Illinois 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois House Bill HB1553 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1553 Introduced , by Rep. Tony M. McCombie SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/24-2 Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning holidays, provides that a school board or other entity eligible to apply for waivers and modifications under the Code is authorized to hold school or schedule teachers' institutes, parent-teacher conferences, or staff development on November 3, 2026 (2026 General Election Day) if certain conditions are met. Effective July 1, 2025. LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1553 Introduced , by Rep. Tony M. McCombie SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/24-2 105 ILCS 5/24-2 Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning holidays, provides that a school board or other entity eligible to apply for waivers and modifications under the Code is authorized to hold school or schedule teachers' institutes, parent-teacher conferences, or staff development on November 3, 2026 (2026 General Election Day) if certain conditions are met. Effective July 1, 2025. LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b A BILL FOR
2	2	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1553 Introduced , by Rep. Tony M. McCombie SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
3	3	105 ILCS 5/24-2 105 ILCS 5/24-2
4	4	105 ILCS 5/24-2
5	5	Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning holidays, provides that a school board or other entity eligible to apply for waivers and modifications under the Code is authorized to hold school or schedule teachers' institutes, parent-teacher conferences, or staff development on November 3, 2026 (2026 General Election Day) if certain conditions are met. Effective July 1, 2025.
6	6	LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b
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8	8	A BILL FOR
9	9	HB1553LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b HB1553 LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b
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11	11	1 AN ACT concerning education.
12	12	2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
13	13	3 represented in the General Assembly:
14	14	4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
15	15	5 24-2 as follows:
16	16	6 (105 ILCS 5/24-2)
17	17	7 Sec. 24-2. Holidays.
18	18	8 (a) Teachers shall not be required to teach on Saturdays,
19	19	9 nor, except as provided in subsection (b) of this Section,
20	20	10 shall teachers, educational support personnel employees, or
21	21	11 other school employees, other than noncertificated school
22	22	12 employees whose presence is necessary because of an emergency
23	23	13 or for the continued operation and maintenance of school
24	24	14 facilities or property, be required to work on legal school
25	25	15 holidays, which are January 1, New Year's Day; the third
26	26	16 Monday in January, the Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King,
27	27	17 Jr.; February 12, the Birthday of President Abraham Lincoln;
28	28	18 the first Monday in March (to be known as Casimir Pulaski's
29	29	19 birthday); Good Friday; the day designated as Memorial Day by
30	30	20 federal law; June 19, Juneteenth National Freedom Day; July 4,
31	31	21 Independence Day; the first Monday in September, Labor Day;
32	32	22 the second Monday in October, Columbus Day; November 11,
33	33	23 Veterans' Day; the Thursday in November commonly called
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37	37	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1553 Introduced , by Rep. Tony M. McCombie SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
38	38	105 ILCS 5/24-2 105 ILCS 5/24-2
39	39	105 ILCS 5/24-2
40	40	Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning holidays, provides that a school board or other entity eligible to apply for waivers and modifications under the Code is authorized to hold school or schedule teachers' institutes, parent-teacher conferences, or staff development on November 3, 2026 (2026 General Election Day) if certain conditions are met. Effective July 1, 2025.
41	41	LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b
42	42	LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b
43	43	A BILL FOR
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49	49	105 ILCS 5/24-2
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68	68	1 Thanksgiving Day; and December 25, Christmas Day. School
69	69	2 boards may grant special holidays whenever in their judgment
70	70	3 such action is advisable. No deduction shall be made from the
71	71	4 time or compensation of a school employee, including an
72	72	5 educational support personnel employee, on account of any
73	73	6 legal or special holiday in which that employee would have
74	74	7 otherwise been scheduled to work but for the legal or special
75	75	8 holiday.
76	76	9 (b) A school board or other entity eligible to apply for
77	77	10 waivers and modifications under Section 2-3.25g of this Code
78	78	11 is authorized to hold school or schedule teachers' institutes,
79	79	12 parent-teacher conferences, or staff development on the third
80	80	13 Monday in January (the Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King,
81	81	14 Jr.); February 12 (the Birthday of President Abraham Lincoln);
82	82	15 the first Monday in March (known as Casimir Pulaski's
83	83	16 birthday); the second Monday in October (Columbus Day);
84	84	17 November 3, 2026 (2026 General Election Day), and November 11
85	85	18 (Veterans' Day), provided that:
86	86	19 (1) the person or persons or event honored by the
87	87	20 holiday are recognized through instructional activities
88	88	21 conducted on that day or, if the day is not used for
89	89	22 student attendance, on the first school day preceding or
90	90	23 following that day; and
91	91	24 (2) the entity that chooses to exercise this authority
92	92	25 first holds a public hearing about the proposal. The
93	93	26 entity shall provide notice preceding the public hearing
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104	104	1 to both educators and parents. The notice shall set forth
105	105	2 the time, date, and place of the hearing, describe the
106	106	3 proposal, and indicate that the entity will take testimony
107	107	4 from educators and parents about the proposal.
108	108	5 (c) Commemorative holidays, which recognize specified
109	109	6 patriotic, civic, cultural or historical persons, activities,
110	110	7 or events, are regular school days. Commemorative holidays
111	111	8 are: January 17 (the birthday of Muhammad Ali), January 28 (to
112	112	9 be known as Christa McAuliffe Day and observed as a
113	113	10 commemoration of space exploration), February 15 (the birthday
114	114	11 of Susan B. Anthony), March 29 (Viet Nam War Veterans' Day),
115	115	12 September 11 (September 11th Day of Remembrance), September 17
116	116	13 (Constitution Day), the school day immediately preceding
117	117	14 Veterans' Day (Korean War Veterans' Day), October 1 (Recycling
118	118	15 Day), October 7 (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Remembrance
119	119	16 Day), December 7 (Pearl Harbor Veterans' Day), and any day so
120	120	17 appointed by the President or Governor. School boards may
121	121	18 establish commemorative holidays whenever in their judgment
122	122	19 such action is advisable. School boards shall include
123	123	20 instruction relative to commemorated persons, activities, or
124	124	21 events on the commemorative holiday or at any other time
125	125	22 during the school year and at any point in the curriculum when
126	126	23 such instruction may be deemed appropriate. The State Board of
127	127	24 Education shall prepare and make available to school boards
128	128	25 instructional materials relative to commemorated persons,
129	129	26 activities, or events which may be used by school boards in
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140	140	1 conjunction with any instruction provided pursuant to this
141	141	2 paragraph.
142	142	3 (d) City of Chicago School District 299 shall observe
143	143	4 March 4 of each year as a commemorative holiday. This holiday
144	144	5 shall be known as Mayors' Day which shall be a day to
145	145	6 commemorate and be reminded of the past Chief Executive
146	146	7 Officers of the City of Chicago, and in particular the late
147	147	8 Mayor Richard J. Daley and the late Mayor Harold Washington.
148	148	9 If March 4 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, Mayors' Day shall be
149	149	10 observed on the following Monday.
150	150	11 (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to
151	151	12 the contrary, November 3, 2020 shall be a State holiday known
152	152	13 as 2020 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout
153	153	14 the State pursuant to Public Act 101-642. All government
154	154	15 offices, with the exception of election authorities, shall be
155	155	16 closed unless authorized to be used as a location for election
156	156	17 day services or as a polling place.
157	157	18 Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to the
158	158	19 contrary, November 8, 2022 shall be a State holiday known as
159	159	20 2022 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout the
160	160	21 State under Public Act 102-15.
161	161	22 Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to the
162	162	23 contrary, November 5, 2024 shall be a State holiday known as
163	163	24 2024 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout
164	164	25 this State pursuant to Public Act 103-467.
165	165	26 (Source: P.A. 102-14, eff. 1-1-22; 102-15, eff. 6-17-21;
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176	176	1 102-334, eff. 8-9-21; 102-411, eff. 1-1-22; 102-813, eff.
177	177	2 5-13-22; 103-15, eff. 7-1-23; 103-395, eff. 1-1-24; 103-467,
178	178	3 eff. 8-4-23; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24.)
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