Distributed via Email: May 3, 2019
LEGISLATURE BEGINS BUSY LAST MONTH OF SESSION
As was reported earlier this week in the IASB Legislative Alert and the IASA Capitol Watch, the Illinois State Senate approved a tax reform package Wednesday. SJRCA 1 proposes to amend the Illinois Constitution to allow for graduated income tax rates. SB 687 contains the graduated income tax rates that would be put in place if SJRCA 1 is approved by the voters. SB 689 would repeal the estate tax that is currently imposed in Illinois. SB 690 would, beginning in levy year 2022, place school districts in every county under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL).
While the tax package was attracting all of the attention in the Capitol, other legislative committees were considering bills that have moved over from the opposite chamber.
Both the Senate and House of Representatives will reconvene next Tuesday through Friday.
OTHER BILL ACTION THIS WEEK
The following bills were approved by Senate committees and were sent to the Senate floor:
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.
HB 423 (Scherer, D-Decatur) among other provisions, would temporarily end the test of basic skills as a prerequisite for receiving a teaching license.
HB 1472 (Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville) extends from June 30, 2019, to June 30, 2021, the flexibility to allow a teacher to return to teaching in subject shortage areas without impairing his or her retirement status.
HB 1475 (Bryant, R-Mt. Vernon) provides that the definition of "school employee" may not be interpreted to require a school district, charter school, or nonpublic school to hire additional personnel for the sole purpose of the personnel to serve as a delegated care aide for students that have epilepsy or seizure-related occurrences. The student's parent or guardian is responsible for creating a “seizure action plan” with the student's school.
HB 2078 (Stuart, D-Collinsville) increases the minimum teacher salary to $40,000 per year over a five year period.
HB 2460 (Davis, D-East Hazel Crest) provides that any public agency or governmental unit should develop, publish, and implement sustainable investment policies applicable to the management of all public funds under its control.
HB 2802 (Welch , D-Westchester) extends the time for the regional superintendent to fill school board member vacancies from 45 to 60 days.
HB 2822 (West, D-Rockford) provides that the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) school report cards must include the most current data on the percentage of students who participated in job shadowing, the percentage of students who have completed an internship, and whether a school offered its students vocational training opportunities.
HB 3096 (Hernandez, E., D-Cicero) provides that taxing districts subject to PTELL would be allowed to seek an aggregate extension increase in addition to current provisions allowing an increase in the limiting rate when a change is sought through referendum.
The following bills were approved by a House committee and were sent to the House floor:
SB 117 (Barickman, R-Bloomington) , for destruction of student records, transfers parental rights to students after graduation and provides that notice of destruction of records must be given to the student before they can be destroyed. The bill also expands the notice options.
SB 1213 (Lightford, D-Maywood) requires school districts to implement an appeals process for "unsatisfactory" ratings that includes an assessment of the original rating by a panel of qualified evaluators agreed to by a joint committee that has the power to reevaluate and re-rate a teacher who appeals.
SB 1250 (Murphy, L., D-Des Plaines) requires a school district, to permit students to self-administer medications for diagnosed ailments with certain requirements. It also requires schools to adopt emergency action plans for students who self-administer medications.
SB 1712 (Koehler, D-Peoria) exempts from disclosure a public body's credit card numbers, debit card numbers, bank account numbers, Federal Employer Identification Number, security code numbers, passwords, and similar account information.
BILLS SCHEDULED FOR COMMITTEE NEXT WEEK
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Tuesday, May 7, 2019 1:00 p.m., Room 212, State House
HB 18 (Flowers, D-Chicago) , under the curricular mandate for character education, also requires teaching respect toward a person’s race, ethnicity, or gender.
HB 247 (Carroll, D-Northbrook) requires school districts contracting with a third party for drivers education to ensure that the private instructor has a teaching license and that the district administrator evaluate and observe the instructor.
HB 921 (Stuart) provides that if an educational support personnel (ESP) employee is dismissed as a result of a Reduction In Force (RIF) and the employee accepts re-employment with the same district, the employee maintains any rights accrued during the previous service with the school district.
HB 2087 (Carroll) creates a distance learning option for drivers’ education,disallows a student from taking the entire driver education course through a distance learning program, and requires district administration approval of a program on a case-by-case basis including the student’s driver education teacher and parent.
HB 2165 (Murphy, M., R-Springfield) , for the high school graduation requirement of three years of math, requires one year to be Algebra I and one year to include geometry content. The bill contains guidelines on what may constitute the geometry content.
HB 2265 (Lilly, D-Oak Park) requires every public elementary school to include in its 6, 7, or 8 grade curriculum at least one semester of civics education.
HB 2982 (Swanson, R-Woodhull) provides that if a criminal history records check or check of other offender databases is performed by a regional superintendent for an applicant seeking employment as a substitute teacher with a school district, the regional superintendent may disclose to ISBE whether the applicant has been issued a certificate based on those checks.
HB 3086 (Lilly) requires school boards to either connect at-risk students with anger management classes offered in the community or conduct their own anger management classes for at-risk students.
HB 3550 (Williams, D-Chicago) requires a sex education course provided in grades 6-12 to include an age-appropriate discussion on the meaning of consent to sexual activity.
HB 3687 (Harper, D-Chicago) p rovides that upon commencement of a prosecution for a sex offense against a person known to be an employee of a school, the State's Attorney shall immediately provide the superintendent of schools or school administrator that employs the employee with a copy of the complaint, information, or indictment.
HOUSE ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION: SCHOOL CURRICULUM & POLICIES COMMITTEE
Wednesday, May 8, 8:30 a.m., Room 413, Stratton Building
SB 449 (Lightford) requires that a student who is a victim of gender-based violence be permitted to transfer schools immediately (either within the district or to another school district) if the student’s continued attendance at the original school poses a risk to the student’s mental or physical well-being or safety. The bill also requires that a student’s status as a parent, expectant parent, or victim of gender-based violence be considered a mitigating factor in all suspension or expulsion proceedings.
SB 455 (Castro, D-Elgin) provides that a school district, public school, charter school, or nonpublic school must allow a school nurse or school administrator to administer a medical cannabis infused product to a student.
SB 456 (Martinez, D-Chicago) requires a criminal background check of every school employee every five years and requires ISBE to conduct random audits of teachers to determine if they are fulfilling continuing education requirements. It also requires ISBE to suspend or revoke a teacher’s license for committing or attempting to commit certain felonies.
SB 1249 (Murphy, L.) requires a school district to report to ISBE the knowledge of any incident of sexual assault by a student against another student.
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 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 1798 (Rose, R-Champaign) requires each school district to create, maintain, and implement an age-appropriate policy on sexual harassment that must be posted on the school district's website.
SB 2075 (Lightford) lowers the compulsory school attendance age from age six to age five (by May 31 st). It also requires public schools to offer kindergarten.
SB 2124 (Rose) p rovides that a student must be expelled for a period of not less than one year if he or she brings to school a pneumatic gun, spring gun, paint ball gun, or B-B gun, irrespective of the type or size of projectile that can be fired or the gun's muzzle velocity.
HOUSE ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION – ADMINISTRATION, LICENSING & CHARTER SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Wednesday, May 8, 2:00 p.m., Room 115, State Capitol
SB 10 (Manar, D-Bunker Hill) increases the minimum teacher salary to $40,000 per year over a five year period.
SB 209 (Bertino-Tarrant, D-Plainfield) provides that under no circumstances may a petition for withdrawal from a joint special education agreement be presented to other member districts less than 12 months from the date of the proposed withdrawal.
SB 1226 (Holmes, D-Aurora) abolishes the State Charter School Commission and transfers all responsibilities to ISBE.
SB 1287 (Rezin, R-Morris) allows voters to put forth a referendum that would require school districts to share a superintendent, assistant superintendent, or school business official.
SB 1731 (Koehler) provides that the in-service training on mental health must utilize evidence-based training that educates the participants on recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental illness and substance use disorders.
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.
HOUSE REVENUE & FINANCE COMMITTEE
Thursday, May 9, 8:00 a.m., Room 118, State Capitol
SB 685 (Harmon, D-Oak Park) provides that taxing districts subject to PTELL, in addition to current provisions allowing an increase in limiting rate when a change is sought through referendum, would be allowed to seek an aggregate extension increase and a multi-year phase in of an approved aggregate extension increase.
SB 1035 (Weaver, R-Peoria) establishes notification timelines for the termination of a redevelopment project under TIF to guarantee that taxing districts are able to include the territory as new property and the recovered tax increment value.
SB 1043 (DeWitte, R-West Dundee) provides that a taxing district's aggregate extension base shall be adjusted whenever an assessment increase or decrease due to the issuance of a certificate of error, a decision of the board of review, or a decision of the Property Tax Appeal Board results in the overextension or under-extension of taxes for the last preceding levy year.
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.
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Bill Text/Status: Illinois General Assembly www.ilga.gov
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