Full Text of HB5475 103rd General Assembly
HB5475eng 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | | | HB5475 Engrossed | | LRB103 38479 RJT 68615 b |
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| 1 | | AN ACT concerning education. | 2 | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | 3 | | represented in the General Assembly: | 4 | | Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this amendatory Act of | 5 | | the 103rd General Assembly is to address health care needs | 6 | | within the Department of Corrections by providing nursing | 7 | | scholarship assistance to eligible students in the State, | 8 | | subject to appropriation, and shall require a public service | 9 | | commitment agreement to work within the Department of | 10 | | Corrections for a specified duration. The Program shall be | 11 | | administered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and | 12 | | with the guidance and assistance of the Department. | 13 | | Section 10. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is | 14 | | amended by adding Section 65.125 as follows: | 15 | | (110 ILCS 947/65.125 new) | 16 | | Sec. 65.125. Nursing in correctional facilities | 17 | | scholarship program. | 18 | | (a) In this Section: | 19 | | "Eligible institution" means a public community college, a | 20 | | private junior college, a hospital-based diploma in nursing | 21 | | program, or a public or private college or university with a | 22 | | pre-licensure nursing education program located in this State |
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| 1 | | that has received approval by the Department of Financial and | 2 | | Professional Regulation for an associate degree in nursing | 3 | | program, an associate degree in applied sciences in nursing | 4 | | program, a hospital-based diploma in nursing program, a | 5 | | baccalaureate degree in nursing program, a graduate degree in | 6 | | nursing program, or a certificate in a practical nursing | 7 | | program approved by the Board of Higher Education or any | 8 | | successor agency with similar authority. An eligible | 9 | | institution must maintain compliance with all applicable State | 10 | | and federal laws. An eligible institution is not necessarily | 11 | | eligible for other programs administered by the Commission and | 12 | | is not required to meet the definition of institution of | 13 | | higher learning, qualified institution, or institution as | 14 | | defined in Section 10 of this Act. The Commission may | 15 | | establish by rule additional requirements for an eligible | 16 | | institution. | 17 | | "Department" means the Department of Corrections. | 18 | | (b) Subject to appropriation, the Commission shall award a | 19 | | nursing in correctional facilities scholarship to each | 20 | | qualified applicant. To determine the maximum annual | 21 | | scholarship amount available to a recipient enrolled full | 22 | | time, the Commission shall consider tuition and fee charges | 23 | | and projected living expenses at community colleges and | 24 | | universities statewide under the following criteria: | 25 | | (1) To determine the maximum scholarship amount for a | 26 | | recipient pursuing a certificate in practical nursing at |
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| 1 | | any eligible institution, a hospital-based diploma in | 2 | | nursing, or an associates degree or diploma in nursing | 3 | | from an community college, the Commission shall add the | 4 | | weighted tuition and fees charged by community colleges in | 5 | | this State to the uniform living allowance reported in the | 6 | | weighted Monetary Award Program budget. | 7 | | (2) To determine the maximum scholarship amount for a | 8 | | recipient pursuing an associates, baccalaureate, or | 9 | | graduate degree in nursing at a private 2-year college or | 10 | | a public or private 4-year eligible institution in this | 11 | | State, the Commission shall add the weighted tuition and | 12 | | fees charged by institutions of higher learning to the | 13 | | uniform living allowance reported in the weighted Monetary | 14 | | Award Program budget. | 15 | | The total amount of scholarship assistance awarded by the | 16 | | Commission under this Section to an eligible applicant in any | 17 | | given fiscal year, when added to other financial assistance | 18 | | awarded to that individual for that year, may not exceed the | 19 | | cost of attendance at the institution at which the student is | 20 | | enrolled. If the amount of financial assistance to be awarded | 21 | | to a qualified student exceeds the cost of attendance at the | 22 | | institution at which the student is enrolled, the scholarship | 23 | | awarded under this Section shall be reduced by an amount equal | 24 | | to the amount by which the combined financial assistance | 25 | | available to the student exceeds the cost of attendance. | 26 | | (c) The Commission shall, on an annual basis, receive and |
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| 1 | | consider applications for scholarship assistance under the | 2 | | program. An applicant is eligible for a scholarship under the | 3 | | program if the Commission finds that the applicant meets the | 4 | | following criteria: | 5 | | (1) Is a resident of Illinois. | 6 | | (2) Is enrolled in an eligible institution in the | 7 | | State on at least a part-time basis. | 8 | | (3) Expressed a commitment to work as a nurse in the | 9 | | Department of Corrections for a minimum of 3 years. | 10 | | (4) Is not receiving financial assistance during the | 11 | | same academic year through a scholarship program under the | 12 | | Nursing Education Scholarship Law. | 13 | | When selecting scholarship recipients from among eligible | 14 | | applicants, the Commission shall give preference first to | 15 | | previous recipients of a scholarship under the program, | 16 | | provided that the recipient continues to meet the eligibility | 17 | | requirements set forth in this Section and maintains | 18 | | satisfactory academic progress as determined by the | 19 | | institution of higher education at which the recipient is | 20 | | enrolled. In considering new recipients, the Commission shall | 21 | | prioritize funding for students with financial need, as | 22 | | determined by the Commission. In considering new recipients, | 23 | | the Commission shall prioritize funding for students with | 24 | | financial need, as determined by the Commission. | 25 | | (d) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for an | 26 | | academic year, each recipient of a scholarship awarded under |
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| 1 | | the program must sign an agreement pledging that, within the | 2 | | one-year period following the termination of the academic | 3 | | program for which the recipient was awarded a scholarship, the | 4 | | recipient shall: | 5 | | (1) begin working as a nurse in the Department for a | 6 | | period of not less than 3 years; and | 7 | | (2) upon request of the Commission and subject to | 8 | | confirmation with the Department, provide the Commission | 9 | | with evidence that the recipient is fulfilling or has | 10 | | fulfilled the terms of the public service agreement | 11 | | required under this subsection (d). | 12 | | (e) A recipient may receive scholarship assistance under | 13 | | the program for the equivalent of 8 semesters or 16 quarters of | 14 | | full-time enrollment. | 15 | | (f) All applications for a scholarship under the program | 16 | | shall be made to the Commission in a form and manner prescribed | 17 | | by the Commission. An applicant shall also submit any | 18 | | supporting documents deemed necessary by the Commission at the | 19 | | time of application. | 20 | | (g) All scholarship funds distributed under the program | 21 | | shall be paid to the eligible institution on behalf of the | 22 | | scholarship recipient. | 23 | | (h) If a recipient of a scholarship awarded under this | 24 | | Section fails to fulfill the service agreement required under | 25 | | the program, the Commission shall require the recipient to | 26 | | repay the amount of the scholarship or scholarships received, |
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| 1 | | prorated according to the fraction of the service agreement | 2 | | not completed, plus interest at a rate of 5% and, if | 3 | | applicable, reasonable collection fees. Payments received by | 4 | | the Commission under this Section shall be remitted to the | 5 | | State Comptroller for deposit into the General Revenue Fund. | 6 | | (i) A recipient of a scholarship awarded by the Commission | 7 | | under the program shall not be in violation of the agreement | 8 | | entered into pursuant to this Article if the recipient is (i) | 9 | | serving as a member of the Armed Services or Reserve Forces of | 10 | | the United States, (ii) a person with a temporary total | 11 | | disability, as established by a sworn affidavit of a qualified | 12 | | physician, (iii) taking additional courses, on at least a | 13 | | half-time basis, related to nursing, or (iv) extenuating and | 14 | | specific circumstances in which the recipient is unable to | 15 | | achieve full-time employment as a nurse with the Department | 16 | | and is able to provide evidence of that fact, subject to review | 17 | | by the Commission. Any extension of the period during which | 18 | | the service requirement must be fulfilled shall be subject to | 19 | | limitations of duration established by the Commission and with | 20 | | the guidance and assistance of the Department. | 21 | | (j) In providing guidance and assistance to the | 22 | | Commission, the Department may collaborate with accredited | 23 | | State nursing schools to facilitate the scholarship program. | 24 | | Eligible institutions are encouraged to support and promote | 25 | | the program among their nursing students. | 26 | | (k) The Department, in consultation with the Commission, |
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| 1 | | shall provide an annual report on the program's effectiveness, | 2 | | including the number of recipients, their service periods, and | 3 | | any challenges faced. | 4 | | (l) The funding for the program shall be subject to | 5 | | appropriation. Additional contributions from private entities, | 6 | | philanthropic organizations, or federal grants may supplement | 7 | | the scholarship. | 8 | | (m) The Commission shall administer the grant program | 9 | | established by this Section and shall make all necessary and | 10 | | proper rules not inconsistent with this Section for its | 11 | | effective implementation with the guidance and assistance of | 12 | | the Department. | 13 | | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, | 14 | | 2025. |
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