HB2484eng 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB2484 Engrossed LRB096 03224 NHT 13241 b

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Student Referendum All-American Energy Act.

Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:

"Energy-efficiency upgrade" means any improvement, repair, alteration, or betterment of a building or facility, subject to all applicable building codes, and any equipment, fixture, or furnishing to be added to or used in the building or facility that is designed to reduce energy consumption.

"President" means the President, Chancellor, or other lead official of the public institution of higher education.

"Public institution of higher education" means an institution that is included in the definition of "public institutions of higher education" under the Board of Higher Education Act.

"Renewable energy resources" means those resources included in the definition of "renewable energy resources" under Section 6-3 of the Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Coal Resources Development Law of 1997. In addition, "renewable energy resources" includes renewable energy certificates issued with respect to renewable energy resources located in this State. However, energy produced by methane recovered from landfills in this State may be counted as a renewable energy resource for up to, but no more than, 27.5% of the amount of the total acquired renewable energy resources.

Section 10. Student-initiated referendum for an All-American Energy Fee.

(a) The board of trustees of each public institution of higher education, in consultation with the institution's student government body, shall establish procedures providing for a student-initiated referendum for the imposition of fees relating to energy-efficiency upgrades or renewable energy resources on one or more of the institution's campuses.

(b) Students at a public institution of higher education may, by a majority vote of the students participating in the referendum, authorize the imposition of an All-American Energy Fee on students.

(c) The President shall establish reasonable procedures for the submission of a referendum for an All-American Energy Fee, the scheduling of the referendum, and the collection of the fee.

(d) An All-American Energy Fee referendum petition shall clearly identify the amount of the fee per student being authorized by the referendum.

(e) The moneys collected from the imposition of fees from the student-initiated referendum relating to energy-efficiency upgrades or renewable energy resources must not be dispensed by the board of trustees of the public institution of higher education without prior consultation with the institution's student governing body.

Section 15. Report. The Board of Higher Education shall report to the Governor and General Assembly no later than 2 years following the effective date of this Act. The report shall include, at a minimum, (i) identification of each public institution of higher education that has approved an All-American Energy Fee, (ii) the amount of money raised by the fee, per institution, and (iii) a description of the projects funded by the fee, per institution.