Distributed via Email: March 20, 2015
Legislative committees continued the work of hearing scheduled legislation but little was acted upon again this week leaving the bulk of legislation to be heard next week. March 27 th is the last day in both the House and Senate to hear bills in committee and marks the last week before a two week break from action under the dome.
Budget discussions progress and with the loss of revenue from the temporary income tax increase makes it especially difficult for legislators to find the right balance. As mentioned in the last Alliance Legislative Report ALR-10 , lawmakers are considering significant cuts to the current 2015 Fiscal Year. More than ever, school district leaders need to contact their legislators and explain what a current year budget cut means for your schools! Take the time to reach out to your lawmakers and share your story.
ISBE MOVES FORWARD WITH RAUNER APPOINTEES
The new look of the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) began to take shape this week as the Senate confirmed five new appointments on Thursday. Former Senator, Reverend James Meeks, was appointed as the new chairperson. Even though he was easily confirmed, Meeks confirmation was not without some controversy. However, the opposition that was voice had less to do with Meeks' view on education and more to do with his personal beliefs. Meeks will be joined on the ISBE by Lula Ford, Craig Lindvahl, Eligio Pimentel, and John Sanders. To get more background on the new board members, please follow this link: http://www.isbe.net/board/default.htm .
ISBE HEARS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUNDING REFORM
On Wednesday, ISBE met to discuss a variety of issues. No issue was of more significance than the review of the school funding bill, SB 1, by Dr. Marguerite Roza, Director of Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University. The review began with an introduction of the bill and its concepts by Robert Wolfe, the Chief Financial Officer for ISBE. Dr. Roza's analysis began with making the case for Illinois school funding being one of the least equitable systems in the nation. Roza also brought up six items she believes are important to funding reform. To review Dr. Roza's report follow this link: http://www.isbe.net/board/meetings/2015/mar/packet.pdf.
BILL ACTION FROM THIS WEEK
SB 26 (Morrison, D-Deerfield) as amended, requires all units of local government and school boards that maintain a website to additionally publish notices, agendas, records or other information or material that is required to be published in a newspaper by law or court order to their website. The bill, opposed by the Alliance, was approved by the Senate Local Government Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
SB 52 (Clayborne, D-E. St. Louis) allows school districts to transport children to school who live within 1 V miles of school if there is a significant risk of violent crime. The bill was approved by the Senate Executive Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
SB 82 (Sullivan, D-Rushville), an Alliance initiative regarding school board elections, permits a congressional township comprising the territory of a school district to pass, by a 2/3 vote of all voters voting on the question, a proposition to elect board members at large and without restriction by area of residence within the district. An amendment to the bill was approved by the Senate Executive Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
SB 100 (Lightford, D-Maywood) was amended as referenced in the "Call to Action" from Alliance Legislative Report 99-10 . The bill, opposed by the Alliance, was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to Senate floor for further consideration. Please continue to contact your senators asking for a NO VOTE on this measure.
SB 665 (Steans, D-Chicago) as amended, requires school districts to notify the bargaining repres entative with a 5-day notice when the district has been identified as a priority district. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to Senate Floor for further consideration.
SB 1628 (Brady, R-Bloomington) provides that if a disaster occurs a month or more after the start of a school year in any portion of the territory of a school district and that disaster affects the district's pupil attendance, then the Average Daily Attendance figure must be no less than the best month of pupil attendance for that school year before the disaster occurred (to apply to the school year in which the disaster occurred and the 4 school years immediately following). The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to Senate Floor for further consideration.
SB 1793 (Hastings, D-Matteson) requires the ISBE to develop a model youth suicide awareness and prevention policy that includes certain components that school districts are required to adopt in a policy on suicide awareness beginning in the 2015-2016 school year. The policy, in addition to several other requirements also requires that schools to deliver four hours of training to teachers every five years. The bill, opposed by the Alliance, was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to Senate floor for further consideration.
SB 1885 (Manar, D-Bunker Hill) requires vehicles to stop before meeting or overtaking, from either direction, any school bus stopped on a public school highway. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to Senate Floor for further consideration.
SB 1238 (Harris, N. D-Harvey) expands the Family and Medical Leave Act to require 12 weeks of unpaid leave for a grandparent to care for a grandchild. Authorizes an employee to file a civil action for enforcement. The bill, opposed by the Alliance, was approved by the Senate Executive Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
HB 122 (Flowers, D-Chicago) as amended, is an insurance mandate requiring school health insurance policies include coverage for intravenous feeding, prescription nutritional supplements and hospital patient assessments. The bill, opposed by the Alliance, failed in the House Insurance Committee.
HB 163 (Flowers) with regard to recognition standards for student performance and school improvement prohibits the ISBE from having separate performance standards for students based on race or ethnicity. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 165 (Flowers) as amended, allows students in the public schools to voluntarily engage in individual or collective initiated, non-disruptive prayer or religious-based meetings including groups like B I B L E or "meet at the flag pole for prayer" days. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 1360 (Gabel, D-Evanston) requires a charter school to comply with all (instead of all applicable) health and safety requirements applicable to public schools under the laws of this State. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education: Charter School Policy Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 1484 (Ford, D-Chicago) as amended, requires school districts to notify all 11 th & 12 th grade students of dual enrollment and dual credit opportunities at public community colleges for qualified students. The bill, opposed by the Alliance, was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 2416 (Durkin, R-Burr Ridge) allows the school board of Lyons Township High School District 204 to withdraw from the jurisdiction and authority of the trustees of schools of Lyons Township and the township treasurer, provided that the school board elects or appoints its own school treasurer. The bill was approved by the House Executive Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 2743 (Feigenholtz, D-Chicago) provides that accident and health insurance policies that cover prescription drugs shall provide coverage for abuse-deterrent opioid analgesic drugs. The bill, opposed by the Alliance, was approved by the House Human Services Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 3093 (Durkin, R-Burr Ridge) allows any high school district eligible for Federal Impact Aid whose territory is in two counties, to make a one-time declaration as to interest income not previously declared from 1998 thru 2011 in the debt service fund, prior to June 30, 2016. The bill was approved by the House Executive Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 3123 (Pritchard, R-Sycamore) provides that school counseling services may include actively supporting students in need of special education services by implementing the academic, personal or social, and college or career development services or interventions as required by a school professional per a student's individualized educational program; participating in or contributing to a student's individualized educational program; or completing a social development history. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education: Licensing Oversight Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 3197 (Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora) as amended, creates the Attendance Commission within the ISBE to study chronic absenteeism and make recommendations for strategies to prevent chronic absenteeism. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 3199 (Chapa LaVia) requires a charter school to comply with all applicable absenteeism and truancy policies and requirements applicable to public schools under the laws of the State of Illinois. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education: Charter School Policy Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 3246 (Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville) provides that with respect to criminal history records checks of applicants for employment with a school district, the Department of State Police shall submit a request to the Department of Children and Family Services requesting any documentation related to the applicant. The bill, supported by the Alliance, was approved by the House Judiciary-Civil Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 3428 (Sente, D-Lincolnshire) provides that a student who takes a College Board Advanced Placement examination and receives a score of three or higher on the examination is entitled to receive postsecondary level course credit at a public institution of higher education. The bill, supported by the Alliance, was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 3445 (DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights) provides that if there is no newspaper which is published in the unit of local government or school district, notice may also be published in newspaper published in an adjacent county to the unit or school district (rather than just the county in which the unit or school district is located). The bill was approved by the House Counties and Townships Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 3527 (Fortner, R-West Chicago) in provisions allowing a school to request or require a student to provide a password for a social networking website, provides that reasonable cause must include a formal complaint of cyber-bullying. The bill was approved by the House Judiciary-Civil Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 3575 (Rita, D-Blue Island) creates a Minority Internship Recruitment Program providing that local law enforcement agencies, in conjunction with local school districts and community colleges to develop programs focusing on preparing minority youth for careers in law enforcement. The bill was approved by the House Youth and Adults Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 3687 (Wallace, D-Rockford) requires alternative and optional education programs for truants, the IHOPE Program, and graduation incentives programs to accept dropouts under the age of 24. The bill, opposed by the Alliance, was approved by the House Youth and Adults Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 3823 (Kifowit, D-Aurora) an initiative brought by Oswego CUSD 308, provides that under the school construction grant program, if a school district in any fiscal year receives school construction grant funds for which the district has a levy and outstanding debt for the project, then the district shall use the grant funds to first pay off the outstanding debt and shall reduce the levy by an amount equal to the grant funds used to pay off the debt. The bill was approved by the House Revenue and Finance Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 3824 (Bradley, D-Marion) provides that the Department of Revenue shall issue a property tax refund of $500 each year for each eligible homeowner's paid property taxes. The bill, opposed by the Alliance, was approved by the House Revenue and Finance Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HR 28 (Flowers) urges the ISBE to promote the same educational standards for students of all races so that they receive equal access to and rights in education. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
BILLS SCHEDULED FOR HEARING NEXT WEEK
HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS - ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Tuesday, March 24, 1:00 p.m., Room C-1, Stratton Building
Subject Matter: Bilingual education, Early childhood education, Expanded learning, Homeless education, Parent Mentor line, Performance evaluations
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Tuesday, March 24, 1:01 p.m., Room 212, State Capitol
SB 1393 (Bennett, D-Champaign) requires the State Board of Education to annually confer with the Illinois Community College Board to: (i) identify industries and occupations within this State that face workforce shortages; (ii) notify school districts of these identified industries and occupations; and (iii) approve industry-recognized certification programs designed to mitigate workforce shortages.
SJR 16 (Delgado, D-Chicago) encourages the General Assembly to promptly review and evaluate the Report on Waiver of School Code Mandates filed by the State Board of Education to determine if the Report should be disapproved in whole or in part.
SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
Tuesday, March 24, 3:00 p.m., Room 400, State Capitol
SB 1307 (Silverstein, D-Chicago) prohibits school districts from entering into interest rate swaps under the Bond Authorization Act.
HOUSE JUDICIARY-CRIMINAL COMMITTEE
Tuesday, March 24, 3:30 p.m., Room D-1, Stratton Building
HB 3968 (Sosnowski, R-Rockford) provides that the prohibition of a firearm licensee from knowingly carrying a firearm into any building, real property, and parking area under the control of a public or private elementary or secondary school does not apply to a person employed as a school administrator or school district administrator who has been issued a currently valid license under the Act carrying a handgun while actually engaged in the performance of the duties of his or her employment or commuting between his or her home and place of employment.
HOUSE ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION - LICENSING OVERSIGHT
Wednesday, March 25, 8:00 a.m., Room 115, State Capitol
HB 4024 (Conroy, D-Villa Park) requires the State Board of Education to ensure that professional educator licensees have access to professional development activities aligned with the best practices in civics education and to seek an efficient and effective method of providing professional development of civics content and skills.
HOUSE ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION - SCHOOL CURRICULUM & POLICIES COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 25, 8:00 a.m., Room 114, State Capitol
HB 4025 (Conroy, D-Villa Park) subject to funds being made available from the State Board of Education from appropriations for this purpose, requires every public high school to include in its curriculum a separate civics course of study with the goal of helping young people acquire and learn to use the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will prepare them to be competent and responsible citizens throughout their lives.
HB 4026 (Yingling, D-Grayslake) requires all public school districts to participate in the Illinois Youth Survey.
HB 4101 (Scherer, D-Decatur) with respect to the annual budget of a school district with under 500,000 inhabitants, provides that, beginning with the budget for the 2016-2017 school year, 85% of State funding under the State aid formula provisions of the Code must be dedicated to objects and purposes related to classroom teaching.
SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 25, 1:00 p.m., Room 212, State Capitol
SB 1225 (Steans, D-Chicago) Social Security income shall not be calculated as disqualifying income for unemployment purposes.
SB 1226 (Steans) as amended, allows for a Tax Increment Finance District to be encompassed in a Transit Facility Improvement area.
SB 1448 (Kotowski, D-Park Ridge) as amended, institutes an Internet based system for filing statements of economic interest managed by the Secretary of State.
SB 1505 (Bertino-Tarrant, D-Plainfield) provides that the State Board of Education appointment of the State Superintendent of Education is subject to confirmation by the Senate.
SB 1836 (Hutchinson, D-Chicago Heights) requires employers to provide paid sick leave.
SB 1951 (Mulroe, D-Chicago) makes any and all proprietary information, claims, loss or risk management information, records, data, advice or communications of self-insurance pools, cooperative pools, insurance or self-insurance intergovernmental risk management associations subject to the Freedom of Information Act.
SENATE REVENUE COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 25, 3:01 p.m., Room 212, State Capitol
SB 780 (Jones, E., D-Chicago) in Cook County provides that when homestead property is sold or transferred the new owner shall notify the assessor and shall be required to reapply for the general homestead exemption.
SB 1290 (Koehler, D-Peoria) makes the erroneous homestead exemption provisions and penalties applicable to all counties not just Cook.
SB 1352 (Munoz, D-Chicago) increases the standard disabled veterans homestead exemption and allows a homeowner housing an eligible disabled veteran to receive the homestead exemption.
SB 1526 (McGuire, D-Crest Hill) makes numerous changes to the Property Tax Code regarding changes in assessed valuation, requirements for notice by the Board of Review and notice requirements for appellants seeking change in assessed value of more than $100,000.
SJR 13 (Cullerton, T. D-Villa Park) creates the Personal Property Replacement Tax Task Force.
This legislative report was 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.
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