Full Text of SB0815 102nd General Assembly
SB0815ham003 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY | Rep. Carol Ammons Filed: 5/29/2021
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| 1 | | AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 815
| 2 | | AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 815, AS AMENDED, | 3 | | by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the | 4 | | following:
| 5 | | "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | 6 | | Commission on Equitable Public University Funding Act. | 7 | | Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds all of the | 8 | | following: | 9 | | (1) Historical and continued systemic racism has | 10 | | created significant disparities in college access, | 11 | | affordability, and completion for Black, Latinx, and other | 12 | | underrepresented and historically underserved students in | 13 | | this State. | 14 | | (2) Improvements in postsecondary access, completion, | 15 | | and success rates are required in order to meet State | 16 | | goals for equity in attainment and will require further |
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| 1 | | investments in the higher education system to support | 2 | | historically underrepresented and underserved groups, | 3 | | including Black, Latinx, and low-income students in | 4 | | particular. | 5 | | (3) This State's approach to funding education has | 6 | | contributed to racial and socioeconomic inequities in | 7 | | access to resources and educational outcomes. | 8 | | (4) Great strides have been made in this State in | 9 | | addressing inequity in funding the kindergarten through | 10 | | grade 12 public school system, including the adoption of | 11 | | an evidence-based funding formula, which has resulted in | 12 | | new funds being targeted to the highest-need districts. | 13 | | (5) Adequate, equitable, and stable investment in | 14 | | higher education is the key to ensuring that every | 15 | | institution of higher education can provide adequate | 16 | | academic, financial, and social-emotional support and | 17 | | services that improve persistence and completion. | 18 | | (6) In this State, higher education appropriations | 19 | | have effectively been cut in half since fiscal year 2002. | 20 | | Institutions of higher education serving higher | 21 | | percentages of Black students are more reliant on State | 22 | | funds and have been disproportionately harmed by this | 23 | | disinvestment in higher education. | 24 | | (7) As a result of historic underfunding and level | 25 | | cuts to institutions of higher education, this State's | 26 | | public universities have needed to increase tuition to |
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| 1 | | make up the funding shortfalls. | 2 | | (8) Combined with the high cost of college and | 3 | | insufficient State financial aid, racial income and wealth | 4 | | disparities caused by structural racism contribute to the | 5 | | accumulation of student debt and make college enrollment | 6 | | and persistence more challenging for Black and Latinx | 7 | | students. | 8 | | (9) Despite similar numbers of Black high school | 9 | | graduates, about 25,000 fewer Black students enrolled in | 10 | | institutions of higher education in this State in 2018
| 11 | | compared to 2008.
| 12 | | (10) State appropriations make it possible for | 13 | | colleges to provide essential academic services, | 14 | | social-emotional support and services, and institutional | 15 | | aid to students to improve student persistence and | 16 | | completion. | 17 | | (11) This State must strategically invest in higher | 18 | | education to address wide disparities in degree | 19 | | completion. Public community colleges currently graduate | 20 | | Black and Latinx students at a rate of 14% and 26% within 3 | 21 | | years, respectively, compared to 38% of white students. At | 22 | | public universities, Black and Latinx students currently | 23 | | graduate at a rate of 34% and 49%, respectively, compared | 24 | | to 66% of white students, within 6 years. | 25 | | (12) This State has a moral obligation and economic | 26 | | interest in dismantling and reforming structures that |
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| 1 | | create or exacerbate racial and socioeconomic inequities | 2 | | in higher education. | 3 | | (13) This State benefits from a public higher | 4 | | education system that receives adequate and stable | 5 | | resources for student success and that strategically uses | 6 | | those resources to maximize the potential of each public | 7 | | institution of higher education and to maximize the | 8 | | benefits to this State, including, but not limited to, | 9 | | improved college access and attainment and higher median | 10 | | wages for all residents, reduced income inequalities, | 11 | | improved economic output and innovation, increased access | 12 | | and engagement in world-class research opportunities, and | 13 | | improved college enrollment, persistence, and completion | 14 | | of underrepresented and historically underserved students, | 15 | | including Black and Latinx students and students from | 16 | | low-income families. | 17 | | Section 10. Commission on Equitable Public University | 18 | | Funding; purpose. | 19 | | (a) There is created the Commission on Equitable Public | 20 | | University Funding. | 21 | | (b) The purpose of the Commission is to, at a minimum, | 22 | | recommend specific data-driven criteria and approaches to the | 23 | | General Assembly to adequately, equitably, and stably fund | 24 | | public universities in this State and to evaluate the existing | 25 | | funding methods used for public universities. |
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| 1 | | Section 15. Membership; administrative support; | 2 | | compensation. | 3 | | (a) The membership of the Commission shall include, at a | 4 | | minimum: | 5 | | (1) One member of the Senate appointed by the | 6 | | President of the Senate, who shall serve as | 7 | | co-chairperson. | 8 | | (2) One member of the House of Representatives | 9 | | appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, | 10 | | who shall serve as co-chairperson. | 11 | | (3) The chairperson of the Board of Higher Education | 12 | | or a designee, who shall serve as co-chairperson. | 13 | | (4) One member appointed by the Governor, who shall | 14 | | serve as co-chairperson. | 15 | | (5) One member of the Senate appointed by the Minority | 16 | | Leader of the Senate. | 17 | | (6) One member of the House of Representatives | 18 | | appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of | 19 | | Representatives. | 20 | | (7) The chairperson of the Illinois Student Assistance | 21 | | Commission or a designee. | 22 | | (8) The chairperson of the Higher Education Committee | 23 | | of the House of Representatives or a designee. | 24 | | (9) The chairperson of the Higher Education Committee | 25 | | of the Senate or a designee. |
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| 1 | | (10) Twelve members representing the public | 2 | | universities in this State each appointed by the President | 3 | | of each public university. | 4 | | (11) One member representing a higher education | 5 | | advocacy organization focused on eliminating disparities | 6 | | in college completion in this State for low-income and | 7 | | first-generation college students and students of color | 8 | | appointed by the Board of Higher Education. | 9 | | (12) One member representing a statewide advocacy | 10 | | organization focused on improving educational and | 11 | | employment opportunities for women and adults appointed by | 12 | | the Board of Higher Education. | 13 | | (13) One member representing a statewide advocacy | 14 | | organization focused on developing an equitable | 15 | | birth-to-career educational system appointed by the Board | 16 | | of Higher Education. | 17 | | (14) One member representing a statewide organization | 18 | | that advocates for alternative education and bridge | 19 | | programs and the re-enrollment of students in this State | 20 | | appointed by the Board of Higher Education. | 21 | | (15) One member representing a fiscal policy research | 22 | | organization focused on the impact that State-level budget | 23 | | and tax policies have on equitable education funding | 24 | | solutions appointed by the Board of Higher Education. | 25 | | (16) Two members representing an organization that | 26 | | advocates on behalf of public university faculty members |
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| 1 | | who are each employed by a different university appointed | 2 | | by the Board of Higher Education. | 3 | | (17) One health care expert from the public higher | 4 | | education arena appointed by the Board of Higher | 5 | | Education, in consultation with the presidents and | 6 | | chancellors of the public universities. | 7 | | (18) One member who has legal expertise in higher | 8 | | education funding and finance appointed by the Board of | 9 | | Higher Education. | 10 | | (19) One postsecondary student enrolled at a public | 11 | | university in this State appointed by the Board of Higher | 12 | | Education. | 13 | | (b) The Board of Higher Education shall recognize and | 14 | | consider the representation of underrepresented and | 15 | | historically underserved groups, including those who are | 16 | | Black, Latinx, or from low-income families, and the racial and | 17 | | geographical diversity of this State when making appointments | 18 | | to the Commission. | 19 | | (c) The co-chairpersons may identify and invite experts to | 20 | | speak to the Commission on issues, including, but not limited | 21 | | to, higher education funding, finance, health care, and | 22 | | research and development. | 23 | | (d) The Board of Higher Education shall provide | 24 | | administrative support to the Commission, including any | 25 | | related workgroups, and shall be responsible for administering | 26 | | the Commission's operations and ensuring that the requirements |
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| 1 | | of this Act are met. | 2 | | (e) The members of the Commission shall serve without | 3 | | compensation for their services as members of the Commission. | 4 | | Section 20. Meetings; reports. | 5 | | (a) The Commission shall meet at least once per quarter | 6 | | beginning no later than October 15, 2021. | 7 | | (b) On or before July 1, 2023, the Commission shall | 8 | | deliver to the General Assembly and publish on the Board of | 9 | | Higher Education's Internet website or otherwise make publicly | 10 | | available a report on the Commission's recommendations, | 11 | | including specific criteria and funding approaches in | 12 | | accordance with all applicable laws, to establish an | 13 | | equity-based funding model for the allocation of State funds | 14 | | to public universities. The recommendations included in the | 15 | | report must be equity-centered and consider all of the | 16 | | following areas: | 17 | | (1) Remediating inequities in funding that have led to | 18 | | disparities in access, affordability, and completion for | 19 | | underrepresented and historically underserved student | 20 | | groups, including students who are Black, Latinx, or from | 21 | | low-income families. | 22 | | (2) Ensuring that this State adequately, equitably, | 23 | | and stably funds public institutions of higher education | 24 | | in a manner that recognizes historical and current | 25 | | inequities impacting underrepresented minorities' higher |
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| 1 | | education access and completion. | 2 | | (3) Providing incentives to all 4-year institutions of | 3 | | higher education in this State to enroll underrepresented | 4 | | and historically underserved student groups, including | 5 | | students who are Black, Latinx, or from low-income | 6 | | families, in proportion to the diversity of this State's | 7 | | population. | 8 | | (4) Allowing ongoing monitoring and continuous | 9 | | improvement of the public university funding models by | 10 | | requiring transparency and accountability in how State | 11 | | appropriations are expended and identifying a mechanism to | 12 | | study and review the implementation of any funding model | 13 | | developed and the long-term implications of this Act. | 14 | | (5) Creating guidelines for how funding is distributed | 15 | | during times of significant economic hardship, as defined | 16 | | by the Commission, so that public institutions of higher | 17 | | education are able to adequately, equitably, and stably | 18 | | serve students. | 19 | | (6) Ensuring that this State adequately and stably | 20 | | funds public institutions of higher education that serve | 21 | | underrepresented and historically underserved student | 22 | | groups, including students who are Black, Latinx, or from | 23 | | low-income families, and graduate and professional | 24 | | students, including doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and | 25 | | veterinarians. | 26 | | (7) Supporting the diverse individual mission of each |
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| 1 | | public university, including its commitment to research | 2 | | and health care enterprises that serve and enhance the | 3 | | well-being of the residents of this State.
| 4 | | (8) Fostering the economic activity and innovation | 5 | | generated by a university's activities, while recognizing | 6 | | the impact historic funding inequities may have had on the | 7 | | university's activities. | 8 | | (9) Taking into consideration the percentage of | 9 | | institutional aid provided from an institution's annual | 10 | | budget. | 11 | | (10) Taking into consideration the number of | 12 | | undergraduate students engaged in research at each | 13 | | university. | 14 | | (11) Supporting institutional efforts to recruit and | 15 | | retain world-class faculty and university leaders. | 16 | | (12) Ensuring stable and adequate funding for all | 17 | | institutions and that all universities are held harmless | 18 | | to their current funding level. The Commission may | 19 | | consider and report approaches to and the impact of a hold | 20 | | harmless funding provision for institutions of higher | 21 | | education as part of its final recommendations. | 22 | | (13) Taking into consideration the long-term | 23 | | implications and outcomes of the funding systems. | 24 | | The recommendations must fulfill the principles | 25 | | established by the Board of Higher Education's Strategic Plan. | 26 | | The recommendations may also be informed by the data-driven |
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| 1 | | findings and recommendations established by the Chicago State | 2 | | University Equity Working Group and other groups researching | 3 | | equity in higher education and higher education funding and be | 4 | | aligned to this State's postsecondary attainment goal and | 5 | | related equity targets. | 6 | | Section 25. Compliance. Notwithstanding any other law or | 7 | | provision to the contrary, all public institutions of higher | 8 | | education and State agencies regulating public institutions of | 9 | | higher education shall furnish such data and information to | 10 | | the Commission as the Commission deems necessary to fulfill | 11 | | the requirements of this Act.
| 12 | | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | 13 | | becoming law.".
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