsbA

 1        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  Public  Community College Act by
 2    changing Section 2-15.

 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:

 5        Section  5.   The Public Community College Act is amended
 6    by changing Section 2-15 as follows:

 7        (110 ILCS 805/2-15) (from Ch. 122, par. 102-15)
 8        Sec. 2-15.  Recognition.
 9        (a)  The State Board shall grant recognition to community
10    colleges  which  maintain  equipment,   courses   of   study,
11    standards  of  scholarship  and other requirements set by the
12    State Board. Application for recognition shall be made to the
13    State Board. The State Board shall set the criteria by  which
14    the  community  colleges  shall  be  judged  and  through the
15    executive officer of the State Board  shall  arrange  for  an
16    official evaluation of the community colleges and shall grant
17    recognition  of  such  community  colleges  as  may  meet the
18    required standards.
19        (b)  Subject to the limitations of subsection (d) of this
20    Section, if a community college district fails  to  meet  the
21    recognition  standards  set  by  the  State Board, and if the
22    district, in accordance with:  (i)  (a)  Government  Auditing
23    Standards  issued  by  the  Comptroller General of the United
24    States,  (ii)  (b)  auditing  standards  established  by  the
25    American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, or (iii)
26    (c) other applicable State and federal standards, is found by
27    the  district's  auditor  or  the  State  Board  working   in
28    cooperation  with  the  district's  auditor  to have material
29    deficiencies in the design or operation of financial  control
30    structures   that   could  adversely  affect  the  district's
31    financial integrity  and  stability,  or  is  found  to  have
 
                            -2-               LRB9101761NTsbA
 1    misused   State   or   federal   funds  and  jeopardized  its
 2    participation in State or federal programs, the  State  Board
 3    may,  subject  to  the  limitations of subsection (d) of this
 4    Section but notwithstanding any other laws to  the  contrary,
 5    implement one or more of the following emergency powers:
 6             (1)  To direct the district to develop and implement
 7        a  plan  that  addresses the budgetary, programmatic, and
 8        other  relevant  factors  contributing  to  the  need  to
 9        implement emergency  measures.   The  State  Board  shall
10        assist  in  the development and shall have final approval
11        of the plan.
12             (2)  To  direct  the  district   to   contract   for
13        educational  services  in  accordance  with Section 3-40.
14        The State Board shall assist in the development and shall
15        have final approval of any such contractual agreements.
16             (3)  To  approve  and  require  revisions   of   the
17        district's budget.
18             (4)  To   appoint   a   Financial  Administrator  to
19        exercise  oversight  and  control  over  the   district's
20        budget.   The  Financial Administrator shall serve at the
21        pleasure of the State Board and  may  be  an  individual,
22        partnership,  corporation,  including an accounting firm,
23        or other entity determined  by  the  State  Board  to  be
24        qualified   to   serve,   and   shall   be   entitled  to
25        compensation.   Such  compensation  shall   be   provided
26        through  specific  appropriations made to the State Board
27        for that express purpose.
28             (5)  To develop and implement a plan  providing  for
29        the  dissolution  or reorganization of the district if in
30        the judgement of the State  Board  the  circumstances  so
31        require  and  the  requirements of subsection (c) of this
32        Section are met.
33        (c)  Before the State Board may implement a plan for  the
34    dissolution of a district, the question of whether or not the
 
                            -3-               LRB9101761NTsbA
 1    district  should be dissolved must be submitted to the voters
 2    of that district at a regular scheduled election.  The  State
 3    Board  shall  certify  the proposition to the proper election
 4    authorities for submission in  accordance  with  the  general
 5    election  law.  The proposition shall be in substantially the
 6    following form:
 7             FOR the dissolution of (name  of  community  college
 8        district).
 9             AGAINST   the  dissolution  of  (name  of  community
10        college district).
11        If a majority of the votes cast upon the  proposition  is
12    in  favor  of  dissolving  the  district, the State Board may
13    implement its plan for the dissolution of the district.
14        (d)  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section
15    or any other Section of this Act, the State Board shall  have
16    no  authority to exercise or implement, in or with respect to
17    Metropolitan Community College District No.  541  established
18    under   Section  2-12.1,  any  of  the  powers  described  in
19    paragraphs (2), (3),  and  (5)  of  subsection  (b)  of  this
20    Section   2-15,  except  as  otherwise  provided  under  this
21    amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly.   Any  order  or
22    other  action  taken  by the State Board before the effective
23    date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly that
24    dissolves or  purports  to  dissolve  the  community  college
25    district  established  under  Section 2-12.1 or that provides
26    for the development, approval, or implementation  of  a  plan
27    under  which  community  college  operations,  programs,  and
28    services  within  the  territory  comprising  that  community
29    college  district  are to be provided pursuant to contractual
30    arrangements  between  the  State  Board  and   entities   or
31    subcontractors  of  entities other than the board of trustees
32    of the community college district established  under  Section
33    2-12.1  shall  be  null  and  void  and  of no legal force or
34    effect.  Notwithstanding any other law  of  this  State,  the
 
                            -4-               LRB9101761NTsbA
 1    community  college  district established under Section 2-12.1
 2    shall not  be  dissolved  or  annexed  to  another  community
 3    college  district or otherwise reorganized except pursuant to
 4    this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly.
 5        (e)  There is hereby created the  Metropolitan  Community
 6    College  Task Force, which shall consist of 9 members, 2 each
 7    appointed by the President and Minority Leader of the  Senate
 8    and   the  Speaker  and  Minority  Leader  of  the  House  of
 9    Representatives and  one  appointed  by  the  Governor.   The
10    person appointed by the Governor shall be a public member and
11    shall  serve  as  chairperson  of  the Task Force.  All other
12    appointees shall be members of the General Assembly.  Members
13    of the Task Force shall serve without compensation but  shall
14    be  reimbursed  for  their  reasonable and necessary expenses
15    from funds appropriated for that  purpose.   The  Task  Force
16    shall  meet  as  often  as  necessary to study and define the
17    issues that must  be  effectively  addressed  to  ensure  the
18    continued   existence   of   Metropolitan  Community  College
19    District No. 541 and the action that must be taken to  enable
20    that  district  to  provide a high level of community college
21    services to residents of the district.  The Task Force  shall
22    report  its  findings  and  recommendations  to  the  General
23    Assembly by February 15, 2000, and is abolished on that date.
24    
25    (Source: P.A. 89-147, eff. 7-14-95.)

26        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
27    becoming law.

[ Top ]