99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
HB4592

 

Introduced , by Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/2-3.25g  from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.25g

    Amends the School Code. In provisions allowing for the waiver or modification of mandates within the Code and administrative rules, provides that waivers may not be requested from laws and rules pertaining to physical education beginning with the 2022-2023 school year.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4592LRB099 16509 EGJ 40845 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
52-3.25g as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.25g)  (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.25g)
7    Sec. 2-3.25g. Waiver or modification of mandates within the
8School Code and administrative rules and regulations.
9    (a) In this Section:
10        "Board" means a school board or the governing board or
11    administrative district, as the case may be, for a joint
12    agreement.
13        "Eligible applicant" means a school district, joint
14    agreement made up of school districts, or regional
15    superintendent of schools on behalf of schools and programs
16    operated by the regional office of education.
17        "Implementation date" has the meaning set forth in
18    Section 24A-2.5 of this Code.
19        "State Board" means the State Board of Education.
20    (b) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this School
21Code or any other law of this State to the contrary, eligible
22applicants may petition the State Board of Education for the
23waiver or modification of the mandates of this School Code or

 

 

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1of the administrative rules and regulations promulgated by the
2State Board of Education. Waivers or modifications of
3administrative rules and regulations and modifications of
4mandates of this School Code may be requested when an eligible
5applicant demonstrates that it can address the intent of the
6rule or mandate in a more effective, efficient, or economical
7manner or when necessary to stimulate innovation or improve
8student performance. Waivers of mandates of the School Code may
9be requested when the waivers are necessary to stimulate
10innovation or improve student performance. Waivers may not be
11requested from laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to
12special education, teacher educator licensure, teacher tenure
13and seniority, or Section 5-2.1 of this Code or from compliance
14with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110).
15Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, waivers may not be
16requested from laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to
17physical education. Eligible applicants may not seek a waiver
18or seek a modification of a mandate regarding the requirements
19for (i) student performance data to be a significant factor in
20teacher or principal evaluations or (ii) teachers and
21principals to be rated using the 4 categories of "excellent",
22"proficient", "needs improvement", or "unsatisfactory". On
23September 1, 2014, any previously authorized waiver or
24modification from such requirements shall terminate.
25    (c) Eligible applicants, as a matter of inherent managerial
26policy, and any Independent Authority established under

 

 

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1Section 2-3.25f-5 of this Code may submit an application for a
2waiver or modification authorized under this Section. Each
3application must include a written request by the eligible
4applicant or Independent Authority and must demonstrate that
5the intent of the mandate can be addressed in a more effective,
6efficient, or economical manner or be based upon a specific
7plan for improved student performance and school improvement.
8Any eligible applicant requesting a waiver or modification for
9the reason that intent of the mandate can be addressed in a
10more economical manner shall include in the application a
11fiscal analysis showing current expenditures on the mandate and
12projected savings resulting from the waiver or modification.
13Applications and plans developed by eligible applicants must be
14approved by the board or regional superintendent of schools
15applying on behalf of schools or programs operated by the
16regional office of education following a public hearing on the
17application and plan and the opportunity for the board or
18regional superintendent to hear testimony from staff directly
19involved in its implementation, parents, and students. The time
20period for such testimony shall be separate from the time
21period established by the eligible applicant for public comment
22on other matters. If the applicant is a school district or
23joint agreement requesting a waiver or modification of Section
2427-6 of this Code, the public hearing shall be held on a day
25other than the day on which a regular meeting of the board is
26held.

 

 

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1    (c-5) If the applicant is a school district, then the
2district shall post information that sets forth the time, date,
3place, and general subject matter of the public hearing on its
4Internet website at least 14 days prior to the hearing. If the
5district is requesting to increase the fee charged for driver
6education authorized pursuant to Section 27-24.2 of this Code,
7the website information shall include the proposed amount of
8the fee the district will request. All school districts must
9publish a notice of the public hearing at least 7 days prior to
10the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation within the
11school district that sets forth the time, date, place, and
12general subject matter of the hearing. Districts requesting to
13increase the fee charged for driver education shall include in
14the published notice the proposed amount of the fee the
15district will request. If the applicant is a joint agreement or
16regional superintendent, then the joint agreement or regional
17superintendent shall post information that sets forth the time,
18date, place, and general subject matter of the public hearing
19on its Internet website at least 14 days prior to the hearing.
20If the joint agreement or regional superintendent is requesting
21to increase the fee charged for driver education authorized
22pursuant to Section 27-24.2 of this Code, the website
23information shall include the proposed amount of the fee the
24applicant will request. All joint agreements and regional
25superintendents must publish a notice of the public hearing at
26least 7 days prior to the hearing in a newspaper of general

 

 

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1circulation in each school district that is a member of the
2joint agreement or that is served by the educational service
3region that sets forth the time, date, place, and general
4subject matter of the hearing, provided that a notice appearing
5in a newspaper generally circulated in more than one school
6district shall be deemed to fulfill this requirement with
7respect to all of the affected districts. Joint agreements or
8regional superintendents requesting to increase the fee
9charged for driver education shall include in the published
10notice the proposed amount of the fee the applicant will
11request. The eligible applicant must notify in writing the
12affected exclusive collective bargaining agent and those State
13legislators representing the eligible applicant's territory of
14its intent to seek approval of a waiver or modification and of
15the hearing to be held to take testimony from staff. The
16affected exclusive collective bargaining agents shall be
17notified of such public hearing at least 7 days prior to the
18date of the hearing and shall be allowed to attend such public
19hearing. The eligible applicant shall attest to compliance with
20all of the notification and procedural requirements set forth
21in this Section.
22    (d) A request for a waiver or modification of
23administrative rules and regulations or for a modification of
24mandates contained in this School Code shall be submitted to
25the State Board of Education within 15 days after approval by
26the board or regional superintendent of schools. The

 

 

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1application as submitted to the State Board of Education shall
2include a description of the public hearing. Except with
3respect to contracting for adaptive driver education, an
4eligible applicant wishing to request a modification or waiver
5of administrative rules of the State Board of Education
6regarding contracting with a commercial driver training school
7to provide the course of study authorized under Section 27-24.2
8of this Code must provide evidence with its application that
9the commercial driver training school with which it will
10contract holds a license issued by the Secretary of State under
11Article IV of Chapter 6 of the Illinois Vehicle Code and that
12each instructor employed by the commercial driver training
13school to provide instruction to students served by the school
14district holds a valid teaching certificate or teaching
15license, as applicable, issued under the requirements of this
16Code and rules of the State Board of Education. Such evidence
17must include, but need not be limited to, a list of each
18instructor assigned to teach students served by the school
19district, which list shall include the instructor's name,
20personal identification number as required by the State Board
21of Education, birth date, and driver's license number. If the
22modification or waiver is granted, then the eligible applicant
23shall notify the State Board of Education of any changes in the
24personnel providing instruction within 15 calendar days after
25an instructor leaves the program or a new instructor is hired.
26Such notification shall include the instructor's name,

 

 

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1personal identification number as required by the State Board
2of Education, birth date, and driver's license number. If a
3school district maintains an Internet website, then the
4district shall post a copy of the final contract between the
5district and the commercial driver training school on the
6district's Internet website. If no Internet website exists,
7then the district shall make available the contract upon
8request. A record of all materials in relation to the
9application for contracting must be maintained by the school
10district and made available to parents and guardians upon
11request. The instructor's date of birth and driver's license
12number and any other personally identifying information as
13deemed by the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994
14must be redacted from any public materials. Following receipt
15of the waiver or modification request, the State Board shall
16have 45 days to review the application and request. If the
17State Board fails to disapprove the application within that 45
18day period, the waiver or modification shall be deemed granted.
19The State Board may disapprove any request if it is not based
20upon sound educational practices, endangers the health or
21safety of students or staff, compromises equal opportunities
22for learning, or fails to demonstrate that the intent of the
23rule or mandate can be addressed in a more effective,
24efficient, or economical manner or have improved student
25performance as a primary goal. Any request disapproved by the
26State Board may be appealed to the General Assembly by the

 

 

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1eligible applicant as outlined in this Section.
2    A request for a waiver from mandates contained in this
3School Code shall be submitted to the State Board within 15
4days after approval by the board or regional superintendent of
5schools. The application as submitted to the State Board of
6Education shall include a description of the public hearing.
7The description shall include, but need not be limited to, the
8means of notice, the number of people in attendance, the number
9of people who spoke as proponents or opponents of the waiver, a
10brief description of their comments, and whether there were any
11written statements submitted. The State Board shall review the
12applications and requests for completeness and shall compile
13the requests in reports to be filed with the General Assembly.
14The State Board shall file reports outlining the waivers
15requested by eligible applicants and appeals by eligible
16applicants of requests disapproved by the State Board with the
17Senate and the House of Representatives before each March 1 and
18October 1. The General Assembly may disapprove the report of
19the State Board in whole or in part within 60 calendar days
20after each house of the General Assembly next convenes after
21the report is filed by adoption of a resolution by a record
22vote of the majority of members elected in each house. If the
23General Assembly fails to disapprove any waiver request or
24appealed request within such 60 day period, the waiver or
25modification shall be deemed granted. Any resolution adopted by
26the General Assembly disapproving a report of the State Board

 

 

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1in whole or in part shall be binding on the State Board.
2    (e) An approved waiver or modification (except a waiver
3from or modification to a physical education mandate approved
4for school years before the 2022-2023 school year) may remain
5in effect for a period not to exceed 5 school years and may be
6renewed upon application by the eligible applicant. However,
7such waiver or modification may be changed within that 5-year
8period by a board or regional superintendent of schools
9applying on behalf of schools or programs operated by the
10regional office of education following the procedure as set
11forth in this Section for the initial waiver or modification
12request. If neither the State Board of Education nor the
13General Assembly disapproves, the change is deemed granted.
14    A An approved waiver from or modification to a physical
15education mandate approved for school years before the
162022-2023 school year may remain in effect for a period not to
17exceed 2 school years and may be renewed no more than 2 times
18upon application by the eligible applicant as long as the
19waiver is not in effect after the 2021-2022 school year. An
20approved waiver from or modification to a physical education
21mandate may be changed within the 2-year period by the board or
22regional superintendent of schools, whichever is applicable,
23following the procedure set forth in this Section for the
24initial waiver or modification request. If neither the State
25Board of Education nor the General Assembly disapproves, the
26change is deemed granted.

 

 

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1    (f) (Blank).
2(Source: P.A. 98-513, eff. 1-1-14; 98-739, eff. 7-16-14;
398-1155, eff. 1-9-15; 99-78, eff. 7-20-15.)