Distributed via Email: August 14, 2015
STILL NO RESOLUTION IN BUDGET STANDOFF
The Illinois General Assembly continues to meet periodically in the Capitol but no budget agreement has yet been reached between Governor Bruce Rauner and the Democrat leadership in the legislature. Little has been accomplished during the brief sessions that have been held each week this summer other than each side assigning blame to the other for the budget predicament. With the education budget signed into law paving the way for schools to open on time, and with the governor and the courts allowing state employees to be paid for their work in July, there has been no real pressure point to bring the two sides together.
There was some movement this week on an appropriations bill that will allow the state to access additional federal funding for some social services. The Senate will take that measure up again to review a House amendment to the bill when it returns next week. The House of Representatives is scheduled to return to the Capitol on Aug. 25.
Many lawmakers and politicos will be back in Springfield next week for the Illinois State Fair as next Wednesday is “Governor’s Day” and Thursday is “Democrat Day.” It could be interesting to see how fairgoers respond to their elected officials amid the budget fiasco.
EDUCATION-RELATED BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW
HB 163 (Flowers, D-Chicago), with regard to recognition standards for student performance and school improvement, prohibits the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) from having separate performance standards for students based on race or ethnicity. The bill is now Public Act 99-0084, effective Jan. 1, 2016.
HB 806 (Golar, D-Chicago) allow s a student enrolled in grade 7 or 8 to enroll in a course offered by the high school but taken where the student attends school, provided that the teacher holds a professional educator license endorsed for the grade level and content area of the course. The bill is now Public Act 99-0189, effective July 30, 2015.
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 is now Public Act 99-0325, effective Aug. 10, 2015.
HB 1498 (Bennett, R-Gibson City), an Alliance initiative, allows for an Open Meetings Act exemption for school boards to discuss school building safety and security, including safety audits. The bill is now Public Act 99-0235, effective Jan. 1, 2016.
HB 1790 (Cavaletto, R-Salem) provides that the career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be renewed and, for individuals who were issued the endorsement on or after Jan. 1, 2015, the license may be renewed if the individual passes a test of basic skills. The bill is now Public Act 99-0035, effective Jan. 1, 2016.
HB 2657 (Winger, R-Bloomingdale) , a Vision 20/20 initiative, is intended to facilitate teaching license reciprocity. It authorizes ISBE to use moneys in specified funds to support the recruitment and retention of educators. It also makes changes concerning specific endorsements for chief school business officials and other administrator and teaching licenses. The bill is now Public Act 99-0058, effective July 16, 2015.
HB 2683 (Davis, W., D-Hazel Crest) , a Vision 20/20 initiative, contains the three components of the Balanced Accountability Model. It requires that ISBE implement an outcomes based, balanced accountability measure for local school districts. The bill is now Public Act 99-0193, effective July 30, 2015.
HB 2781 (Fortner, R-West Chicago) requires ISBE to implement a pilot program for up to three school districts to adopt a program for e-learning that shall permit students to receive instruction electronically, not while physically present at school. The bill is now Public Act 99-0194, effective July 30, 2015.
HB 2807 (Mitchell, C., D-Chicago) provides that any Illinois museum, providing state superintendent of education approval, shall be approved for professional development activities for teacher licensure renewal. The bill is now Public Act 99-0130, effective July 24, 2015.
HB 3123 (Pritchard, R-Hinckley) 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 is now Public Act 99-0276, effective Aug. 5, 2015.
HB 3428 (Sente, D-Vernon Hills) provides that a student who takes a College Board Advanced Placement examination and receives a score of three or higher is entitled to receive postsecondary level course credit at a public institution of higher education. The bill is now Public Act 99-0358, effective Aug. 13, 2015.
SB 7 (Raoul, D-Chicago) adds new requirements regarding student athlete concussions, including; establishment of a concussion oversight committee which must create a return-to-learn protocol, and school-specific emergency action plans. It requires school boards to appoint a concussion oversight team to establish a return-to-play protocol for a student’s return to interscholastic athletics in high school and junior high school and for return to the classroom after the student is believed to have experienced a concussion and requires the following persons to take a training course on concussions: all coaches, a nurse on the concussion oversight team, and game officials. The bill is now Public Act 99-0245, effective Aug. 3, 2015. Please check the IASB website next week for a guidance document on this new law.
SB 82 (Sullivan, D-Rushville) , an Alliance initiative regarding school board elections, p ermits 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. The bill is now Public Act 99-0091, effective Jan. 1, 2016.
SB 226 (Lightford, D-Maywood) requires the Department of Human Services and ISBE to develop and implement a training program designed to screen and register kids for the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services (PUNS) waiting list for services, subject to appropriation. The bill is now Public Act 99-0091, effective Jan. 1, 2016.
SB 665 (Steans, D-Chicago) requires school districts to notify the bargaining representative with a 5-day notice when the district has been identified as a priority district. The bill is now Public Act 99-0203, effective July 30, 2015.
SB 672 (Lightford) a dds the subjects of consumer debt, higher education student loans, and identity-theft security to the list of subjects that are required to be included in the financial literacy component of consumer education. The bill is now Public Act 99-0284, effective Aug. 5, 2015.
SB 1340 (Anderson, R-Rock Island) requires the School Security and Standards Task Force to submit a report to the General Assembly and the governor on or before Jan. 1, 2016 and ISBE on or before July 1, 2016 (instead of on or before Jan. 1, 2015). The bill is now Public Act 99-0065, effective July 16, 2015.
SB 1410 (Mulroe, D-Chicago) provides that children of parents or legal guardians who object to health, dental, or eye examinations, immunizations, or to vision and hearing screening tests on religious grounds shall not be required to undergo the examinations if they present to the local school authority a signed Certificate of Religious Exemption detailing the grounds for objection and the specific immunizations, tests, or examinations to which they object. The bill is now Public Act 99-0249, effective Aug. 3, 2015.
SB 1591 (Collins, D-Chicago) requires a charter school proposal to include disclosure of any known active criminal or civil investigation by a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency into the individual or organization submitting the charter school proposal or a criminal investigation by a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency into any member of the governing body of that organization. The bill is now Public Act 99-0334, effective Aug. 10, 2015.
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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Bill Text/Status: Illinois General Assembly www.ilga.gov
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