Today caps off another busy week of session. The Senate Committee deadline to have Senate bills considered by a committee is next Friday, March 22. The House still has two more weeks of session before its deadline on Friday, March 29. Deadlines have not meant as much in the last several years as extensions are granted on most any bill a sponsor requests an extension for, but it should lessen the number of bills that must be tracked by the Alliance.
BILL ACTION FROM THIS WEEK
SB 244 (Martinez, D-Chicago)
provides that Grow Your Own Illinois shall administer the Grow Your Own Teacher Education Initiative as a grant competition to fund consortia that will carry out these teacher preparation programs.
The bill was approved by the Senate Higher Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
SB 1369 (Rose, R-Mahomet) states that upon dissolution of an elementary district, each individual parcel of that elementary district must be annexed by the school district closest geographically to that parcel.
The bill was approved by the Senate
Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
SB 1460 (Manar, D-Bunker Hill) provides thatin the distribution of funds appropriated for the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, priority must be given to a qualified educator employed by an Organizational Unit assigned to Tier 1 under the evidence-based funding formula.
The bill was approved by the Senate
Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
SB 1552 (Tracy, R-Quincy)
provides that each school district having Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax (CPPRT) Fund receipts totaling 13% or more of its total revenues in the previous fiscal year shall receive an additional amount equal to 11% of the total amount distributed to the school district from the CPPRT Fund.
The bill was approved by the Senate
Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
SB 1630 (Stewart, R-Freeport)
, regarding automatic contract renewals, removes school districts from the list of entities excluded from the definition of the term "
parties
".
The bill was approved by the Senate
Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
SB 1746 (Belt, D-East St. Louis) 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 State funding received by the school district.
The bill was approved by the Senate
Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
SB 1798 (Rose) requires each school district to create, maintain, and implement an age-appropriate policy on sexual harassment that must be included in the district's student code of conduct handbook.
The bill was approved by the Senate
Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
SB 1838 (Cullerton, T., D-Villa Park) creates the School District Efficiency Commission and requires the Commission to make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on the number of school districts in this State.
The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
SB 1970 (Sims, D-Chicago)
provides that a student entitled to vote in a primary, general, or special election or at any election at which propositions are submitted to a popular vote in the State, with consent from his or her school, is entitled to absent himself or herself for two hours to vote, and that the school may specify the hours in which the student may be absent.
The bill was approved by the Senate Executive Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
SB 2046 (Brady, R-Bloomington) provides that each school district that maintains a secondary school must offer an early college high school program for its secondary school students to be completed by the student within two school years.
The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
SB 2096 (Manar),in regard to the textbook block grant program, removes a provision requiring the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to pre-approve and designate textbooks authorized to be purchased under the program.
The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
SB 2124 (Rose) adds pneumatic guns, spring guns, paint ball guns, and B-B guns that have specified features and that are brought to school, any school-sponsored activity or event, or any activity or event that bears a reasonable relationship to school to the list of objects for which a student shall be expelled for a period of not less than one year.
The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
HB 246 (Moeller, D-Elgin) requires schools to teach about the diversity of our society, including the role and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals in society.
The bill was approved by the Houseand will be sent to the Senate for further consideration.
HB 834 (Moeller, D-Elgin) prohibits an employer from seeking the compensation or salary history of a job applicant.
The bill was approved by the Houseand will be sent to the Senate for further consideration.
HB 2786 (Cabello, R-Loves Park)
permits school-aged children under the age of 18 to use the statewide toll-free telephone number established under the Act to report alleged incidents of bullying or hazing that occur at their school.
The bill was approved by the House State Government Administration Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 3053 (Mayfield, D- Waukegan) requires the School District Efficiency Commission to make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on the number of school districts in this State, the optimal amount of enrollment for a school district, and where reorganization and realignment of school districts would be beneficial in this State.
The bill was approved by the House Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter School Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 3147 (Halbrook, R-Shelbyville)
provides that if a change is made concerning regular meeting dates, times, or locations , at least 10 days' notice of such change shall be given by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the area in which such body functions.
The bill was approved by the House State Government Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 3363 (Caulkins, R-Decatur)
removes the exception for a school district not to have to employ a superintendent.
The bill was approved by the House Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter School Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
BILLS OF NOTE SCHEDULED FOR COMMITTEE NEXT WEEK
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Tuesday, March 19, 1:00 p.m., Room 212, State Capitol
SB 78 (Steans, D-Chicago) requires that 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.
SB 1189 (Holmes, D-Aurora) requires that for physical education courses, an elementary school pupil shall engage in the course for a minimum of 150 minutes per week and a middle school, junior high school, or high school pupil must engage in the course for a minimum of 225 minutes per week.
SB 1249 (Murphy, D-Des Plaines) requires a school district to report to the ISBE the knowledge of any incident of sexual assault by a student against another student.
SB 1287 (Rezin, R-Morris) requires a school board to, upon passage of a referendum after submission of a petition signed by no less than 5% of the school district's voters in the last consolidated election, enter into a joint agreement with other school boards to share the services of a superintendent or other administrator. The school board may also do the same by resolution of the board.
SB 1569 (Rezin) requires each school district to include in each course in its curriculum instruction on speech communication.
SB 1601 (Sims, D-Chicago),with regard to the instruction on history of the United States, requires that the course must also include instruction on the history of Illinois.
SB 1626 (Weaver, R-Peoria) provides that a qualified student may take any online course for academic credit if the course aligns with the Illinois Learning Standards, meets or exceeds the same standards as course offerings of the school district, and is taught by an instructor who holds a Professional Educator License.
SB 1642 (Peters, D-Chicago) requires the curriculum of a driver education course to include instruction on bicycle and pedestrian safety, which must include, but is not limited to, instruction on how to safely pass a cyclist on the road.
SB 1661 (McConchie, R-Lake Zurich) provides that, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, a school district required to offer a consumer education course may form a partnership with a local financial institution to establish a financial training program for all students in grade 12.
SB 1694 (Bush, D-Grayslake) requires each pupil entering the 9th grade to successfully complete one year of workplace preparation studies that cover legal protections in the workplace, including protection against sexual harassment and racial and other forms of discrimination and other protections for employees.
SB 1757 (Bertino-Tarrant, D-Shorewood) provides after June 30, 2024, no payments may be made by a school district for amounts in excess of $4,500 for children who have been placed in a program in which the actual per pupil costs of tuition for special education and related services based on program enrollment exceed $4,500.
SB 1901 (Weaver) changes provisions concerning the license renewal fee for an Educator License with Stipulations with a paraprofessional educator endorsement and when candidates must pass the teacher performance assessment.
HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS-ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Tuesday, March 19, 3:00 p.m., Room D-1, Stratton Building
SUBJECT MATTER HEARING: The committee will be holding subject matter hearings on various education-related appropriations for the next two weeks. This hearing will cover After School Matters, Agricultural Education, Career and Technical Education, Competency Based Pilot Programs and Postsecondary Workforce Readiness Act Programs. School districts that have funding issues on the subject matter before the committee is urged to send a representative to present testimony. Please contact one of the Alliance lobbyists if you have questions about how to do that.
HOUSE ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION: SCHOOL CURRICULUM & POLICIES COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 20, 10:00 a.m., Room 114, State Capitol
All legislation previously scheduled for consideration and listed in prior Alliance Legislative Reports will be posted for hearing this week.
HOUSE ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION: ADMINISTRATION, LICENSING & CHARTER SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 20, 3:00 p.m., Room 115, State Capitol
SUBJECT MATTER HEARING: The committee will be hearing testimony regarding educator testing for teacher licensing.
All legislation previously scheduled for consideration and listed in prior Alliance Legislative Reports will be posted for hearing this week.
