Education

Creates the Higher Education Student Bill of Rights Act. Provides that a student attending a postsecondary education institution in the State is entitled to the following rights: the right to an inclusive and safe learning environment; the right to equal access; the right to safety and respect; the right to accessibility; the right to free expression; the right to organize; the right to peaceful protest; the right to academic transparency; the right to fair evaluation; the right to educational records; the right to educational programs safeguarded from political interference; the right to career preparation; the right to educational quality; the right to due process; the right to representation; the right to institutional accountability; the right to financial transparency; the right to fair lending and borrowing practices; the right to timely refunds and withdrawals; and the right to transfer.

Creates the Equitable Access to Education, Employment, and Training for Incarcerated Individuals with Disabilities Act. Provides that reasonable accommodations for incarcerated individuals with an intellectual disability or a developmental disability shall include a waiver of any requirement that the individual take the Test of Adult Basic Education and receive a passing score, or take and receive a passing score on any other examination or test that the Department may require to determine academic achievement or access to educational programs, work assignments, and vocational programs. Provides that participation in these programs through the Test of Adult Basic Education waiver and other reasonable accommodations shall qualify individuals with an intellectual disability or a developmental disability to earn earned sentence credit, consistent with opportunities provided to other incarcerated individuals. Provides that Department of Corrections staff, including educational personnel, shall receive annual training on: (1) identifying individuals who have an intellectual disability or a developmental disability; (2) providing accommodations and supports to an individual with an intellectual disability or a developmental disability in educational, employment. and vocational settings; and (3) administering appropriate alternative assessments. Provides that staff training programs shall be developed in collaboration with disability advocacy organizations and educational institutions. Provides that the Department shall ensure compliance with federal disability laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act of 1973, through the implementation of the Act. Provides that individuals with an intellectual disability or a developmental disability who are denied access to programs or accommodations under the Act may file a grievance through the Department's established grievance procedures. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to publish on its website links to resources, self-assessments, and best practices for educators and local policymakers to prevent and address secondary traumatic stress in the workforce. Provides that, by January 1, 2028, each school district must adopt policies and procedures that incorporate the following elements: (1) a commitment to support mental health in the workplace; (2) the establishment of a district-wide workforce mental health committee; (3) regular assessment of district-level and school-level implementation of the policies and procedures that includes input from the workforce; and (4) the provision of appropriate resources and training to schools and staff for continuous improvement. Provides for amending and reviewing policies and procedures.

Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois to make changes concerning in-state tuition to remove a condition concerning attending high school or a community college while residing in this State and not having established residency outside of this State before enrolling in the public university. Amends the Public Community College Act to change specified conditions under which the board of trustees of a community college district is required to deem an individual an Illinois resident. Effective immediately.

Amends the College Campus Press Act. Defines "public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning". Provides that all public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning is a public forum for expression by the employees producing the media at the institution of higher learning. Provides that public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning is not subject to prior review by public officials of the State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Allows an employee or agent of an entity creating or distributing public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning to commence a civil action to obtain appropriate injunctive and declaratory relief as determined by a court for violation of the Act by such State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Provides that expression made by an employee or agent of an entity creating or distributing public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning is neither expression of campus policy nor speech attributable to a State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Provides that a State-sponsored institution of higher learning is immune from any lawsuit arising from expression actually made in public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Makes other changes.

Expresses the belief that nursing, social work, professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, audiology, physician assistant practice, public health, and education are professional disciplines that require advanced graduate education, professional licensure, and adherence to rigorous ethical and clinical standards. Lists the graduate degrees that should be considered professional degrees. States that any state agency, public university, or entity receiving state funds should take all necessary steps to avoid discrimination against individuals holding these graduate degrees in hiring, promotion, compensation, professional development funding, or other terms and conditions of employment based on any federal student loan classification. Urges the United States Department of Education to include all graduate degrees in nursing, social work, counseling, therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, audiology, physician assistant practice, public health, and education in its definition of "professional degrees" for federal student loan purposes. Urges the Illinois Congressional Delegation to advocate for legislation to ensure that graduate students in all health and human services professions have access to adequate federal student loan funding to complete their professional education. Commits to exploring state-level solutions to support graduate education in health and human services professions, including but not limited to scholarships, grants, loan repayment assistance programs, and other workforce development initiatives. Expresses support for the licensed health and human services professionals in Illinois who serve our most vulnerable populations with skill, compassion, and unwavering commitment to the public good.

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Arab American history, including the history of Arab Americans in the State and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of Arab Americans from the 19th century onward. Provides that the State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make available to all school boards instructional materials, including those established by the Public Broadcasting Service, that may be used as guidelines for the development of the unit of instruction. Provides that each school board shall determine the minimum amount of instructional time that qualifies as a unit of instruction. Provides that the regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a school district's compliance with the curricular requirements during the regional superintendent's annual compliance visit. Provides that a school may meet the requirements through an online program or course. Effective immediately.

Creates the Prohibition of Discriminatory Disability Mascots Act. Restricts a public educational institution from the adoption or continued use of discriminatory disability mascots. Allows a public educational institution to continue to use uniforms or other materials bearing a prohibited name, logo, or mascot that were purchased on or before the effective date of the Act until September 1, 2028 if certain requirements.

Condemns President Donald Trump's effort to freeze funds for affordable childcare. Calls for the immediate release of all congressionally appropriated childcare funds.

Creates the Scholarship Accessibility Act. Establishes the Illinois Scholarship Database, to be developed, implemented, and administered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, as a utility to improve Illinois students' access to higher education scholarships, as well as to improve their knowledge of scholarships. Provides that to inform students and their parents on what scholarships are and how they are attained and maintained: (1) beginning in the 7th grade, a public school shall inform students of the Database and shall require them to create an account with the Database; (2) the account shall be created jointly by the student and the parent; and (3) both the student and the parent shall have access to the account and the ability to manage activity on the account. Provides that the Database shall allow the student to have and the student is required to complete a profile that: (1) presents a portfolio of the student and who the student is and the student's current year of enrollment; and (2) lists any criminal charge that requires the student to be a part of a registry for a crime the student has committed, unless the student is legally protected under law or court order or another exigent circumstance. Requires the Database to include and display a comprehensive list of scholarships. Allows students 18 or older to be able to create an account with and have access to the Database.