Delivered via email: February 4, 2022
General Assembly Return to Capitol Cut Short by Snow
After nearly a month of conducting remote committee meetings, the Illinois General Assembly’s return to the Capitol was cut short by a significant snowstorm that dropped nearly a foot of snow over much of the State of Illinois. The Senate met on Tuesday, February 1 for a brief period and canceled the rest of the week’s meeting. The House, anticipating the inclement weather, canceled the entire week without ever coming to order in the Capitol.
Although in-person meetings were canceled once again, the General Assembly continued its work virtually. With an early scheduled adjournment date of April 8, the General Assembly has a condensed deadline to meet the early April goal to conclude business for the Spring session. Only the Senate will be meeting in Springfield next week as the House has a scheduled week off but will continue with virtual committees.
The biggest event of the week, Governor JB Pritzker’s budget address, was impacted by the snow, but it was not canceled. In a previous IASB Legislative Report, we detailed what Governor Pritzker put forward as a state spending plan.
Bills out of Senate Committees Week of January 31
SB 3201 (Harris, D-Dolton) provides that an annuitant may accept employment as a teacher without impairing his or her retirement status if that employment does not exceed 150 paid days (instead of 120 paid days).
Bills out of House Committees Week of January 31
HB 4243 (Mason, D-Gurnee) prohibits a school district from withholding a student's grades, transcripts, or diploma because of an unpaid balance on the student's school account.
HB 4256 (McCombie, R-Sterling) allows a school district to waive, for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years only, the evaluation requirement of any teacher whose performance was rated as either "excellent" or “proficient.”
Bills in Senate Committees Week of February 7
Senate Education Committee
Virtual Room 1, Tuesday, February 8, 2022, 1:30 p.m.
SB 3680 (Glowiak Hilton, D-Oakbrook Terrace) allows a person who is at least 18 years of age (instead of 19 years of age) to be licensed as a paraprofessional educator.
SB 3879 (Villa, D-West Chicago) beginning with the 2028-2029 school year, provides that foreign language courses may include courses in machine control language.
SB 3893 (Joyce, D-Park Forest) provides that a substitute teacher may teach up to 120 (instead of 90) school days for any one licensed teacher under contract in the same school year.
SB 3907 (Turner, D., D-Springfield) provides that an individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License may teach up to 15 (instead of five) consecutive days.
SB 3914 (Loughran Cappel, D-Plainfield) requires the school board of each school district to grant full-time employees of the district five mental health days each school year at full pay.
SB 3915 (Loughran Cappel) provides that the application fee for a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License shall be waived when the governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency.
Bills in House Committees Week of February 7
HB 436 (Walker, D-Arlington Heights) limits the valuation of new property to 50% instead of 100% for counties under the Property Tax Extension Limitation (PTELL).
HB 448 (Walker) provides flexibility for school districts under PTELL to provide property tax relief without penalty regarding the aggregate extension.