HB2871enr 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB2871 Enrolled LRB096 06109 NHT 16191 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 changing Section 21-1b as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/21-1b) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-1b)

Sec. 21-1b. Subject endorsement on certificates. All certificates initially issued under this Article after June 30, 1986, shall be specifically endorsed by the State Board of Education for each subject the holder of the certificate is legally qualified to teach, such endorsements to be made in accordance with standards promulgated by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. The regional superintendent of schools, however, has the duty, after appropriate training, to accept and review all transcripts for new initial certificate applications and ensure that each applicant has met all of the criteria established by the State Board of Education in consultation with with the State Teacher Certification Board. All certificates which are issued under this Article prior to July 1, 1986 may, by application to the State Board of Education, be specifically endorsed for each subject the holder is legally qualified to teach. Endorsements issued under this Section shall not apply to substitute teacher's certificates issued under Section 21-9 of this Code.

Commencing July 1, 1999, each application for endorsement of an existing teaching certificate shall be accompanied by a $30 nonrefundable fee. There is hereby created a Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund as a special fund within the State Treasury. The proceeds of each $30 fee shall be paid into the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund; and the moneys in that Fund shall be appropriated and used to provide the technology and other resources necessary for the timely and efficient processing of certification requests. The Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund is not subject to administrative charge transfers authorized under Section 8h of the State Finance Act from the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund into any other fund of this State.

The State Board of Education and each regional office of education are authorized to charge a service or convenience fee for the use of credit cards for the payment of certification fees. This service or convenience fee may not exceed the amount required by the credit card processing company or vendor that has entered into a contract with the State Board or regional office of education for this purpose, and the fee must be paid to that company or vendor.

(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.