SB0674 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 08425 NHT 28600 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB0674

Introduced 2/8/2007, by Sen. Edward D. Maloney

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Student Referendum All-American Energy Act. Provides that students at a public institution of higher education may, by a majority vote of the students participating in a referendum, authorize the imposition of an All-American Energy Fee on students. Provides that the revenues of an All-American Energy Fee must be used for energy conservation measures in student residence halls or purchasing renewable energy resources to provide power for student residence halls or both. Provides that the referendum for an All-American Energy Fee must be submitted to a vote of the student body if a petition for such a vote is signed by no fewer than 300 students currently enrolled. If approved, the fee, which must not exceed $10 per full-time student per term, must be imposed on students at the start of the next following term. Requires the Board of Higher Education to report to the Governor and General Assembly no later than 2 years following the effective date of the Act concerning the fee.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

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 Student Referendum All-American Energy Act.

Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:

"Energy conservation measure" means an "energy conservation measure" as defined in the Public University Energy Conservation Act.

"Full-time student" means a student enrolled for at least 12 hours per term or as otherwise determined by the public institution of higher education.

"Part-time student" means a person who is enrolled for at least one-third of the number of hours required per term by a public institution of higher education for its full-time students.

"President" means the President, Chancellor, or other lead official of the public institution of higher education.

"Public institution of higher education" means an institution that is included in the definition of "public institutions of higher education" under the Board of Higher Education Act.

"Renewable energy resources" means those resources included in the definition of "renewable energy resources" under Section 6-3 of the Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Coal Resources Development Law of 1997. In addition, "renewable energy resources" includes renewable energy certificates issued with respect to renewable energy resources located in this State. However, energy produced by methane recovered from landfills in this State may be counted as a renewable energy resource for up to, but no more than, 27.5% of the amount of the total acquired renewable energy resources.

"Term" means a semester, quarter, or trimester, as appropriate to the public institution of higher education.

Section 10. Student-initiated referendum for an All-American Energy Fee.

(a) The governing body of each public institution of higher education shall establish procedures providing for a student-initiated referendum as provided in this Section.

(b) Students at a public institution of higher education may, by a majority vote of the students participating in the referendum, authorize the imposition of an All-American Energy Fee on students.

(c) The revenues of an All-American Energy Fee must be used for energy conservation measures in student residence halls or purchasing renewable energy resources to provide power for student residence halls or both.

(d) A referendum for an All-American Energy Fee must be submitted to a vote of the student body if a petition for such a vote is signed by no fewer than 300 students currently enrolled at the public institution of higher education.

(e) The President shall establish reasonable procedures for the submission of a referendum for an All-American Energy Fee, the scheduling of the referendum, and the collection of the fee.

(f) An All-American Energy Fee referendum petition shall clearly identify the amount of the fee per student being authorized by the referendum. This amount must not exceed $10 per full-time student per term.

(g) The amount authorized in subsection (f) of this Section and approved by referendum must be imposed on each full-time student enrolled in the public institution of higher education at the start of the next following term. Part-time students shall pay a pro-rata share of the fee based on the number of instructional hours they are registered for.

Section 15. Report. The Board of Higher Education shall report to the Governor and General Assembly no later than 2 years following the effective date of this Act. The report shall include, at a minimum, (i) identification of each public institution of higher education that has approved an All-American Energy Fee, (ii) the amount of money raised by the fee, per institution, and (iii) a description of the projects funded by the fee, per institution.