Declares July 3, 2025 and July 3, 2026 as Illinois Citizens Reentry Day in the State of Illinois in recognition of Congressman Danny K. Davis' work in helping to provide ex-offenders with a second chance and opportunity to reenter society as productive citizens and to encourage continuing support of such citizens as they reenter their communities.
Creates the Child Welfare Agency Liability Task Force to develop and recommend a permanent solution to address the unavailability of liability insurance for child welfare agencies in the State.
Declares April 2025 as Second Chance Month. Encourages leaders in both the public and private sectors to adopt policies that remove unnecessary barriers to employment and reintegration for individuals with criminal records.
Urges the implementation of interventions to support vaccine uptake and reduce disparities in vaccine coverage among children. Urges the Illinois Department of Health, the Illinois State Board of Education, and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to work with pediatricians, clinicians, families, and other stakeholders to ensure infants and children are vaccinated on time and students begin school fully vaccinated. Urges the Illinois Department of Health, the Illinois State Board of Education, and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to continue to invest in immunization initiatives and infrastructure to ensure timely reporting of vaccine coverage to ensure children are protected from vaccine-preventable illness in public and private schools, child care facilities, and pre-kindergarten programs and beyond.
Appropriates $6,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Human Services for a grant to the Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago for costs associated with funding equitable mortgage lending, homeownership rehabilitation and development, and homebuyer subsidies and support. Effective July 1, 2025.
Amends the School Code. In a provision regarding an optional alternative evaluative dismissal process for teacher evaluations, removes the definition of and references to "student growth components". Makes the following changes in the Evaluation of Certified Employees Article: Removes the definitions of and references to "implementation date", "Race to the Top Grant", and "School Improvement Grant". Provides that, beginning July 1, 2025, each school district may incorporate the use of data and indicators on student growth as a factor in rating teaching performance into its evaluation plan for all teachers in contractual continued service and teachers not in contractual continued service (now, a school district is required to incorporate student growth data and indicators as a significant factor). Makes other changes concerning student growth. Changes the components of an evaluation plan for a teacher's performance. Makes changes concerning a principal's or assistant principal's evaluation. With respect to the types of rules the State Board of Education may adopt, removes the inclusion of rules that (i) define the term "significant" factor" for purposes of including consideration of student growth in performance ratings and (ii) establish a model evaluation plan for use by school districts in which student growth shall comprise 50% of the performance rating. Allows a school district (rather than only a school district with 500,000 or more inhabitants) to use an annual State assessment as a measure of student growth for purposes of teacher or principal evaluations. Removes and changes outdated provisions. Makes other and conforming changes. Effective July 1, 2025.
Amends the Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act. Requires each higher education institution to biennially (rather than annually) conduct a sexual misconduct climate survey of all students at the institution. Adds the Executive Director of the Illinois Community College Board, members appointed by the Board of Higher Education, and members appointed by the Illinois Community College Board to the Task Force on Campus Sexual Misconduct Climate Surveys. Removes some members of the Task Force who were appointed by the Governor. Requires the Task Force to meet to recommend updates and revisions to the base survey (rather than to review the results of the survey and to implement updates and improvements). Removes the civil fine imposed upon an institution that violates the provisions or fails to carry out the provisions. Makes other changes.
Creates the Public University Direct Admission Program Act. Provides that, beginning with the 2027-2028 academic year, the Board of Higher Education, in collaboration with the Illinois Community College Board, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and the State Board of Education, shall establish and administer a direct admission program. Requires each public university in the direct admission program to identify and provide its grade point average standards for general admission for first time admission and for transfer students to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission by March 1 of each year. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026 and each July 1 thereafter, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall use data collected from school districts to determine which students meet the standards for general admission and provide the data to the Board of Higher Education. Provides that, beginning with the 2027-2028 academic year, the Board of Higher Education, in collaboration with the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and the State Board of Education, shall develop, in consultation with the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a preselection outreach campaign to encourage qualifying State high school juniors and seniors to apply to the University of Illinois at Chicago or the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Requires the Board of Higher Education to submit a report on the direct admission program and the preselection outreach campaign to the Governor and General Assembly by August 1, 2029 and each August 1 thereafter. Amends the School Code. Requires a school board to provide access to high school student directory information and each student's email address and grade point average to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and each public institution of higher education for the purpose of informing students of educational and career opportunities.
Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that in the assessment waiver provisions, defines "assessments" to include assessments in a county having a population of more than 3,000,000. Deletes a provision that states the provision is inoperative on and after July 1, 2024 that provides that in a county having a population of more than 3,000,000, "assessments" means any costs imposed on a criminal defendant under the Assessment Schedules Article of the Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act, including violation of the Illinois Vehicle Code assessments.
Amends the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, each high school must designate at least one member of its staff as a contact for matters related to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), annually provide the individual's name and contact information to the State Board of Education and Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and inform high school seniors that this individual is available to answer questions about FAFSA or to refer them to an appropriate resource. Provides that the contact shall serve as a designated point of contact for information from the State Board of Education and Illinois Student Assistance Commission related to FAFSA, and shall be required to participate in annual training for which the individual shall be eligible to receive continuing professional development units. Effective immediately.
