Summary of Recent Bills Pending in the Illinois General Assembly Pertaining to Education

Prepared by Bev Johns, 5/30/25

House Bill 1316—Davidsmeyer. Amends the School Code. Provides that the principal or principal’s designee (rather than the principal or principal’s designee in coordination with the local law enforcement agency) shall attempt to contact (rather than meet with) the student’s parent or guardian to ensure the student does not have access to a firearm. Provides that if the report pertains to a threat of firearm violence made by a student, the principal or the principal’s designee shall attempt to (rather than immediately) notify that student’s parent or guardian as soon as possible. Provides that the principal or principal’s designee shall further attempt to contact the student’s parent or guardian so that the parent or guardian may ensure that the student does not have access to a firearm. Passed both Houses.

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 both Houses. 

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 both Houses.

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 Senate Appropriations Education.

SENATE BILLS

Senate Bill 71—Murphy. Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Removes the definition of “route”. Changes references from hazardous substance release plans to procedures.  Makes changes to provide that evacuation incidents and severe weather and shelter-in-place incidents may include incidents involving the release or explosion of hazardous substances. Requires each school board to invite to each annual review the applicable emergency services and disaster agency or applicable local emergency planning committee. Replaces the provisions concerning a hazardous substance release plan with provisions concerning hazardous substance release guidance and procedures. Requires, by July 1, 2026, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security to develop and provide guidance to all local emergency planning committees, emergency services and  disaster agencies, and school districts in the State specifically related to the potential impact to school districts of a release or explosion of a hazardous substance resulting from storage or rail transport; sets forth what the guidance must include. Requires, by July 1, 2027, each school district to develop procedures for each of its schools to address the release or explosion of a hazardous substance based on the guidance. Provides that each school district shall make available to all school personnel relevant and appropriate information related to the procedures. House Amendment replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill as engrossed and as amended by House Amendment No. 1, but provides that a school district is not required to develop procedures until the school year following when the publication of guidance is made available (instead of until guidance is made available) on the website of the State Board of Education. Passed both Houses.

 

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