HB1378 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 04756 RJT 49765 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB1378

Introduced 1/31/2023, by Rep. Janet Yang Rohr

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act
30 ILCS 105/5.990 new

Creates the Graduate and Retain Our Workforce Act. Establishes the GROW Illinois Program, in which public institutions of higher education award incentive loans to applicants. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission may, each year, administer applications for assistance under the GROW Illinois Program. Sets forth qualifications for recipients, degrees, and jobs. Provides for loan repayment and rulemaking. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (GROW) Illinois Fund as a special fund in the State treasury.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Graduate and Retain Our Workforce Act.

Section 5. Purpose. In order to encourage academically talented students who are residents of this State to enter the workforce in this State upon graduating from degree programs in high-demand fields of study, while also combating this State's ever worsening problem of outbound migration of high school students, this Act establishes the Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (GROW) Illinois Program.

Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

"Full-time" means the number of credit hours the Commission determines is full-time enrollment for a student for purposes of the program.

"Program" means the GROW Illinois Program created by this Act.

"Qualifying degree" means an associate or a bachelor's degree granted by a qualifying public institution that qualifies an individual to work in a qualifying job, as determined by the Commission.

"Qualifying job" means a job selected by the Commission pursuant to Section 20 of this Act (i) for which a recipient of an award under this Act is pursuing a qualifying degree, (ii) for which the recipient has completed a qualifying degree, or (iii) in which the recipient is working.

"Qualifying public institution" means a public institution of higher education located in this State.

"Recipient" means a State resident enrolled in a qualifying public institution who receives an award under this Act.

Section 15. GROW Illinois Program.

(a) There is established the Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (GROW) Illinois Program to recruit and train individuals to work in certain jobs that have a high demand for new employees and offer high wages by awarding forgivable incentive loans.

(b) Subject to appropriation, the Commission may, each year, administer applications for assistance under this Act.

(c) Subject to available funds, a qualifying public institution shall award an incentive loan to an individual who:

(1) is enrolled full time in the qualifying public institution;

(2) has completed at least:

(A) one semester of full-time equivalent course work if the individual is pursuing an associate degree; or

(B) 2 semesters of full-time equivalent course work if the individual is pursuing a bachelor's degree;

(3) is pursuing or declares an intent to pursue a qualifying degree;

(4) declares an intent to work, which may be fulfilled by completing and signing an application created by the Commission pursuant to Section 30 of this Act, in a qualifying job in this State following graduation;

(5) applies, via an application created by the Commission pursuant to Section 30 of this Act, to the qualifying public institution to receive an incentive loan; and

(6) meets other criteria determined by the Commission by rule under Section 30 of this Act.

(d) A qualifying public institution may do any of the following:

(1) Award an incentive loan to a recipient in an amount up to the cost of resident tuition, fees, and books for the number of credit hours in which the recipient is enrolled each semester.

(2) Award an incentive loan to a recipient for up to the expected amount of time for the recipient to complete a qualifying degree, as determined by the institution.

(3) Cancel an incentive loan in accordance with rules adopted by the Commission under Section 30 of this Act.

(e) A qualifying public institution may use money from a partnership with an industry or business for funding or repaying an incentive loan.

(f) Each fiscal year, the Commission may use up to 5% of money appropriated for the program for administration.

Section 20. Selection of qualifying jobs and qualifying degrees.

(a) Subject to appropriation, for the 2023-2024 academic year or for the first academic year for which the General Assembly appropriates funds for the program, whichever occurs first, the following eligible majors shall be considered for the program:

(1) computer and information sciences;

(2) information technology;

(3) information science;

(4) computer science;

(5) computer systems networking and telecommunications;

(6) computer and information systems security/information assurance;

(7) management information systems; and

(8) any other similarly designed college majors as determined acceptable by the Commission.

(b) Subject to appropriation, starting with either the 2024-2025 academic year or the academic year following the first academic year for which the General Assembly appropriates funds for the program, and every 2 academic years thereafter, the Commission shall select 5 qualifying jobs that have the highest demand for new employees and offer high wages and select the qualifying degrees required for each of those qualifying jobs.

(c) The Commission shall ensure that each qualifying job selected ranks in the top 40% of jobs based on an employment index that considers the job's growth rate and total openings, ranks in the top 40% of jobs for wages, and requires an associate degree or a bachelor's degree. The Commission shall publish and make available to the public an annual report covering the selection of the 5 qualifying jobs and their qualifying degrees.

(d) For purposes of administering this Section, the Commission may consult with the Illinois Community College Board, the Board of Higher Education, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Department of Employment Security, or any other State agency deemed necessary by the Commission.

Section 25. Repayment of an incentive loan.

(a) For each year that a recipient works in a qualifying job in this State following completion of a qualifying degree, the qualifying public institution that awarded the incentive loan shall waive repayment of the amount of one year of the recipient's incentive loan. Except as provided in subsection (b), a qualifying public institution may not require a recipient to repay an incentive loan.

(b) Repayment of an incentive loan may be required as follows:

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection (b), a qualifying public institution shall require a recipient to repay to the qualifying public institution:

(A) the full amount of an incentive loan if the recipient fails to either graduate with a qualifying degree within 6 years after initially receiving the incentive loan or work in a qualifying job in this State within one year after completing a qualifying degree; or

(B) the outstanding amount of an incentive loan if the recipient works in a qualifying job for fewer years than the number of years required to waive repayment of the full incentive loan.

(2) A qualifying public institution may waive or delay a repayment described in paragraph (1) of this subsection (b) in accordance with rules adopted by the Commission under Section 30 of this Act.

(d) A qualifying public institution may require appropriate interest with the repayment of an incentive loan.

(e) A qualifying public institution shall use all repayments received under this Section for the program.

Section 30. Rulemaking. The Commission has the power to adopt rules necessary for the implementation of this Act, including, but not limited to, rules:

(1) establishing an application process for an individual to apply for an incentive loan;

(2) subject to Section 15 of this Act, establishing qualifying criteria for an individual to receive an incentive loan;

(3) establishing how State funding available for incentive loans is distributed among qualifying public institutions;

(4) establishing how to determine the amount of an incentive loan;

(5) establishing the circumstances under which a qualifying public institution may either cancel an incentive loan or waive or delay repayment of an incentive loan; and

(6) establishing a methodology for prioritizing applications from applicants who demonstrate a financial need or hardship and applications from applicants demonstrating academic excellence.

Section 35. Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (GROW) Illinois Fund. The Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (GROW) Illinois Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury. Money from institutional, organizational, or other private entities shall be deposited into the Fund. All money in the Fund shall be used, subject to appropriation, by the Commission to implement and administer the program pursuant to this Act.

Section 90. The State Finance Act is amended by adding Section 5.990 as follows:

(30 ILCS 105/5.990 new)

Sec. 5.990. The Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (GROW) Illinois Fund.