Education

Specifies that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Educational Choice for Illinois Children Act. Amends the School Code. Provides that the General Assembly elects, on behalf of the State, to: (1) participate in the federal tax credit established under the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act for individuals who make qualified contributions to scholarship granting organizations; and (2) identify scholarship granting organizations located in this State. Authorizes and empowers the State Board of Education to certify and submit a list of qualifying scholarship granting organizations to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States in accordance with the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its associated regulations. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that provisions concerning a pass-through entity tax apply until January 1, 2030. Creates income tax deductions for qualified tips, overtime, and qualified vehicle loan interest. Creates an income tax deduction for qualified senior citizens. Provides that distributions from the College Savings Pool may be used for certain elementary and secondary school expenses. Makes changes concerning the bonus depreciation deduction under Section 168(k) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Amends the State Board of Education Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, the State Board of Education shall award competitive grants on an annual basis to school districts and other educational units that have school social work interns to assist those school districts and other educational units in the funding of school social work internships approved by the interns' educator preparation programs by providing stipends. Sets forth the stipend amount. Provides that the State Board of Education shall annually disseminate to school districts and other educational units that have school social work interns a request for applications for grants. Provides that grant applications shall be accepted on an annual basis. Provides that the State Board of Education shall establish procedures for submitting requests for stipends and issuing funds to approved applicants. Provides for prioritizing grants if an appropriation is insufficient to fund all applications for grants. Provides that for any school year in which grants are awarded, the State Board of Education shall produce a report on the awarding of grants, in cooperation with the school districts and educational units that are awarded grants. Sets forth requirements for the report. Provides that the report shall be posted on the State Board of Education's Internet website each school year in which grants are awarded. Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that the Board of Higher Education shall establish and administer a grant program to support the field placement of social workers. Provides that the Board shall distribute the funds appropriated for this purpose in the form of grants to public or nonpublic institutions of higher education to expand opportunities for students who are intending to become social workers and to assist students in pursuing social-work related field placements, internships, and other work opportunities. Sets forth other requirements concerning the operation of the grant program. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $5,000,000 to the State Board of Education to award funding under the Education of Homeless Children and Youth State Grant Program to be used to support programming for students at risk for or experiencing homelessness. Effective July 1, 2026.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Department of Early Childhood for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, as follows: General Funds $2,087,963,000; Other State Funds $299,200,000; Federal Funds $2,037,234,200; Total $4,424,397,200.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall establish a Manufacturing Promise Scholarship Program to award scholarships to State residents who are enrolled in a public community college or other program with a major in manufacturing or a skilled trade. Provides that, subject to a separate appropriation for such purposes, the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider applications for a scholarship. Provides that an applicant is eligible for a scholarship if the Commission finds that the applicant meets specified criteria. Provides that the Commission shall reserve 20% of the amount appropriated in a given fiscal year for students who are from underrepresented areas. Provides that the Commission shall make scholarships available to traditional college-aged students, adults, and non-traditional students. Provides that an applicant who receives a scholarship may not be required to return scholarship funds. Provides for rulemaking.

Amends the Substance Use Disorder Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to collaborate with the State Board of Education to the extent the Board develops instructional resources for substance use or gambling disorder prevention and awareness that may be used by school districts. Permits the Department to provide funding programs for parents on healthy gaming and play habits; appropriate financial planning and investment strategies; how to talk about gambling and related activities; and how to talk about substance use or gambling. In provisions requiring the Department to establish a public education, research, and training program regarding gambling disorders, expands the scope of the program by requiring that the program utilize screening, crisis intervention, treatment, public awareness, prevention, in-service training, and other innovative means, to decrease the incidents of suicide attempts related to a gambling disorder or gambling issues. Permits the Department to establish a program to provide for the production and publication, in electronic and other formats, of gambling prevention, recognition, treatment, and recovery literature and other public education methods. Permits the Department to support gambling disorder prevention, recognition, treatment, and recovery projects by facilitating the acquisition of gambling prevention curriculums, providing trainings in gambling disorder prevention best practices, connecting programs to health care resources, establishing learning collaboratives between localities and programs, and assisting programs in navigating any regulatory requirements for establishing or expanding such programs. Permits the Department to award grants to create or support local gambling prevention, recognition, and response projects. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Requires, by no later than January 1, 2027, the State Board of Education, in consultation with water safety experts, to develop or adopt and make available to school districts a model program of instruction on water safety. Requires the State Board to provide to all public and nonpublic schools an informational notice regarding water safety developed by the Department of Public Health, and requires the school to distribute the notice to the parent or legal guardian of each student enrolled in the school. Includes website posting requirements by the State Board, school districts, and nonpublic schools regarding the informational notice. Sets forth liability exemptions. Makes conforming changes in the Department of Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Effective immediately.

Recognizes the 100th anniversary of the movement started by Dr. Carter G. Woodson to celebrate Black history. Affirms that Black history is American history and its preservation is essential to the strength of our democracy and the freedoms we hold dear. Encourages all citizens, schools, and cultural institutions in Illinois to engage with the full, accurate truth of our history.

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that the Board of Higher Education, in approving or disapproving a public institution of higher education's proposal for a new unit of instruction, research, or public service or in approving modifications, must take into account the unique student demographics and needs of the particular institution.

Amends the School Code. Sets forth measures to be taken when an offense of bullying occurs and is reported to a public school, including a charter school, depending on the severity of the bullying offense, including hearing requirements, compulsory, school-based, restorative-justice requirements, community service requirements, and counseling requirements for minor offenders; hearing requirements, administrative fee requirements, and education session requirements for parents or guardians of minor offenders; and victim support. Requires the State Board of Education to annually report to the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey of the National Center for Education Statistics any incidents of bullying, the number of hearings relating to incidents of bullying, restorative-justice program outcomes, disciplinary actions, and follow-up metrics by demographics. Requires the State Board to conduct an annual audit of schools that participate in the restorative measures to determine anti-bullying metrics for the report. Makes other changes.