Public Act 100-0819
 
HB5771 EnrolledLRB100 19596 AXK 34867 b


  
    AN ACT concerning education.
  
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:
  



 
 
    Section 5. The School Code is amended  by adding Section 
26-19 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/26-19 new)
    Sec. 26-19. Chronic absenteeism in preschool children.
    (a) In this Section, "Chronic absence" has the meaning 
ascribed to that term in Section 26-18 of this Code.
    (b) The General Assembly makes all of the following 
findings: 
        (1) The early years are an extremely important period 
    in a child's learning and development.
        (2) Missed learning opportunities in the early years 
    make it difficult for a child to enter kindergarten ready 
    for success.
        (3) Attendance patterns in the early years serve as 
    predictors of chronic absenteeism and reduced educational 
    outcomes in later school years.  Therefore, it is crucial 
    that the implications of chronic absence be understood and 
    reviewed regularly in all publicly funded early childhood 
    programs receiving State funds under Section 2-3.71 of this 
    Code. 
    (c) Beginning July 1, 2019, any publicly funded early 
childhood program receiving State funds under Section 2-3.71 of 
this Code shall collect and review its chronic absence data and 
determine what support and resources are needed to positively 
engage chronically absent students and their families to 
encourage the habit of daily attendance and promote success.
    (d) Publicly funded early childhood programs receiving 
State funds under Section 2-3.71 of this Code are encouraged to 
do all of the following: 
        (1) Provide support to students who are at risk of 
    reaching or exceeding chronic absence levels.
        (2) Make resources available to families, such as those 
    available through the State Board of Education's Family 
    Engagement Framework, to support and encourage families to 
    ensure their children's daily program attendance.
        (3) Include information about chronic absenteeism as 
    part of their preschool to kindergarten transition 
    resources. 
    (e) On or before July 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, an 
early childhood program shall report all data collected under 
subsection (c) of this Section to the State Board of Education, 
which shall make the report publicly available via the Illinois 
Early Childhood Asset Map Internet website and the Preschool 
for All Program or Preschool for All Expansion Program 
triennial report. 
 
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 
2019.