Illinois 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois House Bill HB2685 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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1		-	HB2685 EngrossedLRB104 11346 AAS 21434 b HB2685 Engrossed LRB104 11346 AAS 21434 b
2		-	HB2685 Engrossed LRB104 11346 AAS 21434 b
	1	+	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2685 Introduced , by Rep. William "Will" Davis SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new Amends the School Code. Requires the Illinois State Board of Education to create the Licensed School Librarian Task Force, which shall meet a minimum of 4 times and shall submit, no later than 12 months after the first convening of the Task Force, a final report to the Governor and the General Assembly containing recommendations, including, but not limited to, recommendations for how to ensure Illinois public elementary and secondary schools consider, budget appropriate resources for, and employ licensed school librarians in future academic years from available State and local resources. Effective immediately. LRB104 11346 AAS 21434 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2685 Introduced , by Rep. William "Will" Davis SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new 105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new Amends the School Code. Requires the Illinois State Board of Education to create the Licensed School Librarian Task Force, which shall meet a minimum of 4 times and shall submit, no later than 12 months after the first convening of the Task Force, a final report to the Governor and the General Assembly containing recommendations, including, but not limited to, recommendations for how to ensure Illinois public elementary and secondary schools consider, budget appropriate resources for, and employ licensed school librarians in future academic years from available State and local resources. Effective immediately. LRB104 11346 AAS 21434 b LRB104 11346 AAS 21434 b A BILL FOR
	2	+	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2685 Introduced , by Rep. William "Will" Davis SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
	3	+	105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new 105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new
	4	+	105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new
	5	+	Amends the School Code. Requires the Illinois State Board of Education to create the Licensed School Librarian Task Force, which shall meet a minimum of 4 times and shall submit, no later than 12 months after the first convening of the Task Force, a final report to the Governor and the General Assembly containing recommendations, including, but not limited to, recommendations for how to ensure Illinois public elementary and secondary schools consider, budget appropriate resources for, and employ licensed school librarians in future academic years from available State and local resources. Effective immediately.
	6	+	LRB104 11346 AAS 21434 b LRB104 11346 AAS 21434 b
	7	+	LRB104 11346 AAS 21434 b
	8	+	A BILL FOR
	9	+	HB2685LRB104 11346 AAS 21434 b HB2685 LRB104 11346 AAS 21434 b
	10	+	HB2685 LRB104 11346 AAS 21434 b
3	11		1 AN ACT concerning education.
4	12		2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
5	13		3 represented in the General Assembly:
6	14		4 Section 1. Findings. The General Assembly finds that:
7	15		5 (1) Licensed school librarians help students acquire
8	16		6 unique skills not taught in the classroom and information
9	17		7 and technology skills that are essential for students.
10	18		8 (2) Academic research provides significant evidence
11	19		9 indicating the value added to students' academic
12	20		10 development by the presence of a strong school library
13	21		11 program led by a licensed school librarian.
14	22		12 (3) The presence of full-time licensed school
15	23		13 librarians and appropriate support staff who implement a
16	24		14 quality, school-integrated library services program is
17	25		15 directly related to student educational gains.
18	26		16 (4) Quality school library programs staffed by
19	27		17 licensed school librarians help close the achievement gap
20	28		18 of students who come from economically disadvantaged
21	29		19 backgrounds.
22	30		20 (5) Curtailment of school library instructional
23	31		21 programs has had a negative impact on students'
24	32		22 achievement in kindergarten through grade 12 learning
25	33		23 environments and the ability of youth to appropriately and
26	34		24 fully utilize the resources of public and academic
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30		-	HB2685 Engrossed LRB104 11346 AAS 21434 b
	38	+	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2685 Introduced , by Rep. William "Will" Davis SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
	39	+	105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new 105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new
	40	+	105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new
	41	+	Amends the School Code. Requires the Illinois State Board of Education to create the Licensed School Librarian Task Force, which shall meet a minimum of 4 times and shall submit, no later than 12 months after the first convening of the Task Force, a final report to the Governor and the General Assembly containing recommendations, including, but not limited to, recommendations for how to ensure Illinois public elementary and secondary schools consider, budget appropriate resources for, and employ licensed school librarians in future academic years from available State and local resources. Effective immediately.
	42	+	LRB104 11346 AAS 21434 b LRB104 11346 AAS 21434 b
	43	+	LRB104 11346 AAS 21434 b
	44	+	A BILL FOR
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35	69		1 libraries.
36	70		2 (6) There is an interdependence among types of
37		-	3 libraries within a community. School libraries are at the
	71	+	3 libraries within a community, school libraries are at the
38	72		4 center of this ecosystem, and school libraries provide the
39	73		5 beginning of a lifelong connection to academic and public
40	74		6 libraries throughout Illinois.
41	75		7 (7) Government has the responsibility to ensure that
42	76		8 every child in the state of Illinois receives a strong
43	77		9 foundation in literacy.
44	78		10 Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section
45	79		11 2-3.206 as follows:
46	80		12 (105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new)
47	81		13 Sec. 2-3.206. Licensed School Librarian Task Force.
48	82		14 (a) As used in this Section, "licensed school librarian"
49	83		15 means an individual who holds a Professional Educator License
50	84		16 with a library information specialist endorsement through the
51	85		17 State Board.
52	86		18 (b) The State Board shall establish and convene the
53	87		19 licensed school librarian Task Force within 120 days after the
54	88		20 effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General
55	89		21 Assembly.
56	90		22 (c) The Task Force shall include the following members:
57	91		23 (1) Two members appointed by the State Board.
58	92		24 (2) One member from a statewide organization
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69	103		1 representing licensed school librarians appointed by the
70	104		2 Secretary of State.
71	105		3 (3) One member from a statewide educational group
72	106		4 whose members include licensed school librarians appointed
73	107		5 by the Secretary of State.
74	108		6 (4) One member from each of the Illinois regional
75	109		7 library systems appointed by the Secretary of State.
76	110		8 (5) One member from an Illinois university that offers
77	111		9 a library information specialist endorsement program
78	112		10 appointed by the Governor.
79	113		11 (6) One member appointed by the President of the
80	114		12 Senate.
81	115		13 (7) One member appointed by the Speaker of the House
82	116		14 of Representatives.
83	117		15 (8) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
84	118		16 Senate.
85	119		17 (9) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
86	120		18 House of Representatives.
87	121		19 The Chairperson of the State Board, or his or her
88	122		20 designee, shall be a nonvoting member of the Task Force and
89	123		21 shall serve as Chairperson of the Task Force. Members of the
90	124		22 Task Force shall serve for the entirety of the Task Force
91	125		23 without compensation. If a vacancy occurs in Task Force's
92	126		24 membership, it shall be filled in the same manner as the
93	127		25 original appointment for the entirety of the Task Force. A
94	128		26 quorum of Task Force members is not required for the Task Force
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105	139		1 to convene or meet.
106	140		2 (d) The State Board shall provide administrative and
107	141		3 technical support to the Task Force.
108	142		4 (e) The Task Force shall meet a minimum of 4 times and
109	143		5 shall submit, no later than 12 months after the first
110	144		6 convening of the Task Force, a final report to the Governor and
111	145		7 the General Assembly containing recommendations, including,
112	146		8 but not limited to, recommendations for how to ensure Illinois
113	147		9 public elementary and secondary schools consider, budget
114	148		10 appropriate resources for, and employ licensed school
115	149		11 librarians in future academic years from available State and
116	150		12 local resources. The Task Force shall also make
117	151		13 recommendations on appropriate library resources when licensed
118	152		14 school librarians are unable to staff or be employed in school
119	153		15 libraries that serve students in public elementary and
120	154		16 secondary schools. The Task Force is dissolved upon submission
121	155		17 of its report.
122	156		18 (f) This Section is repealed on July 1, 2027.
123		-	19 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
124		-	20 becoming law.
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