Sen. Frank C. Watson

Filed: 4/11/2005

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1805

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1805 by replacing
3 everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4     "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5 Illinois Dollars for Scholars Program Act.
 
6     Section 5. Findings and purpose. The General Assembly
7 finds that making higher education opportunities available to
8 Illinois residents is of great importance to the social and
9 economic well-being of this State. The General Assembly further
10 finds that some potential students, because of family and
11 social circumstances, economic distress of their community,
12 and other reasons, do not pursue a higher education. It is in
13 the interest of the State to support the development of
14 scholarship programs that help these citizens attend a college,
15 university, or vocational-technical institute in the State.
16 The purpose of this Act is to create an Illinois Dollars for
17 Scholars Program as a pilot project, with the intent of
18 encouraging local communities to develop scholarship programs
19 that assist their residents in obtaining a higher education.
 
20     Section 10. Definitions. In this Act, unless the context
21 clearly requires otherwise:
22     "Chapter" means an Illinois Dollars for Scholars chapter
23 found to be eligible for State funds under Section 25 of this

 

 

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1 Act.
2     "Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance
3 Commission.
4     "Institution of higher education" means a degree-granting
5 college or university or public vocation-technical institute,
6 in this State, that is a member institution of an accrediting
7 association recognized by rule of the Commission for the
8 purposes of this Act.
9     "Program" means the Illinois Dollars for Scholars Program.
 
10     Section 15. Creation of Program.
11     (a) The Illinois Dollars for Scholars Program is hereby
12 established. Subject to the availability of funds, the
13 Commission shall award a chapter $2,000 upon demonstration to
14 the Commission that the chapter has raised $2,000 for
15 scholarships or the creation of an endowment for scholarships.
16     (b) Awards made under this Section shall be used for
17 scholarships to community residents who qualify as resident
18 students, as determined by the Commission, to attend
19 institutions of higher education.
 
20     Section 20. Goals.
21     (a) The goal of the Program is the development throughout
22 the State of community organizations that raise scholarship
23 funds for local residents.
24     (b) In making awards under Section 15 this Act, the
25 Commission shall take into consideration, but not be limited
26 to, the following additional goals:
27         (1) increasing higher education participation for
28     residents of economically distressed areas and other areas
29     of the State with low participation rates and enhancing
30     community support for residents of these areas who desire a
31     higher education;
32         (2) creating scholarship opportunities for students

 

 

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1     who do not meet the criteria for traditional scholarships;
2     and
3         (3) creating scholarship opportunities for students
4     who plan to focus their studies in the humanities and arts.
 
5     Section 25. Eligibility. To qualify as an Illinois
6 Scholars for Dollars chapter eligible for State money under
7 this Act, an organization must meet the following criteria:
8         (1) have a tax-exempt status under Section 501(c) of
9     the Internal Revenue Code, be a publicly supported
10     organization under Section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) of the
11     Internal Revenue Code, and not be a private foundation
12     under Section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code;
13         (2) be organized after the effective date of this Act
14     for the primary purpose of raising and awarding
15     scholarships to community residents who qualify as
16     resident students, as determined by the Commission, to
17     attend institutions of higher education;
18         (3) solicit broad-based community support in its
19     fundraising activities and be representative of the
20     community in its organization;
21         (4) not be duplicative of other organizations;
22         (5) be organized and operated by volunteers;
23         (6) grant scholarships without regard to age, sex,
24     marital status, race, creed, color, religion, national
25     origin, or the presence of any mental, sensory, or physical
26     handicap; and
27         (7) meet other criteria established by the Commission
28     to meet the goals of the Program specified in Section 20 of
29     this Act.
 
30     Section 30. Chapter limits. The total number of chapters
31 operating under this Act at any one time shall not exceed 28.
32 Not more than 7 chapters shall operate at any one time in any

 

 

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1 city having a population exceeding 500,000; not more than 7
2 chapters shall operate at any one time in the counties of
3 DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, and that portion of Cook
4 County that is located outside a city having a population
5 exceeding 500,000; and not more than 14 chapters shall operate
6 at any one time in the remainder of the State.
7     For the purposes of implementing this Section, the
8 Commission shall assign a number to each chapter submission
9 that it receives under this Act for its review and
10 certification, based on the chronological order in which the
11 submission is received. The Commission shall promptly notify
12 the public when the maximum number of chapters authorized to
13 operate has been reached.
 
14     Section 35. Administration; rules; assistance. The
15 Commission shall administer the Program. The Commission shall
16 adopt rules as appropriate to implement the Program and shall
17 solicit assistance from public and private sources to publicize
18 the Program. The Commission may create an advisory committee to
19 assist in making determinations under this Act.
 
20     Section 40. Illinois Dollars for Scholars Fund. The
21 Illinois Dollars for Scholars Fund is created as a special fund
22 in the State treasury. All money appropriated for the Program
23 and all money otherwise received for this purpose shall be
24 deposited in this Fund. All money in this Fund shall be used,
25 subject to appropriation, by the Commission for awards and
26 administration of the Program.
 
27     Section 45. Gifts; grants; endowments. The Commission may
28 solicit and receive such gifts, grants, and endowments from
29 public or private sources as may be made from time to time, in
30 trust or otherwise, for the use and benefit of the purposes of
31 the Program and may expend the same or any income therefrom

 

 

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1 according to the terms of the gifts, grants, or endowments.
 
2     Section 50. Report. By December 1, 2006, the Commission
3 shall submit a report to the Governor, the House of
4 Representatives Higher Education Committee, and the Senate
5 Education Committee. The report shall examine the results and
6 effectiveness of the Program and shall recommend whether the
7 Program should be continued and any modifications to the
8 Program.
 
9     Section 905. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
10 Section 5.640 as follows:
 
11     (30 ILCS 105/5.640 new)
12     Sec. 5.640. The Illinois Dollars for Scholars Fund.
 
13     Section 990. Repealer. This Act is repealed on June 30,
14 2008.
 
15     Section 999. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
16 becoming law.".