Amends the School Code. Provides that a school district may offer a driver education course in a school by contracting with a commercial driver training school to provide both the classroom instruction part and the practice driving part or either one without having to request a modification or waiver of administrative rules of the State Board of Education. Provides that if a district chooses to contract with a commercial driver training school, then the district must provide evidence to the State Board of Education that the school holds a license issued by the Secretary of State. With respect to the requirement that a driver education course consist of at least 6 clock hours of practice driving in a car having dual operating controls in order for a school district to receive reimbursement from the State, provides that the State Board of Education may allow, in lieu of not more than 5 clock hours of practice driving in a dual control car, such practice driving instruction as it determines is the equivalent of such practice driving in a dual control car. Allows school districts to adopt a policy to permit proficiency examinations for the practice driving part of the driver education course at any time after the completion of 3 hours of practice driving under direct individual instruction. Effective immediately.
Sponsored bills
Makes appropriations to the Department of Transportation from the Motor Fuel Tax Fund for specified payments to local governments. Makes appropriations from the Wireless Service Emergency Fund and the Statewide 9-1-1 Fund to the Department of State Police for the Statewide 911 Administrator Program and for costs under the Emergency Telephone System Act, respectively. Makes appropriations from the Wireless Service Emergency Fund to the Illinois Commerce Commission for emergency telecommunications purposes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Eliminates provision that a licensee under the Act shall not knowingly carry a firearm on any real property under the control of the Cook County Forest Preserve District. Effective immediately.
Creates the Education Savings Account Act. Requires the State Board of Education to create the Education Savings Account Program. Provides that a parent of an eligible student (defined as any elementary or secondary student who was eligible to attend a public school in this State in the preceding semester or is starting school in this State for the first time and who is a member of a household whose total annual income does not exceed an amount equal to 2.5 times the income standard used to qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch under the national free or reduced-price lunch program) shall qualify for the State Board to make a grant to his or her child's Education Savings Account by signing an agreement. Requires the State Board to deposit into an Education Savings Account some or all of the State aid under the State aid formula provisions of the School Code that would otherwise have been provided to the resident school district for the eligible student had the student enrolled in the resident school district. Provides that parents participating in the Program shall agree to use the funds deposited in their eligible students' accounts for certain qualifying expenses to educate the eligible student. Sets forth provisions concerning the calculation of grant amounts and other basic elements of the Program, administration of the Program, accountability standards for participating schools, and the responsibilities of the State Board and resident school districts.
Creates the Home Birth Safety Act. Provides for the licensure of midwives by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Creates the Illinois Midwifery Board. Sets forth provisions concerning qualifications, grounds for disciplinary action, and administrative procedures. Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act to set a repeal date for the new Act of January 1, 2026. Also amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987, the Nurse Practice Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code to make related changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Pension Code. In the Downstate Firefighter and Downstate Police Articles, provides that a municipality may, by ordinance, assume local control of the municipality's police or firefighter's pension fund, with the power to change the terms of the plan. In the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article, provides that a municipality may end its participation in IMRF and create its own municipal pension fund; specifies certain conditions and provides for transfer of certain contributions and liabilities from IMRF to the new municipal pension fund.
Extends condolences to the families of the victims of Kermit Gosnell and to the family of Tonya Reaves. Urges the Illinois Department of Public Health to pursue a regime of regular inspections of Illinois "pregnancy termination specialty centers" (abortion clinics) to ensure compliance with Illinois law governing those centers or clinics and ensure that the provisions and intent of 1 U.S.C. 8 and Illinois' complementary statute (which provides that in determining the meaning of any statute or of any rule, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative agencies of the State, the words "person", "human being", "child", and "individual" shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development) are properly enforced and respected.
Amends the School Code. Provides that a school district may offer a driver education course in a school by contracting with a commercial driver training school to provide both the classroom instruction part and the practice driving part or either one without having to request a modification or waiver of administrative rules of the State Board of Education. Provides that if a district chooses to contract with a commercial driver training school, then the district must provide evidence to the State Board of Education that the school holds a license issued by the Secretary of State. With respect to the requirement that a driver education course consist of at least 6 clock hours of practice driving in a car having dual operating controls in order for a school district to receive reimbursement from the State, provides that the State Board of Education may allow, in lieu of not more than 5 clock hours of practice driving in a dual control car, such practice driving instruction as it determines is the equivalent of such practice driving in a dual control car. Allows school districts to adopt a policy to permit proficiency examinations for the practice driving part of the driver education course at any time after the completion of 3 hours of practice driving under direct individual instruction. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that the 5 State-funded retirement systems shall establish self-directed retirement plans for all active participants. Provides that, except for certain annuitants who have 30 years of service credit, an annuitant shall not receive an automatic increase in retirement annuity. Requires the Public Pension Division of the Department of Insurance to develop a schedule that, subject to certain requirements, increases the minimum retirement age of active participants who are ineligible to retire as of the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that the Division's schedule shall also provide for the adjustment of minimum retirement ages using a matrix that (i) takes into account the current statutory retirement age for various classes of persons and service credit accrued by those persons and (ii) proportionally discounts the increase in statutory retirement ages based on proximity to the currently established minimum retirement age. Requires a participant, except for a participant who is a covered employee under the State Employee Article, to contribute 8% of his or her compensation to the plan and requires the employer to contribute 7% of the participant's compensation to the plan. Establishes a schedule for vesting in employer contributions. Beginning State fiscal year 2016, makes changes to the prescribed funding formulas for the 5 State-funded retirement systems.
Amends the State Universities and Downstate Teacher Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that, for academic years beginning on or after July 1, 2016, if the amount of a participant's earnings for any academic year used to determine the final rate of earnings, determined on a full-time equivalent basis, exceeds the amount of his or her earnings with the same employer for the previous academic year, determined on a full-time equivalent basis, by more than the unadjusted percentage increase in the consumer price index-u for that year (rather than 6%), then the participant's employer shall pay to the applicable System, in addition to all other payments required and in accordance with guidelines established by that System, the present value of the increase in benefits resulting from the portion of the increase in earnings that is in excess of the unadjusted percentage increase in the consumer price index-u for that year (rather than the present value of the increase in benefits resulting from the portion of the increase in earnings that is in excess of 6%). Defines "consumer price index-u". Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.