Delivered via email: April 29, 2024
Special Edition: The Final Stretch
After the House and Senate completed their last scheduled break, both chambers are entering into the final four (we hope) weeks of session. The General Assembly has a tentative adjournment date set for May 24. It remains to be seen if they will need to continue into the final week in May. If the General Assembly fails to adjourn by June 1, bills will require 3/5 majority for passage after that date.IASB Governmental Relations anticipates the activity level to increase throughout May with the last few days of session focused on the annual state budget, which is typically filed in the final days of session. Over the next few weeks, the Governmental Relations team will focus on amending substantive bills with outstanding issues that have passed one chamber and will now make their way through the other chamber. Any bill that makes it through the second chamber without amendments will go to the Governor. Bills that get amended will go back to the original chamber for concurrence. Staff will also be watching for bills that receive an extension and new issues that arise during these final weeks.
When the budget bills are filed, they will go through a similar process as the substantive bills in the Appropriations Committees. Historically, the Appropriations Committees do not pass individual pieces of legislation for the budget but introduce an omnibus budget bill. The budget implementation bill (BIMP) will be crafted after hearing testimony in the Appropriation Committees. The BIMP often includes additional language that impacts school districts.
From now until adjournment, the Governmental Relations team will continue to meet with legislators and advocacy groups, as well as monitor amendments to ensure that IASB positions are known.
2024 Key Dates and Session Deadlines
- May 3: Committee Deadline for Bills in the Opposite Chamber
- May 17: House and Senate Third Reading Deadline for Bills in the Opposite Chamber
- May 24: Scheduled Adjournment
- May 25-31: Contingent Session Days
School Support Personnel Shortage – Subject Matter Hearing
With the General Assembly not in session last week, a subject matter hearing was held regarding HB5492, which addresses the School Support Personnel shortage. While the legislature has been focused on the teacher shortage, several advocacy groups and legislators have been working to increase the scope of that focus to include the vacant staff positions in schools. The bill would create, subject to appropriation, a program of paid internships for students enrolled in educator preparation programs in the areas of school social worker, school psychologist, school counselor, school nurse, and speech-language pathologist. Experts from those fields testified noting extreme shortages in their fields. The Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula establishes ratios for each group. The reality is schools are falling critically short of those ratios due to pipeline issues and inadequate state funding. Estimates show that over 14,000 employees in the specialty fields are needed to meet the expected ratios.Opportunity to Support an Important IAASE Initiative!
SB3606 passed the Senate last week and is being heard in committee in the House Appropriations – Elementary & Secondary Education Committee on Tuesday at 3 p.m. SB3606 is an initiative of the Illinois Association of Administrators of Special Education (IAASE) and they are asking for the support of all school management groups. Please consider filing a witness slip as a PROPONENT of this bill which would equalize the financial reimbursement for school districts for students in public and private special education schools. Currently, private special education schools receive a larger financial reimbursement than public special education schools. SB3606 is sponsored in the House by Representative Michelle Mussman.To fill out a witness slip:
- Click on the link below and fill out the Identification portion of the form with your information.
- Under the Firm/ Business or Agency please put your school district
- Under Representation, type “myself” or “self”
- Under the drop down in description please select “House Amendment 1”
- Under Position, click on “Proponent” and “Record of Appearance Only” under Testimony. Click on the Terms of Agreement and then Create (Slip)