SB0049 EngrossedLRB103 04912 RJT 49922 b

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 Student Debt Assistance Act is amended by
5changing Section 15 and by adding Sections 30 and 35 as
6follows:
 
7    (110 ILCS 66/15)
8    Sec. 15. Withholding of official transcripts.
9    (a) An institution of higher education:
10        (1) must provide an official transcript of a current
11    or former student to a current or potential employer, even
12    if the current or former student owes a debt if the student
13    requests the official transcript to: ;
14            (A) complete a job application;
15            (B) transfer from one institution of higher
16        education to another;
17            (C) apply for State, federal, or institutional
18        financial aid;
19            (D) join the United States Armed Forces or
20        Illinois National Guard; or
21            (E) pursue other postsecondary opportunities;
22        (2) may not condition the provision of an official
23    transcript to a current or potential employer on the

 

 

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1    payment of a debt, other than a fee charged to provide the
2    transcript; and
3        (3) may not charge a higher fee for providing
4    transferring an official transcript to a current or
5    potential employer or provide less favorable treatment for
6    such a request because a current or former student owes a
7    debt.
8    (b) Nothing in this Section prohibits an institution of
9higher education from adopting a more lenient policy on
10providing an official transcript to a current or former
11student who owes a debt.
12(Source: P.A. 102-998, eff. 5-27-22.)
 
13    (110 ILCS 66/30 new)
14    Sec. 30. Past-due debt policy.
15    (a) Beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year, each
16institution of higher education shall adopt a policy that
17outlines the process by which a current or former student may
18obtain a transcript or diploma that has been withheld from the
19student because the student owes a debt. At a minimum, the
20policy must include:
21        (1) a reasonable process for the verification of
22    conditions a current or former student may demonstrate to
23    receive an exemption pursuant to Section 15 of this Act;
24    and
25        (2) identification of the point at which a student may

 

 

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1    be subject to a transcript, diploma, or registration hold,
2    including the time frames and amounts for which the holds
3    are to be used and the lowest amount of debt at which the
4    institution will assign debt to a third-party collection
5    agency.
6    (b) The institution of higher education shall post the
7policy described in subsection (a) of this Section and the
8procedures for filing a complaint with the Attorney General's
9student loan ombudsperson and an administrator of the
10institution of higher education on the institution of higher
11education's website and shall provide the policy and the
12procedures to students as part of the information the
13institution of higher education shares relating to the cost of
14attendance that includes any additional fees, financial aid,
15scholarships, or other information.
16    (c) The institution of higher education does not need to
17institute a new policy under this amendatory Act of the 103rd
18General Assembly if the institution's current policy meets the
19minimum requirements of this Section.
 
20    (110 ILCS 66/35 new)
21    Sec. 35. Reporting. On or before July 1, 2024 and on or
22before each July 1 thereafter, each institution of higher
23education shall report to either the Board of Higher Education
24or the Illinois Community College Board, whichever is
25appropriate, information regarding financial-based transcript

 

 

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1and registration holds, which must include:
2        (1) reporting the institution of higher education's
3    policy developed pursuant to Section 30 of this Act; and
4        (2) reporting the number of students for whom the
5    institution of higher education has withheld official
6    transcripts, diplomas, or registration privileges, using
7    data from the previous academic year.
 
8    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
9becoming law.