SB1791 EngrossedLRB098 09198 NHT 39337 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 3. The State Finance Act is amended by changing
5Section 5.562 as follows:
 
6    (30 ILCS 105/5.562)
7    Sec. 5.562. The Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Future
8Teacher Corps Scholarship Fund.
9(Source: P.A. 92-445, eff. 8-17-01; 92-651, eff. 7-11-02.)
 
10    Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
11amended by changing Section 52 as follows:
 
12    (110 ILCS 947/52)
13    Sec. 52. Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program; Golden
14Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching.
15    (a) In this Section, "Foundation" means the Golden Apple
16Foundation for Excellence in Teaching, a registered 501(c)(3)
17not-for-profit corporation.
18    (a-2) (a) In order to encourage academically talented
19Illinois students, especially minority students, to pursue
20teaching careers, especially in teacher shortage disciplines
21(which shall be defined to include early childhood education)

 

 

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1or at hard-to-staff schools (as defined by the Commission in
2consultation with the State Board of Education), to provide
3those students with the crucial mentoring, guidance, and
4in-service support that will significantly increase the
5likelihood that they will complete their full teaching
6commitments and elect to continue teaching in targeted
7disciplines and hard-to-staff schools, and to ensure that
8students in this State will continue to have access to a pool
9of highly-qualified teachers, each qualified student shall be
10awarded a Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program scholarship
11to any Illinois institution of higher learning. The Commission
12shall administer the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program,
13which shall be managed by the Foundation pursuant to the terms
14of a grant agreement meeting the requirements of Section 4 of
15the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act.
16    (a-3) For purposes of this Section, a qualified student
17shall be a student who meets the following qualifications:
18        (1) is a resident of this State and a citizen or
19    eligible noncitizen of the United States;
20        (2) is a high school graduate or a person who has
21    received a General Educational Development certificate;
22        (3) is enrolled or accepted, on at least a half-time
23    basis, at an institution of higher learning;
24        (4) is pursuing a postsecondary course of study leading
25    to initial certification or pursuing additional course
26    work needed to gain State Board of Education approval to

 

 

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1    teach, including alternative teacher licensure; and
2        (5) is a participant in programs managed by and is
3    approved to receive a scholarship from the Foundation. the
4    Commission shall combine the best practices and methods and
5    programmatic functions of the Illinois Future Teacher
6    Corps Program and the Golden Apple Foundation for
7    Excellence in Teaching's Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois
8    Program into one program. The consolidated program shall be
9    known as the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program and
10    shall be managed by the Golden Apple Foundation for
11    Excellence in Teaching.
12        (1) This consolidated program shall be fully
13    operational before July 1, 2012. The existing programs, the
14    Illinois Future Teacher Corps Program and the Golden Apple
15    Scholars Program, shall continue to exist and be governed
16    as they have under this Section before the effective date
17    of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly and any
18    associated administrative rules, but shall also begin a
19    transition period commencing on the first day of the 2010
20    fiscal year and ending on the last day of the 2013 fiscal
21    year.
22        (2) During the transition period, the Commission
23    shall, in consultation with the Golden Apple Foundation,
24    establish rules governing the transition period and
25    related fund transfers and to facilitate coordination and
26    implementation of the consolidated program. Eligible

 

 

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1    students in this State may continue to apply for Illinois
2    Future Teacher Corps scholarships under the current rules
3    governing such applications during the transition period.
4    Fiscal Year 2012 shall be the last year that such
5    scholarships are available.
6        (3) The Commission shall, by March 30, 2010, develop an
7    estimate of General Revenue Funds that it expects will
8    remain unexpended at the end of FY 2010 from the FY 2010
9    appropriation for the Illinois Future Teacher Corps. No
10    later than April 15, 2010, the Commission shall cause to be
11    transferred funds comprising 85% of this estimated amount
12    to the Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching.
13    The Commission shall subsequently transfer funding from
14    the Illinois Future Teacher Corps Program to the Golden
15    Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching on the
16    following schedule and in the following amounts:
17            (A) FY 2011: an amount equal to 58% of the total
18        combined appropriation for the Golden Apple Foundation
19        for Excellence in Teaching and the Illinois Future
20        Teacher Corps Program;
21            (B) FY 2012: an amount equal to 80% of the combined
22        total appropriation for the Golden Apple Foundation
23        for Excellence in Teaching and the Illinois Future
24        Teacher Corps Program;
25            (C) FY 2013: the entire appropriation shall be
26        designated for the Golden Apple Foundation for

 

 

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1        Excellence in Teaching.
2        (4) Following the consolidation of the 2 programs, at
3    least 30% of Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program
4    scholarships available each year shall be awarded to
5    students residing in counties having a population of less
6    than 500,000.
7        (5) Following the consolidation of the 2 programs, the
8    Auditor General shall prepare an annual audit of the
9    operations and finances of the Golden Apple Scholars of
10    Illinois Program. This audit shall be provided to the
11    Governor and the General Assembly.
12    (a-5) (Blank). The Commission shall, each year until Fiscal
13Year 2011, receive and consider applications for scholarship
14assistance under this Section. An applicant is eligible for an
15Illinois Future Teacher Corps scholarship under this Section
16when the Commission finds that the applicant is:
17        (1) a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen;
18        (2) a resident of Illinois;
19        (3) a high school graduate or a person who has received
20    a General Educational Development Certificate;
21        (4) enrolled or accepted for enrollment at or above the
22    junior level, on at least a half-time basis, at an Illinois
23    institution of higher learning; and
24        (5) pursuing a postsecondary course of study leading to
25    initial certification or pursuing additional course work
26    needed to gain State Board of Education approval to teach,

 

 

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1    including alternative teacher certification.
2    (b) (Blank). Recipients shall be selected from among
3applicants qualified pursuant to subsection (a) based on a
4combination of the following criteria as set forth by the
5Commission until Fiscal Year 2011: (1) academic excellence; (2)
6status as a minority student as defined in Section 50; and (3)
7financial need. Preference may be given to previous recipients
8of assistance under this Section, provided they continue to
9maintain eligibility and maintain satisfactory academic
10progress as determined by the institution of higher learning at
11which they enroll.
12    In each year until the consolidation of the 2 programs
13under subsection (a) of this Section has been completed, to
14support mentoring, guidance, and in-service support for
15teaching candidates in order to increase the likelihood that
16they will complete their full teaching commitments and elect to
17continue teaching in targeted disciplines and hard-to-staff
18schools, a minimum of 200 awards shall be allocated to
19participants in the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois program.
20    (b-5) Funds designated for the Golden Apple Scholars of
21Illinois Program shall be used by the Commission for the
22payment of scholarship assistance under this Section or for the
23award of grant funds, subject to the Illinois Grant Funds
24Recovery Act, to the Foundation. Subject to appropriation,
25awards of grant funds to the Foundation shall be made on an
26annual basis and following an application for grant funds by

 

 

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1the Foundation.
2    (b-10) Each year, the Foundation shall include in its
3application to the Commission for grant funds an estimate of
4the amount of scholarship assistance to be provided to
5qualified students during the grant period. Any amount of
6appropriated funds exceeding the estimated amount of
7scholarship assistance may be awarded by the Commission to the
8Foundation for management expenses expected to be incurred by
9the Foundation in providing the mentoring, guidance, and
10in-service supports that will increase the likelihood that
11qualified students will complete their teaching commitments
12and elect to continue teaching in hard-to-staff schools. If the
13estimate of the amount of scholarship assistance described in
14the Foundation's application is less than the actual amount
15required for the award of scholarship assistance to qualified
16students, the Foundation shall be responsible for using awarded
17grant funds to ensure all qualified students receive
18scholarship assistance under this Section.
19    (b-15) All grant funds not expended or legally obligated
20within the time specified in a grant agreement between the
21Foundation and the Commission shall be returned to the
22Commission within 45 days. Any funds legally obligated by the
23end of a grant agreement shall be liquidated within 45 days or
24otherwise returned to the Commission within 90 days after the
25end of the grant agreement that resulted in the award of grant
26funds.

 

 

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1    (c) Each scholarship awarded under this Section shall be in
2an amount sufficient to pay the tuition and fees and room and
3board costs of the Illinois institution of higher learning at
4which the recipient is enrolled, up to an annual maximum of
5$5,000; except that in the case of a recipient who does not
6reside on-campus at the institution of higher learning at which
7he or she is enrolled, the amount of the scholarship shall be
8sufficient to pay tuition and fee expenses and a commuter
9allowance, up to an annual maximum of $5,000. All scholarship
10funds distributed in accordance with this Section shall be paid
11to the institution on behalf of recipients. For recipients who
12agree to teach in a teacher shortage discipline or at a
13hard-to-staff school under subsection (i) of this Section, the
14Commission may, by rule and subject to appropriation, increase
15the annual maximum amount to $10,000. If a recipient agrees to
16teach in both a teacher shortage discipline and at a
17hard-to-staff school under subsection (i) of this Section, the
18Commission may increase the amount of the scholarship awarded
19by up to an additional $5,000.
20    (d) The total amount of scholarship assistance awarded by
21the Commission under this Section to an individual in any given
22fiscal year, when added to other financial assistance awarded
23to that individual for that year, shall not exceed the cost of
24attendance at the institution of higher learning at which the
25student is enrolled. In any academic year for which a qualified
26student under this Section accepts financial assistance

 

 

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1through any other teacher scholarship program administered by
2the Commission, a qualified student shall not be eligible for
3scholarship assistance awarded under this Section.
4    (e) A recipient may receive up to 8 4 semesters or 12 6
5quarters of scholarship assistance under this Section.
6Scholarship funds are applicable toward 2 semesters or 3
7quarters of enrollment each academic year.
8    (f) All applications for scholarship assistance to be
9awarded under this Section shall be made to the Foundation in a
10form determined by the Foundation. Each year, the Foundation
11shall notify the Commission of the individuals awarded
12scholarship assistance under this Section. Each year, at least
1330% of the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program
14scholarships shall be awarded to students residing in counties
15having a population of less than 500,000. Commission in a form
16as set forth by the Commission. The form of application and the
17information required to be set forth therein shall be
18determined by the Commission, and the Commission shall require
19eligible applicants to submit with their applications such
20supporting documents as the Commission deems necessary.
21Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, following the
22completion of the transition of funding of the Illinois Future
23Teacher Corps to the Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in
24Teaching, all applications for scholarship assistance under
25this Section shall be in a form determined by the Golden Apple
26Foundation for Excellence in Teaching.

 

 

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1    (g) (Blank). Subject to a separate appropriation made for
2such purposes, payment of any scholarship awarded under this
3Section shall be determined by the Commission. There shall be a
4separate appropriation made for scholarships awarded to
5recipients who agree to teach in a teacher shortage discipline
6or at a hard-to-staff school under subsection (i) of this
7Section. The Commission may use for scholarship assistance
8under this Section (i) all funds appropriated for scholarships
9under this Section that were formerly known as ITEACH Teacher
10Shortage Scholarships and (ii) all funds appropriated for
11scholarships under Section 65.65 of this Act (repealed by this
12amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly), formerly known as
13Illinois Future Teacher Corps Scholarships.
14    All scholarship funds distributed in accordance with this
15Section shall be paid to the institution on behalf of the
16recipients. Scholarship funds are applicable toward 2
17semesters or 3 quarters of enrollment within an academic year.
18    (h) The Commission shall administer the payment of
19scholarship assistance provided through the Golden Apple
20Scholars of Illinois Program program established by this
21Section and shall make all necessary and proper rules not
22inconsistent with this Section for the its effective
23implementation of this Section.
24    (i) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for any
25academic year, each recipient of a scholarship awarded under
26this Section shall be required by the Foundation Commission to

 

 

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1sign an agreement under which the recipient pledges that,
2within the 2-year one-year period following the termination of
3the academic program for which the recipient was awarded a
4scholarship, the recipient: (i) shall begin teaching for a
5period of not less than 5 years, (ii) shall fulfill this
6teaching obligation at a nonprofit Illinois public, private, or
7parochial preschool or an Illinois public elementary or
8secondary school that qualifies for teacher loan cancellation
9under Section 465(a)(2)(A) of the federal Higher Education Act
10of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ee(a)(2)(A)) or other Illinois schools
11deemed eligible for fulfilling the teaching commitment as
12designated by the Foundation, and (iii) shall, upon request of
13the Foundation Commission, provide the Foundation Commission
14with evidence that he or she is fulfilling or has fulfilled the
15terms of the teaching agreement provided for in this
16subsection. Upon request, the Foundation shall provide
17evidence of teacher fulfillment to the Commission.
18    (j) If a recipient of a scholarship awarded under this
19Section fails to fulfill the teaching obligation set forth in
20subsection (i) of this Section, the Commission shall require
21the recipient to repay the amount of the scholarships received,
22prorated according to the fraction of the teaching obligation
23not completed, plus interest at a rate of 5% and if applicable,
24reasonable collection fees. The Commission is authorized to
25establish rules relating to its collection activities for
26repayment of scholarships under this Section. Payments

 

 

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1received by the Commission under this subsection (j) shall be
2remitted to the State Comptroller for deposit into the General
3Revenue Fund, except that that portion of a recipient's
4repayment that equals the amount in expenses that the
5Commission has reasonably incurred in attempting collection
6from that recipient shall be remitted to the State Comptroller
7for deposit into the Commission's Accounts Receivable Fund.
8    (k) A recipient of a scholarship awarded by the Foundation
9Commission under this Section shall not be considered to have
10failed to fulfill the teaching obligations in violation of the
11agreement entered into pursuant to subsection (i) if the
12recipient (i) enrolls on a full-time basis as a graduate
13student in a course of study related to the field of teaching
14at an institution of higher learning; (ii) is serving as a
15member of the armed services of the United States; (iii) is
16temporarily totally disabled, as established by sworn
17affidavit of a qualified physician; (iv) is seeking and unable
18to find full-time employment as a teacher at a school that
19satisfies the criteria set forth in subsection (i) and is able
20to provide evidence of that fact; (v) is taking additional
21courses, on at least a half-time basis, needed to obtain
22certification as a teacher in Illinois; or (vi) is fulfilling
23teaching requirements associated with other programs
24administered by the Commission and cannot concurrently fulfill
25them under this Section in a period of time equal to the length
26of the teaching obligation; or (vii) is participating in a

 

 

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1program established under Executive Order 10924 of the
2President of the United States or the federal National
3Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.). Any
4such extension of the period during which the teaching
5requirement must be fulfilled shall be subject to limitations
6of duration as established by the Commission.
7    (l) A recipient who fails to fulfill the teaching
8obligations of the agreement entered into pursuant to
9subsection (i) of this Section shall repay the amount of
10scholarship assistance awarded to them under this Section
11within 10 years.
12    (m) Annually, at a time determined by the Commission in
13consultation with the Foundation, the Foundation shall submit a
14report to assist the Commission in monitoring the Foundation's
15performance of grant activities. The report shall describe the
16following:
17        (1) the Foundation's anticipated expenditures for the
18    next fiscal year;
19        (2) the number of qualified students receiving
20    scholarship assistance at each institution of higher
21    learning where a qualified student was enrolled under this
22    Section during the previous fiscal year;
23        (3) the total monetary value of scholarship funds paid
24    to each institution of higher learning at which a qualified
25    student was enrolled during the previous fiscal year;
26        (4) the number of scholarship recipients who completed

 

 

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1    a baccalaureate degree during the previous fiscal year;
2        (5) the number of scholarship recipients who fulfilled
3    their teaching obligation during the previous fiscal year;
4        (6) the number of scholarship recipients who failed to
5    fulfill their teaching obligation during the previous
6    fiscal year;
7        (7) the number of scholarship recipients granted an
8    extension described in subsection (k) of this Section
9    during the previous fiscal year;
10        (8) the number of scholarship recipients required to
11    repay scholarship assistance in accordance with subsection
12    (j) of this Section during the previous fiscal year;
13        (9) the number of scholarship recipients who
14    successfully repaid scholarship assistance in full during
15    the previous fiscal year;
16        (10) the number of scholarship recipients who
17    defaulted on their obligation to repay scholarship
18    assistance during the previous fiscal year;
19        (11) the amount of scholarship assistance subject to
20    collection in accordance with subsection (j) of this
21    Section at the end of the previous fiscal year;
22        (12) the amount of collected funds to be remitted to
23    the Comptroller in accordance with subsection (j) of this
24    Section at the end of the previous fiscal year; and
25        (13) other information that the Commission may
26    reasonably request.

 

 

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1    (n) Nothing in this Section shall affect the rights of the
2Commission to collect moneys owed to it by recipients of
3scholarship assistance through the Illinois Future Teacher
4Corps Program, repealed by this amendatory Act of the 98th
5General Assembly.
6    (o) The Auditor General shall prepare an annual audit of
7the operations and finances of the Golden Apple Scholars of
8Illinois Program. This audit shall be provided to the Governor,
9General Assembly, and the Commission.
10    (p) The suspension of grant making authority found in
11Section 4.2 of the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act shall not
12apply to grants made pursuant to this Section.
13(Source: P.A. 95-939, eff. 1-1-09; 96-411, eff. 8-13-09.)
 
14    Section 10. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by
15changing Section 3-648 as follows:
 
16    (625 ILCS 5/3-648)
17    Sec. 3-648. Education license plates.
18    (a) The Secretary, upon receipt of an application made in
19the form prescribed by the Secretary, may issue special
20registration plates designated as Education license plates.
21The special plates issued under this Section shall be affixed
22only to passenger vehicles of the first division and motor
23vehicles of the second division weighing not more than 8,000
24pounds. Plates issued under this Section shall expire according

 

 

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1to the multi-year procedure established by Section 3-414.1 of
2this Code.
3    (b) The design and color of the plates shall be determined
4by a contest that every elementary school pupil in the State of
5Illinois is eligible to enter. The designs submitted for the
6contest shall be judged on September 30, 2002, and the winning
7design shall be selected by a committee composed of the
8Secretary, the Director of State Police, 2 members of the
9Senate, one member chosen by the President of the Senate and
10one member chosen by the Senate Minority Leader, and 2 members
11of the House of Representatives, one member chosen by the
12Speaker of the House and one member chosen by the House
13Minority Leader. The Secretary may allow the plates to be
14issued as vanity or personalized plates under Section 3-405.1
15of the Code. The Secretary shall prescribe stickers or decals
16as provided under Section 3-412 of this Code.
17    (c) An applicant for the special plate shall be charged a
18$40 fee for original issuance, in addition to the appropriate
19registration fee. Of this $40 additional original issuance fee,
20$15 shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special
21License Plate Fund, to be used by the Secretary to help defray
22the administrative processing costs, and $25 shall be deposited
23into the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Future Teacher Corps
24Scholarship Fund. For each registration renewal period, a $40
25fee, in addition to the appropriate registration fee, shall be
26charged. Of this $40 additional renewal fee, $2 shall be

 

 

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1deposited into the Secretary of State Special License Plate
2Fund and $38 shall be deposited into the Golden Apple Scholars
3of Illinois Future Teacher Corps Scholarship Fund. Each fiscal
4year, once deposits from the additional original issuance and
5renewal fees into the Secretary of State Special License Plate
6Fund have reached $500,000, all the amounts received for the
7additional fees for the balance of the fiscal year shall be
8deposited into the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Future
9Teacher Corps Scholarship Fund.
10    (d) The Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Future Teacher
11Corps Scholarship Fund is created as a special fund in the
12State treasury. All Ninety-five percent of the moneys in the
13Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Future Teacher Corps
14Scholarship Fund shall be appropriated to the Illinois Student
15Assistance Commission for scholarships under Section 52 of the
16Higher Education Student Assistance Act, and 5% of the moneys
17in the Illinois Future Teacher Corps Scholarship Fund shall be
18appropriated to the State Board of Education for grants to the
19Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching, a
20recognized charitable organization that meets the requirements
21of Title 26, Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Code.
22Notwithstanding the other provisions of this subsection (d),
23beginning in the 2010 fiscal year, funds for the Illinois
24Future Teacher Corps Program and the Golden Apple Foundation
25for Excellence in Teaching shall be apportioned according to
26Section 52 of the Higher Education Student Assistance Act.

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07; 96-411, eff. 8-13-09.)
 
2    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
3becoming law.