Bill Text: IL SB1453 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates the Graduate and Retain Our Workforce Act. Establishes the GROW Illinois Program, in which public institutions of higher education award incentive loans to applicants. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission may, each year, administer applications for assistance under the GROW Illinois Program. Sets forth qualifications for recipients, degrees, and jobs. Provides for loan repayment and rulemaking. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (GROW) Illinois Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2023-06-26 - Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Pursuant to Senate Rule 3-9(b) / Referred to Assignments [SB1453 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB1453-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB1453 Introduced 2/7/2023, by Sen. Javier L. Cervantes SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act
30 ILCS 105/5.990 new
Creates the Graduate and Retain Our Workforce Act. Establishes the GROW Illinois Program, in which public institutions of higher education award incentive loans to applicants. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission may, each year, administer applications for assistance under the GROW Illinois Program. Sets forth qualifications for recipients, degrees, and jobs. Provides for loan repayment and rulemaking. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (GROW) Illinois Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Effective immediately.
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A BILL FOR
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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
Graduate and Retain Our Workforce Act.
Section 5. Purpose. In order to encourage academically
talented students who are residents of this State to enter the
workforce in this State upon graduating from degree programs
in high-demand fields of study, while also combating this
State's ever worsening problem of outbound migration of high
school students, this Act establishes the Graduate and Retain
Our Workforce (GROW) Illinois Program.
Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
"Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance
Commission.
"Full-time" means the number of credit hours the
Commission determines is full-time enrollment for a student
for purposes of the program.
"Program" means the GROW Illinois Program created by this
Act.
"Qualifying degree" means an associate or a bachelor's
degree granted by a qualifying public institution that

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qualifies an individual to work in a qualifying job, as
determined by the Commission.
"Qualifying job" means a job selected by the Commission
pursuant to Section 20 of this Act (i) for which a recipient of
an award under this Act is pursuing a qualifying degree, (ii)
for which the recipient has completed a qualifying degree, or
(iii) in which the recipient is working.
"Qualifying public institution" means a public institution
of higher education located in this State.
"Recipient" means a State resident enrolled in a
qualifying public institution who receives an award under this
Act.
Section 15. GROW Illinois Program.
(a) There is established the Graduate and Retain Our
Workforce (GROW) Illinois Program to recruit and train
individuals to work in certain jobs that have a high demand for
new employees and offer high wages by awarding forgivable
incentive loans.
(b) Subject to appropriation, the Commission may, each
year, administer applications for assistance under this Act.
(c) Subject to available funds, a qualifying public
institution shall award an incentive loan to an individual
who:
(1) is enrolled full time in the qualifying public
institution;

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(2) has completed at least:
(A) one semester of full-time equivalent course
work if the individual is pursuing an associate
degree; or
(B) 2 semesters of full-time equivalent course
work if the individual is pursuing a bachelor's
degree;
(3) is pursuing or declares an intent to pursue a
qualifying degree;
(4) declares an intent to work, which may be fulfilled
by completing and signing an application created by the
Commission pursuant to Section 30 of this Act, in a
qualifying job in this State following graduation;
(5) applies, via an application created by the
Commission pursuant to Section 30 of this Act, to the
qualifying public institution to receive an incentive
loan; and
(6) meets other criteria determined by the Commission
by rule under Section 30 of this Act.
(d) A qualifying public institution may do any of the
following:
(1) Award an incentive loan to a recipient in an
amount up to the cost of resident tuition, fees, and books
for the number of credit hours in which the recipient is
enrolled each semester.
(2) Award an incentive loan to a recipient for up to

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the expected amount of time for the recipient to complete
a qualifying degree, as determined by the institution.
(3) Cancel an incentive loan in accordance with rules
adopted by the Commission under Section 30 of this Act.
(e) A qualifying public institution may use money from a
partnership with an industry or business for funding or
repaying an incentive loan.
(f) Each fiscal year, the Commission may use up to 5% of
money appropriated for the program for administration.
Section 20. Selection of qualifying jobs and qualifying
degrees.
(a) Subject to appropriation, for the 2023-2024 academic
year or for the first academic year for which the General
Assembly appropriates funds for the program, whichever occurs
first, the following eligible majors shall be considered for
the program:
(1) computer and information sciences;
(2) information technology;
(3) information science;
(4) computer science;
(5) computer systems networking and
telecommunications;
(6) computer and information systems
security/information assurance;
(7) management information systems; and

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(8) any other similarly designed college majors as
determined acceptable by the Commission.
(b) Subject to appropriation, starting with either the
2024-2025 academic year or the academic year following the
first academic year for which the General Assembly
appropriates funds for the program, and every 2 academic years
thereafter, the Commission shall select 5 qualifying jobs that
have the highest demand for new employees and offer high wages
and select the qualifying degrees required for each of those
qualifying jobs.
(c) The Commission shall ensure that each qualifying job
selected ranks in the top 40% of jobs based on an employment
index that considers the job's growth rate and total openings,
ranks in the top 40% of jobs for wages, and requires an
associate degree or a bachelor's degree. The Commission shall
publish and make available to the public an annual report
covering the selection of the 5 qualifying jobs and their
qualifying degrees.
(d) For purposes of administering this Section, the
Commission may consult with the Illinois Community College
Board, the Board of Higher Education, the Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Department of
Employment Security, or any other State agency deemed
necessary by the Commission.
Section 25. Repayment of an incentive loan.

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(a) For each year that a recipient works in a qualifying
job in this State following completion of a qualifying degree,
the qualifying public institution that awarded the incentive
loan shall waive repayment of the amount of one year of the
recipient's incentive loan. Except as provided in subsection
(b), a qualifying public institution may not require a
recipient to repay an incentive loan.
(b) Repayment of an incentive loan may be required as
follows:
(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this
subsection (b), a qualifying public institution shall
require a recipient to repay to the qualifying public
institution:
(A) the full amount of an incentive loan if the
recipient fails to either graduate with a qualifying
degree within 6 years after initially receiving the
incentive loan or work in a qualifying job in this
State within one year after completing a qualifying
degree; or
(B) the outstanding amount of an incentive loan if
the recipient works in a qualifying job for fewer
years than the number of years required to waive
repayment of the full incentive loan.
(2) A qualifying public institution may waive or delay
a repayment described in paragraph (1) of this subsection
(b) in accordance with rules adopted by the Commission

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under Section 30 of this Act.
(d) A qualifying public institution may require
appropriate interest with the repayment of an incentive loan.
(e) A qualifying public institution shall use all
repayments received under this Section for the program.
Section 30. Rulemaking. The Commission has the power to
adopt rules necessary for the implementation of this Act,
including, but not limited to, rules:
(1) establishing an application process for an
individual to apply for an incentive loan;
(2) subject to Section 15 of this Act, establishing
qualifying criteria for an individual to receive an
incentive loan;
(3) establishing how State funding available for
incentive loans is distributed among qualifying public
institutions;
(4) establishing how to determine the amount of an
incentive loan;
(5) establishing the circumstances under which a
qualifying public institution may either cancel an
incentive loan or waive or delay repayment of an incentive
loan; and
(6) establishing a methodology for prioritizing
applications from applicants who demonstrate a financial
need or hardship and applications from applicants

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demonstrating academic excellence.
Section 35. Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (GROW)
Illinois Fund. The Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (GROW)
Illinois Fund is created as a special fund in the State
treasury. Money from institutional, organizational, or other
private entities shall be deposited into the Fund. All money
in the Fund shall be used, subject to appropriation, by the
Commission to implement and administer the program pursuant to
this Act.
Section 90. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
Section 5.990 as follows:
(30 ILCS 105/5.990 new)
Sec. 5.990. The Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (GROW)
Illinois Fund.
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.