Rep. Barbara Hernandez

Amends the Employee Sick Leave Act. Removes language exempting from coverage under the Act an employee of an employer subject to the provisions of Title II of the federal Railway Labor Act. House Committee Amendment No. 2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Employee Sick Leave Act. Provides that the rights afforded under the Act serve as the minimum standard in a negotiated collective bargaining agreement.

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education and the Department of Human Services to jointly establish and administer the Community Career Connections Program beginning with the 2022-2023 school year and continuing for a period of 2 school years. Provides that the Community Career Connections Program shall provide high school credits to eligible applicants in a participating school that receives a direct service professional certification. Requires the State Board of Education and the Department of Human Services to adopt any rules necessary to implement and administer the Community Career Connections Program. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 105 ILCS 5/2-3.192 new Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/2-3.195 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year and continuing for not less than 2 years, to make available a model program of study that incorporates the training and experience necessary to serve as a direct support professional. Requires the State Board, by July 1, 2023, to submit recommendations developed in consultation with stakeholders, including, but not limited to, organizations representing community-based providers serving children and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, and education practitioners, including, but not limited to, teachers, administrators, special education directors, and regional superintendents of schools, to the Department of Human Services for the training that would be required in order to be complete the model program of study.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to establish and administer the Pat McGuire Child Welfare Education Fellowship Pilot Program to provide financial assistance to a diverse pool of eligible students (rather than to eligible students) who commit to seek and maintain employment at a purchase of service agency that contracts with the Department upon graduation from a participating institution with a degree in social work.

Amends the Department of Veterans' Affairs Act. Provides that the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall establish a field office in each legislative district (rather than such field offices as it shall find necessary to enable it to perform its duties). House Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 20 ILCS 2805/3 Adds reference to: 20 ILCS 2805/3.01 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Department of Veterans' Affairs Act. Provides that, subject to sufficient appropriations, the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall contract for a market research analysis of field services in this State. Provides that the analysis shall include the availability of veterans assistance commissions, veterans service organizations, and Department staff to assist veterans as well as the availability of nontraditional methods to deliver services through technology-based approaches. Provides that the analysis may use census data, as well as questionnaires, surveys, and town hall meetings to solicit input from veterans, their families, and other stakeholders. Provides that, within 18 months after sufficient appropriations, the Department shall submit to the Governor and the General Assembly a recommended plan for the future delivery of services by the Department's Field Division, including the estimated cost of implementing the plan. Repeals the new provisions on December 31, 2023.

Amends the School Code. Requires the school board of each school district to grant full-time employees of the district 5 mental health days each school year at full pay. Provides that the employee is not required to provide a medical note or other documentation to use the mental health day. Provides that used and uncompensated mental health days are not eligible for pensionable service credit under the Illinois Pension Code. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 105 ILCS 5/24-6.5 new Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/24-6 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning sick leave for full-time teachers and eligible employees, adds mental or behavioral health complications to the enumerated interpretations of sick leave. Adds that the school board may require a certificate from a mental health professional licensed in Illinois providing ongoing care or treatment to the teacher or employee. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/34-18.78 new Adds provisions to the bill as amended by Senate Amendment No. 1. Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Provides that, in addition to any interpretation or definition included in a collective bargaining agreement or board of education or district policy, sick leave, or its equivalent, to which a teacher or other eligible employee is entitled shall be interpreted to include mental or behavioral health complications. Provides that, unless contrary to a collective bargaining agreement or board of education or district policy, the board may require a certificate from a mental health professional licensed in Illinois providing ongoing care or treatment to the teacher or employee as a basis for pay during leave after an absence of 3 days for mental or behavioral health complications. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Defines "school fees" or "fees" to mean any monetary charge collected by a public school, public school district, or charter school from a student or the parents or guardian of a student as a prerequisite for the student's participation in any curricular or extracurricular program of the school or school district. Provides that homeless children and youth as defined in Section 11434A of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act also qualify for a waiver for fees and fines for the loss or destruction of school property (currently, fees). Provides that the school board may provide for waiver verification no more often than once every academic year (currently, once every 60 days). Provides that no discrimination or punishment of any kind, including, but not limited to, the lowering of grades, exclusion from classes, or withholding of student records, transcripts or diplomas, (currently, lowering of grades or exclusion from classes) may be exercised against a student whose because the student's parents or guardians are unable to purchase required textbooks or instructional materials. House Committee Amendment No. 2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill but removes the applicability of the fine waiver for the destruction of school property, removes the applicability for children living in households eligible for reduced lunch, and makes technical corrections.

Amends the School Code. Provides that the application fee for a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License shall be waived when the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency. Effective immediately.

Amends the Missing Persons Identification Act. Provides that a coroner or medical examiner with custody of human remains that are not identified within 72 hours of discovery shall promptly notify the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the location of those remains and the failure to identify the remains.

Amends the Chicago Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that elections to the Board for teacher trustees, administrator trustees, and pensioner trustees shall occur during the first week of November or as soon as possible thereafter, but not later than the third week of November (instead of occurring during the first week of November). Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Prohibits the State Board of Education from developing, purchasing, or requiring a school district to administer, develop, or purchase a standardized assessment for students enrolled or preparing to enroll in prekindergarten through grade 2, other than for diagnostic purposes. Prohibits the State Board of Education from providing funding for any standardized assessment of students enrolled or preparing to enroll in prekindergarten through grade 2. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Changes the term "diagnostic purposes" to "diagnostic and screening purposes". Includes in the definition of diagnostic and screening purposes the determination of eligibility for special education, early intervention, bilingual education, dyslexia services, or other related educational services. Removes "child find" from the definition of diagnostic and screening purposes. Permits the State Board of Education to provide funding for any standardized assessment of students enrolled or preparing to enroll in prekindergarten through grade 2 for diagnostic and screening purposes.