HB3881 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 29870 RJT 56279 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB3881

Introduced 2/17/2023, by Rep. Maurice A. West, II

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

110 ILCS 205/9.43 new
110 ILCS 205/9.44 new

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that the Board of Higher Education shall require all public institutions which have a Benefits Navigator to operate a Benefits Navigation Center. Provides that the Benefits Navigator may train and supervise students in case management, and may develop a peer-to-peer student navigator network to staff the Benefits Navigation Center. Sets forth requirements for the Benefits Navigation Centers, services to be provided by the Benefits Navigation Centers, costs, and data collection. Provides that the requirement to operate a Benefits Navigation Center are repealed August 1, 2028. Establishes the Student Navigator Advisory Board. Provides that the Advisory Board shall research, review, and recommend best practices to the individual benefits navigation centers. Provides for the membership and support of the Advisory Board. Provides the that the Advisory Board shall host a statewide consortium of the Benefits Navigators. Provides that the Advisory Board shall issue a report after the Benefits Navigation Center requirements are repealed. Provides that the provisions establishing the Advisory Board are repealed on September 1, 2028. Effective August 1, 2023.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Board of Higher Education Act is amended by adding Sections 9.43 and 9.44 as follows:

(110 ILCS 205/9.43 new)

Sec. 9.43. Benefits Navigator Center.

(a) The Board of Higher Education shall require all public institutions which have a Benefits Navigator to operate a Benefits Navigation Center. The Benefits Navigator may train and supervise students in case management, and may develop a peer-to-peer student navigator network to staff the benefits navigation center. Student navigators may be paid by institutional funds from student affairs or institutional foundation grants, or from funds from the federal work study's community service jobs program.

(b) The Benefits Navigation Center shall be in a visible and easily accessible location on campus. Benefits navigation services may be rendered through the use of virtual appointments. The Benefits Navigation Center must have flexible hours that cater to its student population, and have its hours and services posted in prominent locations on the university's Internet website, and on the Internet webpages for other departments, including, but not limited to, advising, counseling, health and wellness, and student affairs. The Benefits Navigation Center shall develop an intake form for receiving case management services. The benefits navigation center shall also:

(1) identify the student populations unique to the institution most at risk of basic needs insecurity;

(2) have thorough knowledge of basic needs insecurity among college students;

(3) possess knowledge of State and federal policies for student eligibility for government benefits or assistance programs;

(4) aid and train students and young adults in completing applications for school and government benefits and appeal decisions;

(5) possess knowledge of their university's existing basic needs programming, including, but not limited to, basic needs resource centers, food pantries, emergency housing, clothing closets, substance abuse recovery programs, food recovery programs, child care programs, transportation assistance, counseling services, and institutional and departmental emergency funds;

(6) develop relationships with key university stakeholders and related programs or organizations, including, but not limited to, student affairs, financial aid, counseling and psychological services, health and wellness services, advising, Greek life, residential life, dining services, career services, academic departments or faculty members, transportation services, and student conduct officers;

(7) possess specialized culturally appropriate training in case management, helping skills, trauma-informed and strength-based practices, public benefits research, cultural competence, and non-traditional students;

(8) possess specialized skills in targeted marketing, communication, and outreach to the entire campus community;

(9) provide individualized personal one-on-one ongoing assistance and emotional support to students; and

(10) identify and develop relationships with culturally appropriate community organizations, mutual aid organizations, and social service agencies that students may be referred to. A Benefits Navigator shall identify community partners who specialize in the following areas:

(A) affordable or free child care;

(B) transportation;

(C) clothing;

(D) personal care and hygiene items;

(E) homelessness or housing insecurity;

(F) food insecurity;

(G) affordable inclusive health care;

(H) sexual violence;

(I) substance abuse and addiction;

(J) trauma-informed affordable or free mental health services; and

(K) reproductive health care, including affordable or free HIV/AIDS testing, access to PrEP and PEP, affordable or free sexually transmitted infection testing, affordable or free access to pregnancy tests, and resources pertaining to all options regarding pregnancy.

(c) Accommodations shall be made for students who do not have English proficiency or who have disabilities.

(d) Benefits navigation services must remain free to all students seeking to utilize these services, and may not be funded by any student fees created on or before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly.

(e) Benefits navigators may be a licensed social worker.

(f) Benefits navigation centers shall collect data on:

(1) student demographics;

(2) presenting concerns or type of student needs, per student;

(3) prior service and benefits utilization, per student;

(4) types of referrals made, per student;

(5) types of services received, per student;

(6) new benefit amounts, where applicable, per student;

(7) number of navigator-student meetings and interactions per student; and

(8) student satisfaction with the student navigator network, the Benefits Navigator, and the benefits navigation center, at each institution, per student.

This data shall be reported to the Student Navigator Advisory Board and the Board of Higher Education. All interactions between students and Benefits Navigators must be kept confidential unless a student poses a direct harm to themselves or others

(g) This Section is repealed on August 1, 2028.

(110 ILCS 205/9.44 new)

Sec. 9.44. Student Navigator Advisory Board.

(a) A Student Navigator Advisory Board shall be established with the explicit goal of researching, reviewing, and recommending best practices to the individual benefits navigation centers established under Section 9.42. The Board of Higher Education shall provide staff and support to the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board shall meet a minimum of 4 times per year. The Advisory Board shall have emergency rulemaking authority.

(b) The Advisory Board shall be reflective of the cultural diversity of students who come from marginalized communities and who are particularly vulnerable to basic needs insecurity, including race and ethnicity, immigrants, first generation student, gender and gender expression, sexual orientation, experience in the foster care system, first language, and low-income background.

The Advisory Board shall be composed of:

(1) a member appointed by the Governor;

(2) a member appointed by the Lieutenant Governor;

(3) a member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(4) a member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives;

(5) a member appointed by the President of the Senate;

(6) a member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;

(7) a member appointed by the Director of the Board of Higher Education;

(8) a member appointed by the Director of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission;

(9) a member appointed by the Director of the Illinois Community College Board;

(10) a student member who is seeking a degree from a 4-year public institution in the State, and has had experience with basic needs insecurity, appointed by the Director of the Board of Higher Education;

(11) a student member who is seeking a degree from a 2-year public institution in the State, and has had experience with basic needs insecurity, appointed by the Director of the Board of Higher Education;

(12) a member of a national student and youth led nonprofit organization with regional presence whose mission statement is to make higher education free and help all young people participate in democracy, appointed by the Director of the Board of Higher Education; and

(13) a member of a national nonprofit advocate organization with regional presence whose mission statement is to amplify the voices of young adults in the political process and expand economic opportunity appointed, by the Director of the Board of Higher Education.

(c) The Advisory Board shall, at its first meeting, appoint an individual to serve as the Chair of the Advisory Board. The Chair may call the Advisory Board to meet.

(d) The meetings of the Advisory Board may meet virtually.

(e) The Advisory Board shall be responsible for hosting a statewide consortium of Benefits Navigators. The consortium shall include those responsible for the Benefits Navigation Center of each individual public university and community college. The goal of the consortium is to share resources and best practices found to be effective. The consortium must meet at least once every academic semester.

(f) The Advisory Board shall select an experienced evaluator to assess program effectiveness. Impact surveys shall be conducted twice during the first year, and annually thereafter, and a final evaluation shall be conducted at the end of the fifth and final year.

(g) The Advisory Board shall:

(1) oversee the creation, administration, and analysis of program evaluation surveys twice in the first year, and annually thereafter;

(2) write reports after each evaluation which describe program activities and challenges and analyze the survey data, and make recommendations every 6 months, resulting in semiannual reports; and

(3) provide a final written program evaluation report, including recommendations, no later than 4 weeks after the program has concluded.

(h) This Section is repealed on September 1, 2028.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect August 1, 2023.