Delivered via email: March 24, 2023
Going Once, Going Twice…. Off to the Second Chamber
Excitement buzzed through the Capitol this week as the deadline for third reading of House bills approached. Friday is deadline day and a flurry of last-minute committees and amendments kept the IASB Government Relations team busy! The shortened posting requirements do not allow for much advance notice, so being prepared and proactive is a must.
E-Bus Still on the Road
House Bill 2287 (Moylan, D-Des Plaines) has an amendment pending that is assigned for a committee hearing in Appropriations – General Services. However, the bill in its original form and opposed by IASB, is currently on 3rd Reading in the House and poised for final passage if called as introduced. THANK YOU for your great response and help educating your legislators as to the HUGE fiscal impact this will have on districts across the State. IASB staff is monitoring House action as you read this, the fate of the E-Bus Mandate is still uncertain at the time of publication.
An amendment was posted to House Bill 1375 (Tarver, D-Chicago) late Wednesday with committee scheduled for 8 a.m. the next day. The bill would have created a curricular mandate for financial literacy education for grade 9 beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. IASB Associate Executive Director Bryan Soady was able to testify to the full committee. Comments by the committee were supportive of a comprehensive Mandate Review. Despite testimony highlighting drafting errors and other problems with the bill, the Illinois House passed it 106-0-1.
Another hot topic has been House Bill 1124 (Mussman, D-Schaumburg), also known as the Dyslexia bill, which would require districts to utilize a universal literacy screener for students in grades K-2 was not called in committee this week. The plan moving forward is to incorporate the use of screeners into the Illinois State Board of Education’s comprehensive literacy plan. The Senate has also worked on this issue and today passed Senate Bill 2243 (Lightford, D-Hillside). As amended, the legislation would require ISBE to “develop and adopt a comprehensive literacy plan by January 31, 2024.” IASB will continue to keep you apprised of developments.
Bills in Committee week of March 28
A list of bills IASB is tracking in committee next week(Opens in a new window)