HB3151 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 05927 RJT 50948 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB3151

Introduced 2/17/2023, by Rep. Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr.

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

110 ILCS 805/3-29.26 new

Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides that the Illinois Community College Board shall develop materials designed to increase awareness of the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program at community college districts. Provides for when a board of trustees of a community college district shall provide the information to faculty employees. Provides that for the purpose of qualifying for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, a board shall, in completing the employer portion of the employment certification form, credit a faculty employee with at least 3.35 hours worked for each hour of lecture or classroom time. Provides that the adjustment provisions do not supersede any higher adjustment factor established by a collective bargaining agreement or employer policy in recognition of the amount of out-of-class work that is associated with instruction, including, but not limited to, performance of office hours. Provides that a board shall, in completing the employer portion of the employment certification form, credit a faculty employee with noninstructional assignments hour for hour with no adjustment factor. Makes other changes.

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 Public Community College Act is amended by adding Section 3-29.26 as follows:

(110 ILCS 805/3-29.26 new)

Sec. 3-29.26. Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

(a) In this Section:

"Certifying employment" means either completing the employer sections of the public service loan forgiveness form or sharing data directly with the U.S. Department of Education that corresponds to the information required for the public service loan forgiveness form.

"Employee" means someone who works for a public service employer, regardless of whether the public service employer considers that work to be full time, part time, contingent, or contracted.

"Full time" means, for the purpose of certifying employment only, working at least an average of 30 hours per week or at least an average of 30 hours per week throughout a contractual or employment period of at least 8 months in a 12-month period, provided that if the U.S. Department of Education adopts a lower hourly standard, that standard applies.

"Public service employer" means any community college district designated as a public service organization or employer by the U.S. Department of Education for the purpose of the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

"Public service loan forgiveness form" means the form used by the U.S. Department of Education to certify an individual's employment at a public service organization and determine eligibility for the purposes of the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

(b) The State Board shall develop materials designed to increase awareness of the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program at community college districts. The materials shall include the following:

(1) a one-page form letter, for use by community college districts to notify faculty employees who may be eligible for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, that briefly summarizes the program, provides information on what an eligible faculty employee is required to do in order to participate, and recommends that the faculty employee contact the faculty employee's loan servicer or servicers for additional information.

(2) a detailed fact sheet describing the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program; and

(3) a document containing answers to frequently asked questions about the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

(c) The State Board shall provide the materials described in subsection (b) to each community college district for distribution to faculty employees.

(d) A board shall annually provide to all faculty employees the materials described in subsection (b) in written or electronic form.

(e) A board shall provide a newly hired faculty employee with the materials described in subsection (b) within 30 days after the faculty employee's first day of employment.

(f) A board shall annually provide a faculty employee who is enrolled in the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program with notice of renewal and a copy of the employment certification form, with the employer portion of the form already completed. A board may not unreasonably delay completing the employer portion of the employment certification form.

(g) For the purpose of qualifying for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, a board shall, in completing the employer portion of the employment certification form, credit a faculty employee with at least 3.35 hours worked for each hour of lecture or classroom time. This subsection (g) does not supersede any higher adjustment factor established by a collective bargaining agreement or employer policy in recognition of the amount of out-of-class work that is associated with instruction, including, but not limited to, performance of office hours. A board shall, in completing the employer portion of the employment certification form, credit a faculty employee with noninstructional assignments hour for hour with no adjustment factor.

(h) When determining whether an employee is considered full time for the purpose of certifying employment for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program only, a board may not treat any adjusted total hours worked pursuant to subsection (g) differently from hours worked without an adjustment factor.