Education

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that instruction in safety education shall include the risks of firearm ownership and usage for students enrolled in grades 6 through 12. Sets forth what information this instruction must include, provides that the instruction may be taught by a licensed educator, school nurse, or school counselor, provides for student evaluation, and requires the State Board of Education to develop an age-appropriate, trauma-informed curriculum. Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Requires schools to provide, after a lockdown drill has been completed, a forum for trauma-informed discussion with students, parents, and staff regarding any mental health concerns that the impact of the lockdown drill has had on students. Amends the Firearm Dealer License Certification Act. Makes changes to require a certified firearm dealer to provide, at the time of application for a firearm purchase, specified information to increase awareness about the risks posed by firearms in the home and State laws regarding firearm ownership.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Board of Higher Education to meet its operational expenses for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, as follows: General Funds $60,637,601; Other State Funds $22,525,000; Federal Funds $5,500,000; Total $88,662,601.

Urges the United States Department of Education to reverse the reclassification of architecture graduate degrees from "professional" to" non-professional" degrees under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).

Appropriates $750,000 to Southern Illinois University for use by the Advanced Energy Institute for grants, operations, and other purposes. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Includes sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity as matters in which discrimination is prohibited under the Educational Article.

Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education may provide statewide guidance to school districts concerning a workforce development curriculum or programming or both that can be adopted at the school district, school, or classroom level and that provides best practices for teaching artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and other types of rapidly growing technologies as deemed necessary, in a manner that prepares students for workforce, job, and career competencies in the future and informs students of new or growing job or career opportunities in these new fields. Provides that the State Board shall prepare a comprehensive review of any workforce development preparation curriculum and programming specifically designed around technology implemented or considered in other states through other state actions, policies, pilot programs, or school-based programs implemented or tested on a statewide or school-district basis. Provides that the State Superintendent of Education may convene meetings with stakeholders from the public or private sector in preparing the guidance and may allow for the submission of public comments from individuals, organizations, or other entities prior to finalizing the prepared guidance.

Amends the School Code. Provides that a school district, other than the Chicago school district, shall employ a sufficient number of school counselors to maintain a student-counselor ratio of 150 to 1 (rather than allowing the school district to employ a sufficient number of school counselors to maintain the national and State recommended student-counselor ratio of 250 to 1). Requires the Chicago Board of Education to employ a sufficient number of licensed school counselors to maintain a student-counselor ratio of 100 to 1 (rather than encouraging the board to employ a sufficient number of licensed school counselors to maintain a student/counselor ratio of 250 to 1).

Amends the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act. Provides that the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board shall develop a policy to foster the reverse transfer of credit for any student who has accumulated at least 30 (rather than 15) hours of academic credit at a community college and a sufficient number of hours of academic credit at a State university in the prescribed courses necessary to meet a community college's requirements to be awarded an associate degree. Provides that each State university shall automatically notify any transfer student accepted to the State university with at least 30 hours of academic credit at a community college of the option for the reverse transfer of credit within the student's first term of enrollment. Provides that a community college shall provide notification to a student wishing to reverse transfer earned academic credit with instructions on application for conferral of an associate degree. Provides that a community college or State university may not charge an application, transfer evaluation, or graduation fee or any other fee associated with conferral of an associate degree through reverse transfer. Provides that a community college shall include each student awarded an associate degree through reverse transfer within its student information system. Effective immediately.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Eastern Illinois University for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, as follows: General Funds $49,884,200; Other State Funds $7,000; Total $49,891,200.

Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall develop statewide guidance for school districts and educators on the use of technology-based learning resources in elementary and secondary education. Provides that the State Board of Education shall develop and publish the guidance by July 1, 2027 and provide continuous updates as it deems necessary. Allows the State Superintendent of Education to convene stakeholders for a statewide council to consult on the further development of guidance, resources, and other support for school districts and educators on the use of technology-based learning resources in schools.