093_HB2797 LRB093 06800 NHT 06941 b 1 AN ACT regarding schools. 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 adding Section 5 21-25.5 as follows: 6 (105 ILCS 5/21-25.5 new) 7 Sec. 21-25.5. Speech and language pathologist not 8 "teacher". 9 (a) The General Assembly recognizes that for some 10 purposes of this Code, the term "teacher" is broadly defined 11 to include all school district employees regularly required 12 to be certified under laws relating to the certification of 13 teachers. The General Assembly also recognizes that (i) some 14 school district employees regularly required to be certified 15 by law do not "teach" in the more narrow sense of imparting 16 information in a classroom or classroom-like setting 17 involving one or more students and (ii) the professional 18 services performed and offered in school settings by some 19 speech and language pathologists are not reasonably regarded 20 as falling within this more narrow understanding of the term 21 "teach". 22 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code or 23 any other law to the contrary, a speech and language 24 pathologist who possesses a certificate under Article 21 of 25 this Code shall neither be required to have an employment or 26 contractual relationship directly with the school district he 27 or she serves nor be prohibited from serving in a school 28 setting while employed by a person or entity other than a 29 school district if the speech and language pathologist 30 neither performs nor offers to perform any functions in the 31 school setting that are within the narrow understanding of -2- LRB093 06800 NHT 06941 b 1 the term "teach" as described in subsection (a) of this 2 Section. 3 (c) The State Board of Education may, in its discretion, 4 adopt rules with respect to this Section. 5 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 6 becoming law.