Amends the School Code. Provides that any public school employee who is a member of a statewide association and is appointed to a State board, advisory council, committee, commission, or task force to represent the association in State work may spend up to 10 days during a school term representing the association in State work. Provides that no deduction of wages may be made for such absence. Effective immediately.
Appropriates $2,500,000 to the State Board of Education for the purpose of a grant to the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago's Center for Childhood Resilience for the Resilience Education to Advance Community Healing Statewide Initiative and Resilience-Supportive Schools Illinois program. Effective July 1, 2025.
Creates the Database Resources for Students Act. Provides that a school district, State agency, public library, or public university or community college may offer digital or online library database resources to students in grades kindergarten through 12 only if the provider of the resources verifies that all the resources have safety policies and technology protection measures that prohibit and prevent a user of the resources from sending, receiving, viewing, or downloading and filter or block access to child pornography, obscene materials, or materials that depict child sexual exploitation. Provides that, notwithstanding any contract provision to the contrary, if a provider fails to comply with these provisions, the school district, State agency, public library, or public university or community college shall withhold further payments to the provider pending verification of compliance. Provides that if a provider fails to timely verify that the provider is in compliance, then the school district, State agency, public library, or public university or community college shall consider the provider's act of noncompliance as a breach of contract. Provides that nothing in the Act exempts from prosecution an employee of a school district, State agency, public library, or public university or community college for a willful violation of the provisions of the Criminal Code of 2012 regarding obscenity and child pornography. Sets forth reporting provisions. Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code to provide that the Act applies to charter schools. Effective July 1, 2026.
Amends the School Code. Allows a METT Educator District License for teaching a course in manufacturing, engineering, technology, or a trade (METT) to be issued to an applicant who has at least 10,000 working hours in a trade. Provides that a METT Educator District License may be issued to qualified individuals who have not obtained a bachelor's degree or an equivalent number of hours in an educational program at an institution of higher education. Provides that a METT Educator District License is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the license being issued and may be renewed. Provides that a METT Educator District License is valid only for the teaching of a course that the State Board of Education has identified as related to the work experience of the licensee. Sets forth other provisions regarding the license. Amends the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act. Provides that the State Board of Education, in conjunction with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity or the Department of Labor, shall expand a database to identify METT labor shortages. Provides that by July 1, 2028, school districts in identified regions shall be notified by the State Board and shall participate in a College and Career Pathway Endorsement program and offer a METT endorsement. Makes other changes.
Reaffirms commitment to upholding the health, dignity, and civil rights of all people with disabilities, including Autistic individuals across the spectrum of strengths, needs, and identities. Recognizes and honors the rightful presence, contributions, and leadership of neurodivergent individuals in inclusive schools, workplaces, and communities throughout every stage of life.
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People with Disabilities
Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that any student with an individualized education program or any child with a disability who has not been removed from the regular education environment shall receive educational services at the local building that the child would attend if the child did not require special education services.
HB 3954 allocates $7.05 billion from state funds to cover Illinois public school teachers' retirement contributions for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025. It specifies funding from the General Fund, Common School Fund, and Education Assistance Fund to pay the state's required contributions to teacher retirement systems, including health insurance support and minimum retirement allowances. The bill directly affects all Illinois public school teachers by ensuring state funding for their retirement benefits. This is a routine budgetary measure, not a policy change, with no new requirements for teachers or schools.
Creates the Preferential Admission Ban Act. Prohibits, beginning September 1, 2025, an independent institution of higher education from providing a legacy preference or donor preference in admissions to an applicant as part of the regular or early action admissions process. Provides that, on or before June 30, 2026, and annually thereafter, an independent institution of higher education shall report to the General Assembly and the Office of the Attorney General on whether the independent institution of higher education complied with the provisions of the Act and, if the independent institution of higher education did not comply with the provisions, the independent institution of higher education shall include additional specified information in its report. Requires the Office of the Attorney General to post the names of the independent institutions of higher education that violate the Act on its Internet website by the next fiscal year.
Appropriates $50,000,000 to the State Board of Education for the purpose of providing grants for community learning centers to support afterschool programs and community schools. Effective July 1, 2025.
Amends the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation and beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, the State Board of Education shall award competitive grants on an annual basis to school districts that submit a grant application to the State Board requesting funds to purchase an electric vehicle to be used for student driver education courses. Requires the State Board to disseminate a request for applications for grants that shall be accepted on an annual basis. Requires the State Board to establish procedures for submitting requests for grants and issuing funds to approved applicants. Sets forth priority determinations for application selection by the State Board if the appropriation amount in a fiscal year is less than the amount required to fund all applications for grants. Establishes application requirements. Allows the State Board to adopt rules to implement the provisions.
