Education

Amends the School Code. Establishes within the State Board of Education the shortage differential salary incentive program to support licensed teachers who provide instruction in special education and hard-to-staff locations. Sets forth the various shortage differential grants under the program based on specified criteria. Provides that teachers who receive an annual shortage differential grant for being assigned to a position in a hard-to-staff location shall be assigned to a position in: (1) a complex area identified as a hard-to-staff location by a school district; (2) a complex area whose rate of teachers who have completed a State-approved educator preparation program has been below this State's average rate of teachers who have completed a State-approved educator preparation program for the last 3 years; (3) a geographically isolated complex area; or (4) a complex area whose combined number of vacant teaching positions and emergency hires was higher than 10% in the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years.

Creates the Servicemember Education Rights Veneration Act. Requires institutions of higher education (institution) to accommodate service member student's academic military leave and grant prompt readmission when the service member student has not exceeded a cumulative academic military leave period beyond 5 years, provides advance notice of academic military leave to the institution, and provides notice of intent to return to the institution. Requires the institution to readmit a service member student on academic military leave into the next class, classes, or academic year division following the receipt of the notice of intent to return in accordance with the terms of the accommodation. Contains provisions on exemptions to readmission and related reporting requirements on service member students; investigations by the Attorney General's appointed ISERRA Advocate on whether a readmission exemption exists; and other matters. Requires service member students to provide advance notice of pending military service and prohibits institutions from imposing conditions for academic military leave not otherwise imposed under the Act. Contains provisions on military accommodation; academic obligations of service member students; reimbursement for school expenses; academic withdrawal due to military service; rejection of accommodation and the institution's burden of proof; a 5-year military service limitation; records documentation; advance notice requirements on service member students; notice of intent to return; anti-discrimination protections; academic leave for the spouses of servicemembers; Attorney General enforcement authority; remedies; rulemaking authority; and other matters.

Appropriates $3,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Secretary of State for a recurring, permanent program for the awarding of grants to Illinois academic libraries for open education resources. Effective July 1, 2026.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, as follows: General Funds $7,104,357,993.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Illinois State University for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, as follows: General Funds $82,997,100; Other State Funds $30,000; Total $83,027,100.

Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. Provides that beginning with continuing education coursework commenced on or after July 1, 2026, a school district, special education cooperative, or other public educational employer may recognize graduate-level continuing education coursework for purposes of salary advancement or lane changes only if the continuing education coursework meets specified requirements. Provides that nothing in the provisions impairs the ability of the parties to a collective bargaining agreement to negotiate salary schedules or compensation structures, as long as any graduate-level continuing education coursework recognized for salary advancement or lane changes complies with those specified requirements. Allows the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Board of Higher Education, to adopt rules as necessary to implement the provisions. Effective July 1, 2026.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the University of Illinois for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, as follows: General Funds $736,484,400; Other State Funds $10,240,800; Total $746,725,200.

Specifies that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Educational Choice for Illinois Children Act. Amends the School Code. Provides that the General Assembly elects, on behalf of the State, to: (1) participate in the federal tax credit established under the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act for individuals who make qualified contributions to scholarship granting organizations; and (2) identify scholarship granting organizations located in this State. Authorizes and empowers the State Board of Education to certify and submit a list of qualifying scholarship granting organizations to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States in accordance with the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its associated regulations. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that provisions concerning a pass-through entity tax apply until January 1, 2030. Creates income tax deductions for qualified tips, overtime, and qualified vehicle loan interest. Creates an income tax deduction for qualified senior citizens. Provides that distributions from the College Savings Pool may be used for certain elementary and secondary school expenses. Makes changes concerning the bonus depreciation deduction under Section 168(k) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Amends the State Board of Education Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, the State Board of Education shall award competitive grants on an annual basis to school districts and other educational units that have school social work interns to assist those school districts and other educational units in the funding of school social work internships approved by the interns' educator preparation programs by providing stipends. Sets forth the stipend amount. Provides that the State Board of Education shall annually disseminate to school districts and other educational units that have school social work interns a request for applications for grants. Provides that grant applications shall be accepted on an annual basis. Provides that the State Board of Education shall establish procedures for submitting requests for stipends and issuing funds to approved applicants. Provides for prioritizing grants if an appropriation is insufficient to fund all applications for grants. Provides that for any school year in which grants are awarded, the State Board of Education shall produce a report on the awarding of grants, in cooperation with the school districts and educational units that are awarded grants. Sets forth requirements for the report. Provides that the report shall be posted on the State Board of Education's Internet website each school year in which grants are awarded. Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that the Board of Higher Education shall establish and administer a grant program to support the field placement of social workers. Provides that the Board shall distribute the funds appropriated for this purpose in the form of grants to public or nonpublic institutions of higher education to expand opportunities for students who are intending to become social workers and to assist students in pursuing social-work related field placements, internships, and other work opportunities. Sets forth other requirements concerning the operation of the grant program. Effective immediately.

Creates the Prohibition on Federal Voucher Program Participation Act. Prohibits the State from opting in to, participating in, implementing, administrating, or otherwise cooperating with any federal voucher, education savings account, or similar program established under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Effective immediately.