SB0061 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 04191 LNS 14215 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB0061

Introduced 1/13/2025, by Sen. Robert Peters

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Preferential Admission Ban Act. Prohibits, beginning September 1, 2025, an independent institution of higher education from providing a legacy preference or donor preference in admissions to an applicant as part of the regular or early action admissions process. Provides that, on or before June 30, 2026, and annually thereafter, an independent institution of higher education shall report to the General Assembly and the Office of the Attorney General on whether the independent institution of higher education complied with the provisions of the Act and, if the independent institution of higher education did not comply with the provisions, the independent institution of higher education shall include additional specified information in its report. Requires the Office of the Attorney General to post the names of the independent institutions of higher education that violate the Act on its Internet website by the next fiscal year.

A BILL FOR

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 Preferential Admission Ban Act.

Section 5. Intent. It is the intent of the General Assembly to stop the practice of legacy and donor admissions and protect students as they pursue their higher education.

Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Donor preference in admissions" means considering an applicant's relation to a donor of, or a donation to, an independent institution of higher education as a factor in the admissions process, including asking an applicant to indicate the applicant's family's donor status and including that information among the documents that the independent institution of higher education uses to consider an applicant for admission.

"Independent institution of higher education" means a nonpublic higher education institution that grants undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, or both, that is formed as a nonprofit corporation in this State, that is accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, and that receives, or benefits from, State-funded student financial assistance or that enrolls students who receive State-funded student financial assistance.

"Legacy preference in admissions" means considering an applicant's relation to an alumnus of an independent institution of higher education as a factor in the admissions process, including asking an applicant to indicate where the applicant's relatives attended college and including that information among the documents that the independent institution of higher education uses to consider an applicant for admission. "Legacy preference in admissions" does not include collecting data on an applicant's relation to alumni or donors for purposes other than admissions decisions.

Section 15. Preferential admissions prohibited.

(a) Beginning September 1, 2025, an independent institution of higher education shall not provide a legacy preference in admissions or a donor preference in admissions to an applicant as part of the regular or early action admissions process.

(b) On or before June 30, 2026, and annually thereafter, an independent institution of higher education shall report to the General Assembly and the Office of the Attorney General either of the following:

(1) That the independent institution of higher education was in compliance with subsection (a) for all enrolled students for that academic year.

(2) That the independent institution of higher education was in violation of subsection (a) for that academic year. An independent institution of higher education that reports that it was in violation of subsection (a), regardless of the number of violations, shall include in its report both of the following for that academic year:

(A) The legacy status, donor status, race, county of residence, income brackets, and athletic status of newly enrolled students at the independent institution of higher education.

(B) The admissions rate of students who are provided a legacy preference or donor preference in admissions, as compared to the admissions rate of students who are not provided a legacy preference or donor preference in admissions.

Data in the report shall be publicly provided only in the aggregate and in a manner that prevents the identification of any individual.

(c) The Office of the Attorney General shall post the names of the independent institutions of higher education that violate subsection (a) on its Internet website by the next fiscal year after receiving reports under subsection (b).