97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB2984
 
Introduced 2/23/2011, by Rep. Joe Sosnowski
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 

 
105 ILCS 5/22-65 new

     Amends the School Code.  Creates the Tuition Voucher Program Task Force to study the feasibility of a statewide tuition voucher program.  Requires the State Board of Education to provide administrative and other support to the task force.  Requires the task force to file a report with the Governor and the General Assembly.  Sets forth topics that the report must include.  Provides that upon filing its report, the task force is dissolved.
  


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
 
 
A BILL FOR
 

  
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1    AN ACT concerning education.
  
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
3represented in the General Assembly:
  
 
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended  by adding Section 
522-65 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/22-65 new)
7    Sec. 22-65. Tuition Voucher Program Task Force. 
8    (a)  The Tuition Voucher Program Task Force is created to 
9study the feasibility of a statewide tuition voucher program.  
10The task force shall consist of all of the following members:
11        (1)  Five members of the public appointed by the 
12    Governor.
13        (2)  Two members of the General Assembly appointed by 
14    the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
15        (3)  Two members of the General Assembly appointed by 
16    the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
17        (4)  Two members of the General Assembly appointed by 
18    the President of the Senate.
19        (5)  Two members of the General Assembly appointed by 
20    the Minority Leader of the Senate.
21    The members of the task force shall serve without 
22compensation, but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and 
23necessary expenses from appropriations to the State Board of 
 
 
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1Education for that purpose.  Reimbursement for travel expenses 
2shall be subject to the rules of the appropriate travel control 
3board.
4    The members of the task force shall meet initially at the 
5call of the Governor, shall select one member as chairperson at 
6its initial meeting, and shall thereafter meet at the call of 
7the chairperson.
8    The State Board of Education shall provide administrative 
9and other support to the task force.
10    (b)  The Tuition Voucher Program Task Force shall file a 
11report on the feasibility of a statewide tuition voucher 
12program with the Governor and the General Assembly as provided 
13in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization Act.  The 
14following topics must be included without limitation in the 
15report:
16        (1)  Eligible students, either in grades kindergarten 
17    through 7 or in grades kindergarten through 12.
18        (2)  Education expenses and what are the reasonable 
19    costs incurred by a student in attending a nonpublic 
20    school, such as for books, tuition, fees, and extra 
21    curricular activities.
22        (3)  What qualifies as a nonpublic school to be eligible 
23    for a tuition voucher program and whether the school must 
24    consent to participate in the tuition voucher program.
25        (4)  Application processes and application date 
26    limitations as prescribed in Senate Bill 2494 of the 96th 
 
 
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1    General Assembly.
2        (5)  The amount of a voucher as prescribed in Senate 
3    Bill 2494 of the 96th General Assembly.
4        (6)  Assessments of students using vouchers as 
5    prescribed in Senate Bill 2494 of the 96th General 
6    Assembly.
7        (7)  Possible fiscal impacts of a tuition voucher 
8    program.
9    Upon filing its report with the Governor and the General 
10Assembly, the Tuition Voucher Program Task Force is dissolved.