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91_HB1425 LRB9101761NTsbA 1 AN ACT to amend the Public Community College Act by 2 changing Section 2-15. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The Public Community College Act is amended 6 by changing Section 2-15 as follows: 7 (110 ILCS 805/2-15) (from Ch. 122, par. 102-15) 8 Sec. 2-15. Recognition. 9 (a) The State Board shall grant recognition to community 10 colleges which maintain equipment, courses of study, 11 standards of scholarship and other requirements set by the 12 State Board. Application for recognition shall be made to the 13 State Board. The State Board shall set the criteria by which 14 the community colleges shall be judged and through the 15 executive officer of the State Board shall arrange for an 16 official evaluation of the community colleges and shall grant 17 recognition of such community colleges as may meet the 18 required standards. 19 (b) Subject to the limitations of subsection (d) of this 20 Section, if a community college district fails to meet the 21 recognition standards set by the State Board, and if the 22 district, in accordance with: (i)(a)Government Auditing 23 Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United 24 States, (ii)(b)auditing standards established by the 25 American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, or (iii) 26(c)other applicable State and federal standards, is found by 27 the district's auditor or the State Board working in 28 cooperation with the district's auditor to have material 29 deficiencies in the design or operation of financial control 30 structures that could adversely affect the district's 31 financial integrity and stability, or is found to have -2- LRB9101761NTsbA 1 misused State or federal funds and jeopardized its 2 participation in State or federal programs, the State Board 3 may, subject to the limitations of subsection (d) of this 4 Section but notwithstanding any other laws to the contrary, 5 implement one or more of the following emergency powers: 6 (1) To direct the district to develop and implement 7 a plan that addresses the budgetary, programmatic, and 8 other relevant factors contributing to the need to 9 implement emergency measures. The State Board shall 10 assist in the development and shall have final approval 11 of the plan. 12 (2) To direct the district to contract for 13 educational services in accordance with Section 3-40. 14 The State Board shall assist in the development and shall 15 have final approval of any such contractual agreements. 16 (3) To approve and require revisions of the 17 district's budget. 18 (4) To appoint a Financial Administrator to 19 exercise oversight and control over the district's 20 budget. The Financial Administrator shall serve at the 21 pleasure of the State Board and may be an individual, 22 partnership, corporation, including an accounting firm, 23 or other entity determined by the State Board to be 24 qualified to serve, and shall be entitled to 25 compensation. Such compensation shall be provided 26 through specific appropriations made to the State Board 27 for that express purpose. 28 (5) To develop and implement a plan providing for 29 the dissolution or reorganization of the district if in 30 the judgement of the State Board the circumstances so 31 require and the requirements of subsection (c) of this 32 Section are met. 33 (c) Before the State Board may implement a plan for the 34 dissolution of a district, the question of whether or not the -3- LRB9101761NTsbA 1 district should be dissolved must be submitted to the voters 2 of that district at a regular scheduled election. The State 3 Board shall certify the proposition to the proper election 4 authorities for submission in accordance with the general 5 election law. The proposition shall be in substantially the 6 following form: 7 FOR the dissolution of (name of community college 8 district). 9 AGAINST the dissolution of (name of community 10 college district). 11 If a majority of the votes cast upon the proposition is 12 in favor of dissolving the district, the State Board may 13 implement its plan for the dissolution of the district. 14 (d) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section 15 or any other Section of this Act, the State Board shall have 16 no authority to exercise or implement, in or with respect to 17 Metropolitan Community College District No. 541 established 18 under Section 2-12.1, any of the powers described in 19 paragraphs (2), (3), and (5) of subsection (b) of this 20 Section 2-15, except as otherwise provided under this 21 amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly. Any order or 22 other action taken by the State Board before the effective 23 date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly that 24 dissolves or purports to dissolve the community college 25 district established under Section 2-12.1 or that provides 26 for the development, approval, or implementation of a plan 27 under which community college operations, programs, and 28 services within the territory comprising that community 29 college district are to be provided pursuant to contractual 30 arrangements between the State Board and entities or 31 subcontractors of entities other than the board of trustees 32 of the community college district established under Section 33 2-12.1 shall be null and void and of no legal force or 34 effect. Notwithstanding any other law of this State, the -4- LRB9101761NTsbA 1 community college district established under Section 2-12.1 2 shall not be dissolved or annexed to another community 3 college district or otherwise reorganized except pursuant to 4 this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly. 5 (e) There is hereby created the Metropolitan Community 6 College Task Force, which shall consist of 9 members, 2 each 7 appointed by the President and Minority Leader of the Senate 8 and the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of 9 Representatives and one appointed by the Governor. The 10 person appointed by the Governor shall be a public member and 11 shall serve as chairperson of the Task Force. All other 12 appointees shall be members of the General Assembly. Members 13 of the Task Force shall serve without compensation but shall 14 be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses 15 from funds appropriated for that purpose. The Task Force 16 shall meet as often as necessary to study and define the 17 issues that must be effectively addressed to ensure the 18 continued existence of Metropolitan Community College 19 District No. 541 and the action that must be taken to enable 20 that district to provide a high level of community college 21 services to residents of the district. The Task Force shall 22 report its findings and recommendations to the General 23 Assembly by February 15, 2000, and is abolished on that date. 24 25 (Source: P.A. 89-147, eff. 7-14-95.) 26 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 27 becoming law.