Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel

Creates the Language Equality Acquisition for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind Children Act. Provides that the State Board of Education, in cooperation with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission and the Department of Human Services, shall establish a language assessment program for deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind children, and select language developmental milestones. Sets forth provisions concerning the scope and purpose of the program and the development of a resource for use by parents and guardians. Provides that the State Board, in cooperation with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission and the Department of Human Services, shall select tools or assessments for educators that can be used to assess the language and literacy development of all deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind children. Sets forth provisions concerning the tools or assessments. Provides that beginning on July 1, 2026, a language assessment shall be given to each child who is deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind and who is less than 6 years of age. Sets forth provisions concerning the assessment. Provides that an advisory committee on language assessment programs shall be established by the State Board, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, and the Department of Human Services. Sets forth the membership and duties of the advisory committee. Provides that on or before July 1, 2026, the State Board, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, and the Department of Human Services shall publish a joint action plan and may propose legislation and rules necessary to implement the recommendations of the advisory committee. Sets forth provisions concerning reporting and rulemaking. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that, on or before the 2026-2027 school year, each school board shall adopt and implement a wireless communication device policy that: (1) prohibits a student from using a wireless communication device during instructional time, except as otherwise provided; and (2) includes guidance for secure and accessible storage of wireless devices during instructional time. Provides that the policy may not prohibit a student from using a wireless communication device during instructional time: (1) when a teacher or instructor has authorized the student to use a wireless communication device for educational purposes; (2) in an emergency or in response to an imminent threat to the health or safety of an individual; (3) when a licensed physician determines that the possession or use of a wireless communication device is necessary for the health or well-being of the student; or (4) to fulfill an Individualized Education Plan or a Section 504 plan developed under Section 504; or (5) when the wireless communication device is necessary for students who are English learners to access learning materials. Prohibits a district from enforcing the policy through fees, fines, the deployment of a School Resource Officer, or local law enforcement officer. Requires each school board to review the effectiveness of its wireless communication device policy at least every 3 years.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Allows the State Superintendent of Education to issue a short-term approval for a paraprofessional educator to an individual who does not meet the requirements necessary for issuance of an Educator License with Stipulations with a paraprofessional educator endorsement. Provides that the short-term approval authorizes an individual to serve as a paraprofessional educator in a school district, including a charter school, or a State-operated program, with the short-term approval expiring on June 30 immediately following the third full fiscal year after the approval was issued without renewal. Provides that upon expiration of the short-term approval, the State Superintendent of Education shall issue an Educator License with Stipulations with a paraprofessional educator endorsement to the individual if the individual meets specified requirements.

Amends the Special Plates Article of the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that a person eligible to receive certain military special plates is entitled to receive, upon application to the Secretary of State, a second set of the special plates under the same terms and conditions as the first set of special plates. Effective immediately.

Amends the Animal Welfare Act. Provides that an animal shelter or animal control facility shall not adopt out any dog or adopt out or return to field any cat unless it has been sterilized and microchipped and the adopted dog's or cat's microchip has been registered in a national database with the adoptive owner's information within 7 days after the date of adoption of the dog or cat. Provides that, if an adopted dog or cat comes into the possession of an animal control facility, a law enforcement agency, another animal shelter, or a veterinarian at any time after the adoption of the animal and the facility, agency, shelter, or veterinarian requests information pertaining to the identity and whereabouts of the animal's adopter or the history of the animal, the agency from which the animal was adopted shall provide the information to the requesting facility, agency, shelter, or veterinarian immediately. Provides that an animal shelter or animal control facility must provide to the adopter prior to the time of adoption the following information, to the best of its knowledge, on any dog or cat being offered for adoption: if the dog or cat has bitten or scratched any person; and, for a dog, (i) any behavior noted during interactions with the dog, including during intake, walks, play groups, socialization sessions, medical examinations, and other assessments; (ii) if the dog has killed a companion animal or livestock; and (iii) if the dog has been deemed vicious or dangerous pursuant to the Animal Control Act. Provides that an animal shelter or animal control facility shall not offer for adoption, give away, re-home, or place in a location any dog that has been deemed vicious or dangerous under the Animal Control Act. Removes the requirement that an animal shelter or animal control facility post in a conspicuous place in writing on or near the cage of any dog or cat available for adoption the information required by the provisions concerning adoption.

Amends the Public Employee Disability Act. Provides that, whenever an eligible employee suffers any injury or illness in the line of duty (rather than suffers any injury in the line of duty) which causes that employee to be unable to perform the employee's duties, the employee shall continue to be paid by the employing public entity on the same gross pay basis, inclusive of all pensionable salary, as the employee was paid before the injury (rather than paid by the employing public entity on the same basis as he was paid before the injury), with no deduction from and with continued accrual of any sick leave credits (rather than with no deduction from his sick leave credits) and specified other compensation, with other requirements. Makes technical changes.

Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. In a provision requiring a school board, before setting a hearing on charges stemming from causes that are considered remediable, to give a teacher reasonable warning, in writing, stating specifically the causes that, if not removed, may result in charges, allows a teacher to grieve the issuance of such warning pursuant to the applicable collective bargaining agreement to determine whether the board had just cause in issuing the warning. Requires the written warning to narrowly specify the nature of the alleged misconduct that needs to be remedied. Provides that under no circumstances may the written warning remain effective for longer than 4 years from the date of the issuance of the written warning. Requires the school district to use reasonable efforts to remove the written warning from the teacher's personnel file after the 4 years have elapsed or sooner if agreed to through the exclusive bargaining representative, with an exception. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Allows a school district, public school, charter school, or nonpublic school to authorize a school nurse or trained personnel to: (1) provide undesignated ready-to-use glucagon to authorized personnel to administer ready-to-use glucagon to a student that meets the student's prescription on file; (2) administer undesignated ready-to-use glucagon that meets the prescription on file to any student who has a plan that authorizes the use of ready-to-use glucagon; and (3) administer undesignated ready-to-use glucagon to any person that the school nurse or trained personnel believes in good faith is having a severe hypoglycemia emergency. Makes conforming changes regarding liability, where and when the undesignated ready-to-use glucagon may be administered, supply maintenance, notification of administration to the student's parent or guardian or emergency contact, training, and reports of administration to the State Board of Education, General Assembly, and Department of Public Health.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that, for each violation of a provision of the Code or a local ordinance recorded by an automated traffic law enforcement system, the county or municipality having jurisdiction shall issue a written notice of the violation to the registered owner of the vehicle who shall be liable for the violation unless otherwise provided. Provides that the notice shall be delivered to the registered vehicle owner within 30 days after the municipality or county confirms the identity of the owner of the vehicle (rather than 30 days after the Secretary of State notifies the municipality or county of the identity of the owner of the vehicle), but in no event later than 90 days after the violation. Provides that there shall be a rebuttable presumption that a school bus was stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging pupils and the visual signals were in operation on the school bus when recorded images produced by an automated traffic law enforcement system show: (1) an activated stop signal arm; and (2) an electronic indicator indicating activation of school bus visual signals. Provides that the motor vehicle owner is subject to a mandatory civil penalty of $300 (rather than a penalty not exceeding $150) for a first time violation or $1,000 (rather than a penalty not exceeding $500) for a second or subsequent violation.

Maddy summarySB 712 makes a technical adjustment to the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Special Care Disclosure Act. Specifically, it amends a section related to the short title of the Act. This bill does not alter the substantive provisions of the Act, but rather clarifies its official name.