Sen. Laura Fine

Filed: 2/27/2023

 

 


 

 


 
10300SB0049sam003LRB103 04912 RJT 57755 a

1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 49

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 49, AS AMENDED, by
3replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
4following:
 
5    "Section 5. The Student Debt Assistance Act is amended by
6changing Section 15 and by adding Sections 30 and 35 as
7follows:
 
8    (110 ILCS 66/15)
9    Sec. 15. Withholding of official transcripts.
10    (a) An institution of higher education:
11        (1) must provide an official transcript of a current
12    or former student to a current or potential employer, even
13    if the current or former student owes a debt if the student
14    requests the official transcript to: ;
15            (A) complete a job application;
16            (B) transfer from one institution of higher

 

 

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1        education to another;
2            (C) apply for State, federal, or institutional
3        financial aid;
4            (D) join the United States Armed Forces or
5        Illinois National Guard; or
6            (E) pursue other postsecondary opportunities;
7        (2) may not condition the provision of an official
8    transcript to a current or potential employer on the
9    payment of a debt, other than a fee charged to provide the
10    transcript; and
11        (3) may not charge a higher fee for providing
12    transferring an official transcript to a current or
13    potential employer or provide less favorable treatment for
14    such a request because a current or former student owes a
15    debt.
16    (b) Nothing in this Section prohibits an institution of
17higher education from adopting a more lenient policy on
18providing an official transcript to a current or former
19student who owes a debt.
20(Source: P.A. 102-998, eff. 5-27-22.)
 
21    (110 ILCS 66/30 new)
22    Sec. 30. Past-due debt policy.
23    (a) Beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year, each
24institution of higher education shall adopt a policy that
25outlines the process by which a current or former student may

 

 

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1obtain a transcript or diploma that has been withheld from the
2student because the student owes a debt. At a minimum, the
3policy must include:
4        (1) a reasonable process for the verification of
5    conditions a current or former student may demonstrate to
6    receive an exemption pursuant to Section 15 of this Act;
7    and
8        (2) identification of the point at which a student may
9    be subject to a transcript, diploma, or registration hold,
10    including the time frames and amounts for which the holds
11    are to be used and the lowest amount of debt at which the
12    institution will assign debt to a third-party collection
13    agency.
14    (b) The institution of higher education shall post the
15policy described in subsection (a) of this Section and the
16procedures for filing a complaint with the Attorney General's
17student loan ombudsperson and an administrator of the
18institution of higher education on the institution of higher
19education's website and shall provide the policy and the
20procedures to students as part of the information the
21institution of higher education shares relating to the cost of
22attendance that includes any additional fees, financial aid,
23scholarships, or other information.
24    (c) The institution of higher education does not need to
25institute a new policy under this amendatory Act of the 103rd
26General Assembly if the institution's current policy meets the

 

 

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1minimum requirements of this Section.
 
2    (110 ILCS 66/35 new)
3    Sec. 35. Reporting. On or before July 1, 2024 and on or
4before each July 1 thereafter, each institution of higher
5education shall report to either the Board of Higher Education
6or the Illinois Community College Board, whichever is
7appropriate, information regarding financial-based transcript
8and registration holds, which must include:
9        (1) reporting the institution of higher education's
10    policy developed pursuant to Section 30 of this Act; and
11        (2) reporting the number of students for whom the
12    institution of higher education has withheld official
13    transcripts, diplomas, or registration privileges, using
14    data from the previous academic year.
 
15    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
16becoming law.".