HB2984 EngrossedLRB097 05307 NHT 45362 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 School Code is amended  by adding Section 
522-70 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/22-70 new)
7    Sec. 22-70. Tuition Voucher Program Task Force. 
8    (a)  The Tuition Voucher Program Task Force is created to 
9study the feasibility of a statewide tuition voucher program.  
10The task force shall consist of all of the following members:
11        (1)  Two members of the public appointed by the 
12    Governor.
13        (2)  Two members of the General Assembly appointed by 
14    the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
15        (3)  Two members of the General Assembly appointed by 
16    the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
17        (4)  Two members of the General Assembly appointed by 
18    the President of the Senate.
19        (5)  Two members of the General Assembly appointed by 
20    the Minority Leader of the Senate.
21        (6)   One representative of a statewide professional 
22    teachers organization appointed by the head of that 
23    organization.
 
 
HB2984 Engrossed- 2 -LRB097 05307 NHT 45362 b

1        (7)   One representative of a different statewide 
2    professional teachers organization appointed by the head 
3    of that organization.
4        (8)   Two representatives of a statewide school 
5    management alliance organization.
6        (9)   One representative of the State Board of Education.
7    The members of the task force shall serve without 
8compensation, but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and 
9necessary expenses from appropriations to the State Board of 
10Education for that purpose.  Reimbursement for travel expenses 
11shall be subject to the rules of the appropriate travel control 
12board.
13    The members of the task force shall meet initially at the 
14call of the Governor, shall select one member as chairperson at 
15its initial meeting, and shall thereafter meet at the call of 
16the chairperson.
17    The State Board of Education shall provide administrative 
18and other support to the task force.
19    (b)  The Tuition Voucher Program Task Force shall file a 
20report on the feasibility of a statewide tuition voucher 
21program with the Governor and the General Assembly as provided 
22in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization Act.  The 
23following topics must be included without limitation in the 
24report:
25        (1)  Eligible students, either in grades kindergarten 
26    through 7 or in grades kindergarten through 12.
 
 
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1        (2)  Education expenses and what are the reasonable 
2    costs incurred by a student in attending a nonpublic 
3    school, such as for books, tuition, fees, and extra 
4    curricular activities.
5        (3)  What qualifies as a nonpublic school to be eligible 
6    for a tuition voucher program and whether the school must 
7    consent to participate in the tuition voucher program.
8        (4)  Application processes and application date 
9    limitations as prescribed in Senate Bill 2494 of the 96th 
10    General Assembly.
11        (5)  The amount of a voucher as prescribed in Senate 
12    Bill 2494 of the 96th General Assembly.
13        (6)  Assessments of students using vouchers as 
14    prescribed in Senate Bill 2494 of the 96th General 
15    Assembly.
16        (7)  Possible fiscal impacts of a tuition voucher 
17    program.
18    Upon filing its report with the Governor and the General 
19Assembly, the Tuition Voucher Program Task Force is dissolved.