Summary of Recent Bills Pending in the Illinois General Assembly Pertaining to Education
Prepared by Bev Johns, 4/21/25
House Bill 1237—West II. Amends the School Code. Allows a school to continue to use uniforms or other materials bearing a native name, logo, or mascot that were purchased on or before the effective date of the amendatory Act until September 1, 2030 (rather than 2028) if the school sets forth a reasonable timeline for the selection of a new school or athletic team name, logo, or mascot through formal school board action no later than July 1, 2026 (rather than if certain requirements are met). Includes a marquee, sign, or other permanent school structure that bears the prohibited native name, logo, or mascot that the school shall remove the next time the marquee, sign, or other permanent school structure is remodeled or replaced. Provides that if either a school or federally recognized tribe wishes to terminate consent to use a native name, logo, or mascot, the school shall select a new school or athletic team name, logo, or mascot through formal school board action no later than one year from the date of termination and shall discontinue use of the name, logo, or mascot no later than 3 years from the date of termination (rather than providing that if either a school or federally recognized tribe wishes to terminate an agreement, the school has one year from the date of termination to discontinue its use of the name, logo, or mascot). Makes other changes. Adds an effective date of July 1, 2026. Passed the House. Now in the Senate.
House Bill 1316—Davidsmeyer. Amends the School Code. Requires all school officials to immediately notify the office of the principal in the event that they; observe any person in possession of a firearm on school grounds; become aware of any person in possession of a firearm on school grounds; or become aware of any threat of gun violence on school grounds. If there is a report filed notifying a local law enforcement agency of any of such event, requires the principal to immediately notify the student’s parent or guardian and, in coordination with the local law enforcement agency, to attempt to meet with the student’s parent or guardian to ensure the student does not have access to a firearm. Passed the House. Now in the Senate
House Bill 1366—Crawford. Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that the special education notice provided to a parent or guardian prior to a meeting shall inform the parent or guardian of the parent’s or guardian’s right to invite other individuals to the meeting to assist the parent or guardian’s right to invite other individuals to the meeting to assist the parent or guardian, including individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, and advocates for the parent, guardian, or child. Requires the State Board of Education to prepare and distribute to each school district written informational material about the individualized education program (IEP) facilitation process. Provides that the informational material on IEP facilitation shall be disseminated to parents and guardians by schools using the same distribution methods employed to transmit other documents and information related to an IEP meeting to a parent or guardian. Passed the House. Now in the Senate.
House Bill 1368—Dias. Requires approved providers to ensure that professional development activities (rather than professional development) related to literacy instruction (rather than English language arts) are aligned to evidence-based strategies as defined in the comprehensive literacy plan for the State developed by the State Board of Education (rather than aligned with the comprehensive literacy plan for the State developed by the State Board of Education). Passed the House. Now in the Senate.
House Bill 1375—Hernandez. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Creates emergency rulemaking procedures for the student teaching stipend program. Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code Authorizes a person to establish optional credit for periods of services as a student teacher under a specified provision of the Board of Higher Education Act. In provisions requiring an additional employer contribution for certain salary increases greater than 6% provides that the System shall exclude any stipends paid to an eligible cooperating teacher under the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that any benefit increase that results from the amendatory Act is excluded from the definition of “new benefit increase:. Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Creates the student teaching stipend program. Defines terms. Provides that an educator preparation program shall notify the Board of Higher Education of all eligible students and eligible cooperating teachers who qualify for the stipend program. Creates requirements for the disbursement of stipend funds under the program. Provides that an educator preparation program may not prohibit an eligible student from participating in the stipend program or from receiving a stipend from the stipend program. Requires an eligible cooperating teacher who receives a stipend to complete specific training. Requires the Board to issue a report in collaboration with the State Board of Education evaluating the impact of the stipend program. Permits the Board to adopt emergency rules regarding the administration of the stipend program in certain circumstances subject to the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Effective Immediately. Passed the House. Now in the Senate.
House Bill 1411—Davidsmeyer. Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning bullying prevention, provides that if a school district distributes materials on bullying to students, the materials must be age and developmentally appropriate. Effective July 1, 2025. Passed the House. Now in the Senate.
SENATE BILLS
Senate Bill 2—Martwick. Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Makes changes to Tier 2 benefits, including changing the amount of the automatic annual increase to 3% of the originally granted retirement annuity or 3 % of the retirement annuity then being paid for the General Assembly and Judges Articles, changing the limit on the amount of salary for annuity purposes to the Social Security wage base, changing the calculation of final average salary to the Tier 1 calculation for persons who are active members on or after January 1, 2026, and changing the retirement age. Establishes an accelerated pension benefit payment option for the General Assembly, Chicago Teachers, and Judges Articles of the Code. Provides that, with regard to persons subject to the Tier 2 provisions, a security employee of the Department of Human Services, a security employee of the Department of Corrections or the Department of Human Services, a security employee of the Department of Corrections or the Department of Juvenile Justice, an investigator for the Department of the Lottery, or a State highway worker is entitled to an annuity calculated under the alternative retirement annuity provisions of the State Employee Article of the Code. Authorizes the conversion of service to eligible creditable service. Provides that the Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act (Article 20 of the Code) is adopted and made a part of the Downstate Police, Downstate Firefighter, Chicago Police, and Chicago Firefighter Articles. Authorizes SLEP status under the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund for a person who is a county correctional officer or probation officer and for a person who participates in IMRF and qualifies as a firefighter under the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act. In the Downstate Firefighter Article includes a de facto firefighter in the definition of “firefighter”> Defines “de facto firefighter”. Provides that the monthly pension of a firefighter who is receiving a disability pension shall be increased at the rate of 3% of the original monthly pension. Makes changes to the minimum retirement annuity payable to a firefighter with 20 or more years of creditable service, the minimum disability pension, and the minimum surviving spouse’s pension. Makes other changes. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement by the State. Effective Immediately. Senate Assignments.
Senate Bill 71—Murphy. Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Makes changes to defined terms. Includes incidents involving hazardous substances that may be transported by rail as evacuation incidents and severe weather and shelter-in-place incidents in provisions concerning safety drills. Includes a school building’s hazardous substance release plan in the list of plans and procedures required to be reviewed at the public school district’s annual meeting. Sets forth provisions concerning a hazardous substance release plan that is required to be distributed to all teachers, administrators, school support personnel, coaches, and other school staff identified by school administrators at each school. Provides that each school shall coordinate the development of a hazardous substance release plan with the local emergency management services and disaster agencies that are responsible for the political subdivision that covers the area in which the school is located. Makes other changes. Passed Senate. Now in House Education Policy Committee.
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