With the House adjourning Friday, February 24th, the Senate prepares to come back to Springfield to attempt to revive the "Grand Bargain". As discussed in detail at the
Alliance Legislative Summit this week, the Senate "Grand Bargain" is a collection of bills that look to overhaul state government. Reported in
ALR 100-01 on January 20. Bills in the package include pension changes, new revenue streams, additional borrowing, a property tax freeze, mandate relief and a school funding formula overhaul. While parts of the "Grand Bargain" are not finalized, most noticeably the funding formula changes, the real question is whether or not the votes will be there to pass all of the components. As it is currently written, all bills in the "Grand Bargain" are linked together and must pass individually or the entire package fails.
ALLIANCE LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT AN OVERWHELMING SUCCESS
Thanks to school leaders from across the state who attended the
Alliance Leadership Summit on Tuesday and Wednesday. The response so far from attendees and members of the General Assembly has been very positive. The objectives discussed during the Summit will continue to be legislative priorities during the spring session. Please continue to look for further updates on Alliance initiatives in subsequent Alliance Legislative Reports.
BILL ACTION FROM THIS WEEK
HB 106 (Batinick, R- Plainfield) provides that the holder of a master's degree in public administration who completes an additional six semester hours of internship in school business management from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and passes applicable state tests is eligible for a chief school business official endorsement.
The bill was approved by the House Education: Licensing, Administration & Oversight Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 619 (Walsh, D-Joliet) exempts from Freedom of Information Act inspection and copying, records requested by a person incarcerated that would result in the risk of harm to any person and records containing personal information pertaining to the incarcerated person's victim or victim's family including contact information such as their school address.
The bill was approved by the House Government Transparency Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 656 (Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria) for Illinois Pension Code provisions relating to employer contributions from special trust and federal funds, provides that beginning July 1, 2017 the rate as a percentage of salary, shall be equal to the total employer's normal cost as a percentage of payroll.
The bill was approved by the House Personnel and Pensions Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 1805 (Conroy, D-Villa Park) allows 16-17 year old students to consent to organ/tissue donor registry and further allows parents to amend or revoke organ donation of an unemancipated donor's body upon death of the donor.
The bill was approved by the House Transportation: Vehicles & Safety Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 2378 (Drury, D-Highwood) Removes language requiring a student's transcript to show the scores attained by the student on a state assessment that includes a college and career ready determination. Requires the transcript to represent that the student has taken the state assessment, provided that the scores attained by the student shall not be placed on the transcript.
The bill was approved by the House Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 2424 (Breen, R-Lombard) provides that if any contract or amendment to a contract is at any time in violation of the Governmental Joint Purchasing Act or other laws, the contract or amendment may be declared void or confirmed by the chief procurement officer.
The bill was approved by the House State Government Administration Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
BILLS SCHEDULED FOR COMMITTEE NEXT WEEK
The following is a selection of bills of interest that are to be heard in Senate committees next week. For a full listing of next week's committees, click
here.
SENATE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 1, 9:00 a.m., Room 212 State Capitol
SB 1428 (Rezin, R-Morris) provides that the Illinois Community College Board shall establish
alternative methods of credentialing for the issuance of high school equivalency certification
throughout the State.
SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 1, 9:00 a.m., Room 409 State Capitol
SB 912 (Bush, D-Grayslake) provides that any person required to report child abuse and neglect
(school personnel) shall complete no less than 4 hours of training every year to recognize signs of
domestic violence against minors and non-minors. Provides that training may be conducted by any
local domestic violence shelter, hospital, or other domestic violence advocacy group.
SENATE LABOR COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 1, 10:30 a.m., Room 212 State Capitol
SB 981 (Biss, D-Evanston) prohibits an employer from seeking the salary, including benefits or other compensation or salary history, of a job applicant from any current or former employer.
SB 1296 (Hutchinson, D-Chicago Heights) requires employers to provide specified paid sick days to employees.
SENATE GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 1, 10:30 a.m., Room 400 State Capitol
SB 1289 (McConchie, R-Lake Zurich) creates a uniform statement of economic interest form that
must be completed by all who are required to file. Changes required disclosures that must be made.
Authorizes the Secretary of State to institute an electronic statement of economic interest filing system and repeals the provision calling for filing with the county clerk.
SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 1, 1:00 p.m., Room 212 State Capitol
SB 1227 (Tracy, R-Mt. Sterling) provides that a public body may hold closed meetings for issues
involving communications between a public body and an attorney or auditor representing the public
body that would not be subject to discovery in litigation.
SJRCA 1 (Harmon, D-Oak Park) proposes to amend the state constitution to allow for a graduated
income tax rate structure.
SENATE LICENSED ACTIVITIES AND PENSIONS COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 1, 1:00 p.m., Room 400 State Capitol
SB 1287 (Mulroe, D-Chicago) limits the period of time that guaranteed energy savings contracts can be in place from 20 to 8. Requires that qualified architect, engineer and structural engineer providers need to be licensed in accordance with their practice acts. Requires changes made under a contract to be subject to performance reviews. Establishes certain procedures for submission of proposals and changes references from "energy or operational costs" to "energy operating costs".
SENATE INSURANCE COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 1, 2:15 p.m., Room 400 State Capitol
SB 193 (Link, D-Gurnee) Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance
must provide coverage for medically necessary preventative physical therapy for insureds diagnosed
with multiple sclerosis without any treatment limitation or calendar year maximum.
SB 1546 (Mulroe) Provides that every policy of accident and health insurance amended, delivered,
issued, or renewed that provides coverage for prescription drugs shall provide for synchronization of
prescription drug refills on at least one occasion per insured per year provided that certain conditions
are met.
SENATE REVENUE COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 1, 2:15 p.m., Room 212 State Capitol
SB 936 (McConchie) in counties outside Cook, provides that where a board of review lowers an
assessment of a parcel, the lowered value shall be maintained unless there is a change in physical
characteristics/condition, factual error or if the parcel is subsequently sold establishing fair cash value
different from the board's assessment.
SB 1247 (Althoff, R-McHenry) provides that when a change in assessed value of $100,000 or more is sought in a property tax objection, the plaintiff shall send a copy of the complaint to each of the taxing districts against which the complaint is directed and each taxing district shall have the right to intervene.
SB 1385 (Weaver, R-Peoria) provides that the abatement for property located in an area of urban
decay also applies to newly remodeled single-family or duplex residential dwelling units.
SB 1493 (Jones III, D-Chicago) expands the section of the Property Tax Code providing an
abatement of unpaid taxes and existing liens for certain local government acquired properties to also
apply to forest preserve districts (currently applies to school districts and other units).
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 1, 3:30 p.m., Room 212, State Capitol
SB 704 (Lightford, D-Maywood) prohibits arrest or being otherwise cited for a criminal offense
committed during school hours while on school grounds, in school vehicles, or at school activities or
sanctioned events except in certain circumstances.
SB 756 (Morrison, D-Deerfield) authorizes a school board to excuse pupils enrolled in grades 9
through 12 (instead of grades 11 and 12) from engaging in physical education courses if those pupils
request to be excused for any of specified reasons.
SB 764 (Morrison) requires each public school and charter school to post, in a clearly visible location in a public area of the school that is readily accessible to students, a sign in English and in Spanish that contains the toll-free telephone number operated by the Department of Children and Family Services to receive reports of child abuse or neglect.
SB 791 (Sandoval, D-Cicero) provides that a school board may allow students to substitute the
entirety of grades 11 and 12 with vocational or technical education courses.
SB 863 (Bertino-Tarrant, D-Shorewood) provides that three of the members of the Illinois State
Board of Education (ISBE) must represent the educator community (Vision 20/20 initiative).
SB 1223 (Lightford) provides that any student in a school district may be referred by a teacher,
administrator, gifted education specialist, guidance counselor, school psychologist, or parent or legal
guardian to the principal for evaluation for possible accelerated placement.
SB 1483 (Althoff) provides that a parent's or student's request to inspect and copy records under the Act must be granted no later than 5 business days (rather than 15 school days).
SB 1486 (Weaver) makes various changes to clean up and modernize school code.
SB 1557 (Lightford) provides that early childhood programs receiving State Board of Education
grants for preschool educational programs shall prohibit the expulsion of children.
SENATE COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Thursday, March 2, 9:00 a.m., Room 400 State Capitol
SB 1513 (Lightford) for prevailing wage projects in excess of $250,000 all specifications shall require that no less than 15% of the labor hours within each trade be performed by apprentices of that trade.
SENATE ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION COMMITTEE
Thursday, March 2, 11:00 a.m., Room 409 State Capitol
SJR 15 (Lightford) establishes September 10-16, 2017 as Illinois Waterway Cleanup Week where
coordination will occur with the International Coastal Cleanup Day effort and partner organizations
and schools will facilitate the opportunity for Illinois student participant groups.
This legislative report was written and edited by the lobbyists of the Illinois Association of School Boards to provide information to the members of the organizations that comprise the Statewide School Management Alliance.
