103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB3151

 

Introduced 2/17/2023, by Rep. Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 805/3-29.26 new

    Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides that the Illinois Community College Board shall develop materials designed to increase awareness of the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program at community college districts. Provides for when a board of trustees of a community college district shall provide the information to faculty employees. Provides that for the purpose of qualifying for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, a board shall, in completing the employer portion of the employment certification form, credit a faculty employee with at least 3.35 hours worked for each hour of lecture or classroom time. Provides that the adjustment provisions do not supersede any higher adjustment factor established by a collective bargaining agreement or employer policy in recognition of the amount of out-of-class work that is associated with instruction, including, but not limited to, performance of office hours. Provides that a board shall, in completing the employer portion of the employment certification form, credit a faculty employee with noninstructional assignments hour for hour with no adjustment factor. Makes other changes.


LRB103 05927 RJT 50948 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3151LRB103 05927 RJT 50948 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Public Community College Act is amended by
5adding Section 3-29.26 as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 805/3-29.26 new)
7    Sec. 3-29.26. Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness
8Program.
9    (a) In this Section:
10    "Certifying employment" means either completing the
11employer sections of the public service loan forgiveness form
12or sharing data directly with the U.S. Department of Education
13that corresponds to the information required for the public
14service loan forgiveness form.
15    "Employee" means someone who works for a public service
16employer, regardless of whether the public service employer
17considers that work to be full time, part time, contingent, or
18contracted.
19    "Full time" means, for the purpose of certifying
20employment only, working at least an average of 30 hours per
21week or at least an average of 30 hours per week throughout a
22contractual or employment period of at least 8 months in a
2312-month period, provided that if the U.S. Department of

 

 

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1Education adopts a lower hourly standard, that standard
2applies.
3    "Public service employer" means any community college
4district designated as a public service organization or
5employer by the U.S. Department of Education for the purpose
6of the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
7     "Public service loan forgiveness form" means the form
8used by the U.S. Department of Education to certify an
9individual's employment at a public service organization and
10determine eligibility for the purposes of the federal Public
11Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
12    (b) The State Board shall develop materials designed to
13increase awareness of the federal Public Service Loan
14Forgiveness Program at community college districts. The
15materials shall include the following:
16        (1) a one-page form letter, for use by community
17    college districts to notify faculty employees who may be
18    eligible for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness
19    Program, that briefly summarizes the program, provides
20    information on what an eligible faculty employee is
21    required to do in order to participate, and recommends
22    that the faculty employee contact the faculty employee's
23    loan servicer or servicers for additional information.
24        (2) a detailed fact sheet describing the federal
25    Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program; and
26        (3) a document containing answers to frequently asked

 

 

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1    questions about the federal Public Service Loan
2    Forgiveness Program.
3    (c) The State Board shall provide the materials described
4in subsection (b) to each community college district for
5distribution to faculty employees.
6    (d) A board shall annually provide to all faculty
7employees the materials described in subsection (b) in written
8or electronic form.
9    (e) A board shall provide a newly hired faculty employee
10with the materials described in subsection (b) within 30 days
11after the faculty employee's first day of employment.
12    (f) A board shall annually provide a faculty employee who
13is enrolled in the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness
14Program with notice of renewal and a copy of the employment
15certification form, with the employer portion of the form
16already completed. A board may not unreasonably delay
17completing the employer portion of the employment
18certification form.
19    (g) For the purpose of qualifying for the federal Public
20Service Loan Forgiveness Program, a board shall, in completing
21the employer portion of the employment certification form,
22credit a faculty employee with at least 3.35 hours worked for
23each hour of lecture or classroom time. This subsection (g)
24does not supersede any higher adjustment factor established by
25a collective bargaining agreement or employer policy in
26recognition of the amount of out-of-class work that is

 

 

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1associated with instruction, including, but not limited to,
2performance of office hours. A board shall, in completing the
3employer portion of the employment certification form, credit
4a faculty employee with noninstructional assignments hour for
5hour with no adjustment factor.
6    (h) When determining whether an employee is considered
7full time for the purpose of certifying employment for the
8federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program only, a board
9may not treat any adjusted total hours worked pursuant to
10subsection (g) differently from hours worked without an
11adjustment factor.