HB5076 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB101 17240 NHT 66644 b

101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB5076

Introduced 2/18/2020, by Rep. Lamont J. Robinson, Jr.

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

110 ILCS 205/9.39 new

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Subject to appropriation, requires the Board of Higher Education to select 6 institutions of higher education to participate in a pilot program to provide assistance to students experiencing homelessness and to students who were in the foster care system when they graduated from high school. Provides that the institutions of higher education chosen to participate in the pilot program must provide certain accommodations to these students, may establish plans to develop surplus property for affordable housing to accommodate the needs of these students, and shall leverage existing community resources by making available to these students information that is available for individuals experiencing homelessness. Provides for the reporting of information and data. Provides that the pilot program shall expire on July 1, 2025, and repeals the pilot program provisions on January 1, 2026. Effective January 1, 2021.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The Board of Higher Education Act is amended by adding Section 9.39 as follows:

(110 ILCS 205/9.39 new)

Sec. 9.39. Homeless student assistance pilot program.

(a) Subject to appropriation, the Board shall select 6 public institutions of higher education to participate in a pilot program to provide assistance to students experiencing homelessness and to students who were in the foster care system when they graduated from high school. The institutions of higher education chosen to participate in the pilot program must provide certain accommodations to these students that may include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Access to laundry facilities.

(2) Access to storage.

(3) Access to locker room and shower facilities.

(4) Reduced-price meals or meal plans and access to food banks.

(5) Access to technology.

(6) Access to short-term housing or housing assistance, especially during seasonal breaks.

(7) Case management services.

(b) The institutions of higher education participating in the pilot program may also establish plans to develop surplus property for affordable housing to accommodate the needs of students experiencing homelessness and students who were in the foster care system when they graduated from high school.

(c) The institutions of higher education participating in the pilot program shall leverage existing community resources by making available to students in the pilot program information that is available for individuals experiencing homelessness, including through not-for-profit organizations and the local housing authority.

(d) The institutions of higher education participating in the pilot program shall provide, at a minimum, all of the following information to the Board:

(1) The number of students experiencing homelessness or food insecurity who were attending the institution of higher education during the pilot program and the number of students who were in the foster care system when they graduated from high school who were attending the institution of higher education during the pilot program.

(2) The number of students assisted by the pilot program.

(3) Strategies for accommodating students experiencing homelessness or food insecurity and former foster care students.

(4) Legislative recommendations for how students experiencing homelessness or food insecurity and former foster care students could be better served.

The Board shall coordinate with all public institutions of higher education to collect voluntary data on how many students experiencing homelessness or food insecurity are attending public institutions of higher education.

The Board shall compile all information and data it has received under this subsection (d) in a report to be filed with the General Assembly by December 1, 2025.

(e) Public institutions of higher education not selected to participate in the pilot program are:

(1) invited to participate voluntarily; and

(2) encouraged to submit the data required of pilot program participants under subsection (d) of this Section, regardless of participation status.

(f) The pilot program shall expire on July 1, 2025.

(g) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2026.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2021.