SB1298: SNAP E&T PGRAM-PUBLIC COLLEGE

Legislative Summary

Reinserts the provisions of Senate Amendment Number 1 with the following changes: Provides that any undergraduate program of study that serves low-income students (rather than any program of study) at a public institution of higher education improves employability and shall be considered equivalent to an acceptable SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) program component beginning March 1, 2026, unless prohibited by federal law. Provides that, on or before January 1, 2026, and every 3 years thereafter, the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board shall provide to the Department of Human Services the percentage of students, by program of study, who received grants under the federal Pell Grant program and the State's Monetary Award Program (MAP) at each institution of higher education from which they collect MAP and Pell recipient data during the most recent academic year. Provides that, unless prohibited by federal law, a graduate program of study at a public institution of higher education shall be considered equivalent to an acceptable SNAP E&T program component if: (i) the public institution provides the Department of Human Services with specified data on the income status of students within each program of study; and (ii) the graduate program of study serves low-income students. Requires the public institution to submit such data to the Department on or before January 1 of a given year and every 3 years thereafter for the program of study for low-income students to be considered equivalent to an acceptable SNAP E&T program component by March 1 of that year. Provides that, beginning March 1, 2026, the Department shall publish on its website an updated list of the programs of study that serve low-income students by institution of higher education. Effective immediately.