Amends the Illinois Pension Code. In the Downstate Teacher Article: provides that through June 30, 2026 (instead of June 30, 2023), an annuitant may accept employment as a teacher without impairing his or her retirement status if that employment is not within the school year during which service was terminated and does not exceed 120 paid days or 600 paid hours in each school year; deletes language concerning an additional 20 days or 100 paid hours that an annuitant may accept employment as a teacher without impairing his or her retirement status for the period between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022; and provides that a person may receive optional credit for certain periods of service as a student teacher. Makes conforming changes. Amends the Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act (Article 20) of the Code. In the definition of "pension credit", provides that the one-year limitation does not apply to persons who acquire credit as a substitute teacher covered under the Downstate Teacher Article and reach retirement eligibility under the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

  RECENT STATUS

3/24/2023 - Referred to Senate Assignments

3/24/2023 - FIRST READING

3/24/2023 - Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Ram Villivalam

Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. Provides that in fixing the salaries of employees, a school board or the governing board of a joint agreement shall pay to employees an hourly rate of not less than (i) $20 for the 2024-2025 school year, (ii) $21 for the 2025-2026 school year, and (iii) $22 for the 2026-2027 school year. Provides that the minimum hourly rate for each school year thereafter shall equal the minimum salary rate for the previous school year increased by a percentage equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for all items published by the United States Department of Labor for the previous school year. Provides that "employee" means any employee of a school district or joint agreement who provides educational support services to the district or joint agreement, including, but not limited to, custodial employees, transportation employees, food service providers, classroom assistants, administrative staff, or paraprofessional educators. Provides that an employee's salary shall include any amount paid by the school district or joint agreement on behalf of the employee, as employee contributions, to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. Effective immediately.

  RECENT STATUS

3/27/2023 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee

3/24/2023 - House Bills on Second Reading

3/23/2023 - House Bills on Second Reading

Creates the Public Higher Education Act. Defines terms, including "employee", which means an employee of a public institution of higher education who provides educational support services to the institution, including, but not limited to, a custodial employee, a transportation employee, a food service provider, a teaching assistant, or administrative staff. Provides that, in fixing the salaries of employees, the governing board of each public institution of higher education shall pay to employees an hourly rate of not less than: (i) $20 for the 2023-2024 academic year; (ii) $21 for the 2024-2025 academic year; and (iii) $22 for the 2025-2026 academic year. Provides that the minimum hourly rate for each academic year thereafter shall equal the minimum hourly rate for the previous academic year increased by a percentage equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for all items published by the United States Department of Labor for the previous academic year. Amends the School Code to make similar changes. Effective immediately.

  RECENT STATUS

2/17/2023 - Referred to House Rules

2/17/2023 - FIRST READING

2/17/2023 - Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Will Guzzardi

Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. Provides that for any teacher who is elected by the association's membership to represent the association for federal advocacy work, for up to 10 days in any school year spent by a teacher during the term, time spent in attendance at a meeting or gathering for federal advocacy work shall be considered time expended in the service of the district and no deduction of wages shall be made for such attendance.

  RECENT STATUS

3/27/2023 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee

3/24/2023 - Second Reading - Short Debate

3/24/2023 - Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate

Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act. Provides that with respect to a week of unemployment beginning on or after March 15, 2020 (rather than beginning on or after March 15, 2020, and before September 4, 2021 (including any week of unemployment beginning on or after January 1, 2021 and on or before June 25, 2021)) benefits shall be payable to an individual on the basis of wages for employment in other than an instructional, research, or principal administrative capacity performed for an educational institution or an educational service agency under specified circumstances, as long as the individual is otherwise eligible for benefits.

  RECENT STATUS

3/10/2023 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee

3/8/2023 - House Labor & Commerce

2/28/2023 - Assigned to House Labor & Commerce

Amends the School Boards and Chicago School District Articles of the School Code. Provides that school boards shall allow all educators to have daily continuous uninterrupted individual classroom planning time. Provides that the planning period shall be equal to one class period but no less than 45 minutes in duration. Provides that this time requirement applies to educators who are in contact with students for 50% or more of their contracted workday. Provides that, during this planning period, educators may not be forced to substitute in other areas of the building or district when another educator is absent or a vacancy exists and may not be forced to attend meetings, trainings, or conferences of any kind. Provides that if an educator chooses to substitute or attend a meeting, training, or conference during their guaranteed planning period of their own free will, the educator shall be compensated at a rate of pay that is negotiated between the local Board of Education and local association of a state teacher association.

  RECENT STATUS

3/27/2023 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee

3/24/2023 - House Bills on Second Reading

3/23/2023 - House Bills on Second Reading

Creates the College Insurance Program Task Force to study the College Insurance Program and present policy and legislative recommendations to the General Assembly to ensure the program remains a viable and healthy benefit.

  RECENT STATUS

3/30/2023 - Resolutions Order of Resolutions

3/29/2023 - Resolutions Order of Resolutions

3/28/2023 - Resolutions Order of Resolutions

Amends the Invest in Kids Act. Provides that no credits may be awarded under the Act for any taxable year that begins in a State fiscal year for which the minimum statutory funding level is not met. Provides that the carry-forward period for those credits shall be suspended for any taxable year that begins in a State fiscal year for which the minimum statutory funding level is not met. Requires the State Board of Education to determine whether or not the State has met the minimum funding level for the fiscal year and to transmit a copy of the determination to the Department of Revenue. Effective immediately.

  RECENT STATUS

1/31/2023 - Referred to Senate Assignments

1/31/2023 - FIRST READING

1/31/2023 - Filed with Secretary by Sen. Cristina Castro

Amends the Invest in Kids Act. Provides that no credit may be taken under the Act for a contribution made on or after June 30, 2023. Effective immediately.

  RECENT STATUS

1/31/2023 - Referred to Senate Assignments

1/31/2023 - FIRST READING

1/31/2023 - Filed with Secretary by Sen. Cristina Castro

Amends the Invest in Kids Act. Provides that qualified contributions made on or after June 1, 2024 may be used only to provide scholarships to eligible students who attend a technical academy.

  RECENT STATUS

1/31/2023 - Referred to Senate Assignments

1/31/2023 - FIRST READING

1/31/2023 - Filed with Secretary by Sen. Cristina Castro

Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that the Governor shall appoint 5 (instead of 7) persons to the Board of Trustees of the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois who are not members of the System. Makes conforming changes. Effective July 1, 2024.

  RECENT STATUS

3/10/2023 - Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments

2/16/2023 - To Subcommittee on Government Operations

2/7/2023 - Assigned to Senate Executive

Amends the State Universities Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that for the purposes of computing service for academic years for any participant, one month of service means a calendar month during which the participant qualifies as an employee for any fraction of the month (instead of at least 15 or more days). Provides that the change applies to all service periods of a member who is a participant on or after January 1, 2024, except for certain service periods subject to purchases of service credit, repayment of a refund or distribution, or transfers of service if payment for such purchase, repayment, or transfer commenced prior to January 1, 2024. Provides that a provision concerning calculating a retirement annuity for a participant who has been employed at 1/2 time or less for 3 or more years shall not apply to a member who is a participant on or after January 1, 2024. Provides that any benefit increase that results from the amendatory Act is excluded from the definition of "new benefit increase". Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 - Provides that for the purposes of computing service for academic years for any participant, one month of service means a calendar month during which the participant qualifies as an employee and contributes to the System (instead of qualifies as an employee for any fraction of the month).

Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 - Changes references from January 1, 2024 to September 1, 2024.

  RECENT STATUS

3/31/2023 - Chief House Sponsor Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit

3/31/2023 - Arrived in House

3/30/2023 - Third Reading - Passed; 055-000-000

Amends the Evaluation of Certified Employees Article of the School Code. Provides that in a teacher evaluation plan, teachers who are due to be evaluated the year they are set to retire shall be offered the opportunity to waive their evaluation and to retain their most recent rating, unless the teacher was last rated as "needs improvement" or "unsatisfactory". Provides that the school district may still reserve the right to evaluate a retired teacher provided the district gives notice to the retired teacher at least 14 days before the evaluation and a reason for evaluating the retired teacher. Effective immediately.

Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 - Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the introduced bill with changes. Provides that teachers who are due to be evaluated in the last year before (instead of the year) they are set to retire shall be offered the opportunity to waive their evaluation and retain their ratings unless they receive a "needs improvement" or "unsatisfactory" rating. Changes certain references from "retired teacher" to "teacher". Further amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code to make corresponding changes in that Article.

  RECENT STATUS

3/31/2023 - Chief House Sponsor Rep. Sue Scherer

3/31/2023 - Arrived in House

3/30/2023 - Third Reading - Passed; 056-000-000

Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning the termination of contractual continued service by a teacher, provides that a resignation submitted after the completion of the school year must be submitted a minimum of 30 calendar days prior to the first student attendance day of the following school year. With respect to the referral of a teacher to the State Superintendent of Education for terminating service not in accordance with these provisions, provides that if a school district intends to submit a referral to the State Superintendent, the district shall submit the referral to the State Superintendent within 10 business days after the school board denies acceptance of the resignation. Provides that the district shall notify the teacher that it submitted the referral to the State Superintendent within 5 business days after submitting the referral to the State Superintendent. Provides that the teacher shall receive a summary of the State Superintendent's evidentiary hearing no later than 14 days after the hearing is completed. Effective immediately.

  RECENT STATUS

3/31/2023 - Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments

3/31/2023 - Rule 2-10(a) Third Reading Deadline Established As April 28, 2023

3/31/2023 - Senate Bills on Third Reading

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning student discipline policies, provides that the State Board of Education shall draft and publish model policy guidelines for the development of reciprocal reporting systems and school bus safety protocols and for evidence-based early intervention procedures. In provisions concerning the suspension or expulsion of students, makes changes concerning a student's gross disobedience or misconduct posing an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or school personnel, when school exclusions should be used, the number and duration of expulsions and suspensions, the implementation of proactive evidence-based interventions that improve behavioral outcomes for all students, non-exclusionary discipline, out-of-school suspensions of 3 days or less, model policy guidelines for the re-engagement of students, professional development, and the removal of children with disabilities who violate the student discipline policies from their current placement. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

  RECENT STATUS

3/31/2023 - Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments

3/31/2023 - Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments

3/23/2023 - Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As March 31, 2023

Amends the School Code. Adds certain data that must be included in school report cards prepared by the State Superintendent of Education. In provisions concerning school social workers, school nurses, school counselors, school psychologists, and speech-language pathologists, sets limits on caseloads. Makes related changes. Effective immediately.

  RECENT STATUS

2/6/2023 - Referred to Senate Assignments

2/6/2023 - FIRST READING

2/6/2023 - Filed with Secretary by Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford

Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. Provides that if an employing board determines to dismiss any teacher who currently holds a summative evaluation rating of "Proficient" or "Excellent" during the probationary period (instead of determines to dismiss a teacher in the last year of a specified probationary period), the employing board must provide a written notice for dismissal with specific reasons for dismissal. Provides that any full-time teacher who does not receive written notice from the employing board at least 45 days before the end of any school term and whose performance does not require dismissal (instead of whose performance does not require dismissal after the fourth probationary year) shall be re-employed for the following school term. Effective immediately.

  RECENT STATUS

3/31/2023 - Rule 2-10(a) Third Reading Deadline Established As April 28, 2023

3/31/2023 - Senate Bills on Third Reading

3/30/2023 - Senate Bills on Third Reading

Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Authorizes the Director of Central Management Services to determine that it is in the interests of the participants in the program of health benefits for TRS benefit recipients and TRS dependent beneficiaries to be offered dental and vision coverage. Deletes a provision which stated that the program of health benefits for TRS benefit recipients and TRS dependent beneficiaries could be amended by the State and was not intended to be a pension or retirement benefit subject to protection under Article XIII, Section 5 of the Illinois Constitution. Effective immediately.

  RECENT STATUS

2/9/2023 - Referred to Senate Assignments

2/9/2023 - FIRST READING

2/9/2023 - Filed with Secretary by Sen. Michael W. Halpin

Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. Makes changes to the probationary periods pertaining to attaining contractual continued service. For the first probationary period, requires the teacher to be employed for 3 (rather than 4) consecutive school terms of service in which the teacher receives overall annual evaluation ratings of at least "Proficient" in the second and third school terms (rather than overall annual evaluation ratings of at least "Proficient" in the last school term and at least "Proficient" in either the second or third school term). For the second probationary period, requires the teacher to serve for 2 (rather than 3) consecutive school terms of service in which the teacher receives 2 (rather than 3) overall annual evaluations of "Excellent". Effective July 1, 2023.

  RECENT STATUS

3/31/2023 - Rule 2-10(a) Third Reading Deadline Established As April 28, 2023

3/31/2023 - Senate Bills on Third Reading

3/30/2023 - Senate Bills on Third Reading

Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 - Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. Provides that teachers and educational support personnel employees shall not be required to teach or otherwise work on Saturdays (instead of providing that teachers shall not be required to teach on Saturdays). Prohibits teachers, educational support personnel employees, and other school employees (instead of teachers and other school employees) from being required to work on legal school holidays, with exceptions. Provides that no deduction shall be made from the time or compensation of a school employee, including an educational support personnel employee, on account of any legal or special holiday in which that employee would have otherwise been scheduled to work but for the legal or special holiday (instead of providing that no deduction shall be made from the time or compensation of a school employee on account of any legal or special holiday).

  RECENT STATUS

3/30/2023 - Referred to House Rules

3/30/2023 - FIRST READING

3/30/2023 - Chief House Sponsor Rep. Margaret Croke

Amends the General Provisions, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF), State Universities, and Downstate Teacher Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. With regard to Tier 2 members under the Downstate Teacher or State Universities Article and Tier 2 regular employees under the IMRF Article who are employees of an educational employer: makes changes to the age and service credit requirements for receiving an annuity; increases the amount of the automatic annual increases to retirement annuities; makes changes to the formula for calculating final average salary; and increases the limitation on the amount of salary that is used to calculate benefits. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

  RECENT STATUS

2/9/2023 - Referred to Senate Assignments

2/9/2023 - FIRST READING

2/9/2023 - Filed with Secretary by Sen. Robert F. Martwick

Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. Provides that in fixing the salaries of employees, a school board or the governing board of a joint agreement shall pay to employees an hourly rate of not less than (i) $20 for the 2024-2025 school year, (ii) $21 for the 2025-2026 school year, and (iii) $22 for the 2026-2027 school year. Provides that the minimum hourly rate for each school year thereafter shall equal the minimum salary rate for the previous school year increased by a percentage equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for all items published by the United States Department of Labor for the previous school year. Provides that "employee" means any employee of a school district or joint agreement who provides educational support services to the district or joint agreement, including, but not limited to, custodial employees, transportation employees, food service providers, classroom assistants, administrative staff, or paraprofessional educators. Provides that an employee's salary shall include any amount paid by the school district or joint agreement on behalf of the employee, as employee contributions, to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. Effective immediately.

  RECENT STATUS

3/10/2023 - Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments

2/21/2023 - Assigned to Senate Appropriations- Education

2/9/2023 - Referred to Senate Assignments

Creates the College Insurance Program Task Force to study the College Insurance Program and present policy and legislative recommendations to the General Assembly to ensure the program remains a viable and healthy benefit.

  RECENT STATUS

2/2/2023 - Referred to Senate Assignments

2/2/2023 - Filed with Secretary Chapin Rose

Creates the SASS Program Task Force to evaluate the SASS program by county and to analyze whether the current funding is sufficient to meet the needs of the program.

  RECENT STATUS

3/31/2023 - Resolutions Secretary's Desk

3/30/2023 - Resolutions Secretary's Desk

3/29/2023 - Resolutions Secretary's Desk

Urges that adjuncts/non-tenure/part-time instructors in institutions of higher education be treated with the same respect, recognition, value, and standards as full-time instructors. Affirms these professionals have the same credentials as the full-time instructors and are being underpaid to do the same job. Pledges to seek solutions that include, but are not limited to, legislated salary parity, mandated access to health benefits, and full and fair pension reporting and accountability for all part-time/contingent/adjunct Illinois public teachers, librarians, counselors, and educational support personnel.

  RECENT STATUS

2/9/2023 - Referred to Senate Assignments

2/9/2023 - Filed with Secretary Robert F. Martwick