HB5492 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 38794 RJT 68931 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB5492

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Rep. Michelle Mussman

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/2-3.204 new
105 ILCS 5/2-3.205 new
110 ILCS 947/65.125 new
110 ILCS 947/65.130 new

Amends the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education shall establish a program of paid internships for students enrolled in educator preparation programs in the school support personnel endorsement areas of school social worker, school psychologist, school counselor, school nurse, and speech-language pathologist. Sets forth provisions concerning the program. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education shall establish and maintain a mentorship and recruitment program to develop and maintain interest in the school support personnel endorsement areas of school social worker, school psychologist, school counselor, school nurse, and speech-language pathologist. Sets forth provisions concerning the program. Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that subject to appropriation, beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall establish a school support personnel educator preparation scholarship program to annually award up to 250 scholarships for school psychology, school counseling, school nursing, and school speech-language pathology. Sets forth provisions concerning the scholarship program. Provides that, to encourage Illinois students to enter the fields of school psychology, school counseling, school nursing, and school speech-language pathology and to continue to work in those fields in public schools in this State, the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider applications for loan repayment assistance under a School Support Personnel Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program. Sets forth provisions concerning the Program. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Sections 2-3.204 and 2-3.205 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.204 new)

Sec. 2-3.204. School support personnel paid internship program.

(a) Subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education shall establish a program of paid internships for students enrolled in educator preparation programs in the school support personnel endorsement areas of school social worker, school psychologist, school counselor, school nurse, and speech-language pathologist.

(b) A paid internship under the program shall be for one academic year and shall continue until the student has met the student's internship or field placement requirement as part of the educator preparation program in which the student is enrolled.

(c) Under the program, the rate of pay for the student may be no lower than the wage required under Section 4 of the Minimum Wage Law.

(d) If the amount of funds appropriated for the program is insufficient to cover all internships in a given fiscal year, the State Board of Education shall allocate the funds available to internships in high need schools or school districts.

(e) To qualify for a paid internship under the program, the student must be supervised by an individual who holds a Professional Educator License under Article 21B with an endorsement in the student's area of study.

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.205 new)

Sec. 2-3.205. Mentorship and recruitment program.

(a) Subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education shall establish and maintain a mentorship and recruitment program to develop and maintain interest in the school support personnel endorsement areas of school social worker, school psychologist, school counselor, school nurse, and speech-language pathologist. The purpose of the program is to attract students in high schools, community colleges, and undergraduate higher education programs to school support personnel professions and to encourage students to continue on to complete appropriate educator preparation programs and employment in this State's public schools.

(b) The State Board of Education shall collaborate with the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community College Board, institutions of higher education, and professional associations representing the respective school support personnel endorsement areas to develop the program.

(c) If the funding appropriated for the program is insufficient to address all areas of this State, the program may be limited to those areas of highest need. A pilot program must cover all school support personnel endorsement areas.

Section 10. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is amended by adding Sections 65.125 and 65.130 as follows:

(110 ILCS 947/65.125 new)

Sec. 65.125. School support personnel educator preparation scholarship program.

(a) Subject to appropriation, beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year, the Commission shall establish a school support personnel educator preparation scholarship program to annually award up to 250 scholarships for school psychology, school counseling, school nursing, and school speech-language pathology. A person is eligible for a scholarship if the person:

(1) is a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen;

(2) submits an application to the Commission for a scholarship;

(3) verifies that the person meets the requirements to enroll in an educator preparation program the successful completion of which will qualify the person for a school support personnel endorsement in the area of school psychologist, school counselor, school nurse, or speech-language pathologist; and

(4) agrees to take the coursework necessary to earn a Professional Educator License with a school support personnel endorsement in the area of school psychologist, school counselor, school nurse, or speech-language pathologist.

(b) If funds are insufficient for a given fiscal year to provide all qualified applicants with a scholarship as authorized by this Section, the Commission shall allocate the available scholarship funds for that fiscal year to qualified applicants who submit a complete application on or before a date specified by the Commission, based on the following order of priority:

(1) first, to qualified applicants who received a scholarship under this Section in the prior academic year;

(2) second, to new, qualified applicants who are members of a racial minority as defined in subsection (d); and

(3) third, to other new, qualified applicants in accordance with this Section.

(c) Scholarships awarded under this Section shall be issued pursuant to rules adopted by the Commission.

(d) The General Assembly finds that racial minorities are underrepresented as school support personnel in elementary and secondary schools in this State and it is in the interest of this State to provide them with priority consideration for programs that encourage their participation in school support personnel fields and thereby foster professions that are more reflective of the diversity of the Illinois students and their parents those professions serve. A more reflective workforce in school support personnel endorsement fields allows for improved outcomes for students and better utilization of services. Therefore, the Commission should give priority to those applicants who are members of a racial minority.

In this subsection (d), "racial minority" means a person who is a citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident alien of the United States and who is:

(1) Black (a person having origins in any of the black racial groups in Africa);

(2) Hispanic (a person of Spanish or Portuguese culture with origins in Mexico, South or Central America, or the Caribbean Islands, regardless of race);

(3) Asian American (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands); or

(4) American Indian or Alaskan Native (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America).

In awarding scholarships under this Section, the Commission shall give priority to those applicants who are members of a racial minority.

(e) Each scholarship awarded under this Section shall be applied to the payment of tuition and mandatory fees at the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University, Chicago State University, Eastern Illinois University, Governors State University, Illinois State University, Northeastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, or Western Illinois University. Each scholarship may be applied to pay tuition and mandatory fees required to obtain a Professional Educator License under Article 21B of the School Code with a school support personnel endorsement in the area of school psychologist, school counselor, school nurse, or speech-language pathologist.

(f) The Commission shall make tuition and fee payments directly to the qualified institution of higher learning that the applicant attends.

(g) Any person who has accepted a scholarship under this Section must, within one year after graduation or termination of enrollment in an educator preparation program to obtain a Professional Educator License with a school support personnel endorsement in the area of school psychologist, school counselor, school nurse, or speech-language pathologist, begin working in that endorsement area at a public or nonpublic not-for-profit preschool, elementary school, or secondary school located in this State for at least 2 of the 5 years immediately following that graduation or termination, excluding, however, from the computation of that 5-year period: (i) any time up to 3 years spent in military service, whether such service occurs before or after the person graduates; (ii) the time that person is a person with a temporary total disability, for a period of time not to exceed 3 years, as established by the sworn affidavit of a qualified physician; and (iii) the time that person is seeking and unable to find full-time employment in that person's field of endorsement at a public or nonpublic not-for-profit preschool, elementary school, or secondary school located in this State.

(h) If a recipient of a scholarship under this Section fails to fulfill the work obligation set forth in subsection (g), the Commission shall require the recipient to repay the amount of the scholarship received, prorated according to the fraction of the obligation not completed, at a rate of interest equal to 5%, and, if applicable, reasonable collection fees. The Commission is authorized to establish rules relating to its collection activities for repayment of scholarships under this Section. All repayments collected under this Section shall be forwarded to the State Comptroller for deposit into this State's General Revenue Fund.

(i) A recipient of a scholarship under this Section is not considered to be in violation of the failure to fulfill the work obligation under subsection (g) if the recipient (i) enrolls on a full-time basis as a graduate student in a course of study related to the recipient's field of endorsement at a qualified institution; (ii) is serving, not in excess of 3 years, as a member of the armed services of the United States; (iii) is a person with a temporary total disability for a period of time not to exceed 3 years, as established by the sworn affidavit of a qualified physician; (iv) is seeking and unable to find full-time employment in the recipient's field of endorsement at a public or non-public not-for-profit preschool, elementary school, or secondary school located in this State that satisfies the criteria set forth in subsection (g) and is able to provide evidence of that fact; or (v) becomes a person with a permanent total disability, as established by the sworn affidavit of a qualified physician.

(110 ILCS 947/65.130 new)

Sec. 65.130. School Support Personnel Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program.

(a) To encourage Illinois students to enter the fields of school psychology, school counseling, school nursing, and school speech-language pathology and to continue to work in those fields in public schools in this State, the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider applications for loan repayment assistance under this Section. This program shall be known as the School Support Personnel Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program. The Commission shall administer the Program and shall adopt all necessary and proper rules to effectively implement the Program.

(b) Beginning July 1, 2024, subject to a separate appropriation made for such purposes, the Commission shall award a grant, up to a maximum of $6,500, to each qualified applicant. The Commission may encourage the recipient of a grant under this Section to use the grant award for repayment of the recipient's higher education loans.

If funds are insufficient for a given fiscal year to provide all qualified applicants with a grant as authorized by this Section, the Commission shall allocate the available grant funds for that fiscal year to qualified applicants who submit a complete application on or before a date specified by the Commission, based on the following order of priority:

(1) first, to new, qualified applicants who are members of a racial minority as defined in subsection (e); and

(2) second, to other new, qualified applicants in accordance with this Section.

(c) A person is a qualified applicant under this Section if the person meets all of the following qualifications:

(1) The person is a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen.

(2) The person is a resident of this State.

(3) The person is a borrower with an outstanding balance due on a higher education loan related to obtaining a degree in either school psychology, school counseling, school nursing, or school speech-language pathology.

(4) The person has been employed as a school psychologist, school counselor, school nurse, or school speech-language pathologist by a public preschool, elementary school, or secondary school for at least 12 consecutive months.

(5) The person is currently employed as a school psychologist, school counselor, school nurse, or school speech-language pathologist by a public preschool, elementary school, or secondary school in this State;

(d) An applicant shall submit an application, in a form determined by the Commission, for grant assistance under this Section to the Commission. An applicant is required to submit, with the application, such supporting documentation as the Commission may deem necessary.

(e) The General Assembly finds that racial minorities are underrepresented as school support personnel in preschools, elementary schools, and secondary schools in this State and it is in the interest of this State to provide them with priority consideration for programs that encourage their participation in this field and thereby foster school support personnel professions that are more reflective of the diversity of the Illinois students and their parents those professions will serve. A more reflective workforce in school support personnel professions allows for improved outcomes for students and better utilization of services. Therefore, the Commission should give priority to those applicants who are members of a racial minority.

In this subsection (e), "racial minority" means a person who is a citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident alien of the United States and who is:

(1) Black (a person having origins in any of the black racial groups in Africa);

(2) Hispanic (a person of Spanish or Portuguese culture with origins in Mexico, South or Central America, or the Caribbean Islands, regardless of race);

(3) Asian American (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands); or

(4) American Indian or Alaskan Native (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America).

In awarding grants under this Section, the Commission shall give priority to those applicants who are members of a racial minority.

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