HR1039ham001 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1039HAM001 LRB094 19954 RAS 58262 a

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE RESOLUTION 1039

AMENDMENT NO. ___. Amend House Resolution 1039 by replacing lines 2 through 31 on page 1, lines 1 through 34 on page 2, and lines 1 through 12 on page 3 with the following:

"WHEREAS, The State of Illinois honors Illinois veterans for service in the United States Armed Services and Illinois National Guard with grants and scholarships to attend Illinois public universities and community colleges; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Veteran Grant Program pays eligible tuition and certain fees for undergraduate study at any Illinois community college for Illinois residents who qualify; a qualified applicant is any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who has served at least one year of active duty and whose separation from such service has been characterized as honorable; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois National Guard Grant Program pays tuition and eligible fees at all Illinois community colleges; a qualified applicant must be on active status and have served for at least one year in the Illinois National Guard; and

WHEREAS, The MIA-POW Scholarship Program for dependents of Illinois residents declared to be missing in action or prisoners of war pays all tuition and fees at any Illinois community college; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Veteran Grant Program, the Illinois National Guard Grant Program, and the MIA-POW Scholarship Program are all considered entitlement grants; thus, if the General Assembly does not fully fund these programs to cover all expenses, the community college must waive all tuition and fees on behalf of that student; and

WHEREAS, Illinois community colleges must raise tuition and fees in order to compensate for unfunded mandates placed upon them by the Governor's budget; and

WHEREAS, It is not fiscally responsible for the Governor to increase government spending while other parts of the budget continue to be underfunded; and

WHEREAS, The Governor's Fiscal Year 2007 proposed budget provides level funding for the Illinois Veteran Grant Program, the Illinois National Guard Grant Program, and the MIA-POW Scholarship Program, despite increasing enrollment primarily due to the Global War on Terrorism; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the community colleges of the State of Illinois are entitled to reimbursement for the costs incurred in the administration of the Illinois Veteran Grant Program, the Illinois National Guard Grant Program, and the MIA-POW Scholarship Program in the past fiscal years; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board conduct a joint study detailing the amount of tuition and fees each community college has waived over the current and last four fiscal years to compensate for the lack of funding in the Governor's budgets for the Illinois Veteran Grant Program, the Illinois National Guard Grant Program, and the MIA-POW Scholarship Program, with a report of the findings of the joint study submitted to the General Assembly and to the Governor no later than January 1, 2007; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the amount determined by the joint study of the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board be the recommended amount of reimbursement to the community colleges of this State to be appropriated in Fiscal Year 2008; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor, the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community College Board, and the president of each community college of the State.".