Creates the Seizure Smart School Act. Provides for legislative findings and defines terms. Requires the parent or guardian of a student with epilepsy who seeks assistance with epilepsy-related care in a school setting to submit a seizure action plan with the student's school. Provides that a delegated care aide shall perform the activities and tasks necessary to assist a student with epilepsy in accordance with the student's seizure action plan. Requires training for school employees and delegated care aides. Requires that an information sheet be provided to any school employee who transports a student with epilepsy to a school-sponsored activity. Provides that a school district may not restrict the assignment of a student with epilepsy to a particular school on the basis that the school does not have a full-time school nurse and a school may not deny a student access to the school or any school-related activity on the basis that the student has epilepsy. Provides for school employee protection against retaliation, immunity, and rights under federal law. Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code to make a related change. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. House Committee Amendment No. 3 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Makes a change to the legislative findings. Changes the definition of "delegated care aide" to mean a school employee or paraprofessional who has agreed to receive training in epilepsy and assist a student in implementing his or her seizure action plan and who has entered into an agreement with a parent or guardian of that student. Limits the definition of "school employee" to include, among other persons, a person who is employed by a school district or school as a principal, administrator, guidance counselor, or teacher. Provides that the training of a delegated care aide shall include consultation with the student's parent or guardian and may include consultation with an epilepsy educator approved by the Epilepsy Foundation of America and training for school employees must be provided annually through approximately one hour of self-study review approved by the Epilepsy Foundation of America or by an epilepsy educator approved by the Epilepsy Foundation of America (rather than requiring training for school employees and delegated care aides to be provided by a trained health care provider with an expertise in epilepsy). Removes a provision requiring the principal of a school to coordinate the training of all delegated care aides. Provides that, if applicable, a seizure action plan (rather than an information sheet) must be provided to any school employee who transports a student with epilepsy to a school-sponsored activity; makes a conforming change. Requires a school employee to be in compliance with the training provisions of the Act in order to have immunity. Adds an effective date of July 1, 2020. House Floor Amendment No. 4 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill as amended by House Amendment No. 3 with the following changes. Provides that the definition of "school employee" may not be interpreted to require a school district, charter school, or nonpublic school to hire additional personnel for the sole purpose of the personnel to serve as a delegated care aide. Provides that if a student has been managing his or her epilepsy care in a school setting before the effective date of the Act, the student's parent or guardian may (rather than must) sign and submit a seizure action plan with the student's school. Provides that it is the responsibility of a student's parent or guardian to share the health care provider's instructions on the student's epilepsy management during the school day. Removes a provision requiring the seizure action plan to include the treating physician's, advanced practice registered nurse's, or physician assistant's instructions on the student's epilepsy management during the school day. Provides that a student's parent or guardian is responsible for informing the school, in a timely manner, of any changes to the student's seizure action plan and emergency contact information. Provides that the principal of a school shall facilitate the school's compliance with the provisions of a student's seizure action plan (rather than ensure that the school has at least one delegated care aide present and available at the school during all school hours and during school-sponsored activities). Provides that the training for school employees must be fully consistent with the best practice guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Provides that the training of a delegated care aide must be provided by a licensed health care provider with an expertise in epilepsy or an epilepsy educator who has successfully completed the relevant curricula offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (rather than must include consultation with the student's parent or guardian and may include consultation with an epilepsy educator approved by the Epilepsy Foundation of America). Makes other changes. Effective July 1, 2020. House Floor Amendment No. 5 Removes a provision requiring training for school employees to be provided annually through approximately one hour of self-study review approved by the Epilepsy Foundation of America or by an epilepsy educator approved by the Epilepsy Foundation of America.
Sponsored bills
Amends the School Code. With regard to criminal history records checks and checks of the Statewide Sex Offender Database and Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database, provides that if a criminal history records check or check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database or Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database is performed by a regional superintendent for an applicant seeking employment as a substitute teacher with a school district, the regional superintendent may disclose to the State Board of Education whether the applicant has been issued a certificate based on those checks. Provides that if the State Board receives information on an applicant, then it must indicate in the Educator Licensure Information System for a 90-day period that the applicant has been issued or has not been issued a certificate. Provides that a school district seeking to employ the substitute teacher may use the information in the Educator Licensure Information System rather than initiating its own criminal history records check or check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database or Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database. Makes other changes concerning the Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Removes a provision allowing a school district seeking to employ a substitute teacher to use the information in the Educator Licensure Information System rather than initiating its own criminal history records check or check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database or Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database.
Proposes to amend the Legislature Article of the Illinois Constitution. Creates the Independent Redistricting Commission to adopt and file with the Secretary of State a redistricting plan for Legislative and Representative Districts. Provides for the selection of Commissioners and establishes the authority of a Special Commissioner to design a redistricting plan in the event that the Commission fails to properly adopt and file a redistricting plan. Effective beginning with redistricting in 2021 and applies to members elected in 2022 and thereafter.
Proposes to amend the Legislature and Revenue Articles of the Illinois Constitution. Provides that the General Assembly may increase the rate of an existing tax or impose a new tax only by a law approved by the vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house. Provides that the General Assembly may override the veto of the Governor of a bill to increase the rate of an existing tax or impose a new tax only by a record vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house. Effective upon being declared adopted.
Amends the Counties Code. Provides that counties may impose a tax to be used exclusively for school facility purposes, school resources officers, or mental health professionals (rather than exclusively for school facility purposes). Adds referendum language to levy, reduce, or discontinue the tax. Amends the Innovation Development and Economy Act and the School Construction Law to make conforming changes. Amends the School Code to make conforming changes and to provide that if a school district having a population of less than 500,000 inhabitants determines that it is necessary for school security purposes and the related protection and safety of pupils and school staff to hire a school resource officer, the district may levy a tax or issue bonds as provided under a provision in the Code authorizing a school board to levy a tax or to borrow money and issue bonds for fire prevention, safety, energy conservation, accessibility, school security, and specified repair purposes if funds are not needed for those other purposes. Effective immediately.
Designates IL-159 from Detour Road to IL-16 in Bunker Hill as the "Lance Cpl. Charles Heinemeier Memorial Highway".
Urges lawmakers to slow the process of legalizing recreational marijuana in Illinois, so that lawmakers, stakeholders, and experts alike have the chance to consider the societal impact of legalization and examine all the data from other states that have passed similar legislation.
Creates the Illinois Coal Ash Task Force to bring legislators, coal company representatives, environmental experts, and the public to together to study the effects of coal ash on the Vermilion River and the rest of the State.
Amends the School Code. Provides that for a pupil of legal school age and in kindergarten or any of grades 1 through 12, a day of attendance shall be counted only for sessions of not less than 5 clock hours of school work per day under direct supervision of (i) teachers or (ii) non-teaching personnel or volunteer personnel when engaging in non-teaching duties and supervising in instances specified under the Code; provides for exceptions. Makes conforming changes, including in the Vocational Academies Act. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. With regard to daily pupil attendance, provides that pupil participation in any of the following activities shall be counted toward the calculation of clock hours of school work per day: (i) instruction in a college course in which a student is dually enrolled for both high school credit and college credit, (ii) participation in a supervised career development experience in which student participation and learning outcomes are supervised by an educator licensed under the School Code, (iii) participation in a youth apprenticeship in which student participation and outcomes are supervised by an educator licensed under the School Code, or (iv) participation in a blended learning program in which course content, student evaluation, and instructional methods are supervised by an educator licensed under the School Code. With regard to the e-learning days program, removes a requirement limiting the program to 3 school districts and requiring the State Board of Education to report its recommendations for expansion, revision, or discontinuation of the program on or before June 1, 2019. Provides that a research-based program for e-learning days must be verified by the regional office of education or intermediate service center for the school district (rather than submitted to the State Superintendent of Education for approval); makes related changes. Requires the program to address the school district's responsibility to ensure that all teachers and staff who may be involved in the provision of e-learning have access to any and all hardware and software that may be required for the program. Provides that a proposal for the program must include a provision that ensures that non-electronic materials are made available to students participating in the program who do not have access to the required technology or to participating teachers or students who are prevented from accessing the required technology and that ensures that the protocol regarding general expectations and responsibilities of the program is communicated to teachers, staff, and students at least 30 days prior to utilizing an e-learning day. Makes other and conforming changes. Effective July 1, 2019.
Urges all four caucuses and the Governor to consider the Kaskaskia Watershed Comprehensive Plan when creating the upcoming fiscal year budget.