Education

Amends the Public Higher Education Act. Provides that, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, each public institution of higher education with student health services shall provide enrolled students with access to health care professionals authorized under State law to prescribe contraception. Provides that, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, if the public institution of higher education's student health services includes a pharmacy, the pharmacy on campus shall dispense contraception to enrolled students who wish to fill their prescriptions at the university pharmacy. Provides that, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, each public institution of higher education with student health services shall provide enrolled students with access to health care professionals authorized under State law to prescribe medication abortion. Provides that a public institution of higher education that dispenses medication abortion from the university pharmacy shall enter into a referral agreement with a tertiary care facility with obstetrics and gynecological services in the event of complication from medication abortion or suspected complicated pregnancy prior to dispensing medication abortion. Requires each public institution of higher education to report annually to the Board of Higher Education that policies under the provisions have been adopted. Requires the Board to post to its website annually each public institution of higher education's compliance with the policies under the provisions. Effective immediately.

Creates the Inclusive History Act. Establishes the Inclusive History Commission to (i) address the deficiencies and inadequacies in both perspective and content in traditional history course material and instruction and (ii) develop multiperspective, inclusive, and comprehensive standards that a school may use as a guide in replacing or developing its curricula for history education. Sets forth the membership of the Commission. Contains provisions concerning meetings, duties, and reporting. Repeals the provisions on December 31, 2026. Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, requires schools to suspend all instruction in history education, with exceptions. Not later than June 30, 2026, requires the State Superintendent of Education to provide to schools instructional guidelines and standards based on the recommendations of the Commission so that schools may develop alternative curricula to replace traditional course material and instruction to ensure that students obtain a multiperspective, inclusive, and comprehensive understanding about history. Provides that beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, schools shall resume instruction in history, which shall require the use of age-appropriate discussion, textbooks, and other course material that reframe the study of history by presenting to students an examination of history through the inclusion of diverse perspectives, contrary interpretations, and the viewpoints of various groups of people whose voices have traditionally been excluded from the conventional teaching of history. Effective immediately.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. With respect to identification, evaluation, and placement, provides that, beginning no later than the first annual review meeting after a child turns 13 years of age, the individualized education program (IEP) team shall determine at each annual review meeting whether it would be appropriate for the child to participate in IEP meetings with the child's IEP team.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax deduction for any amounts paid by the taxpayer's employer on behalf of the taxpayer as part of an educational assistance program. Creates an income tax deduction for any amounts paid by the taxpayer on behalf of an employee of the taxpayer as part of an educational assistance program. Provides that the deductions are limited to the first $5,250 of such assistance so furnished to any individual. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $2 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board for its FY26 ordinary and contingent expenses. Effective July 1, 2025.

Appropriates $250,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for the payment of scholarships to students who qualify for the Journalism Student Scholarship Program.

Amends the Grow Your Own Teacher Education Act. In a provision regarding the selection of grantees, provides that: State appropriations shall be allocated with the intention of providing direct candidate support through consortia; and Grown Your Own Illinois may use no more than 5% of State appropriations for operational expenditures, but may supplement its operational expenditures with private funds. In a provision regarding expenditures under the Grow Your Own Teacher Education Initiative: requires grants to be distributed to consortia from Grow Your Own Illinois in an equitable manner based on candidate needs and in such a way as to provide the required support for a cohort of candidates; and provides that site-based cohort coordinators shall indicate to Grow Your Own Illinois the needs of candidates and shall have the authority to inform the development and operations of the cohort pertaining to certain topics. Allows the Board of Higher Education to create a process to allow cohorts to communicate operational or funding challenges pertaining to the implementation of the Grow Your Own Illinois program. Allows the Board to adopt rules to establish a complaint process. Makes other changes.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to provide an applicant for licensure with an asynchronous education or training option instead of the current course of education or training requirements under each licensing Act administered by the Department. Provides that the asynchronous education option may be completed online. Provides that the provisions concerning an asynchronous education option shall not interfere with the provided time frame to complete the education or training requirements under any licensing Act administered by the Department. Provides that the Department may adopt rules for the implementation of the asynchronous education option provisions.

Amends the University of Illinois Act. In provisions concerning scholarships for the children of veterans, provides that an honorary scholarship may also be given to the children of persons who served at any time during the invasion of Panama between December 20, 1989 and January 31, 1990.

Appropriates $225,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the State Board of Education for a grant to the Chicago Board of Education to construct a new school facility for Washington High School, located at 3535 E. 114th St., Chicago, IL. Effective July 1, 2025.