Bill Text: IL HB0083 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Engrossed
Bill Title: Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Allows the dependents of an exonerated person to receive a grant for exonerated persons. Effective July 1, 2021.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-05-21 - Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments [HB0083 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2021-HB0083-Engrossed.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is | ||||||
5 | amended by changing Section 62 as follows:
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6 | (110 ILCS 947/62) | ||||||
7 | Sec. 62. Grants for exonerated persons. | ||||||
8 | (a) In this Section: | ||||||
9 | "Dependent" means a spouse, natural child, legally adopted | ||||||
10 | child, or child in the legal custody of an exonerated person. | ||||||
11 | "Exonerated person" means an individual who has received a | ||||||
12 | pardon from the Governor of the State of Illinois stating that | ||||||
13 | such a pardon is issued on the grounds of innocence of the | ||||||
14 | crime for which he or she was imprisoned or an individual who | ||||||
15 | has received a certificate of innocence from a circuit court | ||||||
16 | pursuant to Section 2-702 of the Code of Civil Procedure. | ||||||
17 | "Satisfactory academic progress" means the qualified | ||||||
18 | applicant's maintenance of minimum standards of academic | ||||||
19 | performance, consistent with requirements for maintaining | ||||||
20 | federal financial aid eligibility, as determined by the | ||||||
21 | institution of higher learning. | ||||||
22 | (b) Subject to a separate appropriation for this purpose, | ||||||
23 | the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider |
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1 | applications for grant assistance under this Section. Both an | ||||||
2 | exonerated person and all of his or her dependents qualify to | ||||||
3 | receive a grant Recipients of grants issued by the Commission | ||||||
4 | in accordance with this Section must be exonerated persons . | ||||||
5 | Provided that the recipient is maintaining satisfactory | ||||||
6 | academic progress, the funds from the grant may be used to pay | ||||||
7 | up to 8 semesters or 12 quarters of full payment of tuition and | ||||||
8 | mandatory fees at any public university or public community | ||||||
9 | college located in this State for either full or part-time | ||||||
10 | study. This benefit may be used for undergraduate or graduate | ||||||
11 | study. | ||||||
12 | In addition, a qualified applicant an exonerated person | ||||||
13 | who has not yet received a high school diploma or a high school | ||||||
14 | equivalency certificate and completes a high school | ||||||
15 | equivalency preparation course through an Illinois Community | ||||||
16 | College Board-approved provider may use grant funds to pay | ||||||
17 | costs associated with obtaining a high school equivalency | ||||||
18 | certificate, including payment of the cost of the high school | ||||||
19 | equivalency test and up to one retest on each test module, and | ||||||
20 | any additional fees that may be required in order to obtain an | ||||||
21 | Illinois High School Equivalency Certificate or an official | ||||||
22 | transcript of test scores after successful completion of the | ||||||
23 | high school equivalency test. | ||||||
24 | (c) An applicant for a grant under this Section need not | ||||||
25 | demonstrate financial need to qualify for the benefits. | ||||||
26 | (d) The Commission may adopt any rules necessary to |
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1 | implement and administer this Section.
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2 | (Source: P.A. 99-199, eff. 1-1-16 .)
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3 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, | ||||||
4 | 2021.
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