97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5573

 

Introduced 2/15/2012, by Rep. Joe Sosnowski

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/22-71 new

    Amends the School Code. Creates the Tuition Voucher Program Task Force to study the feasibility of a statewide tuition voucher program. Requires the State Board of Education to provide administrative and other support to the task force. Requires the task force to file a report with the Governor and the General Assembly. Sets forth topics that the report must include. Provides that upon filing its report, the task force is dissolved.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section
522-71 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/22-71 new)
7    Sec. 22-71. Tuition Voucher Program Task Force.
8    (a) The Tuition Voucher Program Task Force is created to
9study the feasibility of a statewide tuition voucher program.
10The task force shall consist of all of the following members:
11        (1) Two members of the public appointed by the
12    Governor.
13        (2) Two members of the General Assembly appointed by
14    the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
15        (3) Two members of the General Assembly appointed by
16    the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
17        (4) Two members of the General Assembly appointed by
18    the President of the Senate.
19        (5) Two members of the General Assembly appointed by
20    the Minority Leader of the Senate.
21        (6) One representative of a statewide professional
22    teachers organization appointed by the head of that
23    organization.

 

 

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1        (7) One representative of a different statewide
2    professional teachers organization appointed by the head
3    of that organization.
4        (8) Two representatives of a statewide school
5    management alliance organization.
6        (9) One representative of the State Board of Education.
7    The members of the task force shall serve without
8compensation, but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and
9necessary expenses from appropriations to the State Board of
10Education for that purpose. Reimbursement for travel expenses
11shall be subject to the rules of the appropriate travel control
12board.
13    The members of the task force shall meet initially at the
14call of the Governor, shall select one member as chairperson at
15its initial meeting, and shall thereafter meet at the call of
16the chairperson.
17    The State Board of Education shall provide administrative
18and other support to the task force.
19    (b) The Tuition Voucher Program Task Force shall file a
20report on the feasibility of a statewide tuition voucher
21program with the Governor and the General Assembly as provided
22in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization Act. The
23following topics must be included without limitation in the
24report:
25        (1) Eligible students, either in grades kindergarten
26    through 7 or in grades kindergarten through 12.

 

 

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1        (2) Education expenses and what are the reasonable
2    costs incurred by a student in attending a nonpublic
3    school, such as for books, tuition, fees, and extra
4    curricular activities.
5        (3) What qualifies as a nonpublic school to be eligible
6    for a tuition voucher program and whether the school must
7    consent to participate in the tuition voucher program.
8        (4) Application processes and application date
9    limitations as prescribed in Senate Bill 2494 of the 97th
10    General Assembly.
11        (5) The amount of a voucher as prescribed in Senate
12    Bill 2494 of the 97th General Assembly.
13        (6) Assessments of students using vouchers as
14    prescribed in Senate Bill 2494 of the 97th General
15    Assembly.
16        (7) Possible fiscal impacts of a tuition voucher
17    program.
18    Upon filing its report with the Governor and the General
19Assembly, the Tuition Voucher Program Task Force is dissolved.