Inside the Capitol: Committee Highlights and Pending Legislation
As April showers allow May flowers to bloom, so does the action in the legislature! After a week-long break, the chambers are lacing up their negotiation sneakers and sprinting back to the legislative track. It’s budget season, and appropriations negotiations take center stage. But hold onto your hats, because it's not just about the numbers—expect a few last-minute legislative curveballs that might just keep everyone on their toes!
Having surpassed the third reading deadlines in both chambers several weeks ago, we find ourselves at a pivotal juncture in the General Assembly calendar. Bills that have successfully navigated through their initial chamber are now progressing through the second chamber, steadily advancing towards eventual enactment with the anticipated endorsement of the Governor this summer. Nonetheless, there remain a handful of bills that have yet to clear the initial hurdle of a floor vote in their respective first chambers as negotiations continue for these ideas. Several of those bills were heard in committee this week and are outlined below:
Senate Education Committee
SB 998 (McConchie; R-Lake Zurich) provides that successful completion of a FAFSA application is not a graduation requirement for the 2023-2024 school year due to the delays experienced at the federal level. The bill was passed through committee on Tuesday and passed unanimously on the Senate floor on Thursday afternoon.
House Appropriations - Elementary & Secondary Education Committee
HB 5430 (Davis; D-East Hazel Crest) stipulates that the resident school district for certain students placed in a residential facility will be the school district where the residential facility is located, with educational costs provided directly by the State Board of Education. Additionally, the bill mandates the involvement of the resident school district in individualized education program meetings, appoints an educational surrogate for students and outlines procedures for payment to residential facilities, applying specifically to special education students not enrolled by their guardians in a school district. The bill was held on second reading for a possible amendment following a number of concerns articulated by committee members.
The committee also heard subject matter testimony on two budget item requests from the Illinois State Board of Education for REACH and SEL Hub funding.
Resilience Education to Advance Community Healing (REACH)
The Illinois State Board of Education, along with Lurie’s Children Hospital, testified for an appropriations request for Resilience Education to Advance Community Healing (REACH) for FY 25. REACH is an initiative in Illinois designed to boost educators' ability to support student and staff well-being by addressing trauma and promoting mental health. The program equips school personnel and community members with the necessary skills to recognize and manage trauma-related issues, fostering a supportive and culturally sensitive school environment. Initiated in 2020 and expanded statewide in 2021 with federal COVID-19 relief funds, REACH has seen participation from 527 schools across 257 districts. Promising results have been reported, including improvements in schools that have undergone multiple assessments. A funding increase of $4.25 million to a total of $10 million for FY 2025 is recommended to sustain and expand the initiative, which supports resilience and aligns with ISBE’s Strategic Plan priorities. This additional funding will also help develop a Resilient Schools Certification program to further promote sustainable, healing-centered educational environments.
Social-Emotional Learning Hubs (SEL)
ISBE also testified on an appropriations request for Social-Emotional Learning Hubs (SEL) for FY 25. Illinois implemented a coaching and mentoring program for first to third-year teachers and clinicians, pairing them with mentors and coaches in their subject area, including virtual coaching if necessary. Starting in FY 2021 and funded through ESSER funds, the program has grown significantly, supporting 1,351 educators across 120 districts in FY 2023. The program’s success has led to a recommendation to increase its budget to $8 million for FY 2025, a $1 million increase from the previous year, to expand participation and pilot additional support for student and cooperating teachers.
Bills in their Second Chamber
Below are some highlights of bills that have moved through committee in their second chamber this week, and will likely be moving forward for floor votes in the next few weeks:
Senate Education Committee
HB 4581 (Ventura; D-Joliet) provides that the resident district for a student who turns 18 while enrolled in a residential placement shall be considered the school district in which their parent resides.
HB 5184 (Bennett; R-Morris) requires school district bullying policies to be age and developmentally appropriate.
HB 4417 (Halpin; D-Rock Island) is permissive and allows school districts the ability to recognize Workforce Readiness Week. If a school district elects to provide a Workforce Readiness Week, the bill specifies certain required elements that must be included in the instruction. The bill passed out of committee along party lines.
HB 4653 (Villivalam; D-Chicago) is a trailer bill from last year’s initiative to consolidate mandated training for all educators, and further consolidates training that was mandated in the spring of 2023.
HB 4175 (Johnson; D-Waukegan) prohibits the use of corporal punishment in public school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools.
House Appropriations-Elementary & Secondary Education Committee
SB 3768 (Costa Howard; D-Lombard) expands the definition of which students with disabilities may be served at the Phillip J Rock Center and School in Glen Ellyn. Specifically, the school will be able to serve more students than just deaf and blind individuals by allowing the school to educate students with only a hearing impairment or only a visual impairment in addition to students who are both deaf and blind. The bill passed out of committee with a unanimous vote.
SB 3237 (Hoffman; D-Belleville) addresses school construction grants, and provides that school districts that were on the 2004 through 2006 construction lists may qualify for a reduced local match if the district applies and are approved during the first three grant cycles. The bill passed out on leave.
SB 3606 (Mussman; D-Schaumburg) passed out of committee with a unanimous vote. As written in previous Advocacy Alerts, the bill allows for tuition reimbursement for special education students who are educated in public day schools in the same way in which districts currently receive reimbursement for students who attend private day schools.
House Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee
SB 3349 (Yang Rohr; D-Naperville) provides that 6 units of credit shall be required to achieve State Global Scholar Certification, and provides that ISBE shall adopt rules to provide students attending schools that do not currently offer State Global Scholar Certification the opportunity to earn State Global Scholar Certification remotely beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. The bill is being held on second reading pending an amendment from ISBE to allow for the virtual course catalog to be used for the global scholar certification program.
SB 3151 (West; D-Rockford) requires driver’s education courses to include instruction on worker safety in highway construction and maintenance zones. The bill was passed out on leave.
SB 3571 (Elik; R-Alton) requires every school building to have an AED available on site during the school day and during any school-sponsored extracurricular activities. The bill was passed out on leave.
SB 2872 (Faver Dias; D-Grayslake) provides that school districts may include 20 or more minutes per week of relaxation activities and may partner with outside organizations to provide such activities. Leave was granted and the bill passed through committee.
SB 3473 (Smith; D-Chicago) was passed through committee but held for an amendment. The amendment will require ISBE to provide information to school districts on Type 1 diabetes and will require school districts to place that information on their websites.
House Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter Schools Committee
HR 571 (Stuart; D-Collinsville) declares February 5 through February 9, 2024 as School Counseling Week in the State of Illinois. The resolution encourages all Illinoisans to join in recognizing school counselors who have worked diligently to ensure all students in the State are afforded equal opportunities in their education and personal growth.
SB 463 (Hirschauer; D-West Chicago) addresses the upcoming sunset of the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC), which is scheduled for June 30, 2024, by creating the Performance Evaluation Advisory Committee to take the place of the Council, effective July 1, 2024. The bill does not include a sunset date for the committee. An amendment will be coming for the legislation.
SB 2824 (Davidsmeyer; R-Jacksonville) ensures that a child removed from their parent's care by the Department of Children and Family Services, who then resides with a foster parent or in another caregiver arrangement in a different school district, will not be charged tuition as a nonresident pupil if it's deemed in the child's best interest to continue attending their former school or the school they would have attended if not removed from parental care.
SB 2861 (Morgan; D-Highwood) aims to establish statewide safety standards for student cheerleaders and spirit groups. It proposes adopting the safety rules outlined in the Spirit Rules Book by the National Federation of State High School Associations.
SB 2987 (Elik; R-Alton) provides that a school board member's required professional development and leadership training (rather than professional development leadership training), shall cover the topic of improving student outcomes.
SB 3110 (Mason; D-Gurnee) provides that a vacancy on a regional board of school trustees shall be subject to the residency provisions in the Article unless the vacancy occurs in a single county educational service region (instead of providing that any vacancy is subject to the residency provisions in the Article). Provides that if a vacancy occurs in a single county educational service region, then the vacancy may be filled by a person who is a resident of a congressional township not represented on the board.
SB 3156 (Davis; D-East Hazel Crest) is ISBE’s annual clean-up bill and aims to address several sections of the school code. Provisions of note include flexibility for the timeline of approving an e-learning plan, updating the definition of school counselor duties, and clarification on the members who should be included in a threat assessment team.
SB 3164 (Syed; D-Palatine) expands the definition of "diagnostic and screening purposes" within educational assessments, and acknowledges that these assessments can be used not only to identify educational needs but also to determine eligibility for advanced academic programs.
House Child Care Accessibility & Early Childhood Education Committee
SB 1 (Canty; D-Arlington Heights) creates the new Department of Early Childhood, and will consolidate certain services from ISBE, DCFS and DHS into a new agency. The new agency is an initiative of, and priority for, the Governor’s office, and will begin operations on July 1, 2024, with a target date for full operations on July 1, 2026.
Next Week!
As we navigate the final stretch of this legislative session, it is imperative to stay vigilant and adaptable. While this week saw the tentative deadline for bills to exit their second chamber's committee, we anticipate many bill extensions to accommodate additional hearings next week. With the session's end on the horizon, brace yourselves for swift turnarounds, eleventh-hour amendments and potential calls to action. Your continued engagement is crucial as we work towards meaningful outcomes. Let's stay focused and proactive as we advocate for our shared goals!