102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB3856

 

Introduced 1/21/2022, by Sen. Scott M. Bennett

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 305/125 new
110 ILCS 520/105 new
110 ILCS 660/5-215 new
110 ILCS 665/5-215 new
110 ILCS 670/15-215 new
110 ILCS 675/20-220 new
110 ILCS 680/25-215 new
110 ILCS 685/30-225 new
110 ILCS 690/35-220 new
110 ILCS 805/3-29.21 new

    Amends the University of Illinois Act, the Southern Illinois University Management Act, the Chicago State University Law, the Eastern Illinois University Law, the Governors State University Law, the Illinois State University Law, the Northeastern Illinois University Law, the Northern Illinois University Law, the Western Illinois University Law, and the Public Community College Act. Requires a university or community college to provide all necessary coursework materials for rental, free of charge to any student under this Section who meets all of the following qualifications: (a) the student is a resident of the State; (b) the student graduated from an approved high school in the State; (c) the student is enrolled for the upcoming semester or term at the university or community college; and (d) as applicable to a university, the student has not previously earned or received a bachelor's degree or attended 135 credit hours or equivalent of coursework or as applicable to a community college, the student has not previously earned or received an associate's degree or attended 60 credit hours or equivalent of coursework. Defines terms. Effective immediately.


LRB102 24991 NLB 34247 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3856LRB102 24991 NLB 34247 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 University of Illinois Act is amended by
5adding Section 125 as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 305/125 new)
7    Sec. 125. Free course materials.
8    (a) For purposes of this Section, "coursework materials"
9means all digital or non-digital books, workbooks, and
10textbooks; required course software; computer disks; website
11access; and electronically distributed materials utilized for,
12or in conjunction with, a course in postsecondary education at
13the University.
14    (b) In order to make higher education more accessible and
15attainable for everyone in the State, beginning on July 1,
162023, the University shall provide all necessary coursework
17materials for rental, free of charge to any student under this
18Section who meets all of the following qualifications:
19        (1) The student is a resident of the State.
20        (2) The student graduated from an approved high school
21    in the State.
22        (3) The student is enrolled for the upcoming semester
23    or term at the University.

 

 

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1        (4) The student has not previously earned or received
2    a bachelor's degree or attended 135 credit hours or
3    equivalent of coursework.
 
4    Section 10. The Southern Illinois University Management
5Act is amended by adding Section 105 as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 520/105 new)
7    Sec. 105. Free course materials.
8    (a) For purposes of this Section, "coursework materials"
9means all digital or non-digital books, workbooks, and
10textbooks; required course software; computer disks; website
11access; and electronically distributed materials utilized for,
12or in conjunction with, a course in postsecondary education at
13the University.
14    (b) In order to make higher education more accessible and
15attainable for everyone in the State, beginning on July 1,
162023, the University shall provide all necessary coursework
17materials for rental, free of charge to any student under this
18Section who meets all of the following qualifications:
19        (1) The student is a resident of the State.
20        (2) The student graduated from an approved high school
21    in the State.
22        (3) The student is enrolled for the upcoming semester
23    or term at the University.
24        (4) The student has not previously earned or received

 

 

SB3856- 3 -LRB102 24991 NLB 34247 b

1    a bachelor's degree or attended 135 credit hours or
2    equivalent of coursework.
 
3    Section 15. The Chicago State University Law is amended by
4adding Section 5-215 as follows:
 
5    (110 ILCS 660/5-215 new)
6    Sec. 5-215. Free course materials.
7    (a) For purposes of this Section, "coursework materials"
8means all digital or non-digital books, workbooks, and
9textbooks; required course software; computer disks; website
10access; and electronically distributed materials utilized for,
11or in conjunction with, a course in postsecondary education at
12the University.
13    (b) In order to make higher education more accessible and
14attainable for everyone in the State, beginning on July 1,
152023, the University shall provide all necessary coursework
16materials for rental, free of charge to any student under this
17Section who meets all of the following qualifications:
18        (1) The student is a resident of the State.
19        (2) The student graduated from an approved high school
20    in the State.
21        (3) The student is enrolled for the upcoming semester
22    or term at the University.
23        (4) The student has not previously earned or received
24    a bachelor's degree or attended 135 credit hours or

 

 

SB3856- 4 -LRB102 24991 NLB 34247 b

1    equivalent of coursework.
 
2    Section 20. The Eastern Illinois University Law is amended
3by adding Section 5-215 as follows:
 
4    (110 ILCS 665/5-215 new)
5    Sec. 5-215. Free course materials.
6    (a) For purposes of this Section, "coursework materials"
7means all digital or non-digital books, workbooks, and
8textbooks; required course software; computer disks; website
9access; and electronically distributed materials utilized for,
10or in conjunction with, a course in postsecondary education at
11the University.
12    (b) In order to make higher education more accessible and
13attainable for everyone in the State, beginning on July 1,
142023, the University shall provide all necessary coursework
15materials for rental, free of charge to any student under this
16Section who meets all of the following qualifications:
17        (1) The student is a resident of the State.
18        (2) The student graduated from an approved high school
19    in the State.
20        (3) The student is enrolled for the upcoming semester
21    or term at the University.
22        (4) The student has not previously earned or received
23    a bachelor's degree or attended 135 credit hours or
24    equivalent of coursework.
 

 

 

SB3856- 5 -LRB102 24991 NLB 34247 b

1    Section 25. The Governors State University Law is amended
2by adding Section 15-215 as follows:
 
3    (110 ILCS 670/15-215 new)
4    Sec. 15-215. Free course materials.
5    (a) For purposes of this Section, "coursework materials"
6means all digital or non-digital books, workbooks, and
7textbooks; required course software; computer disks; website
8access; and electronically distributed materials utilized for,
9or in conjunction with, a course in postsecondary education at
10the University.
11    (b) In order to make higher education more accessible and
12attainable for everyone in the State, beginning on July 1,
132023, the University shall provide all necessary coursework
14materials for rental, free of charge to any student under this
15Section who meets all of the following qualifications:
16        (1) The student is a resident of the State.
17        (2) The student graduated from an approved high school
18    in the State.
19        (3) The student is enrolled for the upcoming semester
20    or term at the University.
21        (4) The student has not previously earned or received
22    a bachelor's degree or attended 135 credit hours or
23    equivalent of coursework.
 

 

 

SB3856- 6 -LRB102 24991 NLB 34247 b

1    Section 30. The Illinois State University Law is amended
2by adding Section 20-220 as follows:
 
3    (110 ILCS 675/20-220 new)
4    Sec. 20-220. Free course materials.
5    (a) For purposes of this Section, "coursework materials"
6means all digital or non-digital books, workbooks, and
7textbooks; required course software; computer disks; website
8access; and electronically distributed materials utilized for,
9or in conjunction with, a course in postsecondary education at
10the University.
11    (b) In order to make higher education more accessible and
12attainable for everyone in the State, beginning on July 1,
132023, the University shall provide all necessary coursework
14materials for rental, free of charge to any student under this
15Section who meets all of the following qualifications:
16        (1) The student is a resident of the State.
17        (2) The student graduated from an approved high school
18    in the State.
19        (3) The student is enrolled for the upcoming semester
20    or term at the University.
21        (4) The student has not previously earned or received
22    a bachelor's degree or attended 135 credit hours or
23    equivalent of coursework.
 
24    Section 35. The Northeastern Illinois University Law is

 

 

SB3856- 7 -LRB102 24991 NLB 34247 b

1amended by adding Section 25-215 as follows:
 
2    (110 ILCS 680/25-215 new)
3    Sec. 25-215. Free course materials.
4    (a) For purposes of this Section, "coursework materials"
5means all digital or non-digital books, workbooks, and
6textbooks; required course software; computer disks; website
7access; and electronically distributed materials utilized for,
8or in conjunction with, a course in postsecondary education at
9the University.
10    (b) In order to make higher education more accessible and
11attainable for everyone in the State, beginning on July 1,
122023, the University shall provide all necessary coursework
13materials for rental, free of charge to any student under this
14Section who meets all of the following qualifications:
15        (1) The student is a resident of the State.
16        (2) The student graduated from an approved high school
17    in the State.
18        (3) The student is enrolled for the upcoming semester
19    or term at the University.
20        (4) The student has not previously earned or received
21    a bachelor's degree or attended 135 credit hours or
22    equivalent of coursework.
 
23    Section 40. The Northern Illinois University Law is
24amended by adding Section 30-225 as follows:
 

 

 

SB3856- 8 -LRB102 24991 NLB 34247 b

1    (110 ILCS 685/30-225 new)
2    Sec. 30-225. Free course materials.
3    (a) For purposes of this Section, "coursework materials"
4means all digital or non-digital books, workbooks, and
5textbooks; required course software; computer disks; website
6access; and electronically distributed materials utilized for,
7or in conjunction with, a course in postsecondary education at
8the University.
9    (b) In order to make higher education more accessible and
10attainable for everyone in the State, beginning on July 1,
112023, the University shall provide all necessary coursework
12materials for rental, free of charge to any student under this
13Section who meets all of the following qualifications:
14        (1) The student is a resident of the State.
15        (2) The student graduated from an approved high school
16    in the State.
17        (3) The student is enrolled for the upcoming semester
18    or term at the University.
19        (4) The student has not previously earned or received
20    a bachelor's degree or attended 135 credit hours or
21    equivalent of coursework.
 
22    Section 45. The Western Illinois University Law is amended
23by adding Section 35-220 as follows:
 

 

 

SB3856- 9 -LRB102 24991 NLB 34247 b

1    (110 ILCS 690/35-220 new)
2    Sec. 35-220. Free course materials.
3    (a) For purposes of this Section, "coursework materials"
4means all digital or non-digital books, workbooks, and
5textbooks; required course software; computer disks; website
6access; and electronically distributed materials utilized for,
7or in conjunction with, a course in postsecondary education at
8the University.
9    (b) In order to make higher education more accessible and
10attainable for everyone in the State, beginning on July 1,
112023, the University shall provide all necessary coursework
12materials for rental, free of charge to any student under this
13Section who meets all of the following qualifications:
14        (1) The student is a resident of the State.
15        (2) The student graduated from an approved high school
16    in the State.
17        (3) The student is enrolled for the upcoming semester
18    or term at the University.
19        (4) The student has not previously earned or received
20    a bachelor's degree or attended 135 credit hours or
21    equivalent of coursework.
 
22    Section 50. The Public Community College Act is amended by
23adding Section 3-29.21 as follows:
 
24    (110 ILCS 805/3-29.21 new)

 

 

SB3856- 10 -LRB102 24991 NLB 34247 b

1    Sec. 3-29.21. Free course materials.
2    (a) For purposes of this Section, "coursework materials"
3means all digital or non-digital books, workbooks, and
4textbooks; required course software; computer disks; website
5access; and electronically distributed materials utilized for,
6or in conjunction with, a course in postsecondary education at
7a community college.
8    (b) In order to make higher education more accessible and
9attainable for everyone in the State, beginning on July 1,
102023, each community college shall provide all necessary
11coursework materials for rental, free of charge to any student
12under this Section who meets all of the following
13qualifications:
14        (1) The student is a resident of the State.
15        (2) The student graduated from an approved high school
16    in the State.
17        (3) The student is enrolled for the upcoming semester
18    or term at the community college.
19        (4) The student has not previously earned or received
20    an associate's degree or attended 60 credit hours or
21    equivalent of coursework.
 
22    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
23becoming law.