Senator Faraci’s legislation guarantees community college transfer students admission to Illinois universities

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Paul Faraci passed legislation to expand university admissions opportunities to community college transfer students who meet certain academic requirements.

"This pilot program at the University of Illinois has yielded great success,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “This action will provide more students throughout Illinois with the opportunity to pursue higher education within the state.”

House Bill 3760 would require Eastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University and Western Illinois University to create a four-year admissions program that admits community college transfer students each semester, beginning with the 2024-2025 academic school year.

The new program would guarantee university admission to all applicants who have enrolled at an Illinois community college after graduating from an Illinois high school, have earned a minimum of 36 graded, transferable semester hours at the time of application to the university, have attained a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in all completed transferable coursework, and have satisfied the university’s English language proficiency requirement.

House Bill 3760 builds upon two existing laws that provide automatic admissions to Illinois universities, with one designated for high school graduates and the other for community college graduates. The previous law required the University of Illinois to admit community college transfer students who meet certain requirements, and House Bill 3760 would extend that guarantee to four additional Illinois universities.

"This proposal will secure assured admission to these universities for community college transfer students in Illinois, provided that they fulfill specific academic criteria,” said Faraci. “This approach will benefit both the universities and the students as it enables students to pursue their education further while assisting universities in fulfilling their enrollment objectives, creating a win-win situation."

House Bill 3760 passed the Senate on Thursday and awaits further action by the governor.

Faraci honors Senator Scott Bennett through memorial highway initiative

SPRINGFIELD – To honor the life and legacy of the late Senator Scott Bennett, State Senator Paul Faraci advanced a measure to name portions of I-74 the "Senator Scott M. Bennett Memorial Highway."

“Senator Bennett was treasured by friends, family and his community,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “His camaraderie and his dedication to serving his constituents will forever be missed. However, this is a way we can continue to honor him for decades to come”

Senator Scott Bennett joined the Senate as the unanimous choice to fill the vacancy in the 52^nd State Senate District in 2015. Since the beginning of his career, Senator Bennett dedicated his service to spurring economic development, supporting family farming, providing Illinois’ students with greater opportunities, and promoting bipartisanship across the state. As chair of the Senate’s Higher Education Committee, he was a champion for higher education facilities by advocating for funding and student rights.

Senator Bennett prioritized his service to the 52^nd State Senate District above himself, but his greatest love was for his family, his wife of 20 years, and his children, Sam and Emma. Senator Bennett sadly passed away in December.

“This means a lot to the family, said Senator Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City). “It’s important to recognize all of the things Scott was able to accomplish by choosing to work together.”

Senate Joint Resolution 32 passed the Senate on Thursday.

Student hunger on campus measure passes Senate

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Paul Faraci passed legislation aimed at creating a hunger-free campus grant program.

“Student hunger is grave and it's crucial that we exhaust all means possible to aid our students in having access to nourishing and healthy food,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “This proposed legislation is a significant stride toward resolving this issue and creating a campus that's free from hunger for our students. The grant program is an essential aspect of this legislation.”

House Bill 2528 aims to address student hunger by providing funding for grants to higher education institutions that have one or more campuses designated as hunger-free campuses. The grants will be used to leverage sustainable solutions, raise awareness of existing services on campus and build strategic partnerships to address food insecurity among students. The legislation also requires each institution to establish a hunger task force to determine strategies for achieving a hunger-free campus in order to be eligible for the grant.

Representative Carol Ammons (D-Champaign) sponsored this measure in the House.

Other states including California, New Jersey, Maryland, Minnesota, Louisiana and Pennsylvania have already adopted customized versions of the Hunger Free Campus legislation. Swipe Out Hunger reports that more than $100 million has been distributed nationwide through the Hunger Free Campus Act, with California alone supporting over two million students.

House Bill 2528 passed the Senate on Wednesday and awaits further action before the governor.

Senator Faraci urges attorney general to take swift action against Danville health care ban

DANVILLE – Following the Danville City Council’s ordinance to prohibit the shipment of Mifepristone – which is commonly used for abortion and miscarriage management and other reproductive health care needs – State Senator Paul Faraci urged the state’s attorney general to take immediate action against the unconstitutional mandate.

“The government should not get involved in decisions made between a person and their doctor. People deserve to have access to reproductive health care free from infringement from politicians,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “During my time in the Senate, I will continue to be an advocate for women’s health care access and ensure that protections are in place to allow residents to make the best health care decisions for themselves.”

On Wednesday, Faraci sent a letter to Attorney General Kwame Y. Raoul, urging him to take swift action to address Danville’s ordinance. It comes the day after the Danville City Council passed an ordinance that would prohibit the shipment of abortion pills, such as Mifepristone, to the city.

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