HB5021eng 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB5021 Engrossed LRB100 19167 JWD 34432 b

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Board of Higher Education Act is amended by adding Section 16 as follows:

(110 ILCS 205/16 new)

Sec. 16. Closing an institution of higher education; student records.

(a) In this Section:

"Academic records" means the academic records of each former student of an institution of higher education that is traditionally provided on an academic transcript, including, but not limited to, courses taken, terms, grades, and any other similar information.

"Institution of higher education" means any publicly or privately operated university, college, junior college, business, technical or vocational school, or other educational institution offering degrees and instruction beyond the secondary school level. "Institution of higher education" does not include a public community college.

(b) In the event an institution of higher education proposes to discontinue its operations, the chief administrative officer of the institution shall submit a plan to the Board for permanent retention of all academic records of the institution. The plan must be approved by the Executive Director of the Board before it is executed.

(c) If it appears to the Board that the academic records of an institution of higher education kept pursuant to an approved plan under subsection (b) of this Section may become lost, hidden, destroyed, or otherwise made unavailable to the Board, the Board may seize and take possession of the records, on its own motion and without order of a court.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.