101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB5076
 
Introduced 2/18/2020, by Rep. Lamont J. Robinson, Jr.
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 

 
110 ILCS 205/9.39 new

     Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Subject to appropriation, requires the Board of Higher Education to select 6 institutions of higher education to participate in a pilot program to provide assistance to students experiencing homelessness and to students who were in the foster care system when they graduated from high school. Provides that the institutions of higher education chosen to participate in the pilot program must provide certain accommodations to these students, may establish plans to develop surplus property for affordable housing to accommodate the needs of these students, and shall leverage existing community resources by making available to these students information that is available for individuals experiencing homelessness.  Provides for the reporting of information and data.  Provides that the pilot program shall expire on July 1, 2025, and repeals the pilot program provisions on January 1, 2026.   Effective January 1, 2021.
  


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
 
 
A BILL FOR
 

  
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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 Board of Higher Education Act is amended  by 
5adding Section 9.39 as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 205/9.39 new)
7    Sec. 9.39. Homeless student assistance pilot program.
8    (a) Subject to appropriation, the Board shall select 6 
9public institutions of higher education to participate in a 
10pilot program to provide assistance to students experiencing 
11homelessness and to students who were in the foster care system 
12when they graduated from high school. The institutions of 
13higher education chosen to participate in the pilot program 
14must provide certain accommodations to these students that may 
15include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
16        (1) Access to laundry facilities.
17        (2) Access to storage. 
18        (3) Access to locker room and shower facilities. 
19        (4) Reduced-price meals or meal plans and access to 
20    food banks. 
21        (5) Access to technology. 
22        (6) Access to short-term housing or housing 
23    assistance, especially during seasonal breaks. 
 
 
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1        (7) Case management services. 
2    (b) The institutions of higher education participating in 
3the pilot program may also establish plans to develop surplus 
4property for affordable housing to accommodate the needs of 
5students experiencing homelessness and students who were in the 
6foster care system when they graduated from high school.
7    (c) The institutions of higher education participating in 
8the pilot program shall leverage existing community resources 
9by making available to students in the pilot program 
10information that is available for individuals experiencing 
11homelessness, including through not-for-profit organizations 
12and the local housing authority.
13    (d) The institutions of higher education participating in 
14the pilot program shall provide, at a minimum, all of the 
15following information to the Board:
16        (1) The number of students experiencing homelessness 
17    or food insecurity who were attending the institution of 
18    higher education during the pilot program and the number of 
19    students who were in the foster care system when they 
20    graduated from high school who were attending the 
21    institution of higher education during the pilot program.
22        (2) The number of students assisted by the pilot 
23    program.
24        (3) Strategies for accommodating students experiencing 
25    homelessness or food insecurity and former foster care 
26    students.
 
 
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1        (4) Legislative recommendations for how students 
2    experiencing homelessness or food insecurity and former 
3    foster care students could be better served.
4    The Board shall coordinate with all public institutions of 
5higher education to collect voluntary data on how many students 
6experiencing homelessness or food insecurity are attending 
7public institutions of higher education.
8    The Board shall compile all information and data it has 
9received under this subsection (d) in a report to be filed with 
10the General Assembly by December 1, 2025.
11    (e) Public institutions of higher education not selected to 
12participate in the pilot program are:
13        (1) invited to participate voluntarily; and
14        (2) encouraged to submit the data required of pilot 
15    program participants under subsection (d) of this Section, 
16    regardless of participation status.
17    (f) The pilot program shall expire on July 1, 2025.
18    (g) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2026.
 
 
19    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 
201, 2021.