Public Act 100-0819
 
HB5771 EnrolledLRB100 19596 AXK 34867 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 adding Section
26-19 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/26-19 new)
    Sec. 26-19. Chronic absenteeism in preschool children.
    (a) In this Section, "Chronic absence" has the meaning
ascribed to that term in Section 26-18 of this Code.
    (b) The General Assembly makes all of the following
findings:
        (1) The early years are an extremely important period
    in a child's learning and development.
        (2) Missed learning opportunities in the early years
    make it difficult for a child to enter kindergarten ready
    for success.
        (3) Attendance patterns in the early years serve as
    predictors of chronic absenteeism and reduced educational
    outcomes in later school years. Therefore, it is crucial
    that the implications of chronic absence be understood and
    reviewed regularly in all publicly funded early childhood
    programs receiving State funds under Section 2-3.71 of this
    Code.
    (c) Beginning July 1, 2019, any publicly funded early
childhood program receiving State funds under Section 2-3.71 of
this Code shall collect and review its chronic absence data and
determine what support and resources are needed to positively
engage chronically absent students and their families to
encourage the habit of daily attendance and promote success.
    (d) Publicly funded early childhood programs receiving
State funds under Section 2-3.71 of this Code are encouraged to
do all of the following:
        (1) Provide support to students who are at risk of
    reaching or exceeding chronic absence levels.
        (2) Make resources available to families, such as those
    available through the State Board of Education's Family
    Engagement Framework, to support and encourage families to
    ensure their children's daily program attendance.
        (3) Include information about chronic absenteeism as
    part of their preschool to kindergarten transition
    resources.
    (e) On or before July 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, an
early childhood program shall report all data collected under
subsection (c) of this Section to the State Board of Education,
which shall make the report publicly available via the Illinois
Early Childhood Asset Map Internet website and the Preschool
for All Program or Preschool for All Expansion Program
triennial report.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
2019.