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ICCTA Action Alert
February 15, 2000
The Illinois General Assembly will reconvene the 2000 spring session
when both houses return to Springfield on Tuesday, February 15.
The week of February 7 - 11 was dedicated to the introduction of
new bills and committee hearings that were held to consider bills.
The week of February 14 - 18 is the last week for House bills in
House committees to be heard and Senate bills in Senate committees
to be heard. The final day for bills to be reported out of committees
is Thursday, February 17.
Bills Scheduled for Committee Hearings
FY 2001 Community College Appropriation (Senate Bill 1744 -- Donahue)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
This bill would provide $319.8 million in state funding for
Illinois community colleges in fiscal year 2001 – an $18.6
million (6.2%) increase above current-year funding. SB 1744 is
scheduled for hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee on
February 15.
Illinois Career Scholarships (House Bill 4265 -- Wirsing)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
HB 4265 creates the Illinois Career Scholarship program, administered
by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, to provide high school
students not seeking baccalaureate degrees with a non-need-based,
non-renewable $1,000 incentive to pursue alternative postsecondary
training in occupational programs certified by the Illinois Workforce
Investment Board, the Illinois Community College Board, the Illinois
State Board of Education, or the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
The bill is scheduled for hearing in the House Higher Education
Committee on February 16.
Transfer of Adult Education to ICCB (House Bill 4266 -- Ryder)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
House Bill 4266 would transfer all of ISBE's powers and duties
concerning adult education to ICCB on July 1, 2001. ICCB would
then be allowed to enter into contracts with eligible providers;
to accept federal funds for adult education and adult literacy;
to administer a network of providers, programs, and services to
provide adult basic education, adult secondary/general education
development, English as a second language, and other instruction;
and to supervise the administration of adult education and adult
literacy programs. HB 4266 is scheduled for hearing in the House
Higher Education Committee on February 16.
Definition Change for Athletic Trainers (House Bill 2896 -- Brunsvold)
ICCTA Position: OPPOSE
HB 2896 would change the definitions of the terms "licensed athletic
trainer" and "referral" to expand the scope of practice for licensed
athletic trainers, permitting them to perform many of the functions
of licensed physical therapists without the appropriate educational
background. HB 2896 is scheduled for hearing in the House Registration
and Regulations Committee on February 16.
Dissection Alternatives Act (House Bill 3254 -- Gash)
ICCTA Position: OPPOSE
Under this legislation, schools may excuse a student from performing
or observing dissection and may allow the student to instead perform
an alternative project; it also provides that the student may not be
penalized for refusing to participate in or observe dissection. ICCTA
generally opposes efforts by the General Assembly to mandate higher
education curriculum. HB 3254 is scheduled for hearing in the House
Elementary and Secondary Committee on February 16.
Metropolitan Community College District (House Bill 3500 -- Younge)
ICCTA Position: OPPOSE
This bill would require ICCB to establish an experimental community
college district comprised of the territory of the former Metropolitan
Community College district in East St. Louis. ICCB dissolved the MCC
district in 1999. HB 3500 is scheduled for hearing in the House Higher
Education Committee on February 16.
Elimination of IBHE Site Approval for Opportunities Fund Projects
(House Bill 3993 -- Wirsing)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
HB 3993 would change the purposes for which expenditures and
distributions from the AFDC Opportunities Fund shall be made to ICCB.
It removes the requirement that the board of a community college
district have IBHE's prior approval before entering into an installment
loan arrangement with a financial institution to borrow money to buy
sites and to buy or build and equip buildings and improvements.
HB 3993 is scheduled for hearing in the House Higher Education
Committee on February 16.
Quern Information Technology Grants (Senate 1444 -- Dillard)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
SB 1444 would establish an information technology grant program,
administered by ISAC, to provide up to $2,500 per need-based grant
for retraining in information technology fields. The scholarships
would be named Arthur F. Quern Technology Grants after the former
chair of the IBHE. SB 1444 is scheduled for hearing in the Senate
Education Committee on February 16. (SB 1444 is the same as HB 3553
below.)
Community Scholarship Foundation (SB 1570 -- Petka)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
SB 1570 would create the Community Scholarship Foundation Program,
administered by ISAC, to encourage local communities to develop
scholarship programs that assist their residents in obtaining a
higher education. It would require the Commission to award a $2,000
grant to a local foundation upon demonstration that the foundation
has raised $2,000 for scholarships or created an endowment for
scholarships. SB 1570 is scheduled for hearing in the Senate Education
Committee on February 16.
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Other Bills of Interest
Review of FOIA Denials (House Bill 3469 -- Rutherford)
ICCTA Position: MONITOR
Under this Freedom of Information Act legislation, a person denied
access to inspect or copy a public record by the head of a public
body may request a review of the denial by either the Illinois
Attorney General or a state's attorney. The bill also authorizes
the Attorney General or State's Attorney to seek declaratory or
injunctive relief against a public body that fails to disclose
records in response to the determination that its denial was unlawful.
Prepaid Tuition Contracts (House Bill 3552 -- Wirsing)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
This bill would exempt the assets and income of the Illinois Prepaid
Tuition Trust Fund from taxation and provides that the contract
shall be considered an investment for investing a ward's money.
(HB 3552 is the same as SB 1537 below.)
Quern Technology Grants (House Bill 3553 -- Wirsing)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
HB 3553 would establish an ISAC-administered information technology
grant program to provide up to $2,500 per need-based grant for
retraining in information technology fields. The scholarships would
be named after the late IBHE chair Arthur F. Quern. (HB 3553 is the
same as SB 1444 above.)
Free Tuition for "B" Students (House Bill 3831 -- Lang)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
This bill creates the State University Scholarship Act, which would
allow scholarships to be awarded to entering freshman, sophomores,
juniors, and seniors at public community colleges and universities
when the student maintains a "B" average. The scholarship -- which
is subject to the amounts appropriated by the General Assembly --
would include tuition and mandatory fees. HB 3831 passed out of the
House Higher Education Committee on Wednesday, February 9, and has
been sent to the full House for consideration.
Public Building Commission Bonds (House Bill 3923 -- A. Moore)
ICCTA Position: MONITOR
Under this bill, any unit of local government having a public building
commission lease rental base would be authorized to levy a public
building commission lease rental base alternate tax levy as a revenue
source for alternate bonds. HB 3923 also provides that alternate bonds
supported by the levy may be issued for any lawful corporate purpose
of the unit of local government.
Computer Assistance Grants (House Bill 3945 -- Silva)
ICCTA Position: MONITOR
This legislation would require ISAC to award grants to Monetary Award
Program grant recipients under a program to increase the availability
of computers to needy students through state assistance.
Community College Dissolution Vote (House Bill 3958 -- Younge)
ICCTA Position: OPPOSE
HB 3958 would require that before ICCB may implement a plan for the
dissolution of a community college district, the question of whether
or not the district should be dissolved must be submitted to the
voters of that district.
Grants for Full-Time Faculty (House Bill 4287 -- Holbrook)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT THE CONCEPT
This Illinois Federation of Teachers initiative would require ICCB to
establish and administer a grant program to award grants to community
college districts to increase the amount of credit hours taught at
community colleges by full-time faculty.
Grants for Full-Time Faculty (House Bill 4327 -- Holbrook)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT THE CONCEPT
Another IFT initiative, HB 4327 would appropriate $10 million to ICCB
to fund the grants established by HB 4287 (designed to increase the
amount of credit hours taught at community colleges by full-time
faculty).
#911 Number/Location Identification (Senate Bill 1400 -- Klemm)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
SB 1400 would delay until June 30, 2001 when telephone switchboard
services must be connected to the public switched network in a manner
that calls to "911" result in automatic number and location
identification. Current law mandates June 30, 2000 as the deadline.
Final Rate of SURS Earnings (Senate Bill 1500 -- Maitland)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
This bill would make changes concerning the calculation of the final
rate of earnings under the State Universities Retirement System.
SURS Changes (Senate Bill 1501 -- Maitland)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
SB 1501 would make numerous changes affecting eligibility, benefits,
and administration of benefits for SURS members.
Non-Applicability of Public Labor Relations Act (Senate Bill 1523 -- Jacobs)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
This legislation would provide that the Illinois Public Labor Relations
Act is not applicable to units of local government employing less than
35 employees at the time the Petition for Certification or
Representation is filed.
Prepaid Tuition Contracts (Senate Bill 1537 -- Watson)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
This bill would exempt the assets and income of the Illinois Prepaid
Tuition Trust Fund from taxation and provides that the contract shall
be considered an investment for the purpose of investing a ward's
money. (SB 1537 is the same as HB 3552 above.)
MAP Grant Increase (Senate Bill 1538 -- Watson)
ICCTA Position: MONITOR
This legislation increases the maximum Monetary Award Program grant for
full-time students by $210 (from $4,530 to $4,740). Community college
students cannot access these higher grant amounts because community
colleges do not charge tuition rates that are high enough to qualify
students for the higher grants.
For additional information on state legislative issues,
contact ICCTA at 1-800-454-2282.
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Illinois Community College Trustees Association
401 E. Capitol Ave., Suite 200
Springfield, IL 62701-1711
217-528-2858 (phone)
217-528-8662 (fax)
ICCTA@communitycolleges.org (e-mail)
http://www.communitycolleges.org |
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