Public Act 103-0054
 
SB0049 EnrolledLRB103 04912 RJT 49922 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Student Debt Assistance Act is amended by
changing Section 15 and by adding Sections 30 and 35 as
follows:
 
    (110 ILCS 66/15)
    Sec. 15. Withholding of official transcripts.
    (a) An institution of higher education:
        (1) must provide an official transcript of a current
    or former student to a current or potential employer, even
    if the current or former student owes a debt if the student
    requests the official transcript to: ;
            (A) complete a job application;
            (B) transfer from one institution of higher
        education to another;
            (C) apply for State, federal, or institutional
        financial aid;
            (D) join the United States Armed Forces or
        Illinois National Guard; or
            (E) pursue other postsecondary opportunities;
        (2) may not condition the provision of an official
    transcript to a current or potential employer on the
    payment of a debt, other than a fee charged to provide the
    transcript; and
        (3) may not charge a higher fee for providing
    transferring an official transcript to a current or
    potential employer or provide less favorable treatment for
    such a request because a current or former student owes a
    debt.
    (b) Nothing in this Section prohibits an institution of
higher education from adopting a more lenient policy on
providing an official transcript to a current or former
student who owes a debt.
(Source: P.A. 102-998, eff. 5-27-22.)
 
    (110 ILCS 66/30 new)
    Sec. 30. Past-due debt policy.
    (a) Beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year, each
institution of higher education shall adopt a policy that
outlines the process by which a current or former student may
obtain a transcript or diploma that has been withheld from the
student because the student owes a debt. At a minimum, the
policy must include:
        (1) a reasonable process for the verification of
    conditions a current or former student may demonstrate to
    receive an exemption pursuant to Section 15 of this Act;
    and
        (2) identification of the point at which a student may
    be subject to a transcript, diploma, or registration hold,
    including the time frames and amounts for which the holds
    are to be used and the lowest amount of debt at which the
    institution will assign debt to a third-party collection
    agency.
    (b) The institution of higher education shall post the
policy described in subsection (a) of this Section and the
procedures for filing a complaint with the Attorney General's
student loan ombudsperson and an administrator of the
institution of higher education on the institution of higher
education's website and shall provide the policy and the
procedures to students as part of the information the
institution of higher education shares relating to the cost of
attendance that includes any additional fees, financial aid,
scholarships, or other information.
    (c) The institution of higher education does not need to
institute a new policy under this amendatory Act of the 103rd
General Assembly if the institution's current policy meets the
minimum requirements of this Section.
 
    (110 ILCS 66/35 new)
    Sec. 35. Reporting. On or before July 1, 2024 and on or
before each July 1 thereafter, each institution of higher
education shall report to either the Board of Higher Education
or the Illinois Community College Board, whichever is
appropriate, information regarding financial-based transcript
and registration holds, which must include:
        (1) reporting the institution of higher education's
    policy developed pursuant to Section 30 of this Act; and
        (2) reporting the number of students for whom the
    institution of higher education has withheld official
    transcripts, diplomas, or registration privileges, using
    data from the previous academic year.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.