103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB1097

 

Introduced 1/12/2023, by Rep. Mary E. Flowers

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 947/62

    Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Allows the dependents of an exonerated person to receive a grant for exonerated persons. Effective July 1, 2023.


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A BILL FOR

 

HB1097LRB103 04841 RJT 49851 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 Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
5amended by changing Section 62 as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 947/62)
7    (Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 102-1100)
8    Sec. 62. Grants for exonerated persons.
9    (a) In this Section:
10    "Dependent" means a spouse, natural child, legally adopted
11child, or child in the legal custody of an exonerated person.
12    "Exonerated person" means an individual who has received a
13pardon from the Governor of the State of Illinois stating that
14such a pardon is issued on the grounds of innocence of the
15crime for which he or she was imprisoned or an individual who
16has received a certificate of innocence from a circuit court
17pursuant to Section 2-702 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
18    "Satisfactory academic progress" means the qualified
19applicant's maintenance of minimum standards of academic
20performance, consistent with requirements for maintaining
21federal financial aid eligibility, as determined by the
22institution of higher learning.
23    (b) Subject to a separate appropriation for this purpose,

 

 

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1the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider
2applications for grant assistance under this Section. Both an
3exonerated person and all of his or her dependents qualify to
4receive a grant Recipients of grants issued by the Commission
5in accordance with this Section must be exonerated persons.
6Provided that the recipient is maintaining satisfactory
7academic progress, the funds from the grant may be used to pay
8up to 8 semesters or 12 quarters of full payment of tuition and
9mandatory fees at any public university or public community
10college located in this State for either full or part-time
11study. This benefit may be used for undergraduate or graduate
12study.
13    In addition, a qualified applicant an exonerated person
14who has not yet received a high school diploma or a high school
15equivalency certificate and completes a high school
16equivalency preparation course through an Illinois Community
17College Board-approved provider may use grant funds to pay
18costs associated with obtaining a high school equivalency
19certificate, including payment of the cost of the high school
20equivalency test and up to one retest on each test module, and
21any additional fees that may be required in order to obtain an
22Illinois High School Equivalency Certificate or an official
23transcript of test scores after successful completion of the
24high school equivalency test.
25    (c) An applicant for a grant under this Section need not
26demonstrate financial need to qualify for the benefits.

 

 

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1    (d) The Commission may adopt any rules necessary to
2implement and administer this Section.
3(Source: P.A. 99-199, eff. 1-1-16.)
 
4    (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 102-1100)
5    Sec. 62. Grants for exonerated persons.
6    (a) In this Section:
7    "Dependent" means a spouse, natural child, legally adopted
8child, or child in the legal custody of an exonerated person.
9    "Exonerated person" means an individual who has received a
10pardon from the Governor of the State of Illinois stating that
11such a pardon is issued on the grounds of innocence of the
12crime for which he or she was imprisoned or an individual who
13has received a certificate of innocence from a circuit court
14pursuant to Section 2-702 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
15    "Satisfactory academic progress" means the qualified
16applicant's maintenance of minimum standards of academic
17performance, consistent with requirements for maintaining
18federal financial aid eligibility, as determined by the
19institution of higher learning.
20    (b) Subject to a separate appropriation for this purpose,
21the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider
22applications for grant assistance under this Section. Both an
23exonerated person and all of his or her dependents qualify to
24receive a grant Recipients of grants issued by the Commission
25in accordance with this Section must be exonerated persons.

 

 

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1Provided that the recipient is maintaining satisfactory
2academic progress, the funds from the grant may be used to pay
3up to 8 semesters or 12 quarters of full payment of tuition and
4mandatory fees at any public university or public community
5college located in this State for either full or part-time
6study. This benefit may be used for undergraduate or graduate
7study.
8    In addition, a qualified applicant an exonerated person
9who has not yet received a high school diploma or a State of
10Illinois High School Diploma and completes a high school
11equivalency preparation course through an Illinois Community
12College Board-approved provider may use grant funds to pay
13costs associated with obtaining a State of Illinois High
14School Diploma, including payment of the cost of the high
15school equivalency test and up to one retest on each test
16module, and any additional fees that may be required in order
17to obtain a State of Illinois High School Diploma or an
18official transcript of test scores after successful completion
19of the high school equivalency test.
20    (c) An applicant for a grant under this Section need not
21demonstrate financial need to qualify for the benefits.
22    (d) The Commission may adopt any rules necessary to
23implement and administer this Section.
24(Source: P.A. 102-1100, eff. 1-1-23.)
 
25    Section 95. No acceleration or delay. Where this Act makes

 

 

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1changes in a statute that is represented in this Act by text
2that is not yet or no longer in effect (for example, a Section
3represented by multiple versions), the use of that text does
4not accelerate or delay the taking effect of (i) the changes
5made by this Act or (ii) provisions derived from any other
6Public Act.
 
7    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
82023.