Education

Appropriates $2 from the General Revenue Fund to Northeastern Illinois University for its FY26 ordinary and contingent expenses. Effective July 1, 2025.

HB 1956 appropriates $2 from the General Revenue Fund to Chicago State University. This funding is designated for the university's ordinary and contingent expenses for Fiscal Year 2026 and becomes effective on July 1, 2025.

House Bill 2037 appropriates $2 from the General Revenue Fund to the University of Illinois. This funding is designated for the university's ordinary and contingent expenses for Fiscal Year 2026 and becomes effective on July 1, 2025.

HB 1977 proposes to appropriate $2 from the state's General Revenue Fund to Eastern Illinois University. This funding is designated to cover the university's ordinary and contingent expenses for Fiscal Year 2026, becoming effective on July 1, 2025.

House Bill 2023 proposes an appropriation for Southern Illinois University to cover its ordinary and contingent expenses for Fiscal Year 2026. This bill allocates two dollars from the state's General Revenue Fund to the university. The funding is intended to support the university's operational needs. This appropriation is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

HB 2040 appropriates funds to Western Illinois University for its operational costs. Specifically, it allocates $2 from the General Revenue Fund to cover the university's ordinary and contingent expenses for Fiscal Year 2026, becoming effective on July 1, 2025.

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.

Urges the United States Department of Education to reverse the reclassification of architecture graduate degrees from "professional" to" non-professional" degrees under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).

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.