SB2332 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB098 10661 MLW 40957 b

98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
SB2332

Introduced 2/15/2013, by Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 2705/2705-587

Amends the Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Expands the list of targeted group member classes for the Diversity in Engineering scholarship program to include national origin, ancestry, age, and disability, and modifies the definition so that classes are included as long as the percent employed by the Department is less than the percent employed statewide according to labor statistics and not a specific plan adopted by the Department. Removes the eligibility requirement that applicants be members of a targeted group, and removes the requirement that applicants be full-time students. Directs the Department to establish a process for selecting eligible students that considers obtaining a critical mass of students in the program to remedy the under utilization of targeted group members. Provides the Department of Transportation may (rather than shall) adopt rules to implement and administer the scholarship program. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by changing Section 2705-587 as follows:

(20 ILCS 2705/2705-587)

Sec. 2705-587. Diversity in Engineering scholarship program.

(a) The Diversity in Engineering scholarship program is created to assist in increasing the representation of targeted group members among the within civil engineers employed engineer job classifications in which targeted group members are underutilized by the Department.

(b) For purposes of this Section:

"Targeted group member" means a person belonging to a class of race, color, or sex, national origin, ancestry, age, or disability whose percentage percent of the civil engineer workforce employed by within the Department's professional classification which includes civil engineers is less than the percentage that class's percent of the statewide labor market for civil engineers such job activities as recorded in determined by the Department's review of statewide labor statistics annual affirmative action plan.

"Eligible student" means a person targeted group member who: (i) is an Illinois resident at the time of application for a scholarship under the Program established by this Section; (ii) is enrolled full-time at any Illinois college or university in any program leading toward a degree in civil engineering; (iii) agrees to conditions required by the Department, including the obligation to work for the Department after graduation if a position is offered for at least one year for each academic year the student receives a scholarship.

(c) The Department, subject to appropriation, shall award scholarships to up to 20 selected eligible students each year, unless no targeted group members are identified by the Department Department's affirmative action plan. The Department shall establish a process for selecting eligible students, which considers obtaining a critical mass of students in the program to remedy the under utilization of targeted group members. Each scholarship Scholarships issued pursuant to this Section shall not exceed $7,500 per academic year.

(d) The Department may adopt shall promulgate rules to implement and administer the scholarship program created by this Section.

(Source: P.A. 97-288, eff. 1-1-12.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.