Delivered via email: May 23
This Week at the Capitol
This week marked the Third Reading Deadline in the second chamber, an important milestone because it is the final legislative deadline before adjournment. While many committees convened briefly to get amendments through, legislative floor action picked up as both chambers passed legislation through the second chamber. The focus of next week will be House and Senate floor action, the budget, the budget implementation bill, and other possible omnibus bills, such as a revenue package. The Senate returns May 27 and the House returns May 28. Both chambers are expected to remain in Springfield until they are scheduled to adjourn on May 31.
In the House Labor and Commerce Committee, SB1799 (Rep. Kevin John Olickal) was discussed and the sponsor acknowledged IASB’s opposition. Despite concerns, the bill passed out of Committee 18-9-0. IASB opposed the bill because it would limit a district’s ability to use third-party contractors in emergency situations, exposing school districts to costly and unnecessary legal challenges. Current law already specifies that an “emergency situation” is one that “threatens the safety or health of the school district’s students or staff” and the proposed definition could unduly limit school boards from fulfilling their responsibility to maintain a safe environment and provide essential student services.
IASB sent out Calls to Action this week urging support for two key pieces of legislation impacting school districts. If you haven’t contacted your legislators yet, please do so. Thank you to those who have already reached out. The Calls to Action for HB2578 and SB2655 are on the IASB website. HB2578 (Rep. Daniel Didech) addresses a growing concern with AI-generated FOIA requests. The bill allows school districts to require requesters to verify, either orally or in writing, that they are actual individuals before the district is required to respond. If verification is not received within 30 days, the district may deny the request. SB2655 (Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel) increases funding for three essential Mandated Categorical (MCAT) line-items: Regular Education Transportation, Special Education Transportation, and Special Education Private Facility. For more information, see this fact sheet for SB2655.
In the Senate, the Education Committee did not convene. While the Senate has not posted the Education Committee for next week, that could change. Senate legislative floor action was busy, and a total of 148 bills were passed out of chamber. Of the legislation passed, 124 bills are headed to the Governor's desk, and 20 bills will go back to the House for concurrence. Key K-12 education bills that have now passed both chambers include HB3097 (Sen. Javier Cervantes/Rep. Aarón Ortíz), which requires schools to provide time during the school day for students to fill out a FAFSA. The bill passed the Senate unanimously.
Also, SB1560 (Rep. Lindsey LaPointe/Sen. Sara Feigenholtz) provides that, subject to appropriation, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, ISBE shall provide a mental health screener for districts to offer annually to students enrolled in grades 3-12. Importantly, the legislation will not go into effect unless the state has successfully procured a screener and made it available to school districts at no cost.
As the Illinois General Assembly enters its final week, IASB is reviewing key budget bills and preparing for a busy week ahead. As noted above, lawmakers will be working on the state budget and large omnibus bills that combine legislative initiatives. This is an important time when many decisions are made and the IASB Governmental Relations team will continue to make sure school districts are part of the conversation.
Legislation that Passed House Committees
HFA1 to HJR12 (Rep. Katie Stuart) creates a Task Force to study the possibility of purchasing health insurance pools and requires a wide array of stakeholders to be included. HJR12 passed the Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter Schools Committee 6-0-0.
HFA1 to SB405 (Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid) provides that school counseling services shall address the needs of all students, regardless of citizenship status. SB405 passed the Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter Schools Committee 5-1-0.
HFA2 to SB1920 (Rep. Laura Faver Dias) provides that the Illinois State Board of Education in consultation with stakeholders develop guidance on the use of AI in elementary and secondary education. Additionally, the bill encourages districts to gather teaching resources to support American Sign Language programs. SB1920 passed the Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter Schools Committee 5-1-0.
SB851 (Rep. Michelle Mussman) expands and clarifies student transportation provisions for multifunction school activity buses, allowing for greater flexibility in transporting students for curriculum- and career-related activities, including partnerships with colleges, universities, and job sites. SB851 passed the House Education Policy Committee 12-0-0.
HFA2 to SB1605 (Rep. Mary Gill) details how compensation from the grant for teachers should be administered. SB1605 passed the House Education Policy Committee 12-0-0.
HFA4 to SB1740 (Rep. Michelle Mussman) creates the School Code Mandate Reduction Council and repeals various sections. HFA4 adds two additional members representing teachers to the taskforce. SB1740 passed the House Education Policy Committee 8-4-0.
Legislation that Passed Senate Committees
HB1616 (Sen. Chris Belt) clarifies that a full-time employee may take time off from work to donate blood or serve as an organ donor. It also adds language to allow part-time employees to take time off from work to serve as an organ donor.
HB1616 passed the Senate Executive Committee 8-4-0.
HB3125 (Sen. Karina Villa) adds language to the requirements to be a Drivers Ed Instructor by requiring license holders to hold a valid driver’s license for any two-year period preceding the date of application. The legislation also adds language to include a temporary visitor’s driver’s license. HB3125 passed the Senate Transportation Committee 13-5-0 and the Senate 37-20-0.
Bills that Passed Both Chambers
HB1366 (Sen. Willie Preston/Rep. Michael Crawford) which requires school districts to provide a notice to parents or guardians of a student with an IEP that they may invite others to an IEP meeting. HB1366 passed the Senate 58-0-0.
HB1368 (Sen. Kimberly Lightford/ Rep. Laura Faver Dias) ensures professional development activities align with evidence-based strategies as outlined in the state’s comprehensive literacy plan. HB1368 passed the Senate 58-0-0.
HB1861 (Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel/ Rep. William "Will" Davis) addresses student residency for a limited group of students with extreme medical needs. The legislation seeks to resolve the current issue of who shall pay tuition for residential facilities if there is a dispute about a student’s resident district or the parent or guardian location is unknown. HB1861 passed the Senate 58-0-0.
HB2337 (Sen. Dave Koehler/ Rep. Laura Faver Dias) sets parameters around prospective mediation agreements for special education disputes. HB2390 passed the Senate 58-0-0.
HB2390 (Sen. Laura Fine/Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl) addresses the process for member districts withdrawing from a special education joint agreement, including requiring that the district hold a public hearing and a develop a comprehensive plan, among other stipulations. HB2390 passed the Senate 57-0-1.
HB2537 (Sen. Adriane Johnson/Rep. Nicole La Ha) requires an IEP team to inform a parent or guardian and student with an IEP that the student's IEP services will be terminated after they graduate. HB2537 passed the Senate 58-0-0.
HB2574 (Sen. Graciela Guzmán/Rep. Sue Scherer) requires, on or before July 1, 2025, ISBE to report specified information for each assessment contract it enters into related to costs and vendors. HB2574 passed the Senate 58-0-0.
HB2801 (Sen. Sally Turner/Rep. Regan Deering) provides that, by July 1, 2026, ISBE shall provide a form on its website for organizations to submit opportunities for high school students to participate in externships, internships, or volunteer work related to career and technical education career pathways. HB2801 passed the Senate 58-0-0.
HB2802 (Sen. Doris Turner/ Rep. Tony McCombie) concerns the daily pupil attendance calculation and allows for participation in a supervised career development experience to be an excused exemption. HB2802 passed the Senate 58-0-0.
HB2962 (Sen. Laura Fine/Rep. Michael Crawford) provides that the Secretary of State shall issue a school bus driver permit with a restriction which will be valid for the operation of a school bus or a multifunction school active bus. The Secretary of State shall develop rules. HB2962 passed the Senate 58-0-0.
HB2966 (Sen. Julie Morrison/ Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl) allows ISBE to provide grants to school districts for the purpose of incentivizing those districts to conduct reorganization feasibility studies. HB2966 passed the Senate 58-0-0.
HB2994 (Sen. David Koehler/Rep. Michelle Mussman) allows parents or guardians of students receiving special education services to inspect and obtain copies of their child’s mental health records, regardless of the child's age. The legislation also ensures designated representatives of students who are 18 or older and involved in special education services have the same access, enabling better communication and informed decision-making for families and caretakers. HB2994 passed the Senate 58-0-0.
HB3000 (Sen. Doris Turner/Rep. Norine Hammond) requires grade 6-12 schools to provide suicide prevention information on school employee ID cards. HB3000 passed the Senate 58-0-0.
HB3026 (Sen. Graciela Guzmán/Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid) requires the State Board of Education to adopt comprehensive guidance for school districts on starting new dual language education programs and expanding existing programs. HB3026 passed the Senate 43-12-0.
HB3039 (Sen. Laura Ellman/Rep. Janet Yang Rohr) allows a seventh or eighth grade student to enroll in a required high school course if the course is offered by the high school and the student passes the end of course exam. HB3039 passed the Senate 55-2-0.
HB3096 (Sen. Javier Cervantes/ Rep. Aarón Ortíz) provides that each high school must have at least one staff member as a contact for Free Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA). HB3096 passed the Senate 58-0-0.
HB3377 (Sen. John Curran/Rep. Nicole La Ha) requires school districts to report data to ISBE on homeless students, including specific expenditures made, activities funded, and any additional auxiliary funding they may have received. HB3377 passed the Senate 58-0-0.
HB3500 (Sen. Paul Faraci/Rep. Suzanne M. Ness) provides that, beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, school districts shall provide informational material on the Illinois Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account program on their school district website. HB3500 passed the Senate 58-0-0.
SB28 (Sen. Kimberly Lightford/Rep. Laura Faver Dias) removes the requirement that student growth be used as a significant factor in educator and principal evaluations. SB28 passed the House 92-21-0.
SB191 (Rep. Bob Morgan/Sen. Julie A. Morrison) starting in 2031, all newly purchased school buses must be equipped with three-point safety belts. SB191 passed the House 83-27-0.
SB212 (Sen. Laura Fine/Rep. Katie Stuart) clarifies that employers must pay employees their regular wage during nursing breaks and cannot deduct pay or require use of paid leave. SB212 passed the House 82-27-0.
SB851 (Rep. Michelle Mussman/Sen. Laura Murphy) expands and clarifies student transportation provisions for multifunction school activity buses, allowing for greater flexibility in transporting students for curriculum- and career-related activities, including partnerships with colleges, universities, and job sites. SB851 passed the House 112-0-0.
SB1231 (Rep. Maura Hirschauer/Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel) increases from five to seven the minimum number of days a school district has to initiate a formal hearing to resolve disputes between a parent and a school regarding special education services. SB1231 passed the House 117-0-0.
SB1584 (Rep. Laura Faver Dias/Sen. Sara Feigenholtz) allows ISBE to create a short-term approval for licensures and endorsements which will expire and may not be renewed, unless the teacher has a serious health condition that inhibits them from obtaining a licensure or endorsement. SB1584 passed the House 110-0-0.
SB1616 (Sen. Ram Villivalam/Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl) requires the State Board of Education to publish on its website and distribute to districts a list of all days affected by cultural, religious, or other observances, by February 1 of each year. SB1616 passed the House 111-0-0.
Legislative Tracking List
The IASB Governmental Relations team tracks all legislation that may impact K-12 public education and makes regular updates to that list. As a reminder, although a bill may be filed, many factors influence whether it makes its way through the legislative process. Some of those factors include whether the bill gets assigned by leadership to a committee, the extent of any opposition, and the priorities of the sponsor.
In an effort to ensure that IASB members can monitor all bills the Governmental Relations team is tracking, legislation has been broken down into ten different topics:
- Boards of Education
- Insurance
- Open Meetings Act
- Personnel
- Regional Office of Education
- School Finance
- School Safety and Health
- Students
- Taxation
IASB will continue to monitor all bills and keep you informed as bills start to move through the legislative process.