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1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | 21B-20 as follows: | |||||||||||||||||||
6 | (105 ILCS 5/21B-20) | |||||||||||||||||||
7 | Sec. 21B-20. Types of licenses. Before July 1, 2013, the | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | State Board of Education shall implement a system of educator | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | licensure, whereby individuals employed in school districts | |||||||||||||||||||
10 | who are required to be licensed must have one of the following | |||||||||||||||||||
11 | licenses: (i) a professional educator license; (ii) a | |||||||||||||||||||
12 | professional educator license with stipulations; or (iii) a | |||||||||||||||||||
13 | substitute teaching license. References in law regarding | |||||||||||||||||||
14 | individuals certified or certificated or required to be | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | certified or certificated under Article 21 of this Code shall | |||||||||||||||||||
16 | also include individuals licensed or required to be licensed | |||||||||||||||||||
17 | under this Article. The first year of all licenses ends on June | |||||||||||||||||||
18 | 30 following one full year of the license being issued. | |||||||||||||||||||
19 | The State Board of Education, in consultation with the | |||||||||||||||||||
20 | State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such | |||||||||||||||||||
21 | rules as may be necessary to govern the requirements for | |||||||||||||||||||
22 | licenses and endorsements under this Section. | |||||||||||||||||||
23 | (1) Professional Educator License. Persons who (i) |
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1 | have successfully completed an approved educator | ||||||
2 | preparation program and are recommended for licensure by | ||||||
3 | the Illinois institution offering the educator preparation | ||||||
4 | program, (ii) have successfully completed the required | ||||||
5 | testing under Section 21B-30 of this Code, (iii) have | ||||||
6 | successfully completed coursework on the psychology of, | ||||||
7 | the identification of, and the methods of instruction for | ||||||
8 | the exceptional child, including without limitation the | ||||||
9 | learning disabled, (iv) have successfully completed | ||||||
10 | coursework in methods of reading and reading in the content | ||||||
11 | area, and (v) have met all other criteria established by | ||||||
12 | rule of the State Board of Education shall be issued a | ||||||
13 | Professional Educator License. All Professional Educator | ||||||
14 | Licenses are valid until June 30 immediately following 5 | ||||||
15 | years of the license being issued. The Professional | ||||||
16 | Educator License shall be endorsed with specific areas and | ||||||
17 | grade levels in which the individual is eligible to | ||||||
18 | practice. | ||||||
19 | Individuals can receive subsequent endorsements on the | ||||||
20 | Professional Educator License. Subsequent endorsements | ||||||
21 | shall require a minimum of 24 semester hours of coursework | ||||||
22 | in the endorsement area, unless otherwise specified by | ||||||
23 | rule, and passage of the applicable content area test. | ||||||
24 | (2) Educator License with Stipulations. An Educator | ||||||
25 | License with Stipulations shall be issued an endorsement | ||||||
26 | that limits the license holder to one particular position |
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1 | or does not require completion of an approved educator | ||||||
2 | program or both. | ||||||
3 | An individual with an Educator License with | ||||||
4 | Stipulations must not be employed by a school district or | ||||||
5 | any other entity to replace any presently employed teacher | ||||||
6 | who otherwise would not be replaced for any reason. | ||||||
7 | An Educator License with Stipulations may be issued | ||||||
8 | with the following endorsements: | ||||||
9 | (A) Provisional educator. A provisional educator | ||||||
10 | endorsement in a specific content area or areas on an | ||||||
11 | Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an | ||||||
12 | applicant who holds an educator license with a minimum | ||||||
13 | of 15 semester hours in content coursework from another | ||||||
14 | state, U.S. territory, or foreign country and who, at | ||||||
15 | the time of applying for an Illinois license, does not | ||||||
16 | meet the minimum requirements under Section 21B-35 of | ||||||
17 | this Code, but does, at a minimum, meet both of the | ||||||
18 | following requirements: | ||||||
19 | (i) Holds the equivalent of a minimum of a | ||||||
20 | bachelor's degree, unless a master's degree is | ||||||
21 | required for the endorsement, from a regionally | ||||||
22 | accredited college or university or, for | ||||||
23 | individuals educated in a country other than the | ||||||
24 | United States, the equivalent of a minimum of a | ||||||
25 | bachelor's degree issued in the United States, | ||||||
26 | unless a master's degree is required for the |
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1 | endorsement. | ||||||
2 | (ii) Has passed a test of basic skills and | ||||||
3 | content area test, as required by Section 21B-30 of | ||||||
4 | this Code. | ||||||
5 | However, a provisional educator endorsement for | ||||||
6 | principals may not be issued, nor may any person with a | ||||||
7 | provisional educator endorsement serve as a principal | ||||||
8 | in a public school in this State. In addition, | ||||||
9 | out-of-state applicants shall not receive a | ||||||
10 | provisional educator endorsement if the person | ||||||
11 | completed an alternative licensure program in another | ||||||
12 | state, unless the program has been determined to be | ||||||
13 | equivalent to Illinois program requirements. | ||||||
14 | Notwithstanding any other requirements of this | ||||||
15 | Section, a service member or spouse of a service member | ||||||
16 | may obtain a Professional Educator License with | ||||||
17 | Stipulations, and a provisional educator endorsement | ||||||
18 | in a specific content area or areas, if he or she holds | ||||||
19 | a valid teaching certificate or license in good | ||||||
20 | standing from another state, meets the qualifications | ||||||
21 | of educators outlined in Section 21B-15 of this Code, | ||||||
22 | and has not engaged in any misconduct that would | ||||||
23 | prohibit an individual from obtaining a license | ||||||
24 | pursuant to Illinois law, including without limitation | ||||||
25 | any administrative rules of the State Board of | ||||||
26 | Education; however, the service member or spouse may |
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1 | not serve as a principal under the Professional | ||||||
2 | Educator License with Stipulations or provisional | ||||||
3 | educator endorsement. | ||||||
4 | In this Section, "service member" means any person | ||||||
5 | who, at the time of application under this Section, is | ||||||
6 | an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces | ||||||
7 | or any reserve component of the United States Armed | ||||||
8 | Forces or the National Guard of any state, | ||||||
9 | commonwealth, or territory of the United States or the | ||||||
10 | District of Columbia. | ||||||
11 | A provisional educator endorsement is valid until | ||||||
12 | June 30 immediately following 2 years of the license | ||||||
13 | being issued, during which time any remaining testing | ||||||
14 | and coursework deficiencies must be met. Failure to | ||||||
15 | satisfy all stated deficiencies shall mean the | ||||||
16 | individual, including any service member or spouse who | ||||||
17 | has obtained a Professional Educator License with | ||||||
18 | Stipulations and a provisional educator endorsement in | ||||||
19 | a specific content area or areas, is ineligible to | ||||||
20 | receive a Professional Educator License at that time. A | ||||||
21 | provisional educator endorsement on an Educator | ||||||
22 | License with Stipulations shall not be renewed. | ||||||
23 | (B) Alternative provisional educator. An | ||||||
24 | alternative provisional educator endorsement on an | ||||||
25 | Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an | ||||||
26 | applicant who, at the time of applying for the |
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1 | endorsement, has done all of the following: | ||||||
2 | (i) Graduated from a regionally accredited | ||||||
3 | college or university with a minimum of a | ||||||
4 | bachelor's degree. | ||||||
5 | (ii) Successfully completed the first phase of | ||||||
6 | the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for | ||||||
7 | Teachers, as described in Section 21B-50 of this | ||||||
8 | Code. | ||||||
9 | (iii) Passed a test of basic skills and content | ||||||
10 | area test, as required under Section 21B-30 of this | ||||||
11 | Code. | ||||||
12 | The alternative provisional educator endorsement | ||||||
13 | is valid for 2 years of teaching and may be renewed for | ||||||
14 | a third year by an individual meeting the requirements | ||||||
15 | set forth in Section 21B-50 of this Code. | ||||||
16 | (C) Alternative provisional superintendent. An | ||||||
17 | alternative provisional superintendent endorsement on | ||||||
18 | an Educator License with Stipulations entitles the | ||||||
19 | holder to serve only as a superintendent or assistant | ||||||
20 | superintendent in a school district's central office. | ||||||
21 | This endorsement may only be issued to an applicant | ||||||
22 | who, at the time of applying for the endorsement, has | ||||||
23 | done all of the following: | ||||||
24 | (i) Graduated from a regionally accredited | ||||||
25 | college or university with a minimum of a master's | ||||||
26 | degree in a management field other than education. |
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1 | (ii) Been employed for a period of at least 5 | ||||||
2 | years in a management level position in a field | ||||||
3 | other than education. | ||||||
4 | (iii) Successfully completed the first phase | ||||||
5 | of an alternative route to superintendent | ||||||
6 | endorsement program, as provided in Section 21B-55 | ||||||
7 | of this Code. | ||||||
8 | (iv) Passed a test of basic skills and content | ||||||
9 | area tests required under Section 21B-30 of this | ||||||
10 | Code. | ||||||
11 | The endorsement may be registered for 2 fiscal | ||||||
12 | years in order to complete one full year of serving as | ||||||
13 | a superintendent or assistant superintendent. | ||||||
14 | (D) Resident teacher endorsement. A resident | ||||||
15 | teacher endorsement on an Educator License with | ||||||
16 | Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who, at the | ||||||
17 | time of applying for the endorsement, has done all of | ||||||
18 | the following: | ||||||
19 | (i) Graduated from a regionally accredited | ||||||
20 | institution of higher education with a minimum of a | ||||||
21 | bachelor's degree. | ||||||
22 | (ii) Enrolled in an approved Illinois educator | ||||||
23 | preparation program. | ||||||
24 | (iii) Passed a test of basic skills and content | ||||||
25 | area test, as required under Section 21B-30 of this | ||||||
26 | Code. |
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1 | The resident teacher endorsement on an Educator | ||||||
2 | License with Stipulations is valid for 4 years of | ||||||
3 | teaching and shall not be renewed. | ||||||
4 | A resident teacher may teach only under the | ||||||
5 | direction of a licensed teacher, who shall act as the | ||||||
6 | resident mentor teacher, and may not teach in place of | ||||||
7 | a licensed teacher.
A resident teacher endorsement on | ||||||
8 | an Educator License with Stipulations shall no longer | ||||||
9 | be valid after June 30, 2017. | ||||||
10 | (E) Career and technical educator. A career and | ||||||
11 | technical educator endorsement on an Educator License | ||||||
12 | with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who has | ||||||
13 | a minimum of 60 semester hours of coursework from a | ||||||
14 | regionally accredited institution of higher education | ||||||
15 | and has a minimum of 2,000 hours of experience in the | ||||||
16 | last 10 years outside of education in each area to be | ||||||
17 | taught. | ||||||
18 | The career and technical educator endorsement on | ||||||
19 | an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until | ||||||
20 | June 30 immediately following 5 years of the | ||||||
21 | endorsement being issued and may be renewed if the | ||||||
22 | individual passes a test of basic skills, as required | ||||||
23 | under Section 21B-30 of this Code. | ||||||
24 | (F) Part-time provisional career and technical | ||||||
25 | educator or provisional career and technical educator. | ||||||
26 | A part-time provisional career and technical educator |
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1 | endorsement or a provisional career and technical | ||||||
2 | educator endorsement on an Educator License with | ||||||
3 | Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who has a | ||||||
4 | minimum of 8,000 hours of work experience in the skill | ||||||
5 | for which the applicant is seeking the endorsement. It | ||||||
6 | is the responsibility of each employing school board | ||||||
7 | and regional office of education to provide | ||||||
8 | verification, in writing, to the State Superintendent | ||||||
9 | of Education at the time the application is submitted | ||||||
10 | that no qualified teacher holding a Professional | ||||||
11 | Educator License or an Educator License with | ||||||
12 | Stipulations with a career and technical educator | ||||||
13 | endorsement is available and that actual circumstances | ||||||
14 | require such issuance. | ||||||
15 | The provisional career and technical educator | ||||||
16 | endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations | ||||||
17 | is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of | ||||||
18 | the endorsement being issued and may be renewed only | ||||||
19 | one time for 5 years if the individual passes a test of | ||||||
20 | basic skills, as required under Section 21B-30 of this | ||||||
21 | Code, and has completed a minimum of 20 semester hours | ||||||
22 | from a regionally accredited institution. | ||||||
23 | A part-time provisional career and technical | ||||||
24 | educator endorsement on an Educator License with | ||||||
25 | Stipulations may be issued for teaching no more than 2 | ||||||
26 | courses of study for grades 6 through 12. The part-time |
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1 | provisional career and technical educator endorsement | ||||||
2 | on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until | ||||||
3 | June 30 immediately following 5 years of the | ||||||
4 | endorsement being issued and may be renewed for 5 years | ||||||
5 | if the individual makes application for renewal. | ||||||
6 | (G) Transitional bilingual educator. A | ||||||
7 | transitional bilingual educator endorsement on an | ||||||
8 | Educator License with Stipulations may be issued for | ||||||
9 | the purpose of providing instruction in accordance | ||||||
10 | with Article 14C of this Code to an applicant who | ||||||
11 | provides satisfactory evidence that he or she meets all | ||||||
12 | of the following requirements: | ||||||
13 | (i) Possesses adequate speaking, reading, and | ||||||
14 | writing ability in the language other than English | ||||||
15 | in which transitional bilingual education is | ||||||
16 | offered. | ||||||
17 | (ii) Has the ability to successfully | ||||||
18 | communicate in English. | ||||||
19 | (iii) Either possessed, within 5 years | ||||||
20 | previous to his or her applying for a transitional | ||||||
21 | bilingual educator endorsement, a valid and | ||||||
22 | comparable teaching certificate or comparable | ||||||
23 | authorization issued by a foreign country or holds | ||||||
24 | a degree from an institution of higher learning in | ||||||
25 | a foreign country that the State Educator | ||||||
26 | Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be |
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1 | the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a | ||||||
2 | regionally accredited institution of higher | ||||||
3 | learning in the United States. | ||||||
4 | A transitional bilingual educator endorsement | ||||||
5 | shall be valid for prekindergarten through grade 12, is | ||||||
6 | valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of | ||||||
7 | the endorsement being issued, and shall not be renewed. | ||||||
8 | Persons holding a transitional bilingual educator | ||||||
9 | endorsement shall not be employed to replace any | ||||||
10 | presently employed teacher who otherwise would not be | ||||||
11 | replaced for any reason. | ||||||
12 | (H) Language endorsement. In an effort to | ||||||
13 | alleviate the shortage of teachers speaking a language | ||||||
14 | other than English in the public schools, an individual | ||||||
15 | who holds an Educator License with Stipulations may | ||||||
16 | also apply for a language endorsement, provided that | ||||||
17 | the applicant provides satisfactory evidence that he | ||||||
18 | or she meets all of the following requirements: | ||||||
19 | (i) Holds a transitional bilingual | ||||||
20 | endorsement. | ||||||
21 | (ii) Has demonstrated proficiency in the | ||||||
22 | language for which the endorsement is to be issued | ||||||
23 | by passing the applicable language content test | ||||||
24 | required by the State Board of Education. | ||||||
25 | (iii) Holds a bachelor's degree or higher from | ||||||
26 | a regionally accredited institution of higher |
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1 | education or, for individuals educated in a | ||||||
2 | country other than the United States, holds a | ||||||
3 | degree from an institution of higher learning in a | ||||||
4 | foreign country that the State Educator | ||||||
5 | Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be | ||||||
6 | the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a | ||||||
7 | regionally accredited institution of higher | ||||||
8 | learning in the United States. | ||||||
9 | (iv) Has passed a test of basic skills, as | ||||||
10 | required under Section 21B-30 of this Code. | ||||||
11 | A language endorsement on an Educator License with | ||||||
12 | Stipulations is valid for prekindergarten through | ||||||
13 | grade 12 for the same validity period as the | ||||||
14 | individual's transitional bilingual educator | ||||||
15 | endorsement on the Educator License with Stipulations | ||||||
16 | and shall not be renewed. | ||||||
17 | (I) Visiting international educator. A visiting | ||||||
18 | international educator endorsement on an Educator | ||||||
19 | License with Stipulations may be issued to an | ||||||
20 | individual who is being recruited by a particular | ||||||
21 | school district that conducts formal recruitment | ||||||
22 | programs outside of the United States to secure the | ||||||
23 | services of qualified teachers and who meets all of the | ||||||
24 | following requirements: | ||||||
25 | (i) Holds the equivalent of a minimum of a | ||||||
26 | bachelor's degree issued in the United States. |
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1 | (ii) Has been prepared as a teacher at the | ||||||
2 | grade level for which he or she will be employed. | ||||||
3 | (iii) Has adequate content knowledge in the | ||||||
4 | subject to be taught. | ||||||
5 | (iv) Has an adequate command of the English | ||||||
6 | language. | ||||||
7 | A holder of a visiting international educator | ||||||
8 | endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations | ||||||
9 | shall be permitted to teach in bilingual education | ||||||
10 | programs in the language that was the medium of | ||||||
11 | instruction in his or her teacher preparation program, | ||||||
12 | provided that he or she passes the English Language | ||||||
13 | Proficiency Examination or another test of writing | ||||||
14 | skills in English identified by the State Board of | ||||||
15 | Education, in consultation with the State Educator | ||||||
16 | Preparation and Licensure Board. | ||||||
17 | A visiting international educator endorsement on | ||||||
18 | an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for 3 | ||||||
19 | years and shall not be renewed. | ||||||
20 | (J) Paraprofessional educator. A paraprofessional | ||||||
21 | educator endorsement on an Educator License with | ||||||
22 | Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who holds a | ||||||
23 | high school diploma or its recognized equivalent and | ||||||
24 | either holds an associate's degree or a minimum of 60 | ||||||
25 | semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited | ||||||
26 | institution of higher education or has passed a test of |
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1 | basic skills required under Section 21B-30 of this | ||||||
2 | Code. The paraprofessional educator endorsement is | ||||||
3 | valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of | ||||||
4 | the endorsement being issued and may be renewed through | ||||||
5 | application and payment of the appropriate fee, as | ||||||
6 | required under Section 21B-40 of this Code. An | ||||||
7 | individual who holds only a paraprofessional educator | ||||||
8 | endorsement is not subject to additional requirements | ||||||
9 | in order to renew the endorsement. | ||||||
10 | (3) Substitute Teaching License. A Substitute Teaching | ||||||
11 | License may be issued to qualified applicants for | ||||||
12 | substitute teaching in all grades of the public schools, | ||||||
13 | prekindergarten through grade 12. Substitute Teaching | ||||||
14 | Licenses are not eligible for endorsements. Applicants for | ||||||
15 | a Substitute Teaching License must hold a bachelor's degree | ||||||
16 | or higher from a regionally accredited institution of | ||||||
17 | higher education. | ||||||
18 | Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for 5 years and | ||||||
19 | may be renewed if the individual has passed a test of basic | ||||||
20 | skills, as authorized under Section 21B-30 of this Code. An | ||||||
21 | individual who has passed a test of basic skills for the | ||||||
22 | first licensure renewal is not required to retake the test | ||||||
23 | again for further renewals. | ||||||
24 | Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for substitute | ||||||
25 | teaching in every county of this State. If an individual | ||||||
26 | has had his or her Professional Educator License or |
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1 | Educator License with Stipulations suspended or revoked or | ||||||
2 | has not met the renewal requirements for licensure, then | ||||||
3 | that individual is not eligible to obtain a Substitute | ||||||
4 | Teaching License. | ||||||
5 | A substitute teacher may only teach in the place of a | ||||||
6 | licensed teacher who is under contract with the employing | ||||||
7 | board. If, however, there is no licensed teacher under | ||||||
8 | contract because of an emergency situation, then a district | ||||||
9 | may employ a substitute teacher for no longer than 30 | ||||||
10 | instructional calendar days per each vacant position in the | ||||||
11 | district if the district notifies the appropriate regional | ||||||
12 | office of education within 5 business days after the | ||||||
13 | employment of the substitute teacher in the emergency | ||||||
14 | situation. A district in an emergency situation may employ | ||||||
15 | as a substitute teacher an educator who holds a | ||||||
16 | Professional Educator License or Educator License with | ||||||
17 | Stipulations that is endorsed for the grade level of | ||||||
18 | instruction for up to 120 days if the district notifies the | ||||||
19 | appropriate regional office of education within 5 business | ||||||
20 | days after the employment of the educator in the emergency | ||||||
21 | situation. If an emergency situation exists for more than | ||||||
22 | 30 instructional days, then the district shall recertify to | ||||||
23 | the regional office of education that an emergency | ||||||
24 | situation continues to exist and such recertification | ||||||
25 | shall occur in 30-calendar-day increments, provided that | ||||||
26 | no one teacher may be employed for more than a |
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1 | 120-instructional-day period in such an emergency | ||||||
2 | situation. An emergency situation is one in which an | ||||||
3 | unforeseen vacancy has occurred and (i) a teacher is unable | ||||||
4 | to fulfill his or her contractual duties or (ii) teacher | ||||||
5 | capacity needs of the district exceed previous | ||||||
6 | indications, and the district is actively engaged in | ||||||
7 | advertising to hire a fully licensed teacher for the vacant | ||||||
8 | position. | ||||||
9 | There is no limit on the number of days that a | ||||||
10 | substitute teacher may teach in a single school district, | ||||||
11 | provided that no substitute teacher may teach for longer | ||||||
12 | than 90 school days for any one licensed teacher under | ||||||
13 | contract in the same school year. A substitute teacher who | ||||||
14 | holds a Professional Educator License or Educator License | ||||||
15 | with Stipulations shall not teach for more than 120 school | ||||||
16 | days for any one licensed teacher under contract in the | ||||||
17 | same school year. The limitations in this paragraph (3) on | ||||||
18 | the number of days a substitute teacher may be employed do | ||||||
19 | not apply to any school district operating under Article 34 | ||||||
20 | of this Code.
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21 | (Source: P.A. 97-607, eff. 8-26-11; 97-710, eff. 1-1-13; 98-28, | ||||||
22 | eff. 7-1-13; 98-751, eff. 1-1-15 .)
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23 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, | ||||||
24 | 2015.
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