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Illinois House Bill HB2455

Illinois 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois House Bill HB2455 Compare Versions

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11 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2455 Introduced , by Rep. Maura Hirschauer SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/14-3.01 from Ch. 122, par. 14-3.01 Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Adds the Secretary of Early Childhood or his or her designee as a member of the Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities. Provides that the Council shall establish a committee charged with ensuring that all children aged 3 to 5 with disabilities have access to high-quality, inclusive, early-childhood services, provided in the least restrictive environment, across all early learning settings. Effective immediately. LRB104 09261 LNS 19319 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2455 Introduced , by Rep. Maura Hirschauer SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/14-3.01 from Ch. 122, par. 14-3.01 105 ILCS 5/14-3.01 from Ch. 122, par. 14-3.01 Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Adds the Secretary of Early Childhood or his or her designee as a member of the Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities. Provides that the Council shall establish a committee charged with ensuring that all children aged 3 to 5 with disabilities have access to high-quality, inclusive, early-childhood services, provided in the least restrictive environment, across all early learning settings. Effective immediately. LRB104 09261 LNS 19319 b LRB104 09261 LNS 19319 b A BILL FOR
22 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2455 Introduced , by Rep. Maura Hirschauer SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
33 105 ILCS 5/14-3.01 from Ch. 122, par. 14-3.01 105 ILCS 5/14-3.01 from Ch. 122, par. 14-3.01
44 105 ILCS 5/14-3.01 from Ch. 122, par. 14-3.01
55 Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Adds the Secretary of Early Childhood or his or her designee as a member of the Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities. Provides that the Council shall establish a committee charged with ensuring that all children aged 3 to 5 with disabilities have access to high-quality, inclusive, early-childhood services, provided in the least restrictive environment, across all early learning settings. Effective immediately.
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1111 1 AN ACT concerning education.
1212 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
1313 3 represented in the General Assembly:
1414 4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
1515 5 14-3.01 as follows:
1616 6 (105 ILCS 5/14-3.01) (from Ch. 122, par. 14-3.01)
1717 7 Sec. 14-3.01. Advisory Council. This amendatory Act of
1818 8 1998, in compliance with the reauthorization of IDEA in 1997,
1919 9 makes changes in the membership and responsibilities of the
2020 10 Advisory Council on the Education of Children with
2121 11 Disabilities. The Council shall provide advice and policy
2222 12 guidance to the Governor, General Assembly, and the State
2323 13 Board of Education with respect to special education and
2424 14 related services for children with disabilities. The State
2525 15 Board of Education shall seek the advice of the Advisory
2626 16 Council regarding all rules and regulations related to the
2727 17 education of children with disabilities that are to be
2828 18 promulgated by the State Board of Education. The State Board
2929 19 of Education shall seek the advice of the Advisory Council on
3030 20 modifications or additions to comprehensive plans submitted
3131 21 under Section 14-4.01. The Council shall consider any rule or
3232 22 regulation or plan submitted to it by the State Board of
3333 23 Education within 60 days after its receipt by the chairperson
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3737 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2455 Introduced , by Rep. Maura Hirschauer SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
3838 105 ILCS 5/14-3.01 from Ch. 122, par. 14-3.01 105 ILCS 5/14-3.01 from Ch. 122, par. 14-3.01
3939 105 ILCS 5/14-3.01 from Ch. 122, par. 14-3.01
4040 Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Adds the Secretary of Early Childhood or his or her designee as a member of the Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities. Provides that the Council shall establish a committee charged with ensuring that all children aged 3 to 5 with disabilities have access to high-quality, inclusive, early-childhood services, provided in the least restrictive environment, across all early learning settings. Effective immediately.
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6868 1 of the Council.
6969 2 Additionally, the Advisory Council shall: (1) advise the
7070 3 General Assembly, the Governor, and the State Board of
7171 4 Education on unmet needs in the education of children with
7272 5 disabilities; (2) assist the State Board of Education in
7373 6 developing evaluations and reporting on data to the United
7474 7 States Secretary of Education; (3) advise the State Board of
7575 8 Education relative to qualifications for hearing officers and
7676 9 the rules and procedures for hearings conducted under Section
7777 10 14-8.02 or 14-8.02a; (4) comment publicly on any rules or
7878 11 regulations proposed by the State regarding the education of
7979 12 children with disabilities and the procedures for distribution
8080 13 of funds under this Act; (5) advise the State Board of
8181 14 Education in developing corrective action plans to address
8282 15 findings identified in federal monitoring reports pursuant to
8383 16 the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; (6) advise
8484 17 State and local education agencies regarding educational
8585 18 programs and materials that may be provided to children with
8686 19 disabilities to enable them to fully exercise their
8787 20 constitutional and legal rights and entitlements as citizens,
8888 21 including those afforded under the Federal Rehabilitation Act
8989 22 of 1973, as amended, and the Illinois Human Rights Act; and (7)
9090 23 advise the State Board of Education in developing and
9191 24 implementing policies relating to the coordination of services
9292 25 for children with disabilities.
9393 26 The Council shall be composed of 28 27 members, including
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104104 1 23 voting members appointed by the Governor and 5 4 ex-officio
105105 2 voting members. Members shall be broadly representative of the
106106 3 State's population in regard to developmental, physical, and
107107 4 mental disabilities, race, ethnic background, gender, and
108108 5 geographic location. Nine members shall be parents of children
109109 6 with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 years currently
110110 7 receiving special education services at public expense. Five
111111 8 members shall be individuals with disabilities, including one
112112 9 student or former student who is at least 18 years of age and
113113 10 no older than 21 years of age at the time of his or her
114114 11 appointment to the Council and who is receiving special
115115 12 education services at public expense or received those
116116 13 services at the time his or her high school program
117117 14 terminated. Within 30 days after the effective date of this
118118 15 amendatory Act of 1998, the Governor or his designee shall
119119 16 invite statewide organizations, being as inclusive as possible
120120 17 and based upon a reasonable inquiry, and Parent Training and
121121 18 Information Centers representing parents of children with
122122 19 disabilities, individuals with disabilities or both, to
123123 20 convene for the purpose of recommending to the Governor twice
124124 21 the number of individuals required to be appointed as members
125125 22 from each of the categories described in this paragraph, from
126126 23 which the Governor may appoint the 14 members of the Council
127127 24 who are parents of children with disabilities and individuals
128128 25 with disabilities. The 9 members who are parents of children
129129 26 with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 years receiving
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140140 1 special education services at public expense and the 5 members
141141 2 who are individuals with disabilities shall not be current
142142 3 full or part-time employees of school districts, special
143143 4 education cooperatives, regional service areas or centers, or
144144 5 any agency under the jurisdiction of any elected State
145145 6 official.
146146 7 In addition, the Governor shall appoint one regional
147147 8 superintendent of schools, one representative of an
148148 9 institution of higher education that prepares special
149149 10 education and related services personnel, one teacher of
150150 11 students with disabilities, one superintendent of a public
151151 12 school district, one director of a special education
152152 13 cooperative or special education administrator from a school
153153 14 district of less than 500,000 population, one representative
154154 15 of a public charter school, one representative of a private
155155 16 school serving children with disabilities, one representative
156156 17 of a vocational, community, or business organization that
157157 18 provides transition services to children with disabilities,
158158 19 and one at-large member from the general public. In addition,
159159 20 the Secretary of Human Services or his or her designee, the
160160 21 Director of Children and Family Services or his or her
161161 22 designee, the Director of Corrections or his or her designee,
162162 23 the Secretary of Early Childhood or his or her designee, and
163163 24 the Director of Special Education for the City of Chicago
164164 25 School District #299 or his or her designee shall serve as
165165 26 ex-officio voting members of the Council.
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176176 1 All Council members shall be legal residents of the State
177177 2 of Illinois and shall be selected, as far as practicable, on
178178 3 the basis of their knowledge of, or experience in, the
179179 4 education of children with disabilities.
180180 5 The initial members to be appointed to the Council by the
181181 6 Governor under the provisions of this amendatory Act of 1998
182182 7 shall be appointed within 60 days after the effective date of
183183 8 that amendatory Act; provided that those persons who are
184184 9 serving as Council members on that effective date and who, as
185185 10 determined by the Governor after consultation with the State
186186 11 Board of Education, meet the requirements established by this
187187 12 amendatory Act for appointment to membership on the Council
188188 13 shall continue to serve as Council members until the
189189 14 completion of the remainder of their current terms. The
190190 15 initial members of the Council who are not Council members on
191191 16 the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1998 and who are
192192 17 appointed by the Governor under this amendatory Act of 1998
193193 18 shall by lot determine one-third of their number to serve for a
194194 19 term of 2 years (provided that person appointed as the student
195195 20 or former student member shall be included among those members
196196 21 who are to serve a term of 2 years), one-third of their number
197197 22 to serve for a term of 3 years, and one-third of their number
198198 23 to serve for a term of 4 years; provided, that if the total
199199 24 number of initial members so appointed by the Governor is not
200200 25 divisible into 3 whole numbers, all of the initial members so
201201 26 appointed shall by lot be assigned to 3 groups as follows: (i)
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212212 1 the members assigned to the first group, who shall include the
213213 2 student or former student member and who shall be equal in
214214 3 number to the number of members who are assigned to the second
215215 4 group, shall serve for a term of 2 years; (ii) the members
216216 5 assigned to the second group, who shall be equal in number to
217217 6 the number of members who are assigned to the first group,
218218 7 shall serve for a term of 3 years; and (iii) the members
219219 8 assigned to the third group, who shall comprise the remainder
220220 9 of the initial members so appointed by the Governor and whose
221221 10 number shall be either one more or one less than the number of
222222 11 members assigned to either the first group or second group,
223223 12 shall serve for a term of 4 years. Upon expiration of the term
224224 13 of office of a member of the Council who is not an ex-officio
225225 14 member, his or her successor shall be appointed by the
226226 15 Governor to serve for a term of 4 years, except that a
227227 16 successor appointed as the student or former student member
228228 17 shall be appointed to serve for a term of 2 years. Each member
229229 18 of the Council who is not an ex-officio member and whose term
230230 19 of office expires shall nevertheless continue to serve as a
231231 20 Council member until his or her successor is appointed. Each
232232 21 of the 4 ex-officio members of the Council shall continue to
233233 22 serve as a Council member during the period in which he or she
234234 23 continues to hold the office by reason of which he or she
235235 24 became an ex-officio member of the Council. The initial
236236 25 members of the Council who are not ex-officio members shall
237237 26 not, upon completion of their respective initial terms, be
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248248 1 appointed to serve more than one additional consecutive term
249249 2 of 4 years, nor shall any successor member of the Council be
250250 3 appointed to serve more than 2 full consecutive 4-year terms;
251251 4 provided, that a person appointed as the student or former
252252 5 student member shall serve only one two-year term and shall
253253 6 not be reappointed to serve for an additional term. Vacancies
254254 7 in Council memberships held by parents of children with
255255 8 disabilities or individuals with disabilities may be filled
256256 9 from the original list of such parents and individuals
257257 10 recommended to the Governor. The Governor shall reconvene the
258258 11 group of organizations that provided the original list of
259259 12 parents of children with disabilities and individuals with
260260 13 disabilities when additional recommendations for those Council
261261 14 memberships are needed, but at a minimum the group shall be
262262 15 convened every 2 years for the purpose of updating the list of
263263 16 recommended parents or individuals. A vacancy in an appointed
264264 17 membership on the Council shall be filled for the unexpired
265265 18 balance of the term of that membership in the same manner that
266266 19 the original appointment for that membership was made.
267267 20 The terms of all persons serving as Advisory Council
268268 21 members on the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1998
269269 22 who are not determined by the Governor, after consultation
270270 23 with the State Board of Education, to meet the requirements
271271 24 established by this amendatory Act for appointment to initial
272272 25 membership on the Council shall terminate on the date that the
273273 26 Governor completes his appointments of the initial members of
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284284 1 the Council under this amendatory Act, and the members of the
285285 2 Council as constituted under this amendatory Act shall take
286286 3 office and assume their powers and duties on that date.
287287 4 The Council as constituted under this amendatory Act of
288288 5 1998 shall organize with a chairperson selected by the Council
289289 6 members and shall meet at the call of the chairperson upon 10
290290 7 days written notice but not less than 4 times a year. The
291291 8 Council shall establish such committees and procedures as it
292292 9 deems appropriate to carry out its responsibilities under this
293293 10 Act and the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education
294294 11 Act, including a committee charged with ensuring that all
295295 12 children aged 3 to 5 with disabilities have access to
296296 13 high-quality, inclusive, early-childhood services, provided in
297297 14 the least restrictive environment, across all early learning
298298 15 settings.
299299 16 The State Board of Education shall designate an employee
300300 17 to act as executive secretary of the Council and shall furnish
301301 18 all professional and clerical assistance necessary for the
302302 19 performance of its duties.
303303 20 Members of the Council shall serve without compensation
304304 21 but shall be reimbursed for the necessary expenses incurred in
305305 22 the performance of their duties in accordance with the State
306306 23 Board of Education's Travel Control Policy.
307307 24 (Source: P.A. 89-397, eff. 8-20-95; 89-507, eff. 7-1-97;
308308 25 90-644, eff. 7-24-98.)
309309 26 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
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