Education

Appropriates $5,000,000 to the State Board of Education to award funding under the Education of Homeless Children and Youth State Grant Program to be used to support programming for students at risk for or experiencing homelessness. Effective July 1, 2026.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Department of Early Childhood for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, as follows: General Funds $2,087,963,000; Other State Funds $299,200,000; Federal Funds $2,037,234,200; Total $4,424,397,200.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall establish a Manufacturing Promise Scholarship Program to award scholarships to State residents who are enrolled in a public community college or other program with a major in manufacturing or a skilled trade. Provides that, subject to a separate appropriation for such purposes, the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider applications for a scholarship. Provides that an applicant is eligible for a scholarship if the Commission finds that the applicant meets specified criteria. Provides that the Commission shall reserve 20% of the amount appropriated in a given fiscal year for students who are from underrepresented areas. Provides that the Commission shall make scholarships available to traditional college-aged students, adults, and non-traditional students. Provides that an applicant who receives a scholarship may not be required to return scholarship funds. Provides for rulemaking.

Amends the Substance Use Disorder Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to collaborate with the State Board of Education to the extent the Board develops instructional resources for substance use or gambling disorder prevention and awareness that may be used by school districts. Permits the Department to provide funding programs for parents on healthy gaming and play habits; appropriate financial planning and investment strategies; how to talk about gambling and related activities; and how to talk about substance use or gambling. In provisions requiring the Department to establish a public education, research, and training program regarding gambling disorders, expands the scope of the program by requiring that the program utilize screening, crisis intervention, treatment, public awareness, prevention, in-service training, and other innovative means, to decrease the incidents of suicide attempts related to a gambling disorder or gambling issues. Permits the Department to establish a program to provide for the production and publication, in electronic and other formats, of gambling prevention, recognition, treatment, and recovery literature and other public education methods. Permits the Department to support gambling disorder prevention, recognition, treatment, and recovery projects by facilitating the acquisition of gambling prevention curriculums, providing trainings in gambling disorder prevention best practices, connecting programs to health care resources, establishing learning collaboratives between localities and programs, and assisting programs in navigating any regulatory requirements for establishing or expanding such programs. Permits the Department to award grants to create or support local gambling prevention, recognition, and response projects. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Requires, by no later than January 1, 2027, the State Board of Education, in consultation with water safety experts, to develop or adopt and make available to school districts a model program of instruction on water safety. Requires the State Board to provide to all public and nonpublic schools an informational notice regarding water safety developed by the Department of Public Health, and requires the school to distribute the notice to the parent or legal guardian of each student enrolled in the school. Includes website posting requirements by the State Board, school districts, and nonpublic schools regarding the informational notice. Sets forth liability exemptions. Makes conforming changes in the Department of Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Effective immediately.

Recognizes the 100th anniversary of the movement started by Dr. Carter G. Woodson to celebrate Black history. Affirms that Black history is American history and its preservation is essential to the strength of our democracy and the freedoms we hold dear. Encourages all citizens, schools, and cultural institutions in Illinois to engage with the full, accurate truth of our history.

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that the Board of Higher Education, in approving or disapproving a public institution of higher education's proposal for a new unit of instruction, research, or public service or in approving modifications, must take into account the unique student demographics and needs of the particular institution.

Amends the School Code. Sets forth measures to be taken when an offense of bullying occurs and is reported to a public school, including a charter school, depending on the severity of the bullying offense, including hearing requirements, compulsory, school-based, restorative-justice requirements, community service requirements, and counseling requirements for minor offenders; hearing requirements, administrative fee requirements, and education session requirements for parents or guardians of minor offenders; and victim support. Requires the State Board of Education to annually report to the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey of the National Center for Education Statistics any incidents of bullying, the number of hearings relating to incidents of bullying, restorative-justice program outcomes, disciplinary actions, and follow-up metrics by demographics. Requires the State Board to conduct an annual audit of schools that participate in the restorative measures to determine anti-bullying metrics for the report. Makes other changes.

Creates the Community College Economic Empowerment Act. Requires the Illinois Community College Board to provide an additional $1,000,000 per year in funding to community college districts whose primary campus is located within an enterprise zone, a HUBZone, or 2 miles of an opportunity zone; defines these zones. Establishes qualifications for funding. Requires each community college district that receives additional funds to submit an annual report to the Board. Requires the Board to submit a compiled annual report to the General Assembly. Provides that implementation of the Act is subject to appropriation. Contains a severability clause. Effective immediately.

Creates the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Task Force Act. Creates the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Task Force. Sets forth provisions regarding administrative support, membership, compensation, meetings, and hearings. Requires the Task Force to assess the current landscape of Hispanic-serving institutions and emerging Hispanic-serving institutions in the State; identify barriers to student access, retention, and completion; review existing State policies and accountability frameworks to determine their impact on Hispanic-serving institutions and their students' success; examine best practices from other states related to supporting Hispanic-serving institutions; develop recommendations to improve access to and success in higher education for students, strengthen institutional capacity, improve coordination between State agencies and Hispanic-serving institutions, align Hispanic-serving institutions' efforts with State workforce and economic development priorities, and consider the feasibility of creating a permanent State initiative, designation, or funding mechanism to support Hispanic-serving institutions. Requires the Task Force to submit a written report to the Governor and the General Assembly on the Task Force's findings and recommendations for legislative, administrative, or budgetary action. Requires the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board to each post the report on their respective public websites. Dissolves the Task Force upon the submission of its report to the Governor and General Assembly. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2029. Effective immediately.