Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for HB4537

Amends the School Code and various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois. Requires the State Board of Education to promote and implement an annual campaign about disability history and awareness in this State during 2 weeks in September and 2 weeks in January. Requires the State Board to file an annual report with the General Assembly on the status and implementation of the campaign. Requires a school district to provide in each grade instruction on disability history, people with disabilities, and the disability rights movement during the campaign, which instruction may be included in the courses of study regularly taught therein. Allows each public university to conduct and promote activities during the campaign that provide education on, awareness of, and an understanding of disability history, people with disabilities, and the disability rights movement.

Deletes everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill with the following changes. Requires the State Board of Education to promote (instead of promote and implement) the annual campaign. Provides that the campaign shall be designed to increase (instead of the campaign shall increase) public awareness and respect for people with disabilities. Removes a provision that specifies when the campaign must occur and removes other references to the annual, split 4-week campaign. Removes a provision that requires the State Board of Education to file an annual report with the General Assembly. Removes a provision that requires the disability history and awareness instruction to be provided in each grade. Provides that the instruction may be included in those courses that the school district chooses (instead of the courses of study regularly taught therein). Provides that, when possible, individuals with disabilities should be incorporated into the development and delivery of the instruction (instead of requiring that individuals with disabilities be incorporated into the development and delivery of the instruction). Removes the provision that allows the instruction to be supplemented by qualified school personnel. Changes a reference from instructional materials to resource materials. Requires the regional superintendent of schools to monitor a school district's compliance with the curricular requirement during his or her annual compliance visit. Provides that there is no rulemaking authority under the amendatory Act, but that the Governor or a public university may suggest rules by filing them with the General Assembly and requesting that the General Assembly authorize such rulemaking by law, enact the suggested rules into law, or take other appropriate action in the General Assembly's discretion.

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