Sen. Iris Y. Martinez

Filed: 4/2/2008

 

 


 

 


 
09500HB1334sam004 LRB095 09929 NHT 48868 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1334

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1334, AS AMENDED, by
3 replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
4 following:
 
5     "Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
6 amended by changing Section 52 as follows:
 
7     (110 ILCS 947/52)
8     Sec. 52. Illinois Future Teacher Corps Program.
9     (a) In order to encourage academically talented Illinois
10 students, especially minority students, to pursue teaching
11 careers, especially in teacher shortage disciplines (which
12 shall be defined to include early childhood education) or at
13 hard-to-staff schools (as defined by the Commission in
14 consultation with the State Board of Education), to provide
15 those students with the crucial mentoring, guidance, and
16 in-service support that will significantly increase the

 

 

09500HB1334sam004 - 2 - LRB095 09929 NHT 48868 a

1 likelihood that they will complete their full teaching
2 commitments and elect to continue teaching in targeted
3 disciplines and hard-to-staff schools, and to ensure that
4 students in this State will continue to have access to a pool
5 of highly-qualified teachers, the Commission shall combine the
6 best practices and methods and programmatic functions of the
7 Illinois Future Teacher Corps Program and the Golden Apple
8 Foundation for Excellence in Teaching's Golden Apple Scholars
9 program into one program. The consolidated program shall be
10 known as the Illinois Future Teachers Corps and shall be
11 managed by the Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in
12 Teaching.
13         (1) This consolidated program shall be fully
14     operational before July 1, 2011. The existing programs, the
15     Illinois Future Teacher Corps Program and the Golden Apple
16     Scholars program, shall continue to exist and be governed
17     as they have under this Section before the effective date
18     of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly and any
19     associated administrative rules, but shall also begin a
20     transition period commencing on the first day of the 2009
21     fiscal year and ending on the last day of the 2012 fiscal
22     year.
23         (2) During the transition period, the Commission
24     shall, in consultation with the Golden Apple Foundation,
25     establish rules governing the transition period and
26     related fund transfers and to facilitate coordination and

 

 

09500HB1334sam004 - 3 - LRB095 09929 NHT 48868 a

1     implementation of the consolidated program. Eligible
2     students in this State may continue to apply for Illinois
3     Future Teacher Corps scholarships under the current rules
4     governing such applications during the transition period.
5     Fiscal Year 2011 shall be the last year that such
6     scholarships are available.
7         (3) The Commission shall, by March 30, 2009, develop an
8     estimate of General Revenue Funds that it expects will
9     remain unexpended at the end of FY 2009 from the FY 2009
10     appropriation for the Illinois Future Teacher Corps. No
11     later than April 15, 2009, the Commission shall cause to be
12     transferred funds comprising 85% of this estimated amount
13     to the Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching.
14     The Commission shall subsequently transfer funding from
15     the Illinois Future Teacher Corps Program to the Golden
16     Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching on the
17     following schedule and in the following amounts:
18             (A) FY 2010: an amount equal to 58% of the total
19         combined appropriation for the Golden Apple Foundation
20         for Excellence in Teaching and the Illinois Future
21         Teacher Corps Program;
22             (B) FY 2011: an amount equal to 80% of the combined
23         total appropriation for the Golden Apple Foundation
24         for Excellence in Teaching and the Illinois Future
25         Teacher Corps Program;
26             (C) FY 2012: the entire appropriation shall be

 

 

09500HB1334sam004 - 4 - LRB095 09929 NHT 48868 a

1         designated for the Golden Apple Foundation for
2         Excellence in Teaching.
3         (4) Following the consolidation of the 2 programs, at
4     least 30% of Illinois Future Teacher Corps scholarships
5     available each year shall be awarded to students residing
6     in counties having a population of less than 500,000.
7         (5) Following the consolidation of the 2 programs, the
8     Auditor General shall prepare an annual audit of the
9     operations and finances of the Illinois Future Teacher
10     Corps. This audit shall be provided to the Governor and the
11     General Assembly.
12     (a-5) The , the Commission shall, each year until Fiscal
13 Year 2010, receive and consider applications for scholarship
14 assistance under this Section. An applicant is eligible for an
15 Illinois Future Teacher Corps a scholarship under this Section
16 when the Commission finds that the applicant is:
17         (1) a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen;
18         (2) a resident of Illinois;
19         (3) a high school graduate or a person who has received
20     a General Educational Development Certificate;
21         (4) enrolled or accepted for enrollment at or above the
22     junior level, on at least a half-time basis, at an Illinois
23     institution of higher learning; and
24         (5) pursuing a postsecondary course of study leading to
25     initial certification or pursuing additional course work
26     needed to gain State Board of Education approval to teach,

 

 

09500HB1334sam004 - 5 - LRB095 09929 NHT 48868 a

1     including alternative teacher certification.
2     (b) Recipients shall be selected from among applicants
3 qualified pursuant to subsection (a) based on a combination of
4 the following criteria as set forth by the Commission until
5 Fiscal Year 2010: (1) academic excellence; (2) status as a
6 minority student as defined in Section 50; and (3) financial
7 need. Preference may be given to previous recipients of
8 assistance under this Section, provided they continue to
9 maintain eligibility and maintain satisfactory academic
10 progress as determined by the institution of higher learning at
11 which they enroll.
12     (c) Each scholarship awarded under this Section shall be in
13 an amount sufficient to pay the tuition and fees and room and
14 board costs of the Illinois institution of higher learning at
15 which the recipient is enrolled, up to an annual maximum of
16 $5,000; except that in the case of a recipient who does not
17 reside on-campus at the institution of higher learning at which
18 he or she is enrolled, the amount of the scholarship shall be
19 sufficient to pay tuition and fee expenses and a commuter
20 allowance, up to an annual maximum of $5,000. For recipients
21 who agree to teach in a teacher shortage discipline or at a
22 hard-to-staff school under subsection (i) of this Section, the
23 Commission may, by rule and subject to appropriation, increase
24 the annual maximum amount to $10,000. If a recipient agrees to
25 teach in both a teacher shortage discipline and at a
26 hard-to-staff school under subsection (i) of this Section, the

 

 

09500HB1334sam004 - 6 - LRB095 09929 NHT 48868 a

1 Commission may increase the amount of the scholarship awarded
2 by up to an additional $5,000.
3     (d) The total amount of scholarship assistance awarded by
4 the Commission under this Section to an individual in any given
5 fiscal year, when added to other financial assistance awarded
6 to that individual for that year, shall not exceed the cost of
7 attendance at the institution of higher learning at which the
8 student is enrolled.
9     (e) A recipient may receive up to 4 semesters or 6 quarters
10 of scholarship assistance under this Section.
11     (f) All applications for scholarship assistance to be
12 awarded under this Section shall be made to the Commission in a
13 form as set forth by the Commission. The form of application
14 and the information required to be set forth therein shall be
15 determined by the Commission, and the Commission shall require
16 eligible applicants to submit with their applications such
17 supporting documents as the Commission deems necessary.
18 Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, following the
19 completion of the transition of funding of the Illinois Future
20 Teacher Corps to the Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in
21 Teaching, all applications for scholarship assistance under
22 this Section shall be in a form determined by the Golden Apple
23 Foundation for Excellence in Teaching.
24     (g) Subject to a separate appropriation made for such
25 purposes, payment of any scholarship awarded under this Section
26 shall be determined by the Commission. There shall be a

 

 

09500HB1334sam004 - 7 - LRB095 09929 NHT 48868 a

1 separate appropriation made for scholarships awarded to
2 recipients who agree to teach in a teacher shortage discipline
3 or at a hard-to-staff school under subsection (i) of this
4 Section. The Commission may use for scholarship assistance
5 under this Section (i) all funds appropriated for scholarships
6 under this Section that were formerly known as ITEACH Teacher
7 Shortage Scholarships and (ii) all funds appropriated for
8 scholarships under Section 65.65 of this Act (repealed by this
9 amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly), formerly known as
10 Illinois Future Teacher Corps Scholarships.
11     All scholarship funds distributed in accordance with this
12 Section shall be paid to the institution on behalf of the
13 recipients. Scholarship funds are applicable toward 2
14 semesters or 3 quarters of enrollment within an academic year.
15     (h) The Commission shall administer the scholarship
16 program established by this Section and shall make all
17 necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with this Section
18 for its effective implementation.
19     (i) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for any
20 academic year, each recipient of a scholarship awarded under
21 this Section shall be required by the Commission to sign an
22 agreement under which the recipient pledges that, within the
23 one-year period following the termination of the academic
24 program for which the recipient was awarded a scholarship, the
25 recipient: (i) shall begin teaching for a period of not less
26 than 5 years, (ii) shall fulfill this teaching obligation at a

 

 

09500HB1334sam004 - 8 - LRB095 09929 NHT 48868 a

1 nonprofit Illinois public, private, or parochial preschool or
2 an Illinois public elementary or secondary school, and (iii)
3 shall, upon request of the Commission, provide the Commission
4 with evidence that he or she is fulfilling or has fulfilled the
5 terms of the teaching agreement provided for in this
6 subsection.
7     (j) If a recipient of a scholarship awarded under this
8 Section fails to fulfill the teaching obligation set forth in
9 subsection (i) of this Section, the Commission shall require
10 the recipient to repay the amount of the scholarships received,
11 prorated according to the fraction of the teaching obligation
12 not completed, plus interest at a rate of 5% and if applicable,
13 reasonable collection fees. The Commission is authorized to
14 establish rules relating to its collection activities for
15 repayment of scholarships under this Section. Payments
16 received by the Commission under this subsection (j) shall be
17 remitted to the State Comptroller for deposit into the General
18 Revenue Fund, except that that portion of a recipient's
19 repayment that equals the amount in expenses that the
20 Commission has reasonably incurred in attempting collection
21 from that recipient shall be remitted to the State Comptroller
22 for deposit into the Commission's Accounts Receivable Fund.
23     (k) A recipient of a scholarship awarded by the Commission
24 under this Section shall not be in violation of the agreement
25 entered into pursuant to subsection (i) if the recipient (i)
26 enrolls on a full-time basis as a graduate student in a course

 

 

09500HB1334sam004 - 9 - LRB095 09929 NHT 48868 a

1 of study related to the field of teaching at an institution of
2 higher learning; (ii) is serving as a member of the armed
3 services of the United States; (iii) is temporarily totally
4 disabled, as established by sworn affidavit of a qualified
5 physician; (iv) is seeking and unable to find full-time
6 employment as a teacher at a school that satisfies the criteria
7 set forth in subsection (i) and is able to provide evidence of
8 that fact; (v) is taking additional courses, on at least a
9 half-time basis, needed to obtain certification as a teacher in
10 Illinois; or (vi) is fulfilling teaching requirements
11 associated with other programs administered by the Commission
12 and cannot concurrently fulfill them under this Section in a
13 period of time equal to the length of the teaching obligation.
14 Any such extension of the period during which the teaching
15 requirement must be fulfilled shall be subject to limitations
16 of duration as established by the Commission.
17 (Source: P.A. 93-21, eff. 7-1-03; 94-133, eff. 7-7-05.)
 
18     Section 10. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by
19 changing Section 3-648 as follows:
 
20     (625 ILCS 5/3-648)
21     Sec. 3-648. Education license plates.
22     (a) The Secretary, upon receipt of an application made in
23 the form prescribed by the Secretary, may issue special
24 registration plates designated as Education license plates.

 

 

09500HB1334sam004 - 10 - LRB095 09929 NHT 48868 a

1 The special plates issued under this Section shall be affixed
2 only to passenger vehicles of the first division and motor
3 vehicles of the second division weighing not more than 8,000
4 pounds. Plates issued under this Section shall expire according
5 to the multi-year procedure established by Section 3-414.1 of
6 this Code.
7     (b) The design and color of the plates shall be determined
8 by a contest that every elementary school pupil in the State of
9 Illinois is eligible to enter. The designs submitted for the
10 contest shall be judged on September 30, 2002, and the winning
11 design shall be selected by a committee composed of the
12 Secretary, the Director of State Police, 2 members of the
13 Senate, one member chosen by the President of the Senate and
14 one member chosen by the Senate Minority Leader, and 2 members
15 of the House of Representatives, one member chosen by the
16 Speaker of the House and one member chosen by the House
17 Minority Leader. The Secretary may allow the plates to be
18 issued as vanity or personalized plates under Section 3-405.1
19 of the Code. The Secretary shall prescribe stickers or decals
20 as provided under Section 3-412 of this Code.
21     (c) An applicant for the special plate shall be charged a
22 $40 fee for original issuance, in addition to the appropriate
23 registration fee. Of this $40 additional original issuance fee,
24 $15 shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special
25 License Plate Fund, to be used by the Secretary to help defray
26 the administrative processing costs, and $25 shall be deposited

 

 

09500HB1334sam004 - 11 - LRB095 09929 NHT 48868 a

1 into the Illinois Future Teacher Corps Scholarship Fund. For
2 each registration renewal period, a $40 fee, in addition to the
3 appropriate registration fee, shall be charged. Of this $40
4 additional renewal fee, $2 shall be deposited into the
5 Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund and $38 shall be
6 deposited into the Illinois Future Teacher Corps Scholarship
7 Fund. Each fiscal year, once deposits from the additional
8 original issuance and renewal fees into the Secretary of State
9 Special License Plate Fund have reached $500,000, all the
10 amounts received for the additional fees for the balance of the
11 fiscal year shall be deposited into the Illinois Future Teacher
12 Corps Scholarship Fund.
13     (d) The Illinois Future Teacher Corps Scholarship Fund is
14 created as a special fund in the State treasury. Ninety-five
15 percent of the moneys in the Illinois Future Teacher Corps
16 Scholarship Fund shall be appropriated to the Illinois Student
17 Assistance Commission for scholarships under Section 52 of the
18 Higher Education Student Assistance Act, and 5% of the moneys
19 in the Illinois Future Teacher Corps Scholarship Fund shall be
20 appropriated to the State Board of Education for grants to the
21 Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching, a
22 recognized charitable organization that meets the requirements
23 of Title 26, Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Code.
24 Notwithstanding the other provisions of this subsection (d),
25 beginning in the 2009 fiscal year, funds for the Illinois
26 Future Teacher Corps Program and the Golden Apple Foundation

 

 

09500HB1334sam004 - 12 - LRB095 09929 NHT 48868 a

1 for Excellence in Teaching shall be apportioned according to
2 Section 52 of the Higher Education Student Assistance Act.
3 (Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)
 
4     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
5 becoming law.".