Legislative Report By Leo Welch

HB3669 Concealed Carry-School Penalty

Synopsis As Introduced Amends the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Provides that a licensee who knowingly carries a firearm on or into a building, real property, or parking area under the control of a public or private pre-school, elementary or secondary school, college, or university is guilty of a Class felony for a first offense and a Class 3 felony for a second or subsequent offence.

HB5385 University-Tuition Waivers-Repeal

Synopsis As Introduced Amends various Acts relating to the governance of State universities. Repeals provisions that permit the children of employees of a State university who have been employed by any one or by more than one State university for an aggregate period of at least 7 years to receive a 50% tuition waiver.

HB5427 School Bullying Prevention

Synopsis As Introduced Amends the State Finance Act, the School Code, and the Board of Higher Education Act. Sets forth provisions concerning staff instruction in suicide prevention; an annual report on violence, vandalism, and harassment, intimidation, or bullying; a guidance document for student harassment, intimidation, and bullying complaints; an online tutorial on harassment, intimidation, and bullying; school board training on harassment, intimidation, and bullying; an educator licensure program on harassment, intimidation and bullying prevention; the reporting, by school employees, of acts of violence, vandalism, and harassment, intimidation, or bullying; causes for suspension or expulsion of pupils; a school district policy and a public institution of higher education policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation, or bullying; a prohibition on reprisals, retaliation, and false accusations; the establishment of bullying prevention programs; the appointment of a school anti-bullying specialist and a district anti-bullying coordinator; the formation of school safety teams; the establishment of a formal protocol for investigating a complaint; and the creation of the Bullying Prevention Fund. Effective June 1, 2015

HB5831 Baccalaureate Degree Pilot Program

Synopsis As Introduced Creates the Baccalaureate Degree Pilot Program Act. Establishes the Baccalaureate Degree Pilot Program, to be implemented and administered by the Board of Higher Education, in conjunction with the State Board of Education and the Illinois Community College Board, with the goal of creating a model of articulation and coordination among grade K-12 schools, community colleges, and public universities that will allow students to earn a baccalaureate degree for a total cost not exceeding $10,000, including textbooks. Provides that the Board of Higher Education, in conjunction with the State Board of Education and the Illinois Community College Board, shall determine which public universities, public community colleges, and school districts are to participate in the pilot program (in 3 areas of this State). Requires the universities, community colleges, and school districts participating in the pilot program to coordinate their efforts to expedite the progress of participating students from high school to community college to university to earn their baccalaureate degrees for a total cost not exceeding $10,000, including textbooks. Sets forth the components of the pilot program.

HB5832 Higher Education-Online Degree Study

Synopsis As Introduced Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Requires each public university to submit to the Board of Higher Education a study of the costs of making available online 4 of the university's most popular degree programs, as determined by the university. Sets forth what must be included in the cost study. Requires the Board of Higher Education to use new and existing data to evaluate probable student outcomes for online degree plans identified by the universities; sets forth other Board requirements.

HB5833 Higher Education-Tuition Freeze-Stem Major

Synopsis As Introduced Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois. Provides that, subject to appropriation to offset the costs, for the 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2017-2018 academic years, the tuition charged an undergraduate student who is an Illinois resident pursuing a major in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field of study must not exceed the tuition amount charged an undergraduate student who is an Illinois resident for the 2014-2015 academic year. Provides that if money is not appropriated in a given fiscal year to offset the costs of this freeze on the tuition rate, then the governing board of the university, for that particular academic year, is authorized to charge a lesser amount of tuition to students who are Illinois residents pursuing a major in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field of study than the tuition charged students who are Illinois residents pursuing majors in other fields of study.

HB5834 Board of Higher Education-Workforce Needs

Synopsis As Introduced Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Requires the Board, in consultation with the Department of Labor, the Illinois Community College Board, and any other entity the Board deems appropriate, to produce an annual report regarding State workforce need projections and credential production. Sets forth the contents of the report. Sets forth when and to whom the report much be provided. Effective immediately.

HR0832 College Textbook Options

Synopsis As Introduced Encourages the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Board of Higher Education Student Advisory Committee, and other student leaders, college officials, faculty, college bookstores, and publishers to discuss ways that college students may be better informed of these different textbook options and how access to them can be increased, without adversely impacting any existing textbook rental or already established access or affordability programs available to Illinois students.

SB2950 Higher Education-Performance Metrics

Synopsis As Introduced Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that the funding for the allocations to public institutions of higher education based upon performance metrics for Fiscal Year 2015 must be at least 0.5% above Fiscal year 2014's funding and, for each of Fiscal Years 2016 through 2019, must be at least 1% above the previous fiscal year's funding. Effective immediately.

SB3441 Higher Education-Distance Learning

Synopsis As Introduced Creates the Higher Education Distance Learning Act. Provides that in recent years, distance education offered by institutions of higher learning has been increasing, with such distance education being offered on an interstate basis by many institutions. Provides that the provision of distance education is declared to affect the public safety and welfare and shall be subject to regulation and control in the public interest. Provides that the Board of Higher Education is authorized to participate in a state authorization reciprocity agreement on behalf of this State. Provides that the Board of Higher Education shall be the lead agency in coordinating interstate reciprocity for distance learning for participating institutions in this State. Sets forth provisions governing agreements where Illinois is the home state or the reciprocal state. Provides that this Act applies only to distance learning programs and authorizes the Board of Higher Education to adopt rules for the execution of its powers and duties under the Act. Creates the Distance Learning Fund to supplement support for the administration and enforcement of the Act. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Distance Learning Fund.