103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB2308

 

Introduced 2/10/2023, by Sen. Celina Villanueva

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
30 ILCS 105/5.719 rep.
105 ILCS 426/75.5 new
110 ILCS 131/5
110 ILCS 155/35
110 ILCS 205/3  from Ch. 144, par. 183
110 ILCS 205/9.29
110 ILCS 1005/14.10 rep.
110 ILCS 1005/14.15 new
110 ILCS 1005/15  from Ch. 144, par. 135
110 ILCS 1010/7.5 new
110 ILCS 1010/10.10

    Amends the Private Business and Vocational Schools Act of 2012. Provides that the Board of Higher Education may issue a cease and desist order to any school operating without the required permit of approval and may impose a civil penalty. Sets forth various requirements for the cease and desist order and the penalty. Amends the Private College Act and the Academic Degree Act to make similar changes. Amends the Higher Education Housing and Opportunities Act. Provides that the definition of "institution of higher education" or "institution" means any publicly or privately operated university, college, community college, business, technical, or vocational school, or other educational institution in this State (rather than not specifying the location). Amends the Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act. Provides that the Illinois Community College Board shall administer specified provisions with the Board of Higher Education (instead of only the Board of Higher Education). Provides that the Task Force on Campus Sexual Misconduct Climate Surveys is extended for an additional year. Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that the member of the Board representing public university governing boards and the member of the Board representing private college and university boards of trustees, who are appointed by the Governor but not subject to confirmation by the Senate, shall serve terms of 3 years (instead of one year). Makes other changes. Effective immediately.


LRB103 04934 RJT 49944 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB2308LRB103 04934 RJT 49944 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    (30 ILCS 105/5.719 rep.)
5    Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by repealing
6Section 5.719.
 
7    Section 10. The Private Business and Vocational Schools
8Act of 2012 is amended by adding Section 75.5 as follows:
 
9    (105 ILCS 426/75.5 new)
10    Sec. 75.5. Operating without a permit; cease and desist
11order. The Board may issue a cease and desist order to any
12school operating without the required permit of approval and
13may impose a civil penalty for such a violation. Each day's
14violation shall constitute a separate offense. The penalty for
15such a violation shall be a fee or other conditions as
16established by rule. A penalty fee may not exceed $10,000 per
17violation. The Attorney General may bring an action in circuit
18court to enforce the collection of the penalty fee.
19    The cease and desist order shall be issued to the school,
20shall contain the school's name and address and a brief
21factual statement, and shall identify this Act and the
22statutory citations of this Act allegedly violated and the

 

 

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1penalty, if any, imposed. The cease and desist order must
2clearly state that the school may choose to request a hearing.
3If the school does not request a hearing with the Board within
430 days after the cease and desist order is served, then the
5cease and desist order shall become final and not subject to
6appeal notwithstanding anything to the contrary under Section
785 of this Act.
 
8    Section 15. The Higher Education Housing and Opportunities
9Act is amended by changing Section 5 as follows:
 
10    (110 ILCS 131/5)
11    Sec. 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
12    "Institution of higher education" or "institution" means
13any publicly or privately operated university, college,
14community college, business, technical, or vocational school,
15or other educational institution in this State offering
16degrees and instruction beyond the secondary school level.
17    "Student experiencing homelessness" or "homeless student"
18means an individual enrolled in an institution who lacks or is
19at imminent risk of lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate
20nighttime residence or whose parent or legal guardian is
21unable or unwilling to provide shelter and care and includes a
22homeless individual as defined under the federal
23McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. For the purposes of
24this definition, the term "fixed, regular, and adequate

 

 

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1nighttime residence" does not include residence in an
2institution of higher education's on-campus housing.
3    "Student in care" means any person, regardless of age, who
4is or was under the care and legal custody of the Department of
5Children and Family Services, including youth for whom the
6Department has court-ordered legal responsibility, youth who
7aged out of care at age 18 or older, or youth formerly under
8care who have been adopted and were the subject of an adoption
9assistance agreement or who have been placed in private
10guardianship and were the subject of a subsidized guardianship
11agreement.
12(Source: P.A. 102-83, eff. 8-1-22.)
 
13    Section 20. The Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher
14Education Act is amended by changing Section 35 as follows:
 
15    (110 ILCS 155/35)
16    Sec. 35. Sexual misconduct climate survey.
17    (a) As used in this Section:
18    "Base survey" means a base set of common questions
19recommended by the Task Force on Campus Sexual Misconduct
20Climate Surveys and approved by the Executive Director of the
21Board of Higher Education.
22    "Student" means a person who is enrolled in a public or
23private degree-granting, post-secondary higher education
24institution, whether part-time, full-time, or as an extension

 

 

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1student, including any person who has taken a leave of absence
2or who has withdrawn from the higher education institution due
3to being a victim of sexual misconduct.
4    "Trauma informed" means an understanding of the
5complexities of sexual violence, domestic violence, dating
6violence, or stalking through training centered on the
7neurobiological impact of trauma, the influence of societal
8myths and stereotypes surrounding sexual violence, domestic
9violence, dating violence, or stalking, and understanding the
10behavior of perpetrators.
11    (b) Each higher education institution shall annually
12conduct a sexual misconduct climate survey of all students at
13the institution. Each higher education institution's sexual
14misconduct climate survey shall include the base survey, which
15the Board of Higher Education or Illinois Community College
16Board, whichever is applicable, shall provide to the
17institution every 2 years. Each institution may append its own
18campus-specific questions to the base survey if questions do
19not require the disclosure of any personally identifying
20information by the students and are trauma informed. The Board
21of Higher Education and Illinois Community College Board, in
22consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, as
23necessary, shall review any complaints submitted by students
24who believe that questions included in the campus sexual
25misconduct climate survey are traumatizing. Within 120 days
26after completion of a sexual misconduct climate survey, but no

 

 

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1later than one year after the Board of Higher Education or
2Illinois Community College Board, whichever is applicable,
3issued the last base survey, each institution shall compile a
4summary of the results of the sexual misconduct climate
5survey, including, but not limited to, the complete aggregated
6results for each base survey question, and shall submit the
7summary to the Board of Higher Education or Illinois Community
8College Board, as well as publish the summary on the
9institution's website in an easily accessible manner.
10    (c) The Task Force on Campus Sexual Misconduct Climate
11Surveys is created. The Task Force shall consist of the
12following members:
13        (1) the Executive Director of the Board of Higher
14    Education or a designee, who shall serve as chairperson;
15        (2) the Governor or a designee;
16        (3) one member of the Senate, appointed by the
17    President of the Senate;
18        (4) one member of the House of Representatives,
19    appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
20        (5) one member of the Senate, appointed by the
21    Minority Leader of the Senate;
22        (6) one member of the House of Representatives,
23    appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
24    Representatives;
25        (7) the Attorney General or a designee;
26        (8) the Director of Public Health or a designee; and

 

 

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1        (9) the following members appointed by the Governor:
2            (A) one member who is a student attending a public
3        higher education institution in Illinois;
4            (B) one member who is a student attending a
5        private higher education institution in Illinois;
6            (C) one member who is a student attending a
7        community college in Illinois;
8            (D) one member who is a representative of the
9        University of Illinois recommended by the president of
10        the university;
11            (E) one member who is a representative of the
12        Illinois Community College Board;
13            (F) one member who is a representative of private
14        colleges and universities recommended by the
15        Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and
16        Universities;
17            (G) 3 members who are representatives of survivors
18        of sexual assault recommended by the Illinois
19        Coalition Against Sexual Assault, with one
20        specifically representing survivors in rural
21        communities and one specifically representing
22        survivors in urban communities;
23            (H) one member who is a representative of a
24        non-profit legal services organization that provides
25        legal representation to victims of campus sexual
26        assault in Illinois;

 

 

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1            (I) one member who is a representative recommended
2        by the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence;
3            (J) one member who is a representative recommended
4        by Equality Illinois;
5            (K) one member who is a representative of an
6        immigrant rights advocacy organization;
7            (L) one member who is a representative recommended
8        by the Every Voice Coalition or any successor
9        organization of the Every Voice Coalition;
10            (M) one member who is a researcher with experience
11        in the development and design of sexual misconduct
12        climate surveys; and
13            (N) one member who is a researcher of statistics,
14        data analytics, or econometrics with experience in
15        higher education survey analysis.
16    The Task Force shall hold its first meeting as soon as
17practicable after the effective date of this amendatory Act of
18the 102nd General Assembly. Administrative and other support
19for the Task Force shall be provided by the Board of Higher
20Education. Members of the Task Force shall serve 2-year terms
21that commence on the date of appointment. Members shall
22continue to serve until their successors are appointed. Any
23vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority. Any
24vacancy occurring other than by expiration of the term shall
25be filled for the balance of the unexpired term. A majority of
26the Task Force shall constitute a quorum for the transaction

 

 

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1of any business.
2    Members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation
3but shall be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in
4the performance of their duties if funds are available.
5However, the higher education institution in which a student
6member is enrolled may compensate that student for
7participating on the Task Force through a work-study program
8or by providing a stipend to support the work of the student
9member on the Task Force.
10    (d) The Task Force shall develop and recommend to the
11Board of Higher Education and Illinois Community College Board
12the base survey for distribution to higher education
13institutions and provide the Board of Higher Education and
14Illinois Community College Board with any related
15recommendations regarding the content, timing, and application
16of the base survey. The Task Force shall deliver the base
17survey and related recommendations, including, but not limited
18to, recommendations on achieving statistically valid response
19rates, to the Board of Higher Education and Illinois Community
20College Board no less often than every 2 years and for the
21first time on or before July 31, 2023 July 31, 2022.
22Thereafter, the Task Force shall meet in the year 2025 2024 and
23in the year 2027 2026 to review the results of the survey and
24to implement updates and improvements. The Task Force is
25dissolved after the completion of the 2027 2026 base survey.
26After the dissolution of the Task Force, the Executive

 

 

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1Director of the Board of Higher Education or a designee shall
2review the base survey every 2 years to consider any feedback
3that has been received and to implement improvements.
4    (e) In developing the base survey, the Task Force shall:
5        (1) utilize best practices from peer-reviewed research
6    and consult with individuals with expertise in the
7    development and use of sexual misconduct climate surveys
8    by higher education institutions;
9        (2) review sexual misconduct climate surveys that have
10    been developed and previously utilized by higher education
11    institutions in Illinois and by other states that mandate
12    campus climate surveys;
13        (3) provide opportunities for written comment from
14    survivors and organizations that work directly with
15    survivors of sexual misconduct to ensure the adequacy and
16    appropriateness of the proposed content;
17        (4) consult with institutions on strategies for
18    optimizing the effectiveness of the survey;
19        (5) account for the diverse needs and differences of
20    higher education institutions; and
21        (6) review the base survey to ensure that the strategy
22    for gathering information is trauma informed.
23    (f) The base survey shall gather information on topics,
24including, but not limited to:
25        (1) the number and type of incidents, both reported to
26    the higher education institution and unreported to the

 

 

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1    higher education institution, of sexual misconduct at the
2    higher education institution;
3        (2) when and where incidents of sexual misconduct
4    occurred, such as on campus, off campus, abroad, or
5    online;
6        (3) student awareness of institutional policies and
7    procedures related to campus sexual misconduct;
8        (4) whether a student reported the sexual misconduct
9    to the higher education institution and, if so, to which
10    campus resource such report was made and, if not, the
11    reason for the student's decision not to report;
12        (5) whether a student reported the sexual misconduct
13    to law enforcement and, if so, to which law enforcement
14    agency such report was made;
15        (6) whether a student was informed of or referred to
16    local, State, campus, or other resources or victim support
17    services, including appropriate medical care, advocacy,
18    counseling, and legal services;
19        (7) whether a student was provided information
20    regarding his or her right to protection from retaliation,
21    access to school-based accommodations, and criminal
22    justice remedies;
23        (8) contextual factors, such as the involvement of
24    force, incapacitation, coercion, or drug or alcohol
25    facilitation;
26        (9) demographic information that could be used to

 

 

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1    identify at-risk groups, including, but not limited to,
2    gender, race, immigration status, national origin,
3    ethnicity, disability status, sexual orientation, and
4    gender identity;
5        (10) perceptions of campus safety among members of the
6    campus community and confidence in the institution's
7    ability to protect against and respond to incidents of
8    sexual misconduct;
9        (11) whether the student has chosen to withdraw or has
10    taken a leave of absence from the institution or
11    transferred to another institution;
12        (12) whether the student has withdrawn from any
13    classes or has been placed on academic probation as a
14    result of the incident; and
15        (13) other questions as determined by the Task Force.
16All questions on the base survey shall be optional or shall
17offer the student the option to select "I prefer not to answer"
18as a response on the survey.
19    (g) The sexual misconduct climate survey shall collect
20anonymous responses and shall not provide for the public
21disclosure of any personally identifying information. No
22institution may use or attempt to use information collected
23through the sexual misconduct climate survey to identify or
24contact any individual student on campus, nor shall the
25results of the survey be used as the basis for any type of
26investigation or disciplinary or legal proceeding.

 

 

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1    (h) There shall be established within the Office of the
2Board of Higher Education and the Office of the Illinois
3Community College Board a data repository for all summaries of
4sexual misconduct climate surveys submitted by higher
5education institutions to the Board of Higher Education or
6Illinois Community College Board in accordance with subsection
7(b). The Board of Higher Education and Illinois Community
8College Board shall ensure that the sexual misconduct climate
9survey data submitted by all applicable institutions is
10available to the public in an easily accessible manner on the
11Board of Higher Education's or Illinois Community College
12Board's website.
13    (i) Each higher education institution shall publish on the
14institution's website in an easily accessible manner:
15        (1) the campus level results of the survey;
16        (2) the annual security report required under the
17    federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy
18    and Campus Crime Statistics Act;
19        (3) the reports required under Section 9.21 of the
20    Board of Higher Education Act; and
21        (4) a link to the Board of Higher Education's and
22    Illinois Community College Board's statewide data on
23    sexual misconduct climate survey data as set forth in
24    subsection (h).
25    (j) The Board of Higher Education and Illinois Community
26College Board shall establish rules and procedures, including

 

 

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1deadlines for dissemination and collection of survey
2information, consistent with the purposes of this Section and
3shall promote effective solicitation to achieve the highest
4practical response rate, collection, and publication of
5statistical information gathered from higher education
6institutions.
7    (k) Upon determination, after reasonable notice and
8opportunity for a hearing, that a higher education institution
9has violated or failed to carry out any provision of this
10Section or any rule adopted under this Section, the Board of
11Higher Education or Illinois Community College Board,
12whichever is applicable, may impose a civil penalty upon such
13institution not to exceed $50,000, which shall be adjusted for
14inflation annually, for each violation. The Board of Higher
15Education and Illinois Community College Board shall use any
16such civil penalty funds to provide oversight of this Section
17and to provide funding to community organizations that provide
18services to sexual assault victims. The Attorney General may
19bring an action in the circuit court to enforce the collection
20of any monetary penalty imposed under this subsection (k).
21(Source: P.A. 102-325, eff. 8-6-21.)
 
22    Section 25. The Board of Higher Education Act is amended
23by changing Sections 3 and 9.29 as follows:
 
24    (110 ILCS 205/3)  (from Ch. 144, par. 183)

 

 

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1    Sec. 3. Terms; vacancies.
2    (a) The members of the Board whose appointments are
3subject to confirmation by the Senate shall be selected for
46-year terms expiring on January 31 of odd numbered years.
5    (b) The members of the Board shall continue to serve after
6the expiration of their terms until their successors have been
7appointed.
8    (c) Vacancies on the Board in offices appointed by the
9Governor shall be filled by appointment by the Governor for
10the unexpired term. If the appointment is subject to Senate
11confirmation and the Senate is not in session or is in recess
12when the appointment is made, the appointee shall serve
13subject to subsequent Senate approval of the appointment.
14    (d) Each student member shall serve a term of one year
15beginning on July 1 of each year and until a successor is
16appointed and qualified.
17    (e) The member of the Board representing public university
18governing boards and the member of the Board representing
19private college and university boards of trustees, who are
20appointed by the Governor but not subject to confirmation by
21the Senate, shall serve terms of 3 years one year beginning on
22July 1.
23(Source: P.A. 102-1046, eff. 6-7-22.)
 
24    (110 ILCS 205/9.29)
25    Sec. 9.29. Tuition and fee waiver report.

 

 

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1    (a) The Board of Higher Education shall annually compile
2information concerning tuition and fee waivers and tuition and
3fee waiver programs that has been provided by the Boards of
4Trustees of the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois
5University, Chicago State University, Eastern Illinois
6University, Governors State University, Illinois State
7University, Northeastern Illinois University, Northern
8Illinois University, and Western Illinois University and shall
9report its findings and recommendations concerning tuition and
10fee waivers and tuition and fee waiver programs to the General
11Assembly by filing electronic or paper copies of its report by
12December 31 of each year as provided in Section 3.1 of the
13General Assembly Organization Act.
14    (b) No later than November 1, 2023 July 1, 2020, and
15annually thereafter, each public university must submit a
16report to the Board of Higher Education on the amount of
17tuition that undergraduate, degree-seeking students attending
18the university paid in the previous academic year that
19includes all of the following information:
20        (1) The percentage of undergraduate students who paid
21    more than 75% of full tuition costs.
22        (2) The percentage of undergraduate students who paid
23    more than 50% but no more than 75% of full tuition costs.
24        (3) The percentage of undergraduate students who paid
25    more than 25% but no more than 50% of full tuition costs.
26        (4) The percentage of undergraduate students who paid

 

 

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1    no more than 25% of full tuition costs.
2        (5) The percentage of undergraduate students who had
3    no tuition costs.
4The tuition costs calculated under this subsection must
5reflect the amount of tuition paid by a student after all
6scholarships, grants, and other financial assistance have been
7applied to his or her tuition charge and must reflect only the
8amounts paid by undergraduate, degree-seeking students.
9    The Board of Higher Education must annually compile and
10submit to the General Assembly, as part of the report required
11under subsection (a), the information received under this
12subsection.
13(Source: P.A. 100-167, eff. 1-1-18; 101-93, eff. 1-1-20.)
 
14    (110 ILCS 1005/14.10 rep.)
15    Section 30. The Private College Act is amended by
16repealing Section 14.10.
 
17    Section 35. The Private College Act is amended by adding
18Section 14.15 and by changing Section 15 as follows:
 
19    (110 ILCS 1005/14.15 new)
20    Sec. 14.15. Operating without a certificate; cease and
21desist order. The Board may issue a cease and desist order to
22any post-secondary educational institution operating without
23the required certificate of approval and may impose a civil

 

 

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1penalty for such a violation. Each day's violation shall
2constitute a separate offense. The penalty for such a
3violation shall be a fee or other conditions as established by
4rule. A penalty fee may not exceed $10,000 per violation. The
5Attorney General may bring an action in circuit court to
6enforce the collection of the penalty fee.
7    The cease and desist order shall be issued to the
8institution, shall contain the institution's name and address
9and a brief factual statement, and shall identify this Act and
10the statutory citations of this Act allegedly violated and the
11penalty, if any, imposed. The cease and desist order must
12clearly state that the institution may choose to request a
13hearing. If the institution does not request a hearing with
14the Board within 30 days after the cease and desist order is
15served, then the cease and desist order shall become final and
16not subject to appeal notwithstanding anything to the contrary
17under Section 12 of this Act.
 
18    (110 ILCS 1005/15)  (from Ch. 144, par. 135)
19    Sec. 15. Any person violating any provision of this Act
20shall be guilty of a petty offense and fined not less than $25
21nor more than $10,000 $100. Each day's violation of any
22provision of this Act shall constitute a separate offense.
23(Source: P.A. 84-1308.)
 
24    Section 40. The Academic Degree Act is amended by adding

 

 

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1Section 7.5 and by changing Section 10.10 as follows:
 
2    (110 ILCS 1010/7.5 new)
3    Sec. 7.5. Cease and desist order. The Board may issue a
4cease and desist order to any educational organization or
5entity operating without the required authorization to operate
6and grant degrees. The Board may impose a civil penalty for
7such a violation. Each day's violation shall constitute a
8separate offense. The penalty for such a violation shall be a
9fee or other conditions as established by rule. A penalty fee
10may not exceed $10,000 per violation. The Attorney General may
11bring an action in circuit court to enforce the collection of
12the penalty fee.
13    The cease and desist order shall be issued to the
14educational organization or entity, shall contain the name and
15address of the educational organization or entity and a brief
16factual statement, and shall identify this Act and the
17statutory citations of this Act allegedly violated and the
18penalty, if any, imposed. The cease and desist order must
19state clearly that the educational organization or entity may
20choose to request a hearing. If the educational organization
21or entity does not request a hearing with the Board or its
22designee within 30 days after the cease and desist order is
23served, then the cease and desist order shall become final and
24not subject to appeal notwithstanding anything to the contrary
25under Section 10 of this Act.
 

 

 

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1    (110 ILCS 1010/10.10)
2    Sec. 10.10. Academic Quality Assurance Fund. The Academic
3Quality Assurance Fund is created as a special fund in the
4State treasury. All fees collected for the administration and
5enforcement of this Act and the Private College Act must be
6deposited into this Fund. All money in the Fund must be used,
7subject to appropriation, by the Board to supplement support
8for the administration and enforcement of this Act and the
9Private College Act and must not be used for any other purpose.
10    Rulemaking authority to implement this amendatory Act of
11the 95th General Assembly, if any, is conditioned on the rules
12being adopted in accordance with all provisions of the
13Illinois Administrative Procedure Act and all rules and
14procedures of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules; any
15purported rule not so adopted, for whatever reason, is
16unauthorized.
17(Source: P.A. 95-1046, eff. 3-27-09.)
 
18    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
19becoming law.