Distributed via Email: May 9, 2008

SHORTENED SESSION WEEK FOR ASSEMBLY

Both the Illinois Senate and House of Representatives met this week in the Capitol, albeit in abbreviated sessions. The Senate cancelled Tuesday's scheduled session as many of the members trekked to Indiana to campaign for their former colleague, Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama. The House cancelled its scheduled Friday session as well. Since most bills have had their deadlines extended as to when they can be called for a vote, there was no urgency for the House to move legislation.

Both chambers will return to Springfield next Tuesday to resume the legislative session.

BILLS SCHEDULED FOR HEARING NEXT WEEK

SENATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
Tuesday, May 13, 1:00 p.m., Room 409, State Capitol

HB 4646 (Moffitt, R-Gilson) allows school districts to enter into cooperative ownership agreements with other local governmental entities to operate wind generation turbine farms.

HOUSE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Wednesday, May 14, 8:00 a.m., Room 114, State Capitol

SB 2042 (Bond, D-Grayslake) makes changes relating to the residency of pupils in residential facilities and the payment of costs concerning tuition for non-resident pupils, residency and the payment of tuition, determining the resident district with respect to children with disabilities, and special education classes for children from orphanages, foster family homes, children's homes, or in-state housing units.

SB 2091 (Haine, D-Alton) contains the ISBE's "teacher misconduct" language. The bill establishes the state's attorney's duty to notify the state superintendent of education upon the conviction of a teacher of certain offenses or felony convictions; allows for suspension or revocation of teaching certificates for misconduct; establishes the state superintendent's authority to initiate the suspension of up to 5 calendar years or revocation of any certificate for specific reasons; establishes a school superintendent's duty to notify authorities if there are claims against a teacher for abusing or neglecting a child; requires cooperating in an investigation of alleged misconduct, and addresses confidentiality and non-disclosure of information, the attendance of witnesses and the production of certain documents. A Senate amendment adds a "willful and wanton" clause regarding the school district superintendent's immunity from liability and removes the language presuming that the superintendent is acting "in good faith" when complying with the notification requirements of the bill.

SB 2170 (Murphy, R-Palatine) provides that teachers (not just school authorities) may inspect and search places and areas owned or controlled by the school, as well as personal effects left in those places and areas by students, without notice to or the consent of the student and without a search warrant. It allows the local district to set the parameters by which a teacher may exercise this new authority.

SB 2387 (Collins, D-Chicago) adds the processes of homeownership as part of the financial literacy component of consumer education.

SB 2500 (Demuzio, D-Carlinville) creates a new superintendent mentoring program. It requires a person who begins serving as a superintendent in Illinois on or after July 1, 2008, and who has not previously served as a school district superintendent in the state, to participate in a new superintendent mentoring program established by the ISBE for the duration of his or her first 2 school years as a superintendent. Under the bill, anyone who demonstrated success as a school district superintendent for at least 3 years is eligible to apply to become a mentor. Mentors must complete training through a provider selected by the ISBE. Then a provider (again selected by the ISBE) will assign a mentor with a new superintendent based on specific criteria (i.e. type of district, geographical proximity, learning needs of the new superintendent, etc.).

SB 2512 (Link, D-Vernon Hills) requires school districts to provide in the school curriculum a 2 hour unit of instruction in grades 3-12 on Internet safety to be taught at least once each school year.

SB 2858 (Trotter, D-Chicago) requires the ISBE to adopt rules for the elimination of foods containing trans fats in public school cafeterias.

SB 2907 (Demuzio) allows the regional superintendent of schools to increase fees for providing courses of instruction for school bus drivers.

HOUSE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE
Wednesday, May 14, 8:00 a.m., Room D-1, Stratton Office Building

SB 2256 (Cullerton, D-Chicago) as to how the Human Rights Act impacts school districts, limits the jurisdiction of the Department of Human Rights to: (1) the failure to enroll an individual; (2) the denial of access to facilities, goods, or services; (3) harassment, bullying, or similar acts against an individual; or (4) the failure of a covered entity to take corrective action to stop harassment, bullying, or other acts against an individual.

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Wednesday, May 14, 2:30 p.m., Room 212, State Capitol

HB 1141 (Jefferson, D-Rockford) requires the ISBE to establish and administer a program that provides stipends (of $4,000 per year for five years) to teachers who choose to teach at hard-to-staff public schools in this State.

HB 3361 (Mitchell,J., R-Sterling) allows for a maximum of 5 additional charter schools exclusively for truants or dropouts in Chicago if the limit on the number of charter schools that may operate at any one time in the rest of the State has not been reached.

HB 3406 (Hassert, R-Romeoville) requires the ISBE to rank school districts based on certain school construction priorities and notify each school district of its rank.

HB 4159 (Bassi, R-Palatine) requires school districts to periodically review their procurement procedures and specifications related to the purchase of products or supplies and their comprehensive waste reduction plan.

HB 4180 (Fritchey, D-Chicago) allows a teacher to conduct (instead of requiring a teacher to observe) a brief period of silence at the opening of the school day with the participation of all pupils assembled.

HB 4229 (Sacia, R-Freeport) provides that whenever the term "registered mail" is used in the School Code, it shall be deemed to authorize the use of either registered mail or certified mail, return receipt requested.

HB 4252 (Brady, R-Bloomington) provides that if an employee of a school district has made a report to DCFS under the Mandated Reporters Act involving the conduct of a current or former employee of the school district, and a request is made by another school district to provide information concerning the job performance or qualifications of the current or former employee because he or she is an applicant for employment, the superintendent of the school district to which the request is being made must disclose to the requesting school district the fact that a report had been made.

HB 4309 (Reis, R-Willow Hill) provides that if a school district closes a school building that poses a hazardous threat to the health and safety of pupils prior to providing the minimum hours of instruction required for a full day of attendance, then that day may be counted as a full day of attendance.

HB 4522 (Pritchard, R-Hinckley) statutorily requires the last two school district state aid payments to be made in June (instead of July) so the funds are received in the proper fiscal year.

HB 5038 (Colvin, D-Chicago) with respect to the Early Childhood Education Block Grant, provides that not less than 11% (instead of exactly 11%) of the grant shall be used to fund programs for children ages 0-3. The bill provides that this percentage shall increase to at least 20% by Fiscal Year 2014.

HB 5077 (Smith, D-Canton) provides that the number of teachers who hold a Master Certificate must be included on a school district's school report card.

HB 5717 (Coulson, R-Glenview) clarifies that any child who received a health examination before entering the fifth grade for the 2007-2008 school year is not required to receive an additional health examination before entering 6^th grade in the 2008-2009 school year.

*The legislative report is 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.

General Assembly Bill Text/Status

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