103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB5614

 

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Rep. Tim Ozinga

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act
35 ILCS 5/541 new

    Creates the Students in Need Scholarship Act. Provides that the Department of Revenue shall award income tax credits to taxpayers who make authorized contributions to scholarship granting organizations. Sets forth limitations with respect to the aggregate number of credits awarded by the Department in a calendar year and the amount of credits awarded to an individual taxpayer. Sets forth provisions concerning scholarship granting organizations and requirements for scholarship granting organizations. Specifies which students are eligible for a scholarship. Provides for reporting. Sets forth further provisions concerning administering the scholarship program created by the Act. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.


LRB103 38737 RJT 68874 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5614LRB103 38737 RJT 68874 b

1    AN ACT concerning finance.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Students in Need Scholarship Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
7    "Authorized contribution" means the contribution amount
8that is listed on the contribution authorization certificate
9issued to the taxpayer.
10    "Board" means the State Board of Education.
11    "Contribution" means a donation made by the taxpayer
12during the taxable year for providing scholarships as provided
13in this Act.
14    "Custodian" means, with respect to eligible students, an
15Illinois resident who is a parent or legal guardian of the
16eligible student or students.
17    "Department" means the Department of Revenue.
18    "Eligible student" means a child who:
19        (1) is either:
20            (A) a member of a household whose federal adjusted
21        gross income the year before he or she initially
22        receives a scholarship under this program, as
23        determined by the Department, does not exceed 200% of

 

 

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1        the amount required for the individual to qualify for
2        the federal free or reduced price lunch program;
3            (B) a student with an individualized education
4        program or Section 504 plan under the federal
5        Rehabilitation Act of 1973; or
6            (C) a student who had a sibling, whether by whole
7        blood, half blood, or adoption who was an eligible
8        student under subparagraph (A) or (B);
9        (2) is eligible to attend a public elementary school
10    or high school in Illinois in the semester immediately
11    preceding the semester for which he or she first receives
12    a scholarship or is starting school in Illinois for the
13    first time when he or she first receives a scholarship;
14    and
15        (3) resides in Illinois while receiving a scholarship.
16    "Federal poverty guidelines" means the poverty guidelines
17updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S.
18Department of Health and Human Services under the authority of
1942 U.S.C. 9902(2).
20    "Family member" means a parent, child, or sibling, whether
21by whole blood, half blood, or adoption; spouse; or stepchild
22    "Focus district" means a school district which has a
23school that is either (i) a school that has one or more
24subgroups in which the average student performance is at or
25below the State average for the lowest 10% of student
26performance in that subgroup or (ii) a school with an average

 

 

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1graduation rate of less than 60% and not identified for
2priority.
3    "Necessary costs and fees" includes the customary charge
4for instruction and use of facilities in general and the
5additional fixed fees charged for specified purposes that are
6required generally of non-scholarship recipients for each
7academic period for which the scholarship applicant actually
8enrolls, including costs associated with student assessments,
9but does not include fees payable only once and other
10contingent deposits that are refundable in whole or in part.
11The Board may prescribe, by rules consistent with this Act,
12detailed provisions concerning the computation of necessary
13costs and fees.
14    "Scholarship granting organization" means an entity that:
15        (1) is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of
16    the Internal Revenue Code;
17        (2) uses at least 95% of the qualified contributions
18    received during a taxable year for scholarships;
19        (3) provides scholarships to students according to the
20    guidelines of this Act;
21        (4) deposits and holds qualified contributions and any
22    income derived from qualified contributions in an account
23    that is separate from the organization's operating fund or
24    other funds until such qualified contributions or income
25    are withdrawn for use; and
26        (5) is approved to issue certificates of receipt.

 

 

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1    "Qualified contribution" means the authorized contribution
2made by a taxpayer to a scholarship granting organization for
3which the taxpayer has received a certificate of receipt from
4such organization.
5    "Qualified school" means a non-public school located in
6Illinois and recognized by the Board pursuant to Section
72-3.25o of the School Code.
8    "Scholarship" means an educational scholarship awarded to
9an eligible student to attend a qualified school of their
10custodians' choice in an amount not exceeding the necessary
11costs and fees to attend that school.
12    "Taxpayer" means any individual, corporation, partnership,
13trust, or other entity subject to the Illinois income tax. For
14the purposes of this Act, 2 individuals filing a joint return
15shall be considered one taxpayer.
 
16    Section 10. Credit awards.
17    (a) The Department shall award credits against the tax
18imposed under subsections (a) and (b) of Section 201 of the
19Illinois Income Tax Act to taxpayers who make qualified
20contributions.
21    (b) Contributions made by corporations, including
22Subchapter S corporations, partnerships, and trusts under this
23Act may not be directed to a particular subset of schools, a
24particular school, a particular group of students, or a
25particular student. Contributions made by individuals under

 

 

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1this Act may be directed to a particular subset of schools or a
2particular school but may not be directed to a particular
3group of students or a particular student.
4    (c) No credit shall be taken under this Act for any
5qualified contribution for which the taxpayer claims a federal
6income tax deduction.
7    (d) Credits shall be awarded in a manner, as determined by
8the Department, that is geographically proportionate to
9enrollment in recognized non-public schools in Illinois. If
10the cap on the aggregate credits that may be awarded by the
11Department is not reached by June 1 of a given year, the
12Department shall award remaining credits on a first-come,
13first-served basis, without regard to the limitation of this
14subsection.
 
15    Section 15. Approval to issue certificates of receipt.
16    (a) A scholarship granting organization shall submit an
17application for approval to issue certificates of receipt in
18the form and manner prescribed by the Department, provided
19that each application shall include:
20        (1) documentary evidence that the scholarship granting
21    organization has been granted an exemption from taxation
22    under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;
23        (2) certification that all qualified contributions and
24    any income derived from qualified contributions are
25    deposited and held in an account that is separate from the

 

 

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1    scholarship granting organization's operating or other
2    funds until such qualified contributions or income are
3    withdrawn for use;
4        (3) certification that the scholarship granting
5    organization will use at least 95% of its annual revenue
6    from qualified contributions for scholarships;
7        (4) certification that the scholarship granting
8    organization will provide scholarships to eligible
9    students;
10        (5) a list of the names and addresses of all members of
11    the governing board of the scholarship granting
12    organization; and
13        (6) a copy of the most recent financial audit of the
14    scholarship granting organization's accounts and records
15    conducted by an independent certified public accountant in
16    accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in
17    the United States, government auditing standards, and
18    rules adopted by the Department.
19    (b) A scholarship granting organization whose owner or
20operator in the last 7 years has filed for personal bankruptcy
21or corporate bankruptcy in a corporation of which he or she
22owned more than 20% shall not be eligible to provide
23scholarships.
24    (c) A scholarship granting organization must not have an
25owner or operator who owns or operates a qualified school or
26has a family member who is a paid staff or board member of a

 

 

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1participating qualified school.
2    (d) A scholarship granting organization shall comply with
3the anti-discrimination provisions of 42 U.S.C. 2000d.
4    (e) The Department shall review and either approve or deny
5each application to issue certificates of receipt pursuant to
6this Act. Approval or denial of an application shall be made on
7a periodic basis. Applicants shall be notified of the
8Department's determination within 30 business days after the
9application is received.
10    (f) No scholarship granting organization shall issue any
11certificates of receipt without first being approved to issue
12certificates of receipt.
 
13    Section 20. Annual review.
14    (a) Each scholarship granting organization that receives
15approval to issue certificates of receipt shall file an
16application for recertification on an annual basis. Such
17application for recertification shall be in the form and
18manner prescribed by the Department and shall include:
19        (1) certification from the Director or Chief Executive
20    Officer of the organization that the organization has
21    complied with and continues to comply with the
22    requirements of this Act, including evidence of that
23    compliance; and
24        (2) a copy of the organization's current financial
25    statements.

 

 

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1    (b) The Department may revoke the approval of a
2scholarship granting organization to issue certificates of
3receipt upon a finding that the organization has violated this
4Act or any rules adopted under this Act. These violations
5shall include, but need not be limited to, any of the
6following:
7        (1) failure to meet the requirements of this Act;
8        (2) failure to maintain full and adequate records with
9    respect to the receipt of qualified contributions;
10        (3) failure to supply such records to the Department;
11    or
12        (4) failure to provide notice to the Department of the
13    issuance of certificates of receipt pursuant to Section 35
14    of this Act.
15    (c) Within 5 days after the determination to revoke
16approval, the Department shall provide notice of the
17determination to the scholarship granting organization and
18information regarding the process to request a hearing to
19appeal the determination.
 
20    Section 25. Contribution authorization certificates.
21    (a) A taxpayer shall not be allowed a credit pursuant to
22this Act for any contribution to a scholarship granting
23organization that was made prior to the Department's issuance
24of a contribution authorization certificate for such
25contribution to the taxpayer.

 

 

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1    (b) Prior to making a contribution to a scholarship
2granting organization, the taxpayer shall apply to the
3Department for a contribution authorization certificate.
4    (c) A taxpayer who makes more than one contribution to a
5scholarship granting organization must make a separate
6application for each such contribution authorization
7certificate. The application shall be in the form and manner
8prescribed by the Department, provided that the application
9includes:
10        (1) the taxpayer's name and address;
11        (2) the amount the taxpayer will contribute; and
12        (3) any other information the Department deems
13    necessary.
14    (d) The Department may allow taxpayers to make multiple
15applications on the same form, provided that each application
16shall be treated as a separate application.
17    (e) The Department shall issue credit authorization
18certificates on a first-come, first-served basis based upon
19the date that the Department received the taxpayer's
20application for the certificate subject to the provisions of
21subsection (e) of Section 10 of this Act.
22    (f) A taxpayer's aggregate authorized contribution amount
23as listed on one or more authorized contribution certificates
24issued to the taxpayer shall not exceed the aggregate of the
25amounts listed on the taxpayer's applications submitted in
26accordance with this Section.

 

 

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1    (g) Each contribution authorization certificate shall
2state: (1) the date such certificate was issued; (2) the date
3by which the authorized contributions listed in the
4certificate must be made, which shall be 60 days from the date
5of the issuance of a credit authorization certificate; (3) the
6total amount of authorized contributions; and (4) any other
7information the Department deems necessary.
8    (h) Credit authorization certificates shall be mailed to
9the appropriate taxpayers within 3 business days after their
10issuance.
11    (i) A taxpayer may rescind all or part of an authorized
12contribution approved under this Act by providing written
13notice to the Department. Amounts rescinded shall no longer be
14deducted from the cap prescribed in Section 10 of this Act.
15    (j) The Department shall maintain on its website a running
16total of the amount of credits for which taxpayers may make
17applications for contribution authorization certification. The
18running total shall be updated every business day.
 
19    Section 30. Certificates of receipt.
20    (a) No scholarship granting organization shall issue a
21certificate of receipt for any qualified contribution made by
22a taxpayer under this Act unless that scholarship granting
23organization has been approved to issue certificates of
24receipt pursuant to Section 15 of this Act.
25    (b) No scholarship granting organization shall issue a

 

 

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1certificate of receipt for a contribution made by a taxpayer
2unless the taxpayer has been issued a credit authorization
3certificate by the Department.
4    (c) If a taxpayer makes a contribution to a scholarship
5granting organization prior to the date by which the
6authorized contribution shall be made, the scholarship
7granting organization shall, within 30 days of receipt of the
8authorized contribution, issue to the taxpayer a written
9certificate of receipt.
10    (d) If a taxpayer fails to make all or a portion of a
11contribution prior to the date by which such authorized
12contribution is required to be made, the taxpayer shall not be
13entitled to a certificate of receipt for that portion of the
14authorized contribution not made.
15    (e) Each certificate of receipt shall state:
16        (1) the name and address of the issuing scholarship
17    granting organization;
18        (2) the taxpayer's name and address;
19        (3) the date for each qualified contribution;
20        (4) the amount of each qualified contribution;
21        (5) the total qualified contribution amount; and
22        (6) any other information that the Department may deem
23    necessary.
24    (f) Upon the issuance of a certificate of receipt, the
25issuing scholarship granting organization shall, within 10
26days after issuing the certificate of receipt, provide the

 

 

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1Department with notification of the issuance of such
2certificate in the form and manner prescribed by the
3Department, provided that such notification shall include:
4        (1) the taxpayer's name and address;
5        (2) the date of the issuance of a certificate of
6    receipt;
7        (3) the qualified contribution date or dates and the
8    amounts contributed on such dates;
9        (4) the total qualified contribution listed on such
10    certificates;
11        (5) the issuing scholarship granting organization's
12    name and address; and
13        (6) any other information the Department may deem
14    necessary.
15    (g) Any portion of a contribution that a taxpayer fails to
16make by the date indicated on the authorized contribution
17certificate shall no longer be deducted from the cap
18prescribed in Section 10 of this Act.
 
19    Section 35. Reports.
20    (a) Within 180 days after the end of its fiscal year, each
21scholarship granting organization must provide to the
22Department a copy of a financial audit of its accounts and
23records conducted by an independent certified public
24accountant in accordance with auditing standards generally
25accepted in the United States, government auditing standards,

 

 

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1and rules adopted by the Department. The audit must include a
2report on financial statements presented in accordance with
3generally accepted accounting principles. The audit must
4include evidence that no less than 95% of qualified
5contributions received were used to provide scholarships to
6eligible students. The Department shall review all audits
7submitted pursuant to this subsection. The Department shall
8request any significant items that were omitted in violation
9of a rule adopted by the Department. The items must be provided
10within 45 days after the date of request. If a scholarship
11granting organization does not comply with the Department's
12request, the Department may revoke the scholarship granting
13organization's ability to issue certificates of receipt.
14    (b) A scholarship granting organization that is approved
15to receive qualified contributions shall report to the
16Department, on a form prescribed by the Department, by January
1731 of each calendar year. The report shall include:
18        (1) the total number of certificates of receipt issued
19    during the immediately preceding calendar year;
20        (2) the total dollar amount of qualified contributions
21    received, as set forth in the certificates of receipt
22    issued during the immediately preceding calendar year;
23        (3) the total number of eligible students utilizing
24    scholarships for the immediately preceding calendar year
25    and the school year in progress and the total dollar value
26    of the scholarships;

 

 

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1        (4) the name and address of each qualified school for
2    which scholarships using qualified contributions were
3    issued during the immediately preceding calendar year,
4    detailing the number, grade, race, gender, income level,
5    and residency by zip code of eligible students and the
6    total dollar value of scholarships being utilized at each
7    qualified school by priority group, as identified in
8    subsection (d) of Section 40 of this Act; and
9        (5) any additional information requested by the
10    Department.
11    (c) On or before the last day of March for each calendar
12year, for the immediately preceding calendar year, the
13Department shall submit a written report to the Governor, the
14President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
15Representatives, the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the
16Minority Leader of the House of Representatives regarding this
17Act. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the
18following information:
19        (1) the names and addresses of all scholarship
20    granting organizations approved to issue certificates of
21    receipt;
22        (2) the number and aggregate total of certificates of
23    receipt issued by each scholarship granting organization;
24    and
25        (3) the information reported to the Department
26    required by subsection (b) of this Section.

 

 

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1    (d) The sharing and reporting of student data under this
2Section must be in accordance with the requirements of the
3Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Illinois
4School Student Records Act. All parties must preserve the
5confidentiality of such information as required by law. Data
6reported by the Department under subsection (c) of this
7Section must not disaggregate data to a level that will
8disclose demographic data of individual students.
9        
 
10    Section 40. Scholarship granting organization
11responsibilities.
12    (a) Before granting a scholarship for an academic year,
13all scholarship granting organizations shall assess and
14document each student's eligibility for the academic year.
15    (b) A scholarship granting organization shall grant
16scholarships only to eligible students.
17    (c) A scholarship granting organization shall allow an
18eligible student to attend any qualified school of the
19student's choosing, subject to the availability of funds.
20    (d) In granting scholarships, beginning in the 2024-2025
21school year and for each school year thereafter, a scholarship
22granting organization shall give priority to eligible students
23who received a scholarship from a scholarship granting
24organization during the previous school year. Second priority
25shall be given to the following priority groups:

 

 

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1        (1) eligible students who are members of a household
2    whose previous year's total annual income does not exceed
3    185% of the federal poverty guidelines;
4        (2) eligible students who reside within a focus
5    district; and
6        (3) eligible students who are siblings of students
7    currently receiving a scholarship.
8    (e) A scholarship granting organization shall begin
9granting scholarships no later than February 1 preceding the
10school year for which the scholarship is sought. Each priority
11group identified in subsection (d) of this Section shall be
12eligible to receive scholarships on a first-come, first-served
13basis until April 1 immediately preceding the school year for
14which the scholarship is sought, starting with the first
15priority group identified in subsection (d) of this Section.
16Applications for scholarships for eligible students meeting
17the qualifications of one or more priority groups that are
18received before April 1 must be either approved or denied
19within 10 business days after receipt. Beginning April 1, all
20eligible students shall be eligible to receive scholarships
21without regard to the priority groups identified in subsection
22(d) of this Section.
23    (f) Except as provided in subsection (g) of this Section,
24scholarships shall not exceed the lesser of (i) the statewide
25average operational expense per student among public schools
26or (ii) the necessary costs and fees for attendance at the

 

 

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1qualified school. A qualified school may set a lower maximum
2scholarship amount for eligible students whose family income
3falls within paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection (f);
4that amount may not exceed the necessary costs and fees for
5attendance at the qualified school and is subject to the
6limitations on average scholarship amounts set forth in
7paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, as applicable. The
8qualified school shall notify the scholarship granting
9organization of its necessary costs and fees as well as any
10maximum scholarship amount set by the school. Scholarships
11shall be prorated as follows:
12        (1) for eligible students whose household income is
13    less than 185% of the federal poverty guidelines, the
14    scholarship shall be 100% of the amount determined
15    pursuant to this subsection (f) and subsection (g) of this
16    Section;
17        (2) for eligible students whose household income is
18    185% or more of the federal poverty guidelines but less
19    than 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, the average
20    of scholarships shall be 75% of the amount determined
21    pursuant to this subsection (f) and subsection (g) of this
22    Section.
23    (g) The statewide average operational expense per student
24among public schools shall be multiplied by the following
25factors:
26        (1) for students determined eligible to receive

 

 

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1    services under the federal Individuals with Disabilities
2    Education Act, 2;
3        (2) for students who are English learners, as defined
4    in subsection (d) of Section 14C-2 of the School Code,
5    1.2; and
6        (3) for students who are gifted and talented children,
7    as defined in Section 14A-20 of the School Code, 1.1.
8    (h) A scholarship granting organization shall distribute
9scholarship payments to the participating school where the
10student is enrolled.
11    (i) For the 2024-2025 school year and each school year
12thereafter, each scholarship granting organization shall
13expend all qualified contributions received during the
14calendar year in which the qualified contributions were
15received. No qualified contributions may be carried forward to
16the following calendar year.
17    (j) A scholarship granting organization shall allow an
18eligible student to transfer a scholarship during a school
19year to any other participating school of the custodian's
20choice. Such scholarships shall be prorated.
21    (k) With the prior approval of the Department, a
22scholarship granting organization may transfer funds to
23another scholarship granting organization if additional funds
24are required to meet scholarship demands at the receiving
25scholarship granting organization. All transferred funds must
26be deposited by the receiving scholarship granting

 

 

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1organization into its scholarship accounts. All transferred
2amounts received by any scholarship granting organization must
3be separately disclosed to the Department.
4    (l) If the approval of a scholarship granting organization
5is revoked as provided in Section 20 of this Act or the
6scholarship granting organization is dissolved, all remaining
7qualified contributions of the scholarship granting
8organization shall be transferred to another scholarship
9granting organization. All transferred funds must be deposited
10by the receiving scholarship granting organization into its
11scholarship accounts.
12    (m) Scholarship granting organizations shall make
13reasonable efforts to advertise the availability of
14scholarships to eligible students.
 
15    Section 45. State Board responsibilities.
16    (a) Students who have been granted a scholarship under
17this Act shall be annually assessed at the qualified school
18where the student attends school in the same manner in which
19students that attend public schools are annually assessed
20pursuant to Section 2-3.64a-5 of the School Code. Such
21qualified school shall pay costs associated with this
22requirement.
23    (b) The Board shall select an independent research
24organization, which may be a public or private entity or
25university, to which participating qualified schools must

 

 

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1report the scores of students who are receiving scholarships
2and are assessed pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section.
3Costs associated with the independent research organization
4shall be paid by the scholarship granting organizations on a
5per-pupil basis or by gifts, grants, or donations received by
6the Board under subsection (d) of this Section, as determined
7by the Board. The independent research organization must
8annually report to the Board on the year-to-year learning
9gains of students receiving scholarships on a statewide basis.
10The report shall also include, to the extent possible, a
11comparison of these learning gains to the statewide learning
12gains of public school students with socioeconomic backgrounds
13similar to those of students receiving scholarships. The
14annual report shall be delivered to the Board and published on
15its website.
16    (c) Beginning within 120 days after the Board first
17receives the annual report by the independent research
18organization as provided in subsection (b) of this Section and
19on an annual basis thereafter, the Board shall submit a
20written report to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
21the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority
22Leader of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the House of
23Representatives regarding this Act. Such report shall include
24an evaluation of the academic performance of students
25receiving scholarships and recommendations for improving
26student performance.

 

 

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1    (d) Subject to the State Officials and Employees Ethics
2Act, the Board may receive and expend gifts, grants, and
3donations of any kind from any public or private entity to
4carry out the purposes of this Section, subject to the terms
5and conditions under which the gifts are given, provided that
6all such terms and conditions are permissible under law.
7    (e) The sharing and reporting of student learning gain
8data under this Section must be in accordance with
9requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
10and the Illinois School Student Records Act. All parties must
11preserve the confidentiality of such information as required
12by law. The annual report must not disaggregate data to a level
13that will disclose the academic level of individual students.
 
14    Section 50. Qualified school responsibilities. A qualified
15school that accepts scholarship students must do all of the
16following:
17    (1) provide to a scholarship granting organization, upon
18request, all documentation required for the student's
19participation, including the non-public school's cost and
20student's fee schedules;
21    (2) be academically accountable to the custodian for
22meeting the educational needs of the student by:
23        (A) at a minimum, annually providing to the custodian
24    a written explanation of the student's progress; and
25        (B) annually administering assessments required by

 

 

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1    subsection (a) of Section 45 of this Act in the same manner
2    in which they are administered at public schools pursuant
3    to Section 2-3.64a-5 of the School Code; the Board shall
4    bill participating qualified schools for all costs
5    associated with administering assessments required by this
6    paragraph; the participating qualified schools shall
7    ensure that all test security and assessment
8    administration procedures are followed; participating
9    qualified schools must report individual student scores to
10    the custodians of the students; the independent research
11    organization described in subsection (b) of Section 45 of
12    this Act shall be provided all student score data in a
13    secure manner by the participating qualified school.
14    The inability of a qualified school to meet the
15requirements of this Section shall constitute a basis for the
16ineligibility of the qualified school to participate in the
17scholarship program as determined by the Board.
 
18    Section 55. Custodian and student responsibilities.
19    (a) The custodian must select a qualified school and apply
20for the admission of his or her child.
21    (b) The custodian shall ensure that the student
22participating in the scholarship program takes the assessment
23required by subsection (a) of Section 45 of this Act.
24    (c) Each custodian and each student has an obligation to
25comply with the qualified school's published policies.

 

 

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1    (d) The custodian shall authorize the scholarship granting
2organization to access information needed for income
3eligibility determinations.
 
4    Section 60. Recordkeeping; rulemaking; violations.
5    (a) Each taxpayer shall, for each taxable year for which
6the tax credit provided for under this Act is claimed,
7maintain records of the following information: (i)
8contribution authorization certificates obtained under Section
925 of this Act and (ii) certificates of receipt obtained under
10Section 30 of this Act.
11    (b) The Board and the Department may adopt rules
12consistent with and necessary for the implementation of this
13Act.
14    (c) Violations of State laws or rules and complaints
15relating to program participation shall be referred to the
16Attorney General.
 
17    Section 65. Credit period. A taxpayer may take a credit
18under this Act for tax years beginning on or after January 1,
192024.
 
20    Section 900. The Illinois Income Tax Act is amended by
21adding Section 541 as follows:
 
22    (35 ILCS 5/541 new)

 

 

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1    Sec. 541. Students in Need Scholarship Act credit.
2    (a) For taxable years beginning on or after January 1,
32024, each taxpayer for whom a tax credit has been awarded by
4the Department under the Students in Need Scholarship Act is
5entitled to a credit against the tax imposed under subsections
6(a) and (b) of Section 201 of this Act in an amount equal to
7the amount awarded under the Students in Need Scholarship Act.
8    (b) For taxable years ending before December 31, 2023, for
9partners, shareholders of subchapter S corporations, and
10owners of limited liability companies, if the liability
11company is treated as a partnership for purposes of federal
12and State income taxation, the credit under this Section shall
13be determined in accordance with the determination of income
14and distributive share of income under Sections 702 and 704
15and subchapter S of the Internal Revenue Code.
16    (c) The credit may not be carried back and may not reduce
17the taxpayer's liability to less than zero. If the amount of
18the credit exceeds the tax liability for the year, the excess
19may be carried forward and applied to the tax liability of the
205 taxable years following the excess credit year. The tax
21credit shall be applied to the earliest year for which there is
22a tax liability. If there are credits for more than one year
23that are available to offset the liability, the earlier credit
24shall be applied first.
25    (d) A tax credit awarded by the Department under the
26Students in Need Scholarship Act may not be claimed for any

 

 

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1qualified contribution for which the taxpayer claims a federal
2income tax deduction.
 
3    Section 995. Inseverability. The provisions of this Act
4are mutually dependent and inseverable. If any provision is
5held invalid other than as applied to a particular person or
6circumstance, then this entire Act is invalid.
 
7    Section 997. Saving clause. Any repeal or amendment made
8by this Act shall not affect or impair any of the following:
9suits pending or rights existing at the time this Act takes
10effect; any grant or conveyance made or right acquired or
11cause of action now existing under any Section, Article, or
12Act repealed or amended by this Act; the validity of any bonds
13or other obligations issued or sold and constituting valid
14obligations of the issuing authority at the time this Act
15takes effect; the validity of any contract; the validity of
16any tax levied under any law in effect prior to the effective
17date of this Act; or any offense committed, act done, penalty,
18punishment, or forfeiture incurred or any claim, right, power,
19or remedy accrued under any law in effect prior to the
20effective date of this Act.
 
21    Section 999. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
22becoming law.