SB2790eng 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2790 Engrossed LRB099 18779 NHT 43163 b

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The State Property Control Act is amended by changing Section 1.02 as follows:

(30 ILCS 605/1.02) (from Ch. 127, par. 133b3)

Sec. 1.02. "Property" means State owned property and includes all real estate, with the exception of rights of way for State water resource and highway improvements, traffic signs and traffic signals, and with the exception of common school property; and all tangible personal property with the exception of properties specifically exempted by the administrator, provided that any property originally classified as real property which has been detached from its structure shall be classified as personal property.

"Property" does not include property owned by the Illinois Medical District Commission and leased or occupied by others for purposes permitted under the Illinois Medical District Act. "Property" also does not include property owned and held by the Illinois Medical District Commission for redevelopment.

"Property" does not include property described under Section 5 of Public Act 92-371 with respect to depositing the net proceeds from the sale or exchange of the property as provided in Section 10 of that Act.

"Property" does not include that property described under Section 5 of Public Act 94-405.

"Property" does not include real property owned or operated by the Illinois Power Agency or any electricity generated on that real property or by the Agency. For purposes of this subsection only, "real property" includes any interest in land, all buildings and improvements located thereon, and all fixtures and equipment used or designed for the production and transmission of electricity located thereon.

"Property" does not include real estate that the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University has deemed surplus real estate under item 12.5 of Section 8 of the Southern Illinois University Management Act or the improvements situated on that real estate.

(Source: P.A. 94-405, eff. 8-2-05; 95-331, eff. 8-21-07; 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)

Section 10. The Southern Illinois University Management Act is amended by changing Sections 7 and 8 as follows:

(110 ILCS 520/7) (from Ch. 144, par. 657)

Sec. 7. The Board shall have power to enter into contracts, to sue and be sued, provided that any suit against the Board based upon a claim sounding in tort must be filed in the Court of Claims, to acquire, hold and convey real property as it shall deem appropriate and personal property in accordance with the State Property Control Act, except as otherwise provided in item 12.5 of Section 8 of this Act, and to expend the funds appropriated to the University; provided that the Board in the exercise of the powers conferred by this Act shall not create any liability or indebtedness of funds from the Treasury of the State in excess of the funds appropriated to the University.

Any lease to the Board of lands, buildings or facilities which will support scientific research and development in such areas as high technology, super computing, microelectronics, biotechnology, robotics, physics and engineering shall be for a term not to exceed 18 years, and may grant to the Board the option to purchase the lands, buildings or facilities. The lease shall recite that it is subject to termination and cancellation in any year for which the General Assembly fails to make an appropriation to pay the rent payable under the terms of the lease.

Leases for the purposes described herein exceeding 5 years shall have the approval of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

The Board's power to enter into contracts includes but is not limited to the power to enter into contracts with municipalities within which the university or any branch thereof is located, in whole or in part, for such municipality to provide fire protection or other essential municipal services upon properties leased to for-profit entities the title to which properties is held by the Board.

(Source: P.A. 84-780.)

(110 ILCS 520/8) (from Ch. 144, par. 658)

Sec. 8. Powers and Duties of the Board. The Board shall have power and it shall be its duty:

1. To make rules, regulations and by-laws, not inconsistent with law, for the government and management of Southern Illinois University and its branches.

2. To employ, and, for good cause, to remove a president of Southern Illinois University, and all necessary deans, professors, associate professors, assistant professors, instructors, and other educational and administrative assistants, and all other necessary employees, and contract with them upon matters relating to tenure, salaries and retirement benefits in accordance with the State Universities Civil Service Act; the Board shall, upon the written request of an employee of Southern Illinois University, withhold from the compensation of that employee any dues, payments or contributions payable by such employee to any labor organization as defined in the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. Under such arrangement, an amount shall be withheld from each regular payroll period which is equal to the pro rata share of the annual dues plus any payments or contributions, and the Board shall transmit such withholdings to the specified labor organization within 10 working days from the time of the withholding. Whenever the Board establishes a search committee to fill the position of president of Southern Illinois University, there shall be minority representation, including women, on that search committee.

3. To prescribe the course of study to be followed, and textbooks and apparatus to be used at Southern Illinois University.

4. To issue upon the recommendation of the faculty, diplomas to such persons as have satisfactorily completed the required studies of Southern Illinois University, and confer such professional and literary degrees as are usually conferred by other institutions of like character for similar or equivalent courses of study, or such as the Board may deem appropriate.

5. To examine into the conditions, management, and administration of Southern Illinois University, to provide the requisite buildings, apparatus, equipment and auxiliary enterprises, and to fix and collect matriculation fees; tuition fees; fees for student activities; fees for student facilities such as student union buildings or field houses or stadium or other recreational facilities; student welfare fees; laboratory fees and similar fees for supplies and material.

6. To succeed to and to administer all trusts, trust property, and gifts now or hereafter belonging or pertaining to Southern Illinois University.

7. To accept endowments of professorships or departments in the University from any person who may proffer them and, at regular meetings, to prescribe rules and regulations in relation to endowments and declare on what general principles they may be accepted.

8. To enter into contracts with the Federal government for providing courses of instruction and other services at Southern Illinois University for persons serving in or with the military or naval forces of the United States, and to provide such courses of instruction and other services.

9. To provide for the receipt and expenditures of Federal funds, paid to the Southern Illinois University by the Federal government for instruction and other services for persons serving in or with the military or naval forces of the United States and to provide for audits of such funds.

10. To appoint, subject to the applicable civil service law, persons to be members of the Southern Illinois University Police Department. Members of the Police Department shall be conservators of the peace and as such have all powers possessed by policemen in cities, and sheriffs, including the power to make arrests on view or warrants of violations of state statutes, university rules and regulations and city or county ordinances, except that they may exercise such powers only within counties wherein the university and any of its branches or properties are located when such is required for the protection of university properties and interests, and its students and personnel, and otherwise, within such counties, when requested by appropriate State or local law enforcement officials. However, such officers shall have no power to serve and execute civil processes.

The Board must authorize to each member of the Southern Illinois University Police Department and to any other employee of Southern Illinois University exercising the powers of a peace officer a distinct badge that, on its face, (i) clearly states that the badge is authorized by Southern Illinois University and (ii) contains a unique identifying number. No other badge shall be authorized by Southern Illinois University.

10.5. To conduct health care programs in furtherance of its teaching, research, and public service functions, which shall include without limitation patient and ancillary facilities, institutes, clinics, or offices owned, leased, or purchased through an equity interest by the Board or its appointed designee to carry out such activities in the course of or in support of the Board's academic, clinical, and public service responsibilities.

11. To administer a plan or plans established by the clinical faculty of the School of Medicine for the billing, collection and disbursement of charges for services performed in the course of or in support of the faculty's academic responsibilities, provided that such plan has been first approved by Board action. All such collections shall be deposited into a special fund or funds administered by the Board from which disbursements may be made according to the provisions of said plan. The reasonable costs incurred, by the University, administering the billing, collection and disbursement provisions of a plan shall have first priority for payment before distribution or disbursement for any other purpose. Audited financial statements of the plan or plans must be provided to the Legislative Audit Commission annually.

The Board of Trustees may own, operate, or govern, by or through the School of Medicine, a managed care community network established under subsection (b) of Section 5-11 of the Illinois Public Aid Code.

12. The Board of Trustees may, directly or in cooperation with other institutions of higher education, acquire by purchase or lease or otherwise, and construct, enlarge, improve, equip, complete, operate, control and manage medical research and high technology parks, together with the necessary lands, buildings, facilities, equipment, and personal property therefor, to encourage and facilitate (a) the location and development of business and industry in the State of Illinois, and (b) the increased application and development of technology and (c) the improvement and development of the State's economy. The Board of Trustees may lease to nonprofit corporations all or any part of the land, buildings, facilities, equipment or other property included in a medical research and high technology park upon such terms and conditions as the Board of Trustees may deem advisable and enter into any contract or agreement with such nonprofit corporations as may be necessary or suitable for the construction, financing, operation and maintenance and management of any such park; and may lease to any person, firm, partnership or corporation, either public or private, any part or all of the land, building, facilities, equipment or other property of such park for such purposes and upon such rentals, terms and conditions as the Board of Trustees may deem advisable; and may finance all or part of the cost of any such park, including the purchase, lease, construction, reconstruction, improvement, remodeling, addition to, and extension and maintenance of all or part of such high technology park, and all equipment and furnishings, by legislative appropriations, government grants, contracts, private gifts, loans, receipts from the operation of such high technology park, rentals and similar receipts; and may make its other facilities and services available to tenants or other occupants of any such park at rates which are reasonable and appropriate.

12.5. To assist in the provision of lands, buildings, and facilities that are supportive of the University's purposes and suitable and appropriate for the conduct and operation of the University's education programs as follows:

A. The Board may sell, lease, or otherwise transfer and convey all or part of real estate deemed by the Board to be surplus real estate, together with the improvements situated thereon, to a bona fide purchaser for value without compliance with the State Property Control Act and on such terms as the Board shall determine are in the best interests of the University and consistent with the University's objects and purposes.

B. The Board may retain the proceeds from the sale, lease, or other transfer of all or any part of the real estate deemed surplus real estate under clause (A) of this item 12.5 and the improvements situated thereon in the University treasury in a separate student scholarship fund account that the Auditor General shall examine to ensure the use or deposit of those proceeds in a manner consistent with the purposes of that student scholarship fund account.

13. To borrow money, as necessary, from time to time in anticipation of receiving tuition, payments from the State of Illinois, or other revenues or receipts of the University, also known as anticipated moneys. The borrowing limit shall be capped at 100% of the total amount of payroll and other expense vouchers submitted and payable to the University for fiscal year 2010 expenses, but unpaid by the State Comptroller's office. Prior to borrowing any funds, the University shall request from the Comptroller's office a verification of the borrowing limit and shall include the estimated date on which such borrowing shall occur. The borrowing limit cap shall be verified by the State Comptroller's office not prior to 45 days before any estimated date for executing any promissory note or line of credit established under this item 13. The principal amount borrowed under a promissory note or line of credit shall not exceed 75% of the borrowing limit. Within 15 days after borrowing funds under any promissory note or line of credit established under this item 13, the University shall submit to the Governor's Office of Management and Budget, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the Senate an Emergency Short Term Cash Management Plan. The Emergency Short Term Cash Management Plan shall outline the amount borrowed, the terms for repayment, the amount of outstanding State vouchers as verified by the State Comptroller's office, and the University's plan for expenditure of any borrowed funds, including, but not limited to, a detailed plan to meet payroll obligations to include collective bargaining employees, civil service employees, and academic, research, and health care personnel. The establishment of any promissory note or line of credit established under this item 13 must be finalized within 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly. The borrowed moneys shall be applied to the purposes of paying salaries and other expenses lawfully authorized in the University's State appropriation and unpaid by the State Comptroller. Any line of credit established under this item 13 shall be paid in full one year after creation or within 10 days after the date the University receives reimbursement from the State for all submitted fiscal year 2010 vouchers, whichever is earlier. Any promissory note established under this item 13 shall be repaid within one year after issuance of the note. The Chairman, Comptroller, or Treasurer of the Board shall execute a promissory note or similar debt instrument to evidence the indebtedness incurred by the borrowing. In connection with a borrowing, the Board may establish a line of credit with a financial institution, investment bank, or broker/dealer. The obligation to make the payments due under any promissory note or line of credit established under this item 13 shall be a lawful obligation of the University payable from the anticipated moneys. Any borrowing under this item 13 shall not constitute a debt, legal or moral, of the State and shall not be enforceable against the State. The promissory note or line of credit shall be authorized by a resolution passed by the Board and shall be valid whether or not a budgeted item with respect to that resolution is included in any annual or supplemental budget adopted by the Board. The resolution shall set forth facts demonstrating the need for the borrowing, state an amount that the amount to be borrowed will not exceed, and establish a maximum interest rate limit not to exceed the maximum rate authorized by the Bond Authorization Act or 9%, whichever is less. The resolution may direct the Comptroller or Treasurer of the Board to make arrangements to set apart and hold the portion of the anticipated moneys, as received, that shall be used to repay the borrowing, subject to any prior pledges or restrictions with respect to the anticipated moneys. The resolution may also authorize the Treasurer of the Board to make partial repayments of the borrowing as the anticipated moneys become available and may contain any other terms, restrictions, or limitations not inconsistent with the powers of the Board.

For the purposes of this item 13, "financial institution" means any bank subject to the Illinois Banking Act, any savings and loan association subject to the Illinois Savings and Loan Act of 1985, and any federally chartered commercial bank or savings and loan association or government-sponsored enterprise organized and operated in this State pursuant to the laws of the United States.

The powers of the Board as herein designated are subject to the Board of Higher Education Act.

(Source: P.A. 96-909, eff. 6-8-10; 97-333, eff. 8-12-11.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.