August 23, 2011
To the Honorable
Members of the
Illinois Senate,
97th
General Assembly:
I hereby return Senate
Bill 170 with a specific recommendation for change.
I commend the
sponsors for their continued efforts to ensure students at the Illinois School of the Deaf and the Illinois School of the Visually Impaired have access to a
quality education. This bill makes multiple changes to the administration of
the schools. Specifically, the bill establishes a locally held account to
administer the Therkelsen/Hansen Fund, which is intended to provide loans to
deaf and hard of hearing students who wish to attend college and need financial
assistance. My suggested change will ensure money is utilized for the intended
purpose and any accrued interest be deposited into the Fund.
The
establishment of a locally held account represents only the first step in a
much-needed, comprehensive examination of education options for blind and/or
deaf students in Illinois. In the near future, I look forward to
convening educators, state agencies, families and other stakeholders to
determine how we can best serve Illinois children who are blind and/or deaf.
Therefore, pursuant
to Article IV, Section 9(e) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby
return Senate Bill 170, entitled “AN ACT concerning government.”, with the
following specific recommendation for change:
on pages 11 through 12, by replacing
line 20 on page 11 through line 3 on page 12 with the following:
“(1-5) Establish a locally held account
(referred to as the Account) to hold, maintain and administer the
Therkelsen/Hansen College Loan Fund (referred to as the Fund). All cash
represented by the Fund shall be transferred from the State Treasury to the
Account. The Department shall promulgate rules regarding the maintenance and
use of the Fund and all interest earned thereon; the eligibility of potential
borrowers from the Fund; and the awarding and repayment of loans from the Fund;
and other rules as applicable regarding the Fund. The administration of the Fund
and the promulgation of rules regarding the Fund shall be consistent with the
will of Petrea Therkelsen, which establishes the Fund.”.
With this change, Senate Bill 170 will have my approval. I respectfully
request your concurrence.
Sincerely,
PAT QUINN
Governor
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