A bill intended to maintain competition between university- and privately-owned stores is being met with quiet concern from NIU officials.

Under a bill sponsored by State Rep. John Countryman, R-DeKalb, NIU would act as a collection agency for private stores selling similar products on credit to university students. HB3945 would ony pertain to credit purchases used through a university credit system.

“The bill would create a level playing field” between university and private stores, Countryman said. Rep. Jim McPike, D-Alton, is the bill’s co-sponsor.

But NIU officials are concerned because they are not familiar with the bill and are unsure of its effects.

The bill only pertains to Board to Regents schools—NIU, Illinois State University at Normal and Sangamon State University at Springfield.

“We are concerned because it affects an aspect of our operation,” said Roderick Groves, Board of Regents chancellor.

If students welch on their bills, NIU can stop them from registering for classes by withholding their school records. The bill would enable private stores to ask the university to collect the debt for them and then pay the university a fee for the service.

Countryman said the bill, if passed, will only benefit students. It will help maintain a competitve atmosphere for students’ dollars because the competitors would essentially be playing by the same rules.

The bill would also erase the problems of paying for materials that students’ could not get at one of the stores.

Richard Boardman, director of the Village Commons Bookstore, NIU’s primary competition for school supplies and gifts, said the bill, if passed, only would benefit students.

“The students would be able to enjoy credit at all stores,” he said. “It’s a win, win, win, situation for students.”

Countryman said he limited the bill to Regency schools to avoid any amendments or problems from legislators that have other university governing boards in their districts, such as the University of Illinois or Southern Illinois University.

The U of I and SIU enacted charge systems before another bill took effect Jan. 1 that limited charge systems only to school supplies.

Countryman is optimistic about the bill’s chances of getting out of the House’s higher education committee, “but we’re only the House,” he said.