Illinois Legislative Report: 96th General Assembly, 2010 Legislative Session
By Leo Welch

Senate Bill 3699 (amended), Bond (Smith) Public Act 96-1299

Creates the Community College Transfer Grant Program Act to provide financial assistance to eligible students who have received an associate’s degree at a public community college and who have financial need to attend public or private baccalaureate institutions.
Senate Bill 2548, Demuzio (Black) Public Act 96-0911
Requires the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) submit monthly, rather than quarterly, vouchers to the State Comptroller for base operating grants and equalization grants.

House Bill 5571 (amended), Osmond (Righter) Sent to the Governor

Provides that for 2 years no state agency or grantee may expend General Revenue Fund dollars for promotional calendars, pens, buttons, pins, magnets, and similar items. Exempts contracts entered into before the effective date of the act.

House Resolution 920 (amended), Bost Resolution Adopted

Directs the Board of Higher Education to study the feasibility of developing a 2-year budgeting cycle for public institutions of higher education.
Senate Bill 2615, Forby (Bradley) Public Act 96-0912
Increases the borrowing authority for community colleges from 75% to 150% of anticipated property tax receipts to assist in cash flow management.

Senate Bill 3660 (amended), Cullerton (Currie) Public Act 96-0958

Creates the Emergency Budget Act of Fiscal Year 2011, giving the Governor powers to unilaterally direct state agencies, boards and commissions, and colleges and universities to set aside a contingency reserve from certain FY11 appropriations. The authority expires on January 9, 2011.

Senate Joint Resolution 88, Maloney (Crespo) Resolution Adopted

Directs the Board of Higher Education to establish a Higher Education Finance Study Commission. The study shall include the history of higher education funding in Illinois; a comparison of productivity of Illinois’ higher education system with other states and a comparison of public institutions with their peers; an analysis of best practices for incentivizing certificate and degree completion; a review of financial aid policies and practices and their role in achieving enhanced degree completion; and consideration of alternative funding schemes for higher education.

House Bill 5483 (amended), Burke (Frerichs) Sent to the Governor

Amends the Open Meetings Act relating to approval of minutes of a public meeting and making minutes available for public inspection. It also requires that any person be permitted to address public officials at meetings under rules established and recorded by the public body.

House Resolution 918 (amended), Pritchard Resolution Adopted

Establishes a Blue Ribbon Committee on Higher Education Mandates within the Board of Higher Education to review State mandates on public universities. A report is due to the General Assembly August 1, 2010.

Senate Bill 3588, Demuzio (Joyce) Public Act 96-1212

Amends the Personnel Record Review Act to allow public employers to notify employees when a Freedom of Information Act request is made for records of disciplinary actions relating to the employee.

House Bill 6092 (amended), McCarthy (Maloney) Public Act 96-1249

Amends the P-20 Longitudinal Education Date System Act to 1) add nonprofit colleges and universities offering graduate and professional degrees to the reporting requirements of the act; 2) affirm that the State shall adequately support the development of a consortium of nonprofit institutions required to submit data and extend the July 1, 2012 deadline for nonpublic institution participation in a consortium up to 2 years, pending State appropriations to support the development of the consortium; and 3) prohibit data from the consortium of nonpublic colleges and universities from being included in any interstate data-sharing agreements without agreement of the consortium.

House Bill 4644 (amended), Poe (Bomke) Public Act 96-0961

Amends the State Employee and State Universities Articles of the Illinois Pension Code to allow a member to establish service credit for voluntary or involuntary furlough beginning on or after July 1, 2009 and ending on or before June 30, 2011.

Senate Bill 1946 (amended), Cullerton (Madigan) Public Act 96-0889

Amends the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act. Makes a variety of changes to state pension system to impose requirements and alter benefits for employees hired as of January 1, 2011.