Bill Text: IL SB1719 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program Act. Provides that a community-based human services agency may contract with, receive funding from, or be grant-funded by a State agency (instead of may contract with or be grant-funded by a State agency). Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, in awarding grants under the Act, may grant preference to applicants based on need or income levels. Removes the provision limiting the grant to an applicant for a cumulative maximum of 4 years. In provisions regarding the eligibility of an applicant, provides that the applicant shall have been a full-time employee for at least 24 consecutive months as a human services professional and the community-based human services agency shall currently have or have had a contract with, receive funding from, or be grant-funded by a State agency for the purpose of providing human services during the applicant's 24 consecutive month tenure (instead of shall have worked for at least 24 consecutive months as a full-time employee as a human services professional in a community-based human services agency that currently has or did have a contract with a State agency to provide human services during the duration of applicant's 24 consecutive month tenure). Effective July 1, 2023.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2023-03-31 - Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments [SB1719 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB1719-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB1719 Introduced 2/9/2023, by Sen. Laura Fine SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
110 ILCS 997/10
110 ILCS 997/15
110 ILCS 997/25
110 ILCS 997/30
Amends the Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program Act. Provides that a community-based human services agency may contract with, receive funding from, or be grant-funded by a State agency (instead of may contract with or be grant-funded by a State agency). Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, in awarding grants under the Act, may grant preference to applicants based on need or income levels. Removes the provision limiting the grant to an applicant for a cumulative maximum of 4 years. In provisions regarding the eligibility of an applicant, provides that the applicant shall have been a full-time employee for at least 24 consecutive months as a human services professional and the community-based human services agency shall currently have or have had a contract with, receive funding from, or be grant-funded by a State agency for the purpose of providing human services during the applicant's 24 consecutive month tenure (instead of shall have worked for at least 24 consecutive months as a full-time employee as a human services professional in a community-based human services agency that currently has or did have a contract with a State agency to provide human services during the duration of applicant's 24 consecutive month tenure). Effective July 1, 2023.
LRB103 26103 RJT 52458 b
A BILL FOR
SB1719 LRB103 26103 RJT 52458 b
AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Human Services Professional Loan Repayment
Program Act is amended by changing Sections 10, 15, 25, and 30
as follows:
(110 ILCS 997/10)
Sec. 10. Definitions. In this Act:
"Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance
Commission.
"Professional" means an individual employed by a human
services agency that contracts with, receives funding from, or
is grant-funded by a State agency for the purposes of
providing direct or indirect services that ensure that
individuals have the essential elements to build and maintain
physical, emotional, and economic well-being at every phase of
life.
"Program" means the Human Services Professional Loan
Repayment Program.
"Qualified program" means a program that offers an
associate, bachelor's, or master's degree from an accredited
college or university.
"State agency" means the Department of Human Services, the

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Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of
Juvenile Justice, the Department on Aging, and the Department
of Public Health.
(Source: P.A. 102-1089, eff. 1-1-23.)
(110 ILCS 997/15)
Sec. 15. Establishment of the Program. The Human Services
Professional Loan Repayment Program is created and shall be
administered by the Commission. Subject to appropriation, the
Program shall provide loan repayment assistance to eligible
professionals practicing in a community-based, human services
agency that contracts with, receives funding from, or is
grant-funded by a State agency.
(Source: P.A. 102-1089, eff. 1-1-23.)
(110 ILCS 997/25)
Sec. 25. Award; maximum loan time; maximum amount. The
Commission shall award a grant to each eligible applicants and
may grant preference to applicants based on need or income
levels applicant for a cumulative maximum of 4 years. The
recipient of a grant awarded by the Commission under this Act
must use the grant award for payments toward the recipient's
educational loans from a qualified program. The amount of the
grant shall not exceed: (i) $25,000 per year for a master's
degree or higher; (ii) $15,000 per year for a bachelor's
degree; (iii) $3,000 per year for a professional with an

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associate degree; and (iv) up to a $5,000 per year add-on if
independently licensed as a licensed clinical social worker, a
licensed clinical professional counselor, a licensed
practitioner of the healing arts, a licensed marriage and
family therapist, a board-certified behavior analyst, or a
registered behavior technician.
(Source: P.A. 102-1089, eff. 1-1-23.)
(110 ILCS 997/30)
Sec. 30. Eligibility; work requirement.
(a) To be eligible to receive a grant under the Human
Services Professional Loan Repayment Program, the Commission
must find that the eligible professional satisfies all of the
following:
(1) The applicant is a resident of the State of
Illinois.
(2) The applicant has been a full-time employee worked
for at least 24 consecutive months as a full-time employee
as a human services professional, and the in a
community-based human services agency that currently has
or did have a contract with, receives funding from, or is
grant-funded by a State agency for the purpose of
providing to provide human services during the duration of
applicant's 24 consecutive month tenure.
(3) The applicant is a borrower with an outstanding
balance due on an educational loan.

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(4) The applicant has not defaulted on an educational
loan.
(5) The applicant must remain a full-time employee as
a human services professional in the same community-based
human services agency for at least 12 months after
receiving this grant.
(b) The Commission may grant preference to a previous
recipient of a grant under the Program, provided that the
recipient continues to meet the eligibility requirements under
this Section.
(c) The Commission may grant preference to applications
based on need or income levels.
(Source: P.A. 102-1089, eff. 1-1-23.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
2023.