Distributed via Email: August 12, 2013
GOVERNOR BUSY; LEGISLATORS AT EASE
The summer is typically a slow time for legislators and legislative issues, and this year is no exception. Though Governor Pat Quinn has been busy taking action on the bills that were sent to him from the spring legislative session, rank and file legislators have been generally idle. The legislature is not scheduled to return to the Capitol until October 22 for the Veto Session, though lawmakers could be called back into session by the governor or by House and Senate leaders if a specific issue would require it.
Those legislators who are part of the conference committee on pension reform have been meeting sporadically, but they have said little about their progress over the past month. It seems that the governor’s inducement for the legislature to pass a pension reform bill quickly has actually had the opposite effect and slowed down the process. Governor Quinn vetoed a budget bill that eliminated the appropriation necessary to pay legislators and lawmakers did not receive their August 1 paycheck and will likely miss their September 1 paycheck as well. This, according to the governor, was the “consequence” for not meeting his deadline to pass a pension bill in June.
House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton have since filed a law suit against the governor’s action. Now it seems that the leaders are intent on not sending the governor a bill while legislative pay has been blocked as they do not want this tactic to be successful for fear of a continuation of this practice anytime legislative issues do not go the governor’s way.
The court is expected to address the lawsuit next month.
Another legislative panel is due to start work as the Advisory Committee on Education Funding, created this spring in Senate Resolution 431, has scheduled a hearing for Monday, Aug. 19, at 2 p.m., in Room 212 of the State House. The charge of the panel is to make recommendations for an equitable and adequate education funding system.
The original resolution that created an education funding panel, a joint resolution approved by both the Senate and House of Representatives, was not implemented as House Speaker Madigan never appointed any House members to the panel. The Senate then adopted S.R. 431 with just members of the Senate on the committee. The advisory committee is to submit its recommendations by Feb. 1, 2014.
BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW BY THE GOVERNOR
HB 64 (Ford, D-Chicago) requires school districts to publish in their disciplinary rules, policies, or handbooks the “expectations” for students regarding social networking websites, including the circumstances in which the district might request or require the student to provide a password or other account information. The bill is now Public Act 98-0129, effective Jan. 1, 2014.
HB 160 ( Osmond, R-Gurnee) gives more flexibility regarding interfund transfers to school districts who are under the limitations of Property Tax Extension Limitation Law and contains provisions that only apply to Zion Elementary School District such as allowing for transfers out of the Tort Immunity Fund. The bill is now Public Act98-0131, effective Jan. 1, 2014.
HB 194 (Chapa La Via, D-Aurora) allows the city councils of Rockford, Aurora and East St. Louis to each create a promise zone which provides private funds sufficient to provide each eligible student who resides within the promise zone and who graduates from a public high school located within that promise zone with the tuition necessary to obtain an associate degree or its equivalent at the local community college. The bill is now Public Act 98-0198, effective Aug. 9, 2014.
HB 983 ( McSweeney, R-Cary) requires 45 days instead of 30 days for petitions to be filed causing a backdoor referendum to approve use of alternate bonds. The bill also lowers the petition signature requirement. Finally the legislation would require an entity not involved in the project to report on the sufficiency of revenues for the project. The bill is now Public Act 98-0203, effective Jan. 1, 2014.
HB 1404 (Bradley, D-Marion) requires all political subdivisions of the state engaging in public construction projects costing over $50,000 to have surety bonds (previously was a $5,000 threshold). The bill is now Public Act 98-0216, effective Aug. 9, 2013.
HB 1444 ( Zalewski, D-Riverside) provides that the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Board of Trustees shall determine the amortization period to be used in calculating the amount to be contributed by participating municipalities and participating instrumentalities in order to adjust for changes in the Fund's unfunded accrued liabilities. The bill is now Public Act 98-0218, effective Aug. 9, 2013.
HB 1446 (Willis, D-Northlake) r equires that special education and related services be provided in accordance with the student's Individual Education Program (IEP) no later than 10 school attendance days (instead of the current “as soon as possible”) after notice is provided to the parents. The bill is now Public Act 98-0219, effective Aug. 9, 2013.
HB 2009 ( Leitch, R-Peoria) provides that the Department of Public Health, in conjunction with the Illinois State Board of Education, shall develop educational material on streptococcal infection for distribution in elementary and secondary schools. The bill is now Public Act 98-0236, effective Aug. 9, 2013.
HB 2267 (Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria) makes numerous changes regarding school district reorganization, dissolution, and consolidation to facilitate school districts that wish to do so as a result of the recommendations of the School District Realignment and Consolidation Commission per PA 97-0503. The bill is now Public Act 98-0125 , effective Aug. 2, 2013.
HB 2428 (Conroy, D-Villa Park) requires the ISBE to establish a Task Force on Civic Education. The Illinois Association of School Boards has one representative on the task force as does either the Illinois Principals Association or the Illinois Association of School Administrators. The bill is now Public Act 98-0301, effective Aug. 9, 2013.
HB 2775 (Moffitt, R-Galesburg) designates the second Wednesday in May of each year as Mother Mary Ann Bickerdyke Day, to be observed throughout the state as a day set apart to honor Mother Mary Ann Bickerdyke of Galesburg, military nurses, and the contribution of nurses to the State of Illinois and the United States of America. The bill is now Public Act 98-0141 , effective Aug. 2, 2013.
HB 3236 (Lilly, D-Chicago) provides that the Eradicate Domestic Violence Task Force shall submit a report to the General Assembly on or before April 1, 2014 (instead of on or before April 1, 2013). The bill is now Public Act98-0188, effective Aug. 6, 2013.
HB 3300 ( Kifowit, D-Aurora) makes changes to the Insurance Code. Insurance companies (including those servicing local school districts) that issue, deliver, amend, or renew a policy of accident and health insurance shall accommodate a reasonable request by a person covered by a policy issued by the company to receive communications of claim-related information from the company by alternative means or at alternative locations if the person clearly states that disclosure of all or part of the information could endanger the person. The bill is now Public Act98-0189, effective Jan. 1, 2014.
HB 3379 ( Tabares, D-Chicago) requires school boards to adopt a policy regarding teen dating violence. It defines “teen dating violence” and requires that each board policy shall state that teen dating violence is unacceptable, incorporate age-appropriate education about the issue in grades 7-12, establish a procedure on how school district employees respond to such incidents, identify the school official who is responsible for receiving reports related to teen dating violence, and notify parents about this new policy. The bill is now Public Act98-0190, effective Aug. 6, 2013.
SB 84 ( Luechtefeld, R- Okawville) makes changes in how a school district deposits and accounts for teacher certification registration costs and back fees. The bill is now Public Act98-0144, effective Aug. 2, 2013.
SB 205 (Munoz, D-Chicago) a uthorizes the comptroller to collect up to $20 processing charge for certain State vendors and authorizes a third-party vendor to be selected by the comptroller in order to provide enhanced identification services to the state to help local governments and school districts receive monies they are owed by individuals. The bill is now Public Act 98-0272, effective Aug. 9, 2013.
SB 1703 ( Haine, D-Alton) adds October 7 ( Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Remembrance Day) as a commemorative holiday. The bill is now Public Act98-0156, effective Aug. 2, 2013.
SB 1737 (Rose, R-Champaign) provides that if a taxpayer is notified before October 1 that he or she owes an arrearage of taxes due to administrative error then the county may send a separate bill which may be due no sooner than 30 days after the next installment of taxes. The bill is now Public Act 98-0286, effective Jan. 1, 2014.
SB 1853 ( Bivins, R-Dixon) p rovides that local law enforcement agencies may charge a reasonable fee related to the cost of offering fingerprinting services. The bill is now Public Act 98-0294, effective Aug. 9, 2013.
SB 1950 ( Althoff, R-McHenry) allows school districts to invest public funds in interest bearing bonds of any local government. The bill is now Public Act 98-0297, effective Jan. 1, 2014.
SB 1951 ( Althoff) transfers 25% of certain surplus funds to the Common School Fund. The bill is now Public Act 98-0298, effective Aug. 9, 2013.
SB 2178 (Harris, III, D-Harvey) requires public and non-public school districts that have a high school to provide catastrophic accident insurance coverage with a maximum of $3 million or 5 years of coverage for student athletes who sustain an accidental injury while participating in school-sponsored athletic events sanctioned by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) that results in medical expenses in excess of $50,000. The bill is now Public Act98-0166, effective Aug. 5, 2013.
This legislative report is written and edited by the lobbyists of the Illinois Association of School Boards to provide information to the members of the organizations that comprise the Statewide School Management Alliance.
Bill Text/Status: Illinois General Assembly www.ilga.gov
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