SB 1686 -- Professional Counselor and Clinical Professional Counselor Licensing Act
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
This bill would extend the repeal of the Professional Counselor and Clinical Professional Counselor Licensing Act. It also makes changes in provisions concerning definitions, the exemption for students, interns, and residents, unlicensed practice, and qualifications for a license.
Governor's Action: Vetoed by Gov. Ryan

SB 1756 -- Open Meetings Act - Minutes Posted on the Web
ICCTA Position: MONITOR
ICCTA modified its OPPOSE position on SB 1756 when a 72-hour meeting notice requirement (currently 48 hours) was removed from the bill. The bill now amends the Open Meetings Act to require that a public body post its meeting notices, agendas, and minutes on its website if the public body maintain its own website.
Governor's action: Vetoed by Gov. Ryan

SB 1953 -- Teacher Certification
ICCTA Position: MONITOR
This bill requires that a student must pass the basic skills test prior to being admitted to a teacher preparation program.
Governor's action: Signed into law as Public Act 92-0734.

HB 1720 -- Collective Bargaining Rights for Part-Time Faculty
ICCTA Position: OPPOSE
Amends the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act to redefine a "short-term employee." The change -- which provides that the employee must not have a reasonable expectation (instead of a reasonable assurance) that he or she will be rehired -- would permit part-time employees to organize and be recognized as a bargaining unit.
Governor's Action: Signed into law as Public Act 92-0748

HB 2370 -- SURS "30 and Out" Retirement Option
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
Amends the State Universities Retirement System Act to make permanent a currently temporary "30 and out" retirement provision. This change, which will allow retirement from SURS at any age if the participant has accrued 30 years of service, takes effect immediately.
Governor's action: Signed into law as Public Act 92-0749

HB 3098 -- Written Certification of Open Meeting (Dart)
ICCTA Position: OPPOSE
This Illinois Press Association bill requires that the presiding officer of a closed meeting certify in writing that the session did not violate the Open Meetings Act.
Governor's Action: Amendatorily vetoed February 8 to require that the presiding officer must certify that he or she believes the Open Meetings Act was not violated "only if that is his or her belief." The General Assembly, however, did not vote to accept or override his veto within the time period allowed by the state Constitution, so HB 3098 is now dead.

HB 4351 -- MAP Grants for Part-Time Students
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
This bill removes a requirement that a student be enrolled for at least 6 semester or quarter hours for the term to maintain eligibility for the Monetary Award Program.
Governor's Action: Signed into law as Public Act 92-0713

HB 4912 -- Minority Teacher Scholarship Program
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
HB 4912 makes changes to the Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program, such as allowing a person enrolled at the freshman level or graduate level to qualify for a scholarship, allowing qualifying students to be enrolled on a half-time basis, and requiring a scholarship recipient to begin teaching within the one-year period following termination of the undergraduate program.
Governor's action: Signed into law on August 23

HB 6061 -- Build Illinois / Illinois FIRST Projects
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
This legislation is the "capital-projects" piece of the FY 2003 State Budget and includes the following items for the Illinois community college system: