Distributed via Email: May 16, 2008

TWO WEEKS UNTIL ADJOURNMENT?

The Illinois General Assembly is down to its final two weeks of legislative session before it meets its scheduled deadline for adjournment. Though no appropriation bills containing a Fiscal Year 2009 State budget have surfaced as yet, there have been behind the scenes discussions. Both the House Democrats and the Senate Democrats are reportedly crafting budgets, and some discussions have occurred between the two chambers. So far, there has been limited, if any, input from Republicans or the governor. With the Democratic party in power in both the House and Senate, the leaders can pass a budget bill with no Republican votes – at least until May 31.

Up to this point, both chambers have been limiting the number of bills that are released for hearing that have been sent over from the opposite chamber. Many House bills are bottled up in the Senate Rules Committee; the same goes for Senate bills in the House.

BILL ACTION THIS WEEK

HB 628 (Black, R-Danville) appropriates $15 million from the General Revenue Fund to the Capital Development Board for grants for architectural and engineering studies and construction of a cooperative high school in Vermilion County involving Jamaica High School, Oakwood High School, and Catlin High School. The bill was approved by the House of Representatives and was sent to the Senate for further consideration.

HB 4646 (Pritchard, R-Hinckley) allows school districts to enter into cooperative ownership agreements with other local governmental entities to operate wind generation turbine farms. The bill was approved by the Senate Local Government Committee and was sent to the Senate floor.

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. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for consideration.

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. An attempt to amend the bill was defeated as the amendment would have still required the moment of silence, but would have limited the "moment" to no more than one minute and would have allowed the time for silent "reflection" and "meditation" instead of prayer. When the amendment was defeated, the sponsor did not call the underlying bill for a vote so the bill remains in committee.

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. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for consideration.

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. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for consideration.

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. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for consideration.

HB 4522 (Pritchard) 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. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for consideration.

HB 4705 (Currie, D-Chicago) allows for the continuation of the distribution of funds by the ISBE to achieve a goal of "Preschool for All Children" by removing certain provisions that limit this distribution to a time period from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2008. The bill was approved by the Senate and will be sent to the Governor for consideration.

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. The bill was amended and approved by the Senate Education Committee. The amendment adds a requirement that at least 20% of the block grant be used for technology.

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. The bill was amended to remove all of the original language and added provisions to create a grant for high school students under the "High Technology School to Work Act" and to remove the $10 million funding cap for the laptop computer immersion program. The bill was amended and approved by the Senate Education Committee.

HB 5338 (Lindner, R-Sugar Grove) requires the ISBE to develop and make available to each school board guidelines for the management of students with life-threatening food allergies. It requires each school board to implement a plan based on the guidelines for the management of students with life-threatening food allergies. The bill was approved by the House of Representatives and was sent to the Senate for further consideration.

HB 5621 (Brauer, R-Petersburg)) encourages the implementation in schools of International Baccalaureate Organization programs. The bill was approved by the House of Representatives and was sent to the Senate for further consideration.

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 bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for consideration.

HB 5956 (Munson, R-Elgin) appropriates $500,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the ISBE for grants to school districts for the purpose of upgrading school building infrastructure in order for classrooms to be able to utilize computer equipment. The bill was approved by the House of Representatives and was sent to the Senate for further consideration.

HB 5970 (Smith) makes substantive and appropriations changes to the new principals’ mentoring program. The bill was approved by the House of Representatives and was sent to the Senate for further consideration.

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. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee and was sent to the House floor for consideration.

SB 2091 (Haine, D-Alton) contains the ISBE’s "teacher misconduct" language (please refer to ALR 95-67 for longer synopsis). The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee and was sent to the House floor for consideration.

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. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee and was sent to the House floor for consideration.

SB 2387 (Collins, D-Chicago) adds the processes of homeownership as part of the financial literacy component of consumer education. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee and was sent to the House floor for consideration.

SB 2500 (Demuzio, D-Carlinville) creates a new superintendent mentoring program (please refer to ALR 95-67 for longer synopsis). The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee and was sent to the House floor for consideration.

SB 2907 (Demuzio) allows the regional superintendent of schools to increase fees for providing courses of instruction for school bus drivers. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee and was sent to the House floor for consideration.

BILLS SCHEDULED FOR COMMITTEE NEXT WEEK

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Wednesday, May 21, 3 p.m., Room 212, State Capitol

HB 2210 (Soto, D-Chicago) amends the Education for Homeless Children Act to require the ISBE to award competitive grants under an Education of Homeless Children and Youth State Grant Program to applicant school districts to support school districts throughout this State in facilitating the enrollment, attendance, and success of homeless children and youth.

HB 3361 (Mitchell,J., R-Sterling) allows for a maximum of five 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 4374 (Flowers, D-Chicago) requires the Chicago Public Schools to provide recess for all students in kindergarten through grade 8.

HB 4537 (Flider, D-Mt. Zion) provides that the ISBE promote an annual campaign about disability history and awareness and requires school districts to provide instruction on the same that may be included in courses the school district chooses.

HB 5338 (Lindner, R-Sugar Grove) requires the ISBE to develop and make available to each school board guidelines for the management of students with life-threatening food allergies. It requires each school board to implement a plan based on the guidelines for the management of students with life-threatening food allergies.

HOUSE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Wednesday, May 21, 3:30 p.m., Room 114, State Capitol

SB 2487 (Forby, D-Benton) clarifies and corrects the newly created Article 11E for school district reorganizations.

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 2682 (Frerichs, D-Champaign) allows school boards to award high school diplomas to honorably discharged veterans who served in the armed forces of the United States during the Vietnam Conflict.

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

SB 2864 (Cullerton, D-Chicago) eliminates the use of 11-15 passenger vans for interscholastic or other school sponsored non-curriculum related activities.

*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.

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