103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB1215 Introduced , by Rep. Dan Caulkins SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/21B-30 105 ILCS 5/21B-40 Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation, any candidate who is considered either a former or active first responder or military personnel shall receive a refund for any costs associated with completing a test of content area knowledge. Provides that, subject to appropriation, any candidate who is considered either a former or active first responder or military personnel shall receive a refund for any costs associated with completing a teacher performance assessment. Provides that no former or active first responder or military personnel may be charged an application fee under specified provisions. Effective July 1, 2023. LRB103 25120 RJT 51457 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB1215 Introduced , by Rep. Dan Caulkins SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/21B-30 105 ILCS 5/21B-40 105 ILCS 5/21B-30 105 ILCS 5/21B-40 Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation, any candidate who is considered either a former or active first responder or military personnel shall receive a refund for any costs associated with completing a test of content area knowledge. Provides that, subject to appropriation, any candidate who is considered either a former or active first responder or military personnel shall receive a refund for any costs associated with completing a teacher performance assessment. Provides that no former or active first responder or military personnel may be charged an application fee under specified provisions. Effective July 1, 2023. LRB103 25120 RJT 51457 b LRB103 25120 RJT 51457 b A BILL FOR
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB1215 Introduced , by Rep. Dan Caulkins SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/21B-30 105 ILCS 5/21B-40 105 ILCS 5/21B-30 105 ILCS 5/21B-40
105 ILCS 5/21B-30
105 ILCS 5/21B-40
Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation, any candidate who is considered either a former or active first responder or military personnel shall receive a refund for any costs associated with completing a test of content area knowledge. Provides that, subject to appropriation, any candidate who is considered either a former or active first responder or military personnel shall receive a refund for any costs associated with completing a teacher performance assessment. Provides that no former or active first responder or military personnel may be charged an application fee under specified provisions. Effective July 1, 2023.
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A BILL FOR
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1 AN ACT concerning education.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections
5 21B-30 and 21B-40 as follows:
6 (105 ILCS 5/21B-30)
7 Sec. 21B-30. Educator testing.
8 (a) (Blank).
9 (a-5) In this Section:
10 "Former or active first responder" means a person who
11 either is currently serving or has formerly served as a law
12 enforcement officer, a firefighter, or emergency medical
13 services personnel as defined in Section 3.5 of the Emergency
14 Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act.
15 "Military personnel" means a person who is currently a
16 member or who is a retired and honorably discharged member of
17 the Armed Services or Reserve Forces of the United States or
18 the Illinois National Guard.
19 (b) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
20 State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall design
21 and implement a system of examinations, which shall be
22 required prior to the issuance of educator licenses. These
23 examinations and indicators must be based on national and
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB1215 Introduced , by Rep. Dan Caulkins SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/21B-30 105 ILCS 5/21B-40 105 ILCS 5/21B-30 105 ILCS 5/21B-40
105 ILCS 5/21B-30
105 ILCS 5/21B-40
Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation, any candidate who is considered either a former or active first responder or military personnel shall receive a refund for any costs associated with completing a test of content area knowledge. Provides that, subject to appropriation, any candidate who is considered either a former or active first responder or military personnel shall receive a refund for any costs associated with completing a teacher performance assessment. Provides that no former or active first responder or military personnel may be charged an application fee under specified provisions. Effective July 1, 2023.
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LRB103 25120 RJT 51457 b
A BILL FOR
105 ILCS 5/21B-30
105 ILCS 5/21B-40
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1 State professional teaching standards, as determined by the
2 State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
3 Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. The State Board of
4 Education may adopt such rules as may be necessary to
5 implement and administer this Section.
6 (c) (Blank).
7 (c-5) The State Board must adopt rules to implement a
8 paraprofessional competency test. This test would allow an
9 applicant seeking an Educator License with Stipulations with a
10 paraprofessional educator endorsement to obtain the
11 endorsement if he or she passes the test and meets the other
12 requirements of subparagraph (J) of paragraph (2) of Section
13 21B-20 other than the higher education requirements.
14 (d) All applicants seeking a State license shall be
15 required to pass a test of content area knowledge for each area
16 of endorsement for which there is an applicable test. There
17 shall be no exception to this requirement. No candidate shall
18 be allowed to student teach or serve as the teacher of record
19 until he or she has passed the applicable content area test.
20 Subject to appropriation, any candidate who is considered
21 either a former or active first responder or military
22 personnel shall receive a refund for any costs associated with
23 completing a test of content area knowledge under this
24 subsection (d).
25 (e) (Blank).
26 (f) Except as otherwise provided in this Article,
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1 beginning on September 1, 2015, all candidates completing
2 teacher preparation programs in this State and all candidates
3 subject to Section 21B-35 of this Code are required to pass a
4 teacher performance assessment approved by the State Board of
5 Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
6 and Licensure Board. A candidate may not be required to submit
7 test materials by video submission. Subject to appropriation,
8 an individual who holds a Professional Educator License and is
9 employed for a minimum of one school year by a school district
10 designated as Tier 1 under Section 18-8.15 may, after
11 application to the State Board, receive from the State Board a
12 refund for any costs associated with completing the teacher
13 performance assessment under this subsection. Subject to
14 appropriation, any candidate who is considered either a former
15 or active first responder or military personnel shall receive
16 a refund for any costs associated with completing the teacher
17 performance assessment under this subsection (f).
18 (g) The content area knowledge test and the teacher
19 performance assessment shall be the tests that from time to
20 time are designated by the State Board of Education, in
21 consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
22 Board, and may be tests prepared by an educational testing
23 organization or tests designed by the State Board of
24 Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
25 and Licensure Board. The test of content area knowledge shall
26 assess content knowledge in a specific subject field. The
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1 tests must be designed to be racially neutral to ensure that no
2 person taking the tests is discriminated against on the basis
3 of race, color, national origin, or other factors unrelated to
4 the person's ability to perform as a licensed employee. The
5 score required to pass the tests shall be fixed by the State
6 Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator
7 Preparation and Licensure Board. The tests shall be
8 administered not fewer than 3 times a year at such time and
9 place as may be designated by the State Board of Education, in
10 consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
11 Board.
12 The State Board shall implement a test or tests to assess
13 the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of
14 applicants for an endorsement or a license issued under
15 subdivision (G) of paragraph (2) of Section 21B-20 of this
16 Code in the English language and in the language of the
17 transitional bilingual education program requested by the
18 applicant.
19 (h) Except as provided in Section 34-6 of this Code, the
20 provisions of this Section shall apply equally in any school
21 district subject to Article 34 of this Code.
22 (i) The rules developed to implement and enforce the
23 testing requirements under this Section shall include without
24 limitation provisions governing test selection, test
25 validation and determination of a passing score,
26 administration of the tests, frequency of administration,
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1 applicant fees, frequency of applicants taking the tests, the
2 years for which a score is valid, and appropriate special
3 accommodations. The State Board of Education shall develop
4 such rules as may be needed to ensure uniformity from year to
5 year in the level of difficulty for each form of an assessment.
6 (Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220, eff. 8-7-19;
7 101-594, eff. 12-5-19; 102-301, eff. 8-26-21.)
8 (105 ILCS 5/21B-40)
9 Sec. 21B-40. Fees.
10 (a) Beginning with the start of the new licensure system
11 established pursuant to this Article, the following fees shall
12 be charged to applicants:
13 (1) A $100 application fee for a Professional Educator
14 License or an Educator License with Stipulations.
15 (1.5) A $50 application fee for a Substitute Teaching
16 License. If the application for a Substitute Teaching
17 License is made and granted after July 1, 2017, the
18 licensee may apply for a refund of the application fee
19 within 18 months of issuance of the new license and shall
20 be issued that refund by the State Board of Education if
21 the licensee provides evidence to the State Board of
22 Education that the licensee has taught pursuant to the
23 Substitute Teaching License at least 10 full school days
24 within one year of issuance.
25 (1.7) A $25 application fee for a Short-Term
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1 Substitute Teaching License. The Short-Term Substitute
2 Teaching License must be registered in at least one region
3 in this State, but does not require a registration fee.
4 The licensee may apply for a refund of the application fee
5 within 18 months of issuance of the new license and shall
6 be issued that refund by the State Board of Education if
7 the licensee provides evidence to the State Board of
8 Education that the licensee has taught pursuant to the
9 Short-Term Substitute Teaching License at least 10 full
10 school days within one year of issuance. The application
11 fee for a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License shall be
12 waived when the Governor has declared a disaster due to a
13 public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the
14 Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.
15 (2) A $150 application fee for individuals who have
16 not been entitled by an Illinois-approved educator
17 preparation program at an Illinois institution of higher
18 education and are seeking any of the licenses set forth in
19 subdivision (1) of this subsection (a).
20 (3) A $50 application fee for each endorsement or
21 approval.
22 (4) A $10 per year registration fee for the course of
23 the validity cycle to register the license, which shall be
24 paid to the regional office of education having
25 supervision and control over the school in which the
26 individual holding the license is to be employed. If the
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1 individual holding the license is not yet employed, then
2 the license may be registered in any county in this State.
3 The registration fee must be paid in its entirety the
4 first time the individual registers the license for a
5 particular validity period in a single region. No
6 additional fee may be charged for that validity period
7 should the individual subsequently register the license in
8 additional regions. An individual must register the
9 license (i) immediately after initial issuance of the
10 license and (ii) at the beginning of each renewal cycle if
11 the individual has satisfied the renewal requirements
12 required under this Code.
13 Beginning on July 1, 2017, at the beginning of each
14 renewal cycle, individuals who hold a Substitute Teaching
15 License may apply for a reimbursement of the registration
16 fee within 18 months of renewal and shall be issued that
17 reimbursement by the State Board of Education from funds
18 appropriated for that purpose if the licensee provides
19 evidence to the State Board of Education that the licensee
20 has taught pursuant to the Substitute Teaching License at
21 least 10 full school days within one year of renewal.
22 (5) The license renewal fee for an Educator License
23 with Stipulations with a paraprofessional educator
24 endorsement is $25.
25 (a-5) No former or active first responder or military
26 personnel, as defined in Section 21B-30 of this Code, may be
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1 charged an application fee under subdivision (1), (1.5),
2 (1.7), (2), or (3) of subsection (a) of this Section.
3 (b) All application fees paid pursuant to subdivisions (1)
4 through (3) of subsection (a) of this Section shall be
5 deposited into the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund and
6 shall be used, subject to appropriation, by the State Board of
7 Education to provide the technology and human resources
8 necessary for the timely and efficient processing of
9 applications and for the renewal of licenses. Funds available
10 from the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund may also be
11 used by the State Board of Education to support the
12 recruitment and retention of educators, to support educator
13 preparation programs as they seek national accreditation, and
14 to provide professional development aligned with the
15 requirements set forth in Section 21B-45 of this Code. A
16 majority of the funds in the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving
17 Fund must be dedicated to the timely and efficient processing
18 of applications and for the renewal of licenses. The Teacher
19 Certificate Fee Revolving Fund is not subject to
20 administrative charge transfers, authorized under Section 8h
21 of the State Finance Act, from the Teacher Certificate Fee
22 Revolving Fund into any other fund of this State, and moneys in
23 the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund shall not revert
24 back to the General Revenue Fund at any time.
25 The regional superintendent of schools shall deposit the
26 registration fees paid pursuant to subdivision (4) of
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1 subsection (a) of this Section into the institute fund
2 established pursuant to Section 3-11 of this Code.
3 (c) The State Board of Education and each regional office
4 of education are authorized to charge a service or convenience
5 fee for the use of credit cards for the payment of license
6 fees. This service or convenience fee shall not exceed the
7 amount required by the credit card processing company or
8 vendor that has entered into a contract with the State Board or
9 regional office of education for this purpose, and the fee
10 must be paid to that company or vendor.
11 (d) If, at the time a certificate issued under Article 21
12 of this Code is exchanged for a license issued under this
13 Article, a person has paid registration fees for any years of
14 the validity period of the certificate and these years have
15 not expired when the certificate is exchanged, then those fees
16 must be applied to the registration of the new license.
17 (Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-570, eff. 8-23-19;
18 102-867, eff. 5-13-22.)
19 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
20 2023.
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