State Legislation
BILLS INTRODUCED IN THE ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
PERTAINING TO EDUCATION
PREPARED BY BEV JOHNS
MAY 14, 2019
House Bill 35—Mayfield. Amends the Grow Your Own Teacher Education Act. Makes changes to the definitions of “cohort”, “eligible school”, and “hard-to-staff school”, and defines “dual credit course”. Provides that Grown Your Own Illinois (rather than the Board of Higher Education) shall administer the Grow Your Own Teacher Education Initiative as a grant competition to fund consortia that will carry out Grow Your Own Teacher preparation programs. In provisions concerning selection of grantees, provides that the Board of Higher Education shall, subject to appropriation, allocate funds to Grow Your Own Illinois for the purpose of administering the program and awarding grants under the Act (rather than requiring the Board of Higher Education to award grants under the Act). Removes the language providing that the consortium shall consider whether a candidate has experienced an interruption in his or her college education when recruiting potential candidates for the program. Provides that, subject to the requirements under the Dual Credit Quality Act, an institution of higher education may offer a high school student a dual credit course under the program. Provides that the Board of Higher Education may not adopt rules regarding candidate eligibility that are more restrictive than those in the Act. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately. Passed House. Now in Senate Third Reading.
House Bill 37—Mayfield. Amends the State Board of Education – Powers and Duties Article of the School Code. Makes the State Seal of Biliteracy available to both public and non-public high school graduates (rather than public high school graduates only) who have attained a high level of proficiency in one or more language in addition to English and have met the criteria to obtain the State Seal of Biliteracy. Makes conforming changes. Passed House. Now in Senate Third Reading.
House Bill 190—L. Ford. Amends the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, each school district must provide a parent or guardian of an at-risk student information about appropriate and available community-based or in-school academic support services; defines “at-risk student” and specifies what those services may include. Provides that a school district shall not be responsible for any costs or transportation associated with a student’s participation in community-based academic support services. Effective July 1, 2020. Passed House. Now in Senate Education.
House Bill 205—Conroy. Amends the Critical Health Problems and Comprehensive Health Education Act to require the instruction on mental health and illness to evaluate the multiple dimensions of health by reviewing the relationship between physical and mental health so as to enhance student understanding, attitudes, and behaviors that promote health, well-being, and human dignity. Passed House. Second Reading Senate.
House Bill 246—Moeller. Amends the School Code. With regard to the textbook block grant program, provides that the textbooks authorized to be purchased must include the roles and contributions of all people protected under the Illinois Human Rights Act and must be non-discriminatory as to any of the characteristics under the Act. Provides that textbooks purchased with grant funds must be non-discriminatory. Provides that in public schools only, the teaching of history of the United States shall include a study of the roles and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the history of this country and this State. Effective July 1, 2020. Passed House. Second Reading Senate.
House Bill 247—Crespo. Amends the School Code. With regard to driver education course teachers, provides that a school district that contracts with a third party to teach a driver education course must ensure the teacher meets the educator licensure and endorsement requirements under the Code and must follow the same evaluation and observation requirements that apply to non-tenured teachers. Provides that the teacher evaluation must be conducted by a school administrator employed by the school district and must be submitted annually to the district superintendent and all school board members for oversight purposes. Effective immediately. Passed House. Third Reading Senate.
House Bill 254—Guzzardi. House Bill 254—Guzzardi. Amends the School Code. Provides that, no later than January 31, 2021, and annually thereafter, the State Board of Education must make available on its website information about actively employed teachers within each school district, pupil-teacher ratios for each school district, class instructors by grade level and subject in each school district, and class size in each school; defines terms. Requires each school district to report the information required for the State Board’s report no later November 16, 2021, and annually thereafter, and also make that information available on its website. Passed House. Now in Senate Education.
House Bill 355—Batinick. Amends the School Code. Provides that an approved provider of professional development activities for the renewal of a Professional Educator License may make available a professional development opportunity that provides educators with training on inclusive practices in the classroom that examines instructional and behavioral strategies that improve academic and social-emotional outcomes for all students, with or without disabilities, in a general education setting. Third Reading Senate.
House Bill 424—Hernandez. Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules to establish the criteria, standards, and competencies for a bilingual language interpreter who attends an individualized education program meeting to assist a parent who has limited English proficiency. Passed House. Third Reading Senate.
House Bill 822—Halpin. Changes the definition of “undesignated glucagon medication” to “undesignated glucagon”; makes conforming changes. Removes a provision allowing a delegated care aide to carry undesignated glucagon on his or her person while in school or at a school-sponsored activity. Allows a school to maintain a supply of glucagon in any secure location that is immediately accessible to a school nurse or delegated care aide (rather than in any secure location that is accessible before, during, or after school where a student is most at risk). Provides that a school nurse or delegated care aide may administer undesignated glucagon if he or she is authorized to administer the undesignated glucagon through a student’s diabetes care plan and if the student’s prescribed glucagon is not available on-site or has expired. Provides that immediately (rather than within 24 hours) after the administration of undesignated glucagon, a school must notify the school nurse (unless the school nurse was the one administering it) and the student’s parent or guardian or emergency contact, if known, and health care provider of its use. Passed House. Third Reading Senate.
House Bill 921—Stuart. Amends the School Code. Provides that if an educational support personnel employee is removed or dismissed as a result of a decision of the school board to decrease the number of educational support personnel employed by the board or to discontinue some particular type of educational support service and he or she accepts the tender of a vacancy within one calendar year from the beginning of the following school term, then that employee shall maintain any rights accrued during his or her previous service with the school district. Effective immediately. Passed House. Third Reading Senate.
House Bill 1561—Crespo. Amends the Counties Code. Provides that counties may impose a tax to be used exclusively for school facility purposes, school resources officers, or mental health professionals (rather than exclusively for school facility purposes). Adds referendum language to levy, reduce, or discontinue the tax. Amends the Innovation Development and Economy Act and the School Construction Law to make conforming changes. Amends the School Code to make conforming changes and to provide that if a school district having a population of less than 500,000 inhabitants determines that it is necessary for school security purposes and the related protection and safety of pupils and school staff to hire a school resource officer or that personnel costs for school counselors, mental health experts, or school resource officers are necessary, the district may levy a tax or issue bonds as provided under a provision in the Code authorizing a school board to levy a tax or to borrow money and issue bonds for fire prevention, safety, energy conservation, accessibility, school security, and specified repair purposes if funds are not needed for those other purposes. Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Requires each school district to implement a threat assessment procedure that may be part of a school board policy on targeted school violence and prevention and that must include the creation of a threat assessment team; provides for the team’s membership. Requires each school district, at its annual meeting to review each school building’s emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and procedures, to review the procedures regarding its threat assessment team. Creates an exemption for the work of the threat assessment team in the Freedom of Information Act. With regard to a school district’s threat assessment procedure, removes a provision requiring the policy on targeted school violence and prevention that directs the implementation of a threat assessment procedure to be a public document and to be posted on the school district’s website with other school district policies. Makes conforming changes. Passed House. Second Reading Senate.
House Bill 2078—Stuart and Hoffman. Amends the School Code. Provides that in fixing the salaries of teachers, a school board shall pay those who serve on a full-time basis a rate not less than (i) $32,076 for the 2020-2021 school year, (ii) $34,576 for the 2021-2022 school year, (iii) $37,076 for the 2022-2023 school year, and (iv) $40,000 for the 2023-2024 school year. Provides that the minimum salary rate for each school year thereafter, subject to review by the General Assembly, shall equal the minimum salary rate for the previous school year increased by a percentage equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index For All Urban Consumers for all items published by the United States Department of Labor for the previous school year. Passed House. Second Reading Senate.
House Bill 2087—Carroll. Amends the School Code. Provides that a school district’s decision to allow a student to take a portion of a driver education course through a distance learning program must be approved by the school’s administration, including the student’s driver education teacher (rather than approved by the student’s driver education teacher), and the student’s parent or guardian. Passed House. Second Reading Senate.
House Bill 2165—M. Murphy. Amends the School Code. With regard to required high school courses as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, removes a provision specifying that one year of the required 3 years of mathematics may be an Advanced Placement computer science course. Provides that the required mathematics course that includes geometry content may be offered as an integrated, applied, interdisciplinary, or career and technical education course that prepares a student for a career readiness path. Passed House. Second Reading Senate.
House Bill 2170—Chapa LaVia. Provides that the minimum qualifying score for eligibility to receive the State Seal of Biliteracy must be established by the State Board of Education by rule (rather than must be 480). Effective immediately.
Passed House. Second Reading Senate.
House Bill 2177—Unes. Amends the School Code. Provides that, upon request, the school board of a school district that maintains grades 10 through 12 may posthumously award a diploma to any service member who was killed in action while performing active military duty in the armed forces of the United States if he or she: (1) resided in an area currently within the district; (2) left high school before graduating to serve in the armed forces of the United States; and (3) did not receive a high school diploma. Effective immediately. Passed House. Second Reading Senate.
House Bill 2205—N. Smith. Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. With regard to a proposed school closure, requires the chief executive officer to publish on the school district’s website a full financial report on the closure that includes an analysis of the closure’s costs and benefits to the district. Effective immediately. Provides that the chief executive officer must post the full financial report on a school closure on the school district’s website 8 months after he or she publishes notice of the proposed school closure (rather than at the time he or she publishes notice of the proposed school closure). Effective immediately. Second Reading Senate.
House Bill 2263—Lilly. Amends the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act. In provisions concerning postsecondary and career expectations, provides that, beginning in grade 6, students should be introduced to the importance of developing and applying a work ethic in a variety of contexts; sets forth what this introduction may include. Passed House. Second Reading Senate.
House Bill 2265—Lilly. Amends the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year (rather than the 2019-2020 school year), every public elementary school shall include in its 6th, 7th, or 8th grade curriculum at least one semester of civics education. Changes the effective date of the Act to July 1, 2020 (rather than July 1, 2019). Passed House. Second Reading Senate.
House Bill 2272—Martwick. Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code to provide that the governing bodies of contract schools are subject to the Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act. Passed House. Third Reading Senate.
House Bill 2605—Crespo. Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. With regard to the speech-language pathologist provision, provides that notwithstanding the requirements of the provision, a Professional Educator License with a school support personnel endorsement for non-teaching speech-language pathologist shall be issued to a speech-language pathologist who (i) holds a regular license as a speech-language pathologist pursuant to the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act and (ii) holds a current Certificate of Clinical Competence in speech-language pathology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Third Reading Senate.
House Bill 2830—Stava-Murray. Provides that an employer may not terminate an employee for an absence from work if the absence is due to the employee’s attendance at a school conference, behavioral meeting, or academic meeting (rather than a school conference or activity). Passed House. Third Reading Senate.
House Bill 2868—Scherer. Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to develop a work-based learning database to help facilitate relationships between school districts and businesses and expand work-based learning in this State; defines “work-based learning”. Effective immediately. Passed House. Now in Senate Education.
House Bill 3213—Martwick. Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In the definition of “teacher”, removes a provision specifying that an annuitant receiving a retirement annuity under the Chicago Teacher Article who is employed by a board of education or other employer as permitted under specified provisions is not a “teacher” for purposes of the Downstate Teacher Article. Provides that the board may also require reporting requirements that are different than those specified in a provision concerning employer reporting requirements and may require different reporting requirements for different benefits or purposes established under the Article, including, but not limited to, any optional benefit plan an employee chooses to participate in. Provides that if the governing body of an employer that is not a State agency fails to forward specified required contributions within a specified period, the System shall notify the employer of an additional amount due, equal to $50 per day for each day that elapses from the due date until the day the report and employee contributions are received by the System (instead of the greater of an amount representing the interest lost by the system due to late forwarding of contributions, calculated for the number of days which the employer is late in forwarding contributions at a rate of interest prescribed by the board or $50). Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately. Passed House. Third Reading Senate.
House Bill 3302—Crespo. Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that, for the Chicago School District only, for complaints concerning delays and denials of special education services in the 2016-2017 or 2017-2018 school year, a complainant has no less than 2 years following the creation of the State Board of Education’s compensatory education plan and notification of that plan to parents and guardians of impacted children to file a complaint if the complainant has not obtained relief through (i) the compensatory education plan, (ii) a due process claim, or (iii) mediation. Provides that the State Board’s notification of its compensatory education plan to parents and guardians must include notification of the extended timeframe to file complaints under this subsection. Effective July 1, 2019. House Committee Amendment #1 replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Provides that a complainant has no less than 2 years following the finalization (rather than creation) of the State Board of Education’s student-specific corrective action plan per the State Board’s 2017-2018 Public Inquiry Team’s Corrective Action Report (rather than compensatory education plan) and notification of that plan to parents and guardians of potentially impacted (rather than only impacted) children to file a complaint concerning delays and denials of special education services; makes conforming changes. Removes provisions requiring certain conditions for a parent or guardian to file a complaint. Requires a respondent to include corrective action compliance documentation with all other documentation provided to a complainant. Effective July 1, 2019. Passed House. Second Reading Senate.
House Bill 3550—Williams. Amends the School Code. With regard to a sex education course, provides that course material and instruction in grades 6 through 12 must include an age-appropriate discussion on the meaning of consent that includes discussion on recognizing that (i) consent is a freely given agreement to sexual activity, (ii) consent to one particular sexual activity does not constitute consent to other types of sexual activities, (iii) a person’s lack of verbal or physical resistance or submission resulting from the use or threat of force does not constitute consent, (iv) a person’s manner of dress does not constitute consent, (v) a person’s consent to past sexual activity does not constitute consent to future sexual activity, (vi) a person’s consent to engage in sexual activity with one person does not constitute consent to engage in sexual activity with another person, (vii) a person can withdraw consent at any time, and (viii) a person cannot consent to sexual activity if that person is unable to understand the nature of the activity or give knowing consent due to certain circumstances. Removes a provision requiring material and instruction to include, with an emphasis on workplace environment and life on a college campus, discussion on what constitutes sexual consent. Makes other changes concerning the course material and instruction. Passed House. Second Reading Senate.
House Bill 3586—Crespo. Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that the Chicago school district shall publish on the district’s publicly available website any proposed changes to its special education policies, directives, guidelines, or procedures that impact the provision of educational or related services for students with disabilities or the procedural safeguards afforded to students with disabilities or their parents or guardians (rather than any proposed changes to its special education policies, which must include any proposed policy changes made by the school district or school board); makes conforming changes. Provides that the State Board of Education may add additional reporting requirements for the school district if the State Board determines it is in the best interest of students enrolled in the district receiving special education services. Provides that local education agencies (rather than only the Chicago school district) must make related service logs (rather than service logs) that record (rather than detail) the types of related services (rather than services) administered under a child’s individualized education program and the minutes of each type of related service that has been administered. Provides that a local education agency must inform a child’s parent or guardian within 20 school days from the beginning of the school year or upon establishment of an individualized education program (rather than at least once per school year) of his or her ability to request those logs. Makes other changes. Amends the Illinois School Student Records Act to include in the definition of “Student Temporary Record” information contained in service logs maintained by a local education agency under the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Effective July 1, 2019. Passed House. Second Reading Senate.
House Bill 3606—Martwick. Amends the Student Online Personal Protection Act. Defines “breach”, “longitudinal data system”, “parent”, and “student”. Adds to an operator’s duties. Provides for school prohibitions and duties and the State Board of Education’s duties. Provides for parent and student rights. Makes other changes. Effective July 1, 2021. Passed House. Now in Senate Judiciary.
House Bill 3652—Edly-Allen. Amends the School Code. Provides that, in assisting all students with a college or post-secondary education plan, a school counselor must include a discussion on all post-secondary education options, including 4-year colleges or universities, community colleges, and vocational schools. Effective immediately. Passed House. Second Reading Senate.
House Bill 3687—Harper. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that upon commencement of a prosecution for a sex offense against a person known to be an employee of a school, the State’s Attorney shall immediately provide the superintendent of schools or school administrator that employs the employee with a copy of the complaint, information, or indictment. Provides that the notification shall not diminish the rights, privileges, or remedies of an employee under a collective bargaining agreement or employment contract. Defines “employee” and “sex offense”. Effective immediately. Passed House. Second Reading Senate.
House Resolution 10—Stuart. Encourages the State Board of Education to stop using edTPA as the teacher certification for licensure. Resolution Adopted.
Senate Bill 10—Manar. Amends the School Code. Provides that in fixing the salaries of teachers, a school board shall pay those who serve on a full-time basis a rate not less than (i) $32,076 for the 2020-2021 school year, (ii) $34,576 for the 2021-2022 school year, (iii) $37,076 for the 2022-2023 school year, and (iv) $40,000 for the 2023-2024 school year. Provides that the minimum salary rate for each school year thereafter, subject to review by the General Assembly, shall equal the minimum salary rate for the previous school year increased by a percentage equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index For All Urban Consumers for all items published by the United States Department of Labor for the previous school year. Provides that, on or before January 31, 2020, the Professional Review Panel must submit a report to the General Assembly on how State funds and funds distributed under the evidence-based funding formula may aid the financial effects of the changes made by the amendatory Act. Passed Senate. Third Reading House.
Senate Bill 28—Bertino-Tarrant. . With regard to daily pupil attendance, provides that pupil participation in any of the following activities shall be counted toward the calculation of clock hours of school work per day: (i) instruction in a college course in which a student is dually enrolled for both high school credit and college credit, (ii) participation in a supervised career development experience in which student participation and learning outcomes are supervised by an educator licensed under the School Code, (iii) participation in a youth apprenticeship in which student participation and outcomes are supervised by an educator licensed under the School Code, or (iv) participation in a blended learning program in which course content, student evaluation, and instructional methods are supervised by an educator licensed under the School Code. With regard to the e-learning days program, removes a requirement limiting the program to 3 school districts and requiring the State Board of Education to report its recommendations for expansion, revision, or discontinuation of the program on or before June 1, 2019. Provides that a research-based program for e-learning days must be verified by the regional office of education or intermediate service center for the school district (rather than submitted to the State Superintendent of Education for approval); makes related changes. Requires the program to address the school district’s responsibility to ensure that all teachers and staff who may be involved in the provision of e-learning have access to any and all hardware and software that may be required for the program. Provides that a proposal for the program must include a provision that ensures that non-electronic materials are made available to students participating in the program who do not have access to the required technology or to participating teachers or students who are prevented from accessing the required technology and that ensures that the protocol regarding general expectations and responsibilities of the program is communicated to teachers, staff, and students at least 30 days prior to utilizing an e-learning day. Makes other and conforming changes. Effective July 1, 2019.
Passed Senate. Third Reading House.
Senate Bill 117—Barickman. Amends the Illinois School Student Records Act. Provides that if the rights and privileges accorded to a parent under the Act have been transferred to a student, a school must give reasonable prior notice to the student (rather than the parent) before any school student record is destroyed or any information is deleted from that record. Provides that a school may provide reasonable prior notice to a parent or student through (i) notice in the school’s parent or student handbook, (ii) publication in a newspaper, (iii) U.S. mail delivered to the last known address of the parent or student, or (iv) other means provided the notice is confirmed to have been received. Passed Senate. Third Reading House.
Senate Bill 209—Bertino-Tarrant. Amends the School Code. With regard to special education joint agreements, provides that under no circumstances may a petition for withdrawal from a joint agreement be presented to other member districts less than 18 months from the date of the proposed withdrawal. Provides that if a petition for withdrawal is not approved by the other member districts, any petitioning member district (rather than only a petitioning member district that is part of a Class II county school unit outside of a city of 500,000 or more inhabitants) may appeal the disapproval. Provides that the trustees of schools of the township having jurisdiction and authority over the withdrawing district or the hearing panel established by the chief administrative officer of the intermediate service center having jurisdiction over the withdrawing district shall convene and hear testimony to determine whether the withdrawing district has presented sufficient evidence that the district, standing alone, will provide a full continuum of services and support to all its students with disabilities in the foreseeable future; specifies requirements for the withdrawing district prior to the hearing. Provides that each withdrawing district shall develop a comprehensive plan that includes the administrative policies and procedures outlined in specified special education rules of the State Board of Education and all relevant portions of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Provides that the withdrawing district must also demonstrate its ability to provide education for a wide range of students with disabilities, including a full continuum of support and services. Provides that under no circumstances may a petition to withdraw from a joint agreement be presented to other member districts less than 12 (rather than 18) months from the date of the proposed withdrawal, unless the member districts agree to waive this timeline. Provides that upon approval by school board written resolution of all remaining member districts, the petitioning member district must submit its comprehensive plan to the State Board for review. Removes a provision providing that the petitioning member district shall be withdrawn from the joint agreement effective the following July 1. Provides that, in the event of a hearing conducted by a hearing panel, the withdrawing district must, prior to the hearing and among other requirements, hold a public hearing to allow for the opportunity to review (rather than hear) the plan for educating students after the withdrawal and prepare and provide a comprehensive plan (rather than prepare evidence that it has all of the components of a comprehensive plan). Passed Senate. Third Reading House.
Senate Bill 1213—Lightford . Amends the School Code. With regard to teacher evaluation ratings, provides that, beginning with the first school year following the effective date of the amendatory Act, each school district shall, in good faith cooperation with its teachers or, if applicable, through good faith bargaining with the exclusive bargaining representative of its teachers develop and implement an appeals process for “unsatisfactory” ratings that includes, but is not limited to, an assessment of the original rating by a panel of qualified evaluators agreed to by a joint committee that has the power to reevaluate and re-rate a teacher who appeals. Requires the joint committee to determine the criteria for successful appeals. Effective immediately. Passed Senate. Second Reading House.
Senate Bill 1226—Holmes. Repeals the State Charter School Commission Fund on October 1, 2020 (rather than July 31, 2020). Provides that, beginning on July 1, 2020 through August 31, 2020, all money in the State Charter School Commission Fund shall be used by the State Board of Education for operational and administrative costs and, on September 1, 2020 (rather than July 1, 2020), in consultation with the State Board, the State Comptroller shall order transferred and the State Treasurer shall transfer all money in the State Charter School Commission Fund to the State Board of Education Special Purpose Trust Fund. Provides that, beginning on July 1, 2020, the State Board of Education may charge a charter school that it authorizes a fee not to exceed 3% of the revenue provided to the school to be used exclusively for covering the cost of authorizing activities; specifies what the authorizing activities may include. Provides that, beginning on the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Commission may not enter into or renew a contract, other than a charter renewal, that expires after July 1, 2020. Until July 1, 2020, allows the State Charter School Commission to hear an appeal on a local board’s decision to not renew a charter. Allows the State Board of Education to reverse a local board’s decision to revoke or, beginning on July 1, 2020, not renew a charter if certain conditions are met. Requires the State Board to appoint and utilize a hearing officer for those appeals. Provides that if a charter school fails to make payments toward administrative costs, the State Board may withhold State funds from that school until it has made all payments for those costs. Adds an immediate effective date. Passed Senate. Now in House Second Reading.
Senate Bill 1250—L. Murphy. Amends the School Code. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, a school district must allow any student with an asthma action plan, an Individual Health Care Action Plan, an Illinois Food Allergy Emergency Action Plan and Treatment Authorization Form, a plan pursuant to Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or a plan pursuant to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to self-administer any medication required under those plans if the student’s parent or guardian provides the school district with (i) written permission for the student’s self-administration of medication and (ii) written authorization from the student’s physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse for the student to self-administer the medication. Requires a parent or guardian to also provide to the school district the prescription label for the medication, which must contain the name of the medication, the prescribed dosage, and the time or times at which or the circumstances under which the medication is to be administered. Provides that each school district must adopt an emergency action plan for a student who self-administers medication; specifies the plan’s requirements. Provides that a school district and its employees and agents shall incur no liability, except for willful and wanton conduct, as a result of any injury arising from the self-administration of medication by a student. Passed Senate. Third Reading House.
Senate Bill 1272—Rezin. Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that if a speech-language pathologist holds a regular State license as a speech-language pathologist, he or she does not need to meet other requirements to be issued a Professional Educator License with a school support personnel endorsement for non-teaching speech-language pathologist. Also changes outdated references regarding certification rather than licensure. Effective immediately. Passed Senate. Second Reading House.
Senate Bill 1371—Chapin Rose. Amends the School Code. Provides that a school district may install a door security locking means on a door of a school building to prevent unwanted entry through the door if certain requirements are met. Changes the definition of “door security locking means” to mean a door locking means intended for use by a trained school district employee in a school building for the purpose of preventing ingress (rather than both ingress and egress) through a door of the building. Adds to the requirements a school district must meet to install a door security locking means. Provides that a school district may install a door security locking means that does not comply with all applicable State and federal accessibility requirements or that is more than 48 inches above the finished floor if (i) the school district meets all other requirements for installing a door security locking means and (ii) prior to its installation, local law enforcement officials, the local fire department, and the school board agree, in writing, to the installation and use of the door security locking means. Provides that the school district must keep the agreement on file, must, upon request, provide the agreement to its regional office of education, and must include the agreement in its filed school safety plan under the School Safety Drill Act. Effective July 1, 2019. Second Reading House.
Senate Bill 1460—Manar. Amends the School Code. With regard to the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, provides that if adequate funds are available, incentives under the Program must include (i) a one-time incentive of $3,000 payable to National Board certified teachers teaching in Tier 1 rural or remote school districts, (ii) an annual incentive of $3,200 for National Board certified teacher rural or remote candidate cohort facilitators, and (iii) an annual incentive of $2,500 for National Board certified teacher rural or remote liaisons; defines terms. Makes the program applicable to qualified educators who are employed by or retired from schools districts (rather than just employed by school districts) and who are in the process of obtaining licensure through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Changes references of poverty or low-performing schools to Tier 1 school districts. Makes other changes. Passed Senate. Third Reading House.
Senate Bill 1601—Sims. Amends the School Code. With regard to the required history of the United States course, provides that, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, the course must also include instruction on the history of Illinois. Passed Senate. Second Reading House.
Senate Bill 1658—Munoz. Amends the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation or private donations, the State Board of Education shall award grants to school districts to support school safety and security. Provides that grant funds may be used for school security improvements, including professional development, safety-related upgrades to school buildings, equipment, including metal detectors and x-ray machines, and facilities, including school-based health centers. Requires the State Board to prioritize the distribution of grants to school districts designated as Tier 1 or Tier 2 under the evidence-based funding formula. Passed Senate. Second Reading House.
Senate Bill 1694—Bush Amends the School Code. Provides that a school district that maintains any of grades 9 through 12 may include in its high school curriculum a unit of instruction on workplace preparation that covers legal protections in the workplace, including protection against sexual harassment and racial and other forms of discrimination and other protections for employees. Passed Senate. Second Reading House.
Senate Bill 1746—Belt. Amends the School Code. With regard to issuing bonds not to exceed a certain amount for the purpose of creating, recreating, or increasing a working cash fund, adds to that amount 85% of the most recent amount of funding received by the school district under the evidence-based funding formula. Provides that moneys in the working cash fund may be used by a school board for any and all school purposes and may be transferred in whole or in part to the general funds or both of the school district and disbursed in anticipation of funding received by the school district under the evidence-based funding formula. Makes related changes. Effective immediately. Passed Senate. Second Reading House.
Senate Bill 1798—Chapin Rose. Amends the School Code. Requires each school district to create, maintain, and implement an age-appropriate policy on sexual harassment that must be posted on the school district’s website and, if applicable, any other area where policies, rules, and standards of conduct are currently posted in each school and must be included in the school district’s student code of conduct handbook. Passed Senate. Second Reading House.
Senate Bill 1941—Lightford. Amends the School Code. With respect to school discipline improvement plans, makes changes to how the State Board of Education determines the top 20% of school districts, when notification is given that a plan must be submitted, which school districts are required to submit a plan, the timeframe for school board approval of a plan and submission of that plan to the State Board, and when additional annual progress reports are required. Establishes the Safe Schools and Healthy Learning Environments Grant Program and grants under the program. Sets forth requirements for grant applicants and provisions for the distribution of funds appropriated for the program. Requires the State Board of Education to issue a yearly report on the results of the program in cooperation with school districts participating in the program. Provides that the State Board may adopt any rules necessary for the program. Removes any changes to school discipline improvement plans. Gives the bill an immediate effective date.
Effective July 1, 2019. Passed Senate. Second Reading House.
Senate Bill 1952—Manar. With regard to endorsements on licenses, provides that, for a special education endorsement in the area of Early Childhood Special Education, an individual may satisfy the student teaching requirement of his or her early childhood teacher preparation program through placement in a setting with children from birth through grade 2, and the individual may be paid and receive credit while student teaching. Provides that the student teaching experience must meet the requirements of and be approved by the individual’s early childhood teacher preparation program. Provides that, subject to appropriation, an individual who holds a Professional Educator License and is employed for a minimum of one school year by a school district designated as Tier 1 under the evidence-based funding formula may, after application to the State Board of Education, receive from the State Board a refund for any costs associated with completing the teacher performance assessment required to obtain his or her license. Effective immediately. Provides that, for an early childhood education endorsement (rather than a special education endorsement in the area of Early Childhood Special Education), an individual may satisfy the student teaching requirement of his or her early childhood teacher preparation program through placement in a setting with children from birth through grade 2, and the individual may be paid and receive credit while student teaching.
Passed Senate. Now in the House Elementary and Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing and Charter Schools.
Senate Bill 2124—Chapin Rose Provides that a student must be expelled for a period of not less than one year if he or she brings to school, a school-sponsored activity or event, or an activity or event that bears a reasonable relationship to school a pneumatic gun, spring gun, paint ball gun, or B-B gun, irrespective of the type or size of projectile that can be fired or the gun’s muzzle velocity (rather than if the gun expels a single globular projectile not exceeding 0.18 of an inch in diameter, has a maximum muzzle velocity of less than 700 feet per second, or expels breakable paint balls containing washable marking colors). Passed Senate. Second Reading House.
Senate Resolution 99—Morrison. Urges policy decisions enacted by the Illinois State Legislature to acknowledge and take into account the principles of early childhood brain development and should, whenever possible, consider the concepts of toxic stress, early adversity, and buffering relationships, and note the role of early intervention and investment in early childhood years as important strategies to achieve a lasting foundation for a more prosperous and sustainable state through investing in human capital. Declares May 15, 2019 as Trauma-Informed Awareness Day in Illinois. Encourages all officers, agencies and employees of the State of Illinois whose responsibilities impact children and adults to become informed regarding will-documented short-term, long-term and generational impacts of adverse childhood experiences, toxic stress and structural violence on children, adults and communities and to become aware of evidence-based and evidence-informed trauma-informed care practices, tools and interventions that promote healing and resiliency in children, adults and communities so that people, systems and community, family and interpersonal relationships. Senate Resolution adopted.
