Distributed via Email: April 20, 2009

The Illinois General Assembly returns to the Capitol this week after a two week break. Senate bills that have been approved by the full Senate will be considered in House committees. Likewise, House bills that have been approved by the full House of Representatives will be considered in Senate committees.

BILLS SCHEDULED FOR COMMITTEE THIS WEEK

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Tuesday, April 21, 4 p.m., Room 409, State Capitol

SJR 52 (Meeks, D-Chicago) addresses school district requests for mandate waivers. The amendment to the resolution would deny the waiver request for Mannheim SD 83 regarding administrative cost caps. It would grant the "behind-the-wheel driver's education waiver for one year (instead of the 5 years requested) for the following school districts: Rock Island SD 41, Reavis THSD 220, Lyons THSD 204, and Moline USD 40. Finally, it would grant the driver's education fee limit for Waukegan CUSD 60, but for $350 instead of the $500 requested.

SB 611 (Harmon, D-Oak Park) has an amendment filed that would allow funds to go to non-public schools from the School Technology Revolving Loan Program.

HB 613 (Eddy, R-Hutsonville) provides that the acceptance of bids sealed by a bidder and the opening of these bids at a public bid opening may be permitted by an electronic process.

HB 725 (Watson, R-Jacksonville) encourages school boards to implement American Sign Language (ASL) courses into school foreign language curriculum.

HB 737 (Smith, D-Canton) contains an Alliance initiative that updates the school principal mentoring program.

HB 809 (Fortner, R-West Chicago), regarding school districts that enter into joint agreements for special education services, removes the petition requirement for removal or addition if all members adopt concurring resolutions. It also provides that the contract of a director of a joint agreement program may not be offered or accepted for less than 1 year or more than 3 years.

HB 900 (Jakobsson, D-Champaign) requires research and the discussion of best practices to address the needs of children who are gifted and have a disability, "twice-exceptional" children.

HB 944 (Eddy) disallows certification of a school district as in financial difficulty solely as a result of the failure of the county to make a distribution of property tax money on time or the failure of the Comptroller to disburse General State Aid.

HB 972 (Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora) requires a public school to hold a moment of silence if school is in session on Nov. 11, Veterans' Day.

HB 973 (Chapa LaVia) allows schools to include instruction on teen dating violence in health class.

HB 1108 (Eddy), beginning July 1, 2009, provides that an advisory board for professional development shall be established within each region or group of regions operating as a part of an intergovernmental agreement. The board will advise the regional superintendent concerning the planning and delivery of professional development programs and services.

HB 1190 (Smith) clarifies which employees are eligible for the special education personnel reimbursement.

HB 2362 (Smith), to the provisions providing for exceptions from the bidding requirement that certain contracts be awarded to lowest responsible bidder, adds contracts for transportation of special education students. These contracts must be advertised in the same manner as competitive bids and awarded by first considering the bidders most able to provide safety and comfort for special education students.

HB 2674 (Eddy) allows a school district under the authority of a Financial Oversight Panel to appoint a district superintendent with a Type 75 certificate or a chief executive officer who has the skills of school operations and school finance.

HB 2675 (Eddy) authorizes a school board to hold school or schedule teacher' institutes on school holidays under certain circumstances.

HB 3731 (Mathias, R-Buffalo Grove) allows school boards to award high school diplomas to honorably discharged veterans who served in the armed forces of the U.S. during the Vietnam Conflict.

HB 4038 (Schmitz, R-Batavia) authorizes 7^th-8^th grade students to enroll in a high school course. It allows participation where the student attends school so long as the course is taught by a certified high school teacher who teaches in a high school where the student will attend and no high school students are enrolled in the course.

HB 4117 (Mulligan, R-Des Plaines), with respect to the purpose of the Grow Your Own Teacher Education Initiative, provides that preparing highly skilled, committed teachers to teach in hard-to-staff schools includes preparing teachers to teach within the Department of Juvenile Justice School District.

HB 4223 (May, D-Highland Park) recommends that schools be tested for radon every 5 years.

SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
Tuesday, April 21, 4 p.m., Room 400, State Capitol

HB 2535 (Poe, R-Springfield) requires the use of a 5% bio-diesel blend in school buses (instead of the current 2% blend).

HOUSE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Wednesday, April 22, 8:30 a.m., Room 114, State Capitol

SB 35 (Garrett, D-Lake Forest) provides that for paid sick leave for adoption or placement for adoption, the school board may require that the teacher or other employee provide evidence that the formal adoption process is underway, and such leave is limited to 30 days unless a longer leave has been negotiated with the exclusive bargaining representative. They also provide that a school board may require a certificate from a physician, advanced practice nurse, physician assistant, or spiritual adviser or practitioner as a basis for pay during leave after an absence of 30 days for birth.

SB 79 (Link, D-Vernon Hills) requires grantees under the Preschool for All Children program to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the appropriate local Head Start agency no later than 3 months after the award of a grantee's grant under the program.

SB 187 (Maloney, D-Chicago) allows for a chief school business official endorsement if, among other conditions, the certificate holder has 2 years of university-approved practical experience.

SB 269 (Demuzio, D-Carlinville) allows for an increase in fees for school bus driver training.

SB 1276 (Demuzio) establishes a superintendent mentoring program.

SB 1293 (Clayborne, D-E. St. Louis) adjusts school district debt limitations for Belle Valley S.D. #119.

SB 1412 (Harmon), 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.

SB 1508 (Koehler, D-Peoria) amends the Illinois School Student Records Act to provide that nothing in the Act shall be construed to impair or limit the confidentiality of information communicated in confidence to a school social worker, school counselor, school psychologist, or school psychologist intern.

SB 1557 (Delgado, D-Chicago) requires instruction on the history of Mexican-American U.S. citizens as part of the current history curriculum.

SB 1570 (Pankau, R-Roselle) creates the School Wind and Solar Generation Program to fund wind generation projects and solar generation projects for school districts and community college districts. It also allows school districts and community college districts to own and operate solar generation turbine farms (not just wind generation turbine farms) that directly or indirectly reduce energy or other operating costs.

SB 1675 (Murphy, R-Palatine) requires all 7^th graders and all high school students enrolled in U.S. History to view the Congressional Medal of Honor film.

SB 1718 (Clayborne) further defines "weapon” for student discipline and suspension/expulsion purposes and provides school districts more flexibility in the area of discipline for students violating weapons policies.

SB 1796 (Lightford, D-Maywood) establishes the Illinois Hope and Opportunity Pathways through Education (IHOPE) Program to develop a comprehensive system in this State to re-enroll significant numbers of high school dropouts in programs that will enable them to earn their high school diploma.

SB 1828 (Steans, D-Chicago), a State Board of Education initiative, creates the P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act. It requires the ISBE, the Illinois Community College Board, and the Board of Higher Education to jointly establish and maintain a longitudinal data system by entering into one or more agreements that link early learning, elementary, and secondary school student unit records with institution of higher learning student unit records.

SB 1882 (Cronin, R-Elmhurst) establishes a task force to explore and examine all duties of the State Board of Education and regional offices of education in order to determine which duties and responsibilities a regional office of education could more appropriately and efficiently deliver to school districts.

HOUSE PUBLIC POLICY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Wednesday, April 22, 2 p.m., Room 115, State Capitol

HB 744 (Ryg, D-Vernon Hills) contains "school accountability” language designed to be added to any new school funding bill. Still a work in progress, it currently includes provisions for increased school district financial reporting, mandatory school board member training, and an "Education Inspector General”.

SENATE REVENUE COMMITTEE
Wednesday, April 22, 2 p.m., Room 400, State Capitol

HB 2238 (Tracy, R-Liberty) provides that the Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption and the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption continue if the taxpayer becomes a resident of a facility licensed under the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act.

HB 493 (Pritchard, R-Hinckley) authorizes an additional statement to be added to the Truth in Taxation Notice regarding PTELL and CPI, passed the House.

*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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