2018 Legislative Summary 2018 Legislative Summary
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OUNCE ILLINOIS POLICY TEAM 2018 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY 2018 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY ABOUT THE OUNCE OF PREVENTION ILLINOIS POLICY TEAM The Ounce of Prevention Fund has a long history of advocacy work that is rooted in our deep experiences in Illi- nois. Through legislative, administration and grassroots advocacy, our Illinois Policy Team seeks to shape the founda- tional elements of the state’s early childhood system, including major funding streams, legislation, and federal and state initiatives. These elements should be designed, implemented and sustained to successfully achieve Illinois’ goal to equitably provide a continuum of high-quality, culturally and linguistically competent early childhood ser- vices that children and families need beginning prenatally and through the first five years. IMPORTANT SUCCESSES IN THE 2018 LEGISLATIVE SESSION The on-time, bipartisan, full-year, fully-funded FY19 state budget includes the Ounce and its partners’ request of a $50 million increase to early childhood education at the Illinois State Board of Education. It also protects funding for Department of Human Services early childhood programs, including home visiting, the Child Care Assistance Program and Early Intervention. The budget also contains a re-appropriation of more than $7 million in early childhood capital projects that had lapsed during the budget impasse. In addition to the budget wins, a number of other bills became law that are important for children and families, the early childhood system and early childhood practitioners. Legislation led by the Ounce and its advocacy partners are represented by the asterisk (*). EARLY CHILDHOOD AND GENERAL EDUCATION . SB454 Lays out timeframes and requirements for the Chicago Public School’s (CPS) special Individualized education process and procedures. At least ten days prior to a child’s Individualized Education Program Education Program (IEP) meeting, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) must send notice of all IEP components to parents that require data collection and say whether data collection on that component has commenced. CPS must also send draft copies of all evaluations and draft language for the IEP to the parents, at least five days prior to the meeting. If an IEP team determines that a service is necessary and that service is not implemented within ten days, the parent must be notified. The Act further lays out the specific services that must be considered (but not limited to) for inclusion as IEP services. The Act also allows the ISBE to create a hotline for parents and school personnel to register complaints and that those complaints will be recorded with the ISBE monitor of CPS special education policies. Finally, the Act prohibits CPS from building functions into computer software that would remove any services from a child’s plan or prohibit the IEP from adding services. Read the Law here Chief Sponsors Senator: David Koehler (D) | Representative: Fred Crespo (D) Status: Signed on August 20, 2018, effective date August 20, 2018. 2 2018 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY EARLY CHILDHOOD AND GENERAL EDUCATION This bill allows ISBE to issue a Professional Educator License to out-of-state applicants . SB863 if he or she provides evidence of completing a comparable state-approved teacher School Code preparation program, as defined by the State Superintendent of Education. Amendment-Trained Other States Read the Law here Chief Sponsors Senator: Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D) | Representative: Linda Chapa LaVia (D) Status: Signed on April 6, 2018, effective date April 6, 2018. The bill states that from the 2018-2019 school year through the 2023-2024 school year, . *SB1829 a preschool teacher holding the following is authorized to teach in the state’s Preschool Teach Early for All (PFA) program so long as they’re pursuing their Professional Educator License: Childhood Program 1) an Early Childhood Education (ECE) Credential Level of 5 awarded by the Department of Human Services (DHS) under the Gateways to Opportunity Program or 2) an Educator License with Stipulations with a transitional bilingual educator endorsement and he or she has either a) passed an early childhood education content test or b) completed no less than 9 semester hours of college coursework in the area of early childhood education. Read the Law here Chief Sponsors Senator: Toi Hutchinson (D) | Representative: Jehan Gordon-Booth (D) Status: Signed on July 27, 2018, effective date July 27, 2018. The bill creates the Hunger-Free Students’ Bill of Rights Act. It provides that every . SB2428 school in the State shall offer a federally reimbursable meal or snack to a student who Hunger-Free Students requests the meal or snack, regardless of whether the student has the ability to pay for the meal or snack or owes money for earlier meals or snacks. Read the Law here Chief Sponsors Senator: Steve Stadelman (D) | Representative: Litesa Wallace (D) Status: Signed on August 26, 2018, effective date August 26, 2018. 3 2018 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY EARLY CHILDHOOD AND GENERAL EDUCATION The bill requires the State Board of Education to establish and maintain the . SB2844 Supporting Future Teachers Program to assist qualified participants in acquiring a School Code Professional Educator License. To qualify, a participant must be high school graduate Amendment-Growing who can demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English; is a recipient of a Future Educator State Seal of Biliteracy; or, at any one time during pre-kindergarten through grade 12, was identified as a low-income student and is a member of the community in which the participating school district is located. The bill also provides that the duty of a qualified participant may include working with low-income students on a one-on-one basis. Read the Law here Chief Sponsors Senator: Omar Aquino (D) | Representative: Robert Pritchard (R) Status: Signed on August 19, 2018, effective date August 19, 2018. SB3236 The bill provides that, in addition to data already being reported, a school report card must include the most current data possessed by the State Board of Education School Code reflecting the district’s administrative costs. Amendment-School Report Card Read the Law here Chief Sponsors Senator: Andy Manar (D) | Representative: David Olsen (R) Status: Signed on August 10, 2018, effective date August 10, 2018. SB2541 The bill provides that no later than January 1, 2019, the Department of Public Health School Code must develop rules with respect to age-appropriate developmental and social and Amendment- emotional screenings. Department of Read the Law here Public Health-Rule Chief Sponsors Senator: Kimberly Lightford (D) | Representative: Camille Lilly (D) Status: Signed on August 21, 2018, effective date August 21, 2018. 4 2018 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY EARLY CHILDHOOD AND GENERAL EDUCATION . SB2925 The bill provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board — Enforcement Training in consultation with organizations demonstrating expertise or experience in the areas School of youth and adolescent development issues, educational administrative issues, prevention of child abuse and exploitation, youth mental health treatment, and juvenile advocacy — shall develop or approve a course for school resource officers within one year. SB2925 also amends the School Code and provides that on January 1, 2021, any law enforcement agency that provides a school resource officer must provide the school district proof that the resource officer completed an applicable course within one year of assignment or has prior experience that satisfies this requirement. Read the Law here Chief Sponsors Senator: Kimberly Lightford (D) | Representative: Sonya Harper (D) Status: Signed on August 19, 2018, effective date January 1, 2019. This law states that school districts must make reasonable efforts to provide ongoing . SB3466 professional development to all teachers, faculty, staff, and board members on the School Code appropriate and available supportive services to promote student attendance and Amendment-Truant engagement. The bill also lays out detailed steps that must be taken when school districts refer truant or chronic truant students and their custodial guardian to local public entities, including specific steps for students experiencing homeless or those with a diagnosed or suspected disability. Read the Law here Chief Sponsors Senator: Kimberly Lightford (D) | Representative: William Davis (D) Status: Signed on August 10, 2018, effective date January 1, 2019. The bill provides that students 17 years of age or older cannot be denied enrollment . HB3784 for one semester for failure to meet minimum academic standards if certain conditions School Code are met; nor can a child be denied reenrollment with respect to the Individuals with Amendment-Deny Disabilities Education Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act. It also prohibits Enrollment-Truant expulsion and punitive action from being taken against truant minors unless all supportive services, resources and outreach has been exhausted. Read the Law here Chief Sponsors Senator: Joe Sosnowski (R) | Representative: Chuck Weaver (R) Status: Signed on August 13, 2018, effective date August 13, 2018. 5 2018 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY EARLY CHILDHOOD AND GENERAL EDUCATION The bill establishes the Safe Schools and Healthy Learning Environments Grant Program . HB4208 and grants under the program. It sets forth requirements for applicants and provisions Safe Schools/Healthy for the distribution of funds appropriated for the program. With respect