Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB0662
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Full Text of SB0662  102nd General Assembly

SB0662ham001 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Rep. Jonathan Carroll

Filed: 5/11/2021

 

 


 

 


 
10200SB0662ham001LRB102 13536 CMG 26293 a

1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 662

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 662 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
5amended by adding Section 65.110 as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 947/65.110 new)
7    Sec. 65.110. School Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment
8Program.
9    (a) To encourage Illinois students to work, and to
10continue to work, as a school social worker in public school
11districts in this State, the Commission shall, each year,
12receive and consider applications for loan repayment
13assistance under this Section. This program shall be known as
14the School Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program. The
15Commission shall administer the program and shall adopt all
16necessary and proper rules to effectively implement the

 

 

10200SB0662ham001- 2 -LRB102 13536 CMG 26293 a

1program.
2    (b) Beginning July 1, 2022, subject to a separate
3appropriation made for such purposes, the Commission shall
4award a grant, up to a maximum of $6,500, to each qualified
5applicant. The Commission may encourage the recipient of a
6grant under this Section to use the grant award for repayment
7of the recipient's educational loan. If an appropriation for
8this program for a given fiscal year is insufficient to
9provide grants to all qualified applicants, the Commission
10shall allocate the appropriation in accordance with this
11subsection. If funds are insufficient to provide all qualified
12applicants with a grant as authorized by this Section, the
13Commission shall allocate the available grant funds for that
14fiscal year to qualified applicants who submit a complete
15application on or before a date specified by the Commission,
16based on the following order of priority:
17        (1) first, to new, qualified applicants who are
18    members of a racial minority as defined in subsection (e);
19    and
20        (2) second, to other new, qualified applicants in
21    accordance with this Section.
22    (c) A person is a qualified applicant under this Section
23if he or she meets all of the following qualifications:
24        (1) The person is a United States citizen or eligible
25    noncitizen.
26        (2) The person is a resident of this State.

 

 

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1        (3) The person is a borrower with an outstanding
2    balance due on an educational loan related to obtaining a
3    degree in social work.
4        (4) The person has been employed as a school social
5    worker by a public elementary school or secondary school
6    in this State for at least 12 consecutive months.
7        (5) The person is currently employed as a school
8    social worker by a public elementary school or secondary
9    school in this State.
10    (d) An applicant shall submit an application, in a form
11determined by the Commission, for grant assistance under this
12Section to the Commission. An applicant is required to submit,
13with the application, supporting documentation as the
14Commission may deem necessary.
15    (e) Racial minorities are underrepresented as school
16social workers in elementary and secondary schools in
17Illinois, and the General Assembly finds that it is in the
18interest of this State to provide them priority consideration
19for programs that encourage their participation in this field
20and thereby foster a profession that is more reflective of the
21diversity of Illinois students and parents they will serve. A
22more reflective workforce in school social work allows
23improved outcomes for students and a better utilization of
24services. Therefore, the Commission shall give priority to
25those applicants who are members of a racial minority. In this
26subsection (e), "racial minority" means a person who is a

 

 

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1citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident
2alien of the United States and who is:
3        (1) Black (a person having origins in any of the black
4    racial groups in Africa);
5        (2) Hispanic (a person of Spanish or Portuguese
6    culture with origins in Mexico, South or Central America,
7    or the Caribbean Islands, regardless of race);
8        (3) Asian American (a person having origins in any of
9    the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the
10    Indian Subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands); or
11        (4) American Indian or Alaskan Native (a person having
12    origins in any of the original peoples of North America).
 
13    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
142022.".