Bill Amendment: IL HB1256 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly

NOTE: For additional amemendments please see the Bill Drafting List

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Bill Title: EDUCATION-TECH

Status: 2019-01-08 - Session Sine Die [HB1256 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-HB1256-House_Amendment_001.html

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Rep. Anna Moeller

Filed: 4/21/2017

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AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1256
AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1256 by replacing
everything after the enacting clause with the following:
"Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
amended by adding Section 65.95 as follows:
(110 ILCS 947/65.95 new)
Sec. 65.95. Bilingual Teachers of Illinois scholarship
program.
(a) As used in this Section:
"Eligible applicant" means a student who is fluent in a
language other than English, has graduated from high school or
has received a high school equivalency certificate, and has
maintained a cumulative grade point average of no less than 2.5
on a 4.0 scale and who, by reason thereof, is entitled to apply
for scholarships to be awarded under this Section.
"Qualified student" means a person (i) who is a resident of

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this State and a citizen or permanent resident of the United
States; (ii) who, as an eligible applicant, has made a timely
application for a bilingual education teacher scholarship
under this Section; (iii) who is enrolled on at least a
half-time basis at a qualified Illinois institution of higher
learning; (iv) who is enrolled in a course of study leading to
teacher licensure, including alternative teacher licensure;
(v) who maintains a grade point average of no less than 2.5 on
a 4.0 scale; and (vi) who continues to advance satisfactorily
toward the attainment of a degree.
(b) In order to encourage academically talented Illinois
students to pursue teaching careers at the preschool,
elementary school, or secondary school level, each qualified
student shall be awarded a bilingual education teacher
scholarship to any qualified Illinois institution of higher
learning. However, preference may be given to qualified
applicants enrolled at or above the junior level.
(c) Each bilingual education teacher scholarship awarded
under this Section shall be in an amount sufficient to pay the
tuition and fees and room and board costs of the qualified
Illinois institution of higher learning at which the recipient
is enrolled, up to an annual maximum of $5,000; except that, in
the case of a recipient who does not reside on-campus at the
institution at which he or she is enrolled, the amount of the
scholarship shall be sufficient to pay tuition and fee expenses
and a commuter allowance, up to an annual maximum of $5,000.

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(d) The total amount of bilingual education teacher
scholarship assistance awarded by the Commission under this
Section to an individual in any given fiscal year, when added
to other financial assistance awarded to that individual for
that year, shall not exceed the cost of attendance at the
institution at which the student is enrolled. If the amount of
a bilingual education teacher scholarship to be awarded to a
qualified student as provided in subsection (c) of this Section
exceeds the cost of attendance at the institution at which the
student is enrolled, the bilingual education teacher
scholarship shall be reduced by an amount equal to the amount
by which the combined financial assistance available to the
student exceeds the cost of attendance.
(e) The maximum number of academic terms for which a
qualified student can receive bilingual education teacher
scholarship assistance shall be 8 semesters or 12 quarters.
(f) In any academic year for which an eligible applicant
under this Section accepts financial assistance through the
Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program, as authorized by
Section 551 et seq. of the federal Higher Education Act of
1965, the applicant shall not be eligible for scholarship
assistance awarded under this Section.
(g) All applications for bilingual education teacher
scholarships to be awarded under this Section shall be made to
the Commission on forms that the Commission shall provide for
eligible applicants. The form of applications and the

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information required to be set forth therein shall be
determined by the Commission, and the Commission shall require
eligible applicants to submit with their applications such
supporting documents or recommendations as the Commission
deems necessary.
(h) Subject to a separate appropriation for such purposes,
payment of any bilingual education teacher scholarship awarded
under this Section shall be determined by the Commission. All
scholarship funds distributed in accordance with this Section
shall be paid to the institution and used only for payment of
the tuition and fee and room and board expenses incurred by the
student in connection with his or her attendance as an
undergraduate student at the institution. Any bilingual
education teacher scholarship awarded under this Section shall
be applicable to 2 semesters or 3 quarters of enrollment. If a
qualified student withdraws from enrollment prior to
completion of the first semester or quarter for which the
bilingual education teacher scholarship is applicable, the
institution shall refund to the Commission the full amount of
the bilingual education teacher scholarship.
(i) The Commission shall administer the Bilingual Teachers
of Illinois scholarship program established by this Section and
shall make all necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with
this Section for its effective implementation.
(j) If an appropriation to the Commission for a given
fiscal year is insufficient to provide scholarships under this

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Section to all qualified students, the Commission shall
allocate the appropriation in accordance with this subsection
(j). If funds are insufficient to provide all qualified
students with a scholarship as authorized by this Section, the
Commission shall allocate the available scholarship funds for
that fiscal year on the basis of the date the Commission
receives a complete application form.
(k) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (j) or any
other provision of this Section, at least 25% of the funds
appropriated for scholarships awarded under this Section in
each fiscal year shall be reserved for applicants who earned
the State Seal of Biliteracy as a high school graduate. If the
Commission does not receive enough applications on or before
January 1 of each fiscal year to award 25% of the funds
appropriated for these scholarships to applicants who earned
the State Seal of Biliteracy, then the Commission may award a
portion of the reserved funds to other applicants.
(l) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (j) or any
other provision of this Section, at least 20% of funds
appropriated for scholarships awarded under this Section in
each fiscal year shall be reserved for applicants who commit to
teaching bilingual education at a school district in this State
whose annual student enrollment is less than 300,000. If the
Commission does not receive enough applications on or before
January 1 of each fiscal year to award 20% of the funds
appropriated for these scholarships to applicants who commit to

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teaching bilingual education at a school district in this State
whose annual student enrollment is less than 300,000, then the
Commission may award a portion of the reserved funds to other
applicants.
(m) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (j) or any
other provision of this Section, at least 10% of funds
appropriated for scholarships awarded under this Section in
each fiscal year shall be reserved for applicants who commit to
teaching bilingual education in a school district-administered
preschool program in this State. If the Commission does not
receive enough applications on or before January 1 of each
fiscal year to award 10% of the funds appropriated for these
scholarships to applicants who commit to teaching bilingual
education in a school district-administered preschool program,
then the Commission may award a portion of the reserved funds
to other applicants.
(n) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for any
academic year, each recipient of a bilingual education teacher
scholarship awarded under this Section shall be required by the
Commission to sign an agreement under which the recipient
pledges that, within the one-year period following the
termination of the program for which the recipient was awarded
a bilingual education teacher scholarship, the recipient (i)
shall begin teaching in this State for a period of not less
than one year for each year of scholarship assistance he or she
was awarded under this Section and (ii) shall, upon request by

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the Commission, provide the Commission with evidence that he or
she is fulfilling or has fulfilled the terms of the teaching
agreement provided for in this subsection (n).
(o) If a recipient of a bilingual education teacher
scholarship awarded under this Section fails to fulfill the
teaching obligation set forth in subsection (n) of this
Section, the Commission shall require the recipient to repay
the amount of the scholarships received, prorated according to
the fraction of the teaching 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 the State's General Revenue Fund.
(p) A recipient of a bilingual education teacher
scholarship shall not be considered in violation of the
agreement entered into pursuant to subsection (n) if the
recipient (i) enrolls on a full-time basis as a graduate
student in a course of study related to the field of teaching
at a qualified Illinois institution of higher learning; (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 sworn affidavit of a qualified
physician; (iv) is seeking and unable to find full-time

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employment as a teacher at an Illinois public, private, or
parochial preschool, elementary school, or secondary school
that satisfies the criteria set forth in the agreement under
subsection (n) of this Section and is able to provide evidence
of that fact; (v) becomes a person with a permanent total
disability, as established by sworn affidavit of a qualified
physician; (vi) is taking additional courses, on at least a
half-time basis, needed to obtain licensure as a teacher in
Illinois; or (vii) is fulfilling teaching requirements
associated with other programs administered by the Commission
and cannot concurrently fulfill them under this Section in a
period of time equal to the length of the teaching obligation.
(q) Scholarship recipients under this Section who withdraw
from a program of teacher education but remain enrolled in
school to continue their postsecondary studies in another
academic discipline shall not be required to commence repayment
of their bilingual education teacher scholarship so long as
they remain enrolled in school on a full-time basis or if they
can document for the Commission special circumstances that
warrant extension of repayment.".