102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB0221

 

Introduced 1/22/2021, by Rep. LaToya Greenwood

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/21B-40

     Amends the School Code. Beginning July 1, 2021, provides that an individual who holds a Professional Educator License or an Educator License with Stipulations (including an individual who has not been entitled by an Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois institution of higher education) may apply for a refund of the required application fee after 12 months of issuance and shall be issued a refund by the State Board of Education if the individual provides evidence that the individual has taught at a school district for at least 12 months. Effective immediately.


LRB102 10061 CMG 15381 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB0221LRB102 10061 CMG 15381 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
521B-40 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/21B-40)
7    Sec. 21B-40. Fees.
8    (a) Beginning with the start of the new licensure system
9established pursuant to this Article, the following fees shall
10be charged to applicants:
11        (1) A $100 application fee for a Professional Educator
12    License or an Educator License with Stipulations.
13    Beginning July 1, 2021, a licensee under this subdivision
14    (1) may apply for a refund of the application fee after 12
15    months of issuance and shall be issued that refund by the
16    State Board of Education if the licensee provides evidence
17    to the State Board that the licensee has taught at a school
18    district for at least 12 months.
19        (1.5) A $50 application fee for a Substitute Teaching
20    License. If the application for a Substitute Teaching
21    License is made and granted after July 1, 2017, the
22    licensee may apply for a refund of the application fee
23    within 18 months of issuance of the new license and shall

 

 

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1    be issued that refund by the State Board of Education if
2    the licensee provides evidence to the State Board of
3    Education that the licensee has taught pursuant to the
4    Substitute Teaching License at least 10 full school days
5    within one year of issuance.
6        (1.7) A $25 application fee for a Short-Term
7    Substitute Teaching License. The Short-Term Substitute
8    Teaching License must be registered in at least one region
9    in this State, but does not require a registration fee.
10    The licensee may apply for a refund of the application fee
11    within 18 months of issuance of the new license and shall
12    be issued that refund by the State Board of Education if
13    the licensee provides evidence to the State Board of
14    Education that the licensee has taught pursuant to the
15    Short-Term Substitute Teaching License at least 10 full
16    school days within one year of issuance.
17        (2) A $150 application fee for individuals who have
18    not been entitled by an Illinois-approved educator
19    preparation program at an Illinois institution of higher
20    education and are seeking any of the licenses set forth in
21    subdivision (1) of this subsection (a). Beginning July 1,
22    2021, a licensee under this subdivision (2) may apply for
23    a refund of the application fee after 12 months of
24    issuance and shall be issued that refund by the State
25    Board of Education if the licensee provides evidence to
26    the State Board that the licensee has taught at a school

 

 

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1    district for at least 12 months.
2        (3) A $50 application fee for each endorsement or
3    approval.
4        (4) A $10 per year registration fee for the course of
5    the validity cycle to register the license, which shall be
6    paid to the regional office of education having
7    supervision and control over the school in which the
8    individual holding the license is to be employed. If the
9    individual holding the license is not yet employed, then
10    the license may be registered in any county in this State.
11    The registration fee must be paid in its entirety the
12    first time the individual registers the license for a
13    particular validity period in a single region. No
14    additional fee may be charged for that validity period
15    should the individual subsequently register the license in
16    additional regions. An individual must register the
17    license (i) immediately after initial issuance of the
18    license and (ii) at the beginning of each renewal cycle if
19    the individual has satisfied the renewal requirements
20    required under this Code.
21        Beginning on July 1, 2017, at the beginning of each
22    renewal cycle, individuals who hold a Substitute Teaching
23    License may apply for a reimbursement of the registration
24    fee within 18 months of renewal and shall be issued that
25    reimbursement by the State Board of Education from funds
26    appropriated for that purpose if the licensee provides

 

 

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1    evidence to the State Board of Education that the licensee
2    has taught pursuant to the Substitute Teaching License at
3    least 10 full school days within one year of renewal.
4        (5) The license renewal fee for an Educator License
5    with Stipulations with a paraprofessional educator
6    endorsement is $25.
7    (b) All application fees paid pursuant to subdivisions (1)
8through (3) of subsection (a) of this Section shall be
9deposited into the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund and
10shall be used, subject to appropriation, by the State Board of
11Education to provide the technology and human resources
12necessary for the timely and efficient processing of
13applications and for the renewal of licenses. Funds available
14from the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund may also be
15used by the State Board of Education to support the
16recruitment and retention of educators, to support educator
17preparation programs as they seek national accreditation, and
18to provide professional development aligned with the
19requirements set forth in Section 21B-45 of this Code. A
20majority of the funds in the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving
21Fund must be dedicated to the timely and efficient processing
22of applications and for the renewal of licenses. The Teacher
23Certificate Fee Revolving Fund is not subject to
24administrative charge transfers, authorized under Section 8h
25of the State Finance Act, from the Teacher Certificate Fee
26Revolving Fund into any other fund of this State, and moneys in

 

 

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1the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund shall not revert
2back to the General Revenue Fund at any time.
3    The regional superintendent of schools shall deposit the
4registration fees paid pursuant to subdivision (4) of
5subsection (a) of this Section into the institute fund
6established pursuant to Section 3-11 of this Code.
7    (c) The State Board of Education and each regional office
8of education are authorized to charge a service or convenience
9fee for the use of credit cards for the payment of license
10fees. This service or convenience fee shall not exceed the
11amount required by the credit card processing company or
12vendor that has entered into a contract with the State Board or
13regional office of education for this purpose, and the fee
14must be paid to that company or vendor.
15    (d) If, at the time a certificate issued under Article 21
16of this Code is exchanged for a license issued under this
17Article, a person has paid registration fees for any years of
18the validity period of the certificate and these years have
19not expired when the certificate is exchanged, then those fees
20must be applied to the registration of the new license.
21(Source: P.A. 100-550, eff. 11-8-17; 100-596, eff. 7-1-18;
22100-772, eff. 8-10-18; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-570, eff.
238-23-19.)
 
24    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
25becoming law.