Delivered via email: May 15, 2026

This Week at the Capitol

The Illinois House and Senate were in session again this week. Both chambers continue to pass bills out of committee in anticipation of the third reading deadline, on May 22. The House and Senate will return next week, the Senate on May 18 and the House on May 19. This is the final stretch, as the legislature will take a brief break over the Memorial Day weekend and then continue until the scheduled adjournment on May 31. The next two weeks will be busy with omnibus bills released and budget discussions intensifying.   

Notice to Remedy (SB2914) Update

As previously reported, SB2914 (Cappel, Moeller) passed out of the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee: Administration, Licensing & Charters. IASB and other school management groups have significant concerns, specifically with the provision that would allow binding arbitration for the school board’s issuance of a Notice to Remedy. This bill can be called on the House floor at any time. Since this bill has already passed the Senate, now is the final opportunity for school board members to reach out to legislators to let them know that additional changes are needed.  

Call to Action: The most effective way to communicate with your House representative on concerns with SB2914 is through a phone call to them. IASB appreciates all calls and emails already made by school board members in their outreach efforts over the past weeks. 

Senate Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bill Package

Earlier this week, the Senate released multiple bills related to AI and technology use, two of which impact public school districts. These bills are the product of a 10-plus hour Senate Executive subcommittee subject matter hearing on a variety of AI and technology-related issues. IASB testified and submitted written comments during the hearing on the original bill, SB3735 (Martwick).

SB3735 had three major components: 1) the Student Educational Technologies Rights Act, which would allow parents to opt their kids out of the use of district-issued technology and the district would be required to provide students with a comparable paper copy; 2) a measure that prohibits districts from collecting any student biometric data; and 3) changes to the Student Online Personal Protection Act to address student privacy concerns related to vendor use of AI. Although SB3735 will not be moving forward at this time, in its place SB415 and SB416 are moving forward and are modified versions of the first two issues set forth in SB3735. Our understanding is that the third issue will not be addressed at this time. 

• SB415 (Villa) puts limits on the use of student biometric information for reasons other than legitimate instructional purposes, as determined by the school district. IASB testified that there are legitimate educational reasons for districts to use technology that accesses biometric information, particularly for students with special needs. There are protections currently in place to notify parents when that occurs and to protect that data.  
• SB416 (Martwick) does not include the opt-out language, but does take measurable steps to restrict the use of AI and technology. It requires school boards to adopt a policy that prohibits teachers from using an AI tool for grading that requires professional judgment, and that any AI tool used in relation to students or student work be approved by the school board. While IASB anticipates that the appropriate use of district-issued student technology devices and the use of AI in school will continue to be discussed by the General Assembly, we emphasized that students completely opting out of technology creates significant challenges for school districts. Additionally, it is important to wait for ISBE’s AI guidance that will be released this July. SB416 is a reasonable first step to addressing some of these issues but allows for a bigger conversation to play out in the coming years.    

Both bills passed out of the Senate Executive Committee on May 13. While IASB is working to address some outstanding concerns to ensure smooth implementation of SB415 (ensuring existing contracts are not impaired) and SB416 (ensuring sufficient time for school boards to review and adopt these policies), many of IASB’s concerns around these issues were heard and addressed in the Senate. The House has also been working on various AI bills and it is unclear how the two chambers will combine their AI priorities. 

Solar Installation Legislation

On a positive front, SB3273 (Cunningham) passed out of the Senate Energy Committee on Thursday. SB3273 is a joint initiative of IASB, IASA, and Illinois ASBO and is intended to remove barriers to solar installation on public school campuses. Provided the bill passes the Senate and moves to the House, IASB plans to send a Call to Action to support this bill and get it over the finish line. View a fact sheet on the legislation. 

ISBE Board Meeting Update

The ISBE Board met on May 13. During the meeting, two presentations highlighted the importance of student voice. The first was the annual poster winners for Arts Education Week. This year’s theme was America 250: Reflections through Art. Take a look at the winners on ISBE’s website. The other presentation was by the ISBE Student Advisory Council who shared their thoughts and recommendations on Equity and Access, Culture and Chronic Absenteeism, College and Career Readiness, and Technology Use and AI. Another decision on the consent agenda was ISBE's approval of a State Definition for Rural School Districts. Illinois is one of two states that define this term at the state level.  

Upcoming Advocacy Ambassadors Meeting

The final Advocacy Ambassadors meeting for the 2025-2026 school year will take place on June 5, which will include an overview of the FY2027 state budget, key bills that passed, and what to expect from Advocacy Ambassadors in the future. If you are a current Advocacy Ambassador, keep an eye on your inbox for a follow up email from the May 15 meeting that will include a survey. Please fill it out so that we understand your preferences. If you are not yet an Advocacy Ambassador, sign up on the IASB website.  

Federal Advocacy Conference

IASB participants at the COSSBA Federal Advocacy Conference, September 21-23 will attend several new events exclusively for IASB members. IASB’s Lobby Day on Capitol Hill will include an IASB lunch as well as a closing reception. The Association is also bringing back executive speaking coach Jennie Moreau for a communications training and practice session. We hope you will join us in Washington, D.C.