110 ILCS 153/1-5: Legislative intent.

(This Section may contain text from a Public Act with a delayed effective date)

As a guide to the interpretation and application of this Act, the public policy of the State is declared as follows:

(a) The General Assembly recognizes the common public interest in safeguarding and promoting participation in military service to the United States and the State by:

(1) minimizing disadvantages to military service while pursuing higher education;

(2) providing prompt readmission and preservation of academic status for service member students returning from military service in a manner that (A) minimizes disruption to academic pursuits and (B) limits institutional legal risk associated with developing and granting accommodations; and

(3) prohibiting discrimination against and interference with military service.

(b) This law shall be interpreted as comprising a foundation of protections guaranteed by this Act; therefore, nothing in this Act shall supersede, nullify, or diminish any federal or State law, including any local law or ordinance, contract, agreement, policy, plan, practice, or other matter that establishes a right or benefit that is more beneficial to, or is in addition to, a right or benefit provided in this Act.

(c) This Act shall be liberally construed to effectuate its purposes and provisions for the benefit of the service member student who has volunteered to serve this country and this State despite the risk of interruption in the pursuit of higher education. Such sacrifice benefits everyone but is made by relatively few.

(d) This Act requires institutions of higher education to think beyond their existing policy and practice to act in practical ways that better accommodate service member students whose participation in military service presents individually unique and complicated challenges.

(e) The new service member benefits provided under this Act apply on and after the effective date of this Act.