ICCTA Action Alert May 8, 2003 On Wednesday, May 7, the House Higher Education Committee amended a shell bill to impact the operations and sales of community college book stores. Senate Bill 1021 now would restrict the operations and sales of many community college bookstores by requiring protections for private vendors who want that business for themselves. SB 1021 is now on the House floor and is expected to come up for a vote soon. Please contact your House members and ask them to vote NO on SB 1021 in the House. A fact sheet about this harmful legislation is included below. For additional information, call ICCTA at 1-800-454-2282. University Credit and Retail Sales Act SB 1021 -- COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOOK STORES Under Senate Bill 1021 as amended in the House, community colleges and the activities of community college book stores would be included in the University Credit and Retail Sales Act. Public university bookstores are currently covered under the Act. The bill also changes the name of the Act to the "Higher Education Institution Credit and Retail Sales Act." The Illinois Community College Trustees Association, the Illinois Community College Board and the community college Presidents Council OPPOSE Senate Bill 1021. The bill impacts community colleges in the following ways: * Defines community colleges as "state institutions of higher learning" in statute. This results in defining community colleges the same as public universities. Community colleges are established in law as units of local government and can not be defined the same as state universities, which are agencies of state government. * Prohibits credit sales to students receiving financial assistance unless the private sector in the community is afforded an opportunity to participate in such credit sales through agreements with the institution. This will create additional administrative costs for the college. * Prohibits in-store credit sales if it is the credit of the book store or the institution itself. Credit or debit cards issued by the institution are permitted so long as the private sector in the community is permitted a reasonable opportunity to participate in such debit card sales program through agreements with the institution. * Prohibits community college bookstores from carrying any line of general merchandise that can reasonably be expected to be in competition with private vendors in the community. Such sales could be permitted only if insufficient quantities in the private sector are available to meet the student demand. This will require students who need pencils and paper to drive off campus to get them. * Prohibits community college bookstores from selling goods or services to the general public on community college property when such sales can reasonably be expected to be in competition with the private sector in the community. Such sales could be permitted if the private sector has the opportunity to compete for the operation of such a business on the community college property. * Permits the sale of items commonly sold by such institutions before January 1, 1980. Call ICCTA at 1-800-454-2282 for the latest legislative updates 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 | Home | News | Events | Links |