ED TASK FORCE-HISPANIC-SERVING

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB4604

Introduced 2/3/2026, by Rep. Norma Hernandez

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Task Force Act. Creates the
Hispanic-Serving Institutions Task Force. Sets forth provisions regarding
administrative support, membership, compensation, meetings, and hearings.
Requires the Task Force to assess the current landscape of
Hispanic-serving institutions and emerging Hispanic-serving institutions
in the State; identify barriers to student access, retention, and
completion; review existing State policies, funding formulas, and
accountability frameworks to determine their impact on Hispanic-serving
institutions and their students' success; examine best practices from
other states related to supporting Hispanic-serving institutions; develop
recommendations to improve access to and success in higher education for
students, strengthen institutional capacity, improve coordination between
State agencies and Hispanic-serving institutions, align Hispanic-serving
institutions' efforts with State workforce and economic development
priorities, and consider the feasibility of creating a permanent State
initiative, designation, or funding mechanism to support Hispanic-serving
institutions. Requires the Task Force to submit a written report to the
Governor and the General Assembly on the Task Force's findings and
recommendations for legislative, administrative, or budgetary action.
Requires the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College
Board to each post the report on their respective public websites.
Dissolves the Task Force upon the submission of its report to the Governor
and General Assembly. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2029. Effective
immediately.
LRB104 17761 LNS 31193 b

A BILL FOR

HB4604
LRB104 17761 LNS 31193 b
1

AN ACT concerning education.

2

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3
represented in the General Assembly:

4

Section 1.
Short title.
This Act may be cited as the
5
Hispanic-Serving Institutions Task Force Act.

6

Section 5.
Legislative findings and purpose.
7

(a) The General Assembly finds that:
8

(1) Hispanic and Latino students represent a growing
9

share of this State's college-going population and are
10

critical to the State's workforce, economic vitality, and
11

civic life;
12

(2) Hispanic-serving institutions play a central role
13

in expanding access to higher education, improving degree
14

completion, and advancing economic mobility for
15

first-generation and low-income students;
16

(3) higher education institutions that meet the
17

federal definition of a Hispanic-serving institution or
18

that are an emerging Hispanic-serving institution benefit
19

from coordinated State policy alignment, technical
20

assistance, and resource leveraging; and
21

(4) establishing a statewide advisory task force
22

allows the State to assess needs, identify best practices,
23

and develop actionable recommendations to support

HB4604
- 2 -
LRB104 17761 LNS 31193 b
1

Hispanic-serving institutions.
2

(b) The purpose of this Act is to establish the
3
Hispanic-Serving Institutions Task Force to study, assess, and
4
make recommendations regarding State support for
5
Hispanic-serving institutions.

6

Section 10.
Definitions.
As used in this Act:
7

"Emerging Hispanic-serving institution" means an
8
institution of higher education located in this State with an
9
undergraduate, full-time-equivalent enrollment of at least 15%
10
Hispanic or Latino students.
11

"Hispanic-serving institution" means an institution of
12
higher education located in this State that meets the federal
13
definition of a Hispanic-serving institution under Title V of
14
the federal Higher Education Act of 1965.
15

"Task Force" means the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Task
16
Force created under this Act.

17

Section 15.
Hispanic-Serving Institutions Task Force.
18

(a) The Hispanic-Serving Institutions Task Force is
19
created. The Task Force shall be advisory in nature.
20

(b) The Board of Higher Education and the Illinois
21
Community College Board shall jointly provide administrative,
22
technical, and staffing support to the Task Force, subject to
23
available appropriations.

HB4604
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LRB104 17761 LNS 31193 b
1

Section 20.
Membership.
2

(a) The Task Force shall consist of all of the following
3
members:
4

(1) The Executive Director of the Board of Higher
5

Education or the Executive Director's designee, who shall
6

be co-chairperson of the Task Force.
7

(2) The Executive Director of the Illinois Community
8

College Board or the Executive Director's designee, who
9

shall be co-chairperson of the Task Force.
10

(3) One representative of the Illinois Student
11

Assistance Commission, appointed by the Executive Director
12

of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
13

(4) One representative of the Department of Commerce
14

and Economic Opportunity, appointed by the Director of
15

Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
16

(5) Two presidents or chancellors of public,
17

Hispanic-serving institutions or emerging
18

Hispanic-serving institutions located in this State,
19

appointed by the Governor.
20

(6) Two presidents or chancellors of public community
21

colleges located in this State that are Hispanic-serving
22

institutions or emerging Hispanic-serving institutions,
23

appointed by the Governor.
24

(7) One president or chancellor of a private,
25

nonprofit, Hispanic-serving institution or emerging
26

Hispanic-serving institution located in this State,

HB4604
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LRB104 17761 LNS 31193 b
1

appointed by the Governor.
2

(8) Two faculty members from Hispanic-serving
3

institutions or emerging Hispanic-serving institutions
4

with expertise in student success, institutional capacity,
5

or workforce alignment, appointed by the Governor.
6

(9) Two students enrolled at Hispanic-serving
7

institutions or emerging Hispanic-serving institutions
8

located in this State, appointed by the Governor.
9

(10) One representative of a statewide,
10

Latino-serving, nonprofit organization with experience in
11

higher education policy, appointed by the Governor.
12

(11) One representative of the business or workforce
13

development community with experience partnering with a
14

Hispanic-serving institutions, appointed by the Governor.
15

(b) Appointments shall reflect geographic diversity and
16
representation from both community colleges and universities.
17

(c) Members of the Task Force shall serve without
18
compensation but may be reimbursed for reasonable and
19
necessary travel expenses from funds appropriated for that
20
purpose, subject to the rules of the appropriate travel
21
control board.

22

Section 25.
Duties.
The Task Force shall do all of the
23
following:
24

(1) Assess the current landscape of Hispanic-serving
25

institutions and emerging Hispanic-serving institutions in

HB4604
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LRB104 17761 LNS 31193 b
1

this State, including enrollment trends, degree
2

completion, transfer outcomes, workforce alignment, and
3

institutional capacity.
4

(2) Identify barriers to student access, retention,
5

and completion, including funding equity, data capacity,
6

faculty diversification, infrastructure needs, and the
7

basic needs of students.
8

(3) Review existing State policies, funding formulas,
9

and accountability frameworks to determine their impact on
10

Hispanic-serving institutions and their students' success.
11

(4) Examine best practices from other states related
12

to supporting Hispanic-serving institutions.
13

(5) Develop recommendations to:
14

(A) improve access to and success in higher
15

education for students;
16

(B) strengthen institutional capacity, including
17

grant development and research infrastructure;
18

(C) improve coordination between State agencies
19

and Hispanic-serving institutions;
20

(D) align Hispanic-serving institutions' efforts
21

with State workforce and economic development
22

priorities; and
23

(E) consider the feasibility of creating a
24

permanent State initiative, designation, or funding
25

mechanism to support Hispanic-serving institutions.

HB4604
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LRB104 17761 LNS 31193 b
1

Section 30.
Meetings; quorum; hearings.
2

(a) The Task Force shall meet at least quarterly at the
3
call of the co-chairpersons.
4

(b) A majority of the members of the Task Force shall
5
constitute a quorum.
6

(c) The Task Force may hold public hearings and solicit
7
public testimony as necessary to carry out the Task Force's
8
duties.

9

Section 35.
Report.
10

(a) No later than 18 months after the effective date of
11
this Act, the Task Force shall submit a written report to the
12
Governor and the General Assembly.
13

(b) The report shall include the Task Force's findings and
14
recommendations for legislative, administrative, or budgetary
15
action.
16

(c) The Board of Higher Education and the Illinois
17
Community College Board shall each post the report on their
18
respective public websites.

19

Section 90.
Dissolution and repeal.
The Task Force is
20
dissolved upon submission of the report required under Section
21
35, and this Act is repealed on January 1, 2029.

22

Section 99.
Effective date.
This Act takes effect upon
23
becoming law.

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