Assistant Majority Leader Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) is continuing to expand opportunities for students at the University of Illinois to run for the position of student trustee by amending the university’s residency status requirements. Martinez first introduced similar legislation in 2016 after being contacted by an undocumented student who was unable to run for student trustee, despite the fact that he was enrolled in the university and an Illinois resident. The University of Illinois is a proponent of the initiative. The University of Illinois Trustee Act requires students to be residents of Illinois in order to be selected as a student trustee. Residency is currently demonstrated by three factors:

• Evidence of the student’s residence in Illinois for at least the previous six months

• A valid Illinois driver’s license or Illinois identification card

• Being registered to vote in Illinois

But under Martinez’s proposal, a student would have to live in Illinois for six months and either have a driver’s license or ID card, or register to vote in Illinois. Senate Bill 172 passed the Senate Higher Education Committee on Tuesday and now moves to the full Senate for consideration.