Full Text of HB5503

LRB104 20646 LNS 34143 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB5503

Introduced 2/13/2026, by Rep. Edgar González, Jr.

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/22-28 new

Amends the School Code. Provides that the Illinois Community College Board shall establish an outcome-based Adult Workforce High School Diploma Program to allow eligible students to qualify for enrollment in the Program, and, upon successful completion of the Program, to be awarded a high school diploma. Sets forth requirements for approved Program providers and Program funding. Requires each approved Program provider to submit an annual report to the Board regarding the Program. Requires the Board to submit an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding the Program. Repeals the provisions on June 30, 2030.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section 22-28 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/22-28 new)

Sec. 22-28. Adult Workforce High School Diploma Program.

(a) In this Section:

"Academic skill intake assessment" means a criterion-referenced assessment of numeracy and literacy skills with high reliability and validity as determined by third-party research, which may be administered in person or online.

"Adult Workforce High School Diploma Program" or "Program" means the Program established under this Section.

"Approved Program provider" means an eligible Program provider that applies to participate in the Program, is approved by the Board to administer the Program, and agrees to meet all Program requirements.

"Average cost per graduate" means the average cost per graduate calculated in accordance with subsection (f).

"Board" means the Illinois Community College Board.

"Cohort" means all students who enter the Program between July 1 and June 30 of each Program year.

"Eligible student" means a person ineligible for reenrollment under subsection (b) of Section 26-2 and 34 CFR 300.102 who resides in this State, has not attained a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent, who requires 10 units of credit or less to graduate under the requirements of Sections 27-605, 27-610, and 27-615.

"Employability skills certification" means a certificate earned by demonstrating professional nontechnical skills through assessment and includes, but is not limited to, the program standards of the United States Department of Labor's Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success program.

"Graduation rate" means the graduation rate calculated in accordance with subsection (g).

"Measurement period" means the 2-year period beginning July 1 of the year the cohort begins through June 30 of the subsequent fiscal year.

"Milestones" means measures of student progress for which funds are disbursed to an approved Program provider.

"Program funding" means funding received by an approved Program provider.

"Program year" means the period beginning on July 1 of each year and ending on June 30 of the following year.

"Transcript evaluation" means a documented summary of credits earned in a previous public or nonpublic, accredited high school compared with this State's requirements to earn a high school diploma.

"Workforce credential" means a third-party credential that either (i) is a part of a sequence of credentials that can be accumulated over time to build an individual's qualifications to advance along a career pathway and results in a certificate or (ii) verifies an individual's qualifications or competence and is issued by a third party with the relevant authority to issue the credential.

(b) The Board shall establish an outcome-based Adult Workforce High School Diploma Program to allow an eligible student to qualify for enrollment in the Program, and, upon successful completion of the Program, to be awarded a high school diploma.

(c) The Board shall approve Program providers to administer the Program as follows:

(1) not later than August 15 of each year, the Board shall make available an application for third-party entities to apply to become an approved Program provider;

(2) not later than September 15 of each year, the Board shall review applications, approve Program providers that meet the requirements set forth in this Section, and make available a list of approved Program providers on the Board's public website; and

(3) an approved Program provider shall be authorized to begin enrolling eligible students upon being approved by the Board as an approved Program provider.

(d) An approved Program provider shall:

(1) be accredited by:

(A) the Board of Higher Education;

(B) the Higher Learning Commission; or

(C) holding an active accreditation from one of the 7 United States regional accreditors, including:

(i) the Middle States Commission on Higher Education;

(ii) the New England Association of Schools and Colleges;

(iii) the Higher Learning Commission;

(iv) the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities;

(v) the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges;

(vi) the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges;

(vii) the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges; or

(viii) any successor entities or consolidations of the above, including Cognia.

(2) offer the following to an eligible student at no cost:

(A) an academic skill intake assessment and transcript evaluation;

(B) a documented plan that includes the requirements for the student to complete the Program and earn a high school diploma;

(C) remedial education services in numeracy and literacy;

(D) a course catalog that includes all courses necessary to earn a high school diploma;

(E) one or more programs through which the student can earn a workforce credential;

(F) one or more programs through which the student can earn an employability skills certification;

(G) one or more courses that help the student enter or advance within a specific occupation or occupational cluster; and

(H) all courses necessary to meet the requirements to earn a high school diploma.

(e) An approved Program provider must meet the following standards for each cohort at the conclusion of each cohort measurement period:

(1) have a graduation rate of not less than 50% beginning with the second program cohort; and

(2) have an average cost per graduate of not more than $7,500.

If an approved Program provider fails to meet the standards under paragraphs (1) and (2), the Board shall place the approved Program provider on probationary status for the remainder of the Program year. If an approved Program provider fails to meet the standards under paragraphs (1) and (2) by the end of the subsequent Program year, the approved Program provider may no longer be an approved Program provider.

(f) The average cost per graduate shall be calculated by dividing the total Program funding disbursed to an approved Program provider for a cohort during the period from the beginning of the cohort through the end of the measurement period by the total number of students in that cohort who earned a high school diploma during the measurement period.

(g) The graduation rate shall be calculated by dividing the number of students in a cohort who earned a high school diploma during the measurement period by the number of students in the cohort for which an approved Program provider has received Program funding.

(h) Subject to appropriation, the Board is authorized to retain 2% of Program funds for administrative costs and disburse any remaining funds appropriated by the General Assembly to approved Program providers based on milestones reached by students in amounts not to exceed:

(1) for the completion of each half unit of high school credit if such credit is required to earn a high school diploma, $275;

(2) for each employability skills certification earned by a student, $275;

(3) for each workforce credential earned by a student if the credential requires not more than 50 hours of training, $275;

(4) for each workforce credential earned by a student if the credential requires more than 50 but not more than 100 hours of training, $550;

(5) for each workforce credential earned by a student if the credential requires more than 100 hours of training, $825; or

(6) for each high school diploma earned by a student, $1,100.

In order to receive the funds provided for in this subsection, an approved Program provider shall, no later than the tenth day of each month, submit to the Board a report that includes all milestones met by students in the previous month. An approved Program provider shall report the number of enrolled students for whom invoices have been submitted and the number of enrolled students for whom invoices have not been submitted in the monthly invoices submitted under this subsection. The Board shall pay approved Program providers in the order in which invoices are received until all available moneys are exhausted.

The Board shall provide a written update to the approved Program providers on or before the last calendar day of each month that includes all of the following:

(A) the aggregate total dollars that have been paid to approved Program providers to date;

(B) the aggregate number of enrolled students in this State for whom an invoice has been submitted; and

(C) the aggregate number of enrolled students in this State for whom an invoice has not been submitted.

(i) Funds received by an approved Program provider under this Section shall be used for providing and preparing for instruction, instructional materials, and support services for students, including coaching and mentoring. The funds shall not be used to build or expand brick-and-mortar infrastructure.

(j) An approved Program provider may not require or accept any financial payments from a student enrolled in the program.

(k) In 2027 and each year thereafter, no later than August 15, each approved Program provider shall submit a report to the Board that includes:

(1) the number of eligible students participating in the Program;

(2) the number of units of high school credit earned by the students;

(3) the number of employability skills certificates earned by the students;

(4) the number of workforce credentials earned by the students; and

(5) the number of students who earned a high school diploma through participation in the Program.

(l) Beginning in 2027, no later than December 1 of each year, the Board shall provide the Governor and the General Assembly a report that includes:

(1) the information reported to the Board under subsection (k);

(2) the amount of funds disbursed to each approved Program provider and the milestones for which the funding was disbursed;

(3) the graduation rate for each approved Program provider; and

(4) the average cost per graduate for each approved Program provider.

(m) This Section is repealed on June 30, 2030.