ALLIANCE LEGISLATIVE REPORT (101-06)
On Wednesday, Governor JB Pritzker delivered his first Budget Address to the Illinois General Assembly. Predictably, Democrats in the House and Senate applauded the speech as a step in the right direction, while Republicans were concerned about the plans for additional State revenues generated through new taxes and fees. To read more about the details of the Governor’s budget address, click here.
Next week in Springfield, a group of Principals, School Business Officials, Superintendents, and School Board Members from across Illinois will gather to advocate on behalf of their districts at the Alliance Legislative Summit. The two day event will offer opportunities for learning, as panels of legislators and political reporters discuss the biggest issues facing Illinois public education. While there will be an abundant number of issues covered and training provided, the main focus will be on advocacy. The school leaders will be in the Capitol Wednesday afternoon meeting with their members of the House of Representatives to share Alliance positions on legislation.
BILL ACTION FROM THIS WEEK
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. The bill was approved by the House Personnel & Pensions Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 1637 (Welch, D-Westchester) creates the Keep Illinois Families Together Act requiring the Illinois Attorney General to adopt rules to limit assistance with immigration enforcement at school and other facilities to ensure that the facilities remain safe and accessible to all Illinois residents, regardless of immigration status. The bill was approved by the House Executive Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HR 10 (Stuart, D-Collinsville) encourages the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) from using edTPA as the teacher certification for licensure. The resolution was approved by the House Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter School Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
SB 209 (Bertino-Tarrant, D-Joliet) provides that under no circumstances may a petition for withdrawal from a joint special education agreement be presented to other member districts less than 18 months from the date of the proposed withdrawal. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
SB 1250 (Murphy, D-DesPlaines) requires a school district, to permit a student diagnosed with a pancreatic insufficiency to self-administer and self-manage his or her pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
SB 1371 (Rose, R-Champaign) provides that, upon submitting an application to the regional superintendent of schools, a school district may obtain a temporary door locking device for use on a school building. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
BILLS SCHEDULED FOR COMMITTEE NEXT WEEK
The following are new bills of interest posted this week.
HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS-ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Tuesday, February 26, 2:00 p.m., Room D-1, Stratton Building
HB 2219 (Welch) authorizes and provides a calculation for appropriation to Regional Offices of Education (ROE) for grants to fund alternative schools, safe schools, and alternative learning programs for FY 2019.
HOUSE JUDICIARY-CRIMINAL COMMITTEE
Tuesday, February 26, 3:00 p.m., Room 118, State Capitol
HB 2235 (Caulkins, R-Decatur) allows the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to offer school resource officer training to retired law enforcement officers. It also provides that school resource offers or qualified retired law enforcement officers may carry a firearm and allows schools to employ these trained personnel.
HOUSE JUDICIARY-CIVIL COMMITTEE
Wednesday, February 27, 8:30 a.m., Room D-1, Stratton Building
HB 2207 (Yingling, D-Round Lake Beach) prohibits a local government or its officers to use public resources to fight initiatives to consolidate, merge or eliminate any unit of local government.
HOUSE ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION: SCHOOL CURRICULUM & POLICIES COMMITTEE
Wednesday, February 27, 9:30 a.m., Room 413, Stratton Building
HB 2084 (Welch) changes the requirements for school discipline plan submissions. It establishes a Safe Schools and Healthy Learning Environments grant program and requires the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and participating schools to issue yearly reports on results of the program.
HB 2087 (Carroll, D-Northbrook) disallows a student from taking the entire driver education course through a distance learning program and requires district approval of a program on a case-by-case basis including approval by the student’s driver education teacher and parent.
HB 2105 (Welch) requires school boards to adopt a mass incident policy and procedure guide including a plan for treating children’s trauma after a mass incident.
HB 2165 (Murphy, R-Springfield), for high school graduation requirements, allows 1 year of the 3 year mathematics requirement to be an Advanced Placement computer science course.
HB 2188 (Manley, D-Romeoville) requires the social and emotional screening in a child’s health exam to include questions that pertain to the mental issues of the child’s family or any other matter that could impact the child’s future mental health.
HB 2234 (Harper, D-Chicago) includes provisions restricting the flexibility of school districts to provide physical education, including: disallowing P.E. waivers for more than 2 years and no more than 2 renewals; allows the Regional Office of Education to change an approved P.E. waiver granted to a school district; requires 150 weekly minutes of P.E. for elementary students and 225 weekly minutes of P.E. for middle, junior and high school students; and allows for less time for weeks shortened because of non-attendance days.
HB 2258 (Welter, R-Morris) adds speech as an option under the graduation requirements section that includes one year of music, art, foreign language, sign language, or vocational education.
HB 2263 (Lilly, D-Chicago) provides that beginning in 6th grade, students should be introduced to the importance of developing and applying a work ethic under the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness program.
HB 2265 (Lilly) requires one semester of civics education for 6th through 8th grades.
HB 2278 (Morrison, R-Palatine) provides that if any payments from the State are delayed for at least one payment cycle, the school board may discontinue any instructional mandate, except P.E., high school graduation requirements and drivers education. It requires the board to publicly adopt a resolution to discontinue the mandate and provides that information about the discontinued mandate must be provided upon student request.
HOUSE ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION: ADMINISTRATION, LICENSING & CHARTER SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Wednesday, February 20, 2:30 p.m., Room 115, State Capitol
HB 2056 (Parkhurst, R-Kankakee) requires all applicants completing Illinois-approved teacher education programs shall be required to pass ISBE’s recognized test of basic skills. If an applicant completing a teacher education program fails the test of basic skills the first time he or she takes the test, the applicant may complete a full school year of student teaching or of an internship instead of being required to pass the test.
HB 2078 (Stuart, D-Edwardsville) requires a school board to pay full-time teachers a rate not less than $32,076 for the 2020-2021 school year, $34,576 for the 2021-2022 school year, $37,076 for the 2022-2023 school year, and $40,000 for the 2023-2024 school year.
HB 2100 (Welch, D-Westchester) abolishes the State Charter School Commission and ends the terms of all members.
HB 2145 (Grant, R-Wheaton) requires referendum approval for all school construction projects begun on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act
HB 2272 (Slaughter, D-Chicago) provides that all teacher evaluation ratings on record as "excellent", "proficient", or "needs improvement" are considered "effective" and all teacher evaluation ratings on record as "unsatisfactory" are considered "ineffective".
HOUSE PERSONNEL & PENSIONS COMMITTEE
Thursday, February 28, 11:00 a.m., Room 118, State Capitol
HB 2116 (Skillicorn, R-Crystal Lake) prohibits an employer from making employee TRS contributions on behalf of an employee, except for the sole purpose of allowing an employee to make pre-tax contributions. Provides that employment contracts or collective bargaining agreements in effect on the effective date of the amendatory Act are not subject to the prohibition, but any such contract or collective bargaining agreement that is subsequently modified, amended, or renewed or that is in effect 3 or more years after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall be subject to the prohibition.
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