New Illinois Laws 2020: Schools, Education

Uniform Admission-Public University (HB 26) - All students in top 10% of their school's GPA must be accepted to NIU, SIU, WIU, EIU, provided other criteria met.

School Code-Biliteracy Seal (HB 37) - Allows nonpublic school students to be awarded the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy, which is currently only granted to public high schools students.

Rent Control Preemption Act (HB 254) - Requires all school districts to report teacher employment data including, but not limited to, the number of teachers employed by individual schools to the State Board of Education.

School Code-License Renew Training (HB 355) - Providers of professional development trainings may include inclusive practices in the classroom that examines instructional and behavioral strategies that improve academic and social-emotional outcomes for all, with or without disabilities.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code (HB 424) - Requires the State Board of Education to establish criteria for interpreters who attend an individualized education program meeting with parents.

School Code - Required Math Course (HB 2165) - Requires students to take three years of math to graduate high school but provides local school districts with flexibility over required classes to remove barriers to graduation for some students.

Illinois Higher Education Savings Program (HB 2237) - Establishes Illinois Higher Education Savings Program and creates the Illinois Higher Education Savings Program Fund, which will deposit $50 into college savings account for every child born or adopted in Illinois after December 31, 2020, for the purpose of expanding access to higher education.

Student Trustees-SIU Board (HB 2239) - Allows both student trustees, from Edwardsville and Carbondale campuses, to be voting members of the Southern Illinois University Board.

CPS Contract Schools-FOIA and Open Meetings Act (HB 2272) - Provides that contract schools with Chicago Public Schools are subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Open Meetings Act.

Higher Education Tuition Report (HB 2512) - Requires each public university to submit an annual report to the Board of Higher Education on the amount of tuition that undergraduate, degree-seeking students attending the university paid in the previous academic year.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code-Speech Pathologist (HB 2605) - Provides that if a speech language pathologist hold a regular State license he or she does not need to meet other requirements to be issued a professional educator license with a school support personnel endorsement for non-teaching.

Retention of Illinois Students and Equity Act (HB 2691) - Permits transgender students and non- citizen students to be eligible for State financial aid at all institutions of higher education in the State of Illinois.

Finance-Appropriations for Education (HB 2720) - Extends the deadline for universities to send their financial reports detailing the previous fiscal year's revenues and expenditures to the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Governor, and the General Assembly from 120 days to 150 days following the end of the fiscal year.

School Board Member Vacancy (HB 2802) - Provides if a vacancy occurs and members of the board fail to fill the vacancy within 60 days, the regional superintendent of schools shall fill the vacancy within 30 days. This only applies to those school boards that form a district with a population of less than 500,000.

Changes to ISBE School Report Cards (HB 2822) - Requires the State Board of Education to collect data for it's annual school report card on workplace learning experiences.

Competency-Based Learning Program (HB 2852) - Requires public universities that offer a competency-based learning program to notify a student if he or she becomes eligible for the program.

Special Education Complaints (HB 3320) - Allows people who made complaints during the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school years for delays and denials of special education 2 more years to file complaints.

University of Illinois-Student Trustee (SB 172) - Allows candidates for student trustee at the University of Illinois to run if they prove their residence of Illinois for 6 months and provide a valid driver's license, I.D. card or voter registration card.

Community College-Vocational Scholarships (SB 1167) - Provides that ISAC shall receive and consider applications for an adult vocational community college scholarships (not to exceed $2,000/student) for anyone over the age of 30 and who is unemployed but actively searching for employment.

Limitations-Child Sex Abuse (SB 1888) - Allows student applicants in a social work master's program to sit for the authorized examination in the final semester of the program, rather than after they receive their degree.

21st Century Employment Grant Program (SB 1919) - Creates the 21st Century Employment Grant Program to support manufacturing, healthcare and innovative technology training programs at community colleges and high schools.

Source: Illinois State Democrats