Amends the Substance Use Disorder Act. Expands the Act to include counseling, referral, and other supportive services for persons with gambling disorders. Requires the Department of Human Services to collaborate with the State Board of Education in the development of instructional resources for substance use or gambling disorder prevention and awareness that may be used by school districts. Permits the Department to cooperate with institutions of higher education in the development of programs on substance use and gambling disorders. Requires the Department to establish a toll-free hotline and website that provides crisis counseling and referral services for families experiencing difficulty related to a gambling disorder. Requires the Department to promote public awareness regarding the impact of gambling disorders on individuals, families, and communities. Makes other changes.
Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Prison Education Fund. Provides that moneys in the Prison Education Fund shall be used by the Illinois Community College Board and Illinois Board of Higher Education to make grants to prison education programs that award associate degrees or bachelor's degrees to currently incarcerated students. Makes changes concerning the allocation of money from the Cannabis Regulation Fund. Provides that 0.5% of the moneys in the Cannabis Regulation Fund, after certain allocations have been made, shall be transferred from the Cannabis Regulation Fund to the Prison Education Fund.
Amends the School Code. Requires a school district's policy on sexual harassment to include a method for reporting instances of sexual harassment. Provides that the policy may not require that a report be made in a particular manner for a complaint to be considered formal or official for the purposes of initiating an investigation. Provides that under the policy, a school district employee who is found to have engaged in sexual harassment shall be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
Amends the School Code. Requires, subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, to establish the School Resource Officer Grant Program to fund salaries and any other costs associated with the hiring of an active law enforcement officer as a school resource officer. Provides that eligible entities are schools or school districts that have hired an active law enforcement officer as a school resource officer and the law enforcement agency or agencies that a school or school district has an intergovernmental agreement with to employ a school resource officer. Provides that any funds distributed to an eligible entity under the Program shall be equally distributed between the eligible entities in an intergovernmental agreement to employ a school resource officer. Allows the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, to adopt rules as needed for the Program's implementation and the distribution of grants. Makes a conforming change.
Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. With respect to special education teacher scholarships, provides that up to 50 additional scholarships may be awarded each year to persons who qualify, subject to appropriation to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for this purpose.
Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that, by January 1, 2027, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State's Work Incentives Planning and Assistance program, shall establish an efficient process by which information about the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance program is disseminated through the State Board to students, parents and guardians, transition planning and services coordinators at school districts, special education joint agreements, and other relevant educational agencies. Effective immediately.
Appropriates $5,000,000 to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for the Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program. Effective July 1, 2026.
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that each taxpayer that makes a donation to an educational improvement organization for aviation during the taxable year may apply to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for an income tax credit in an amount not to exceed the amount of the taxpayer's donation that is used to provide scholarships for prospective pilots, airline and aerospace mechanics, and other aviation and aerospace professionals as part of a program that operates in this State. Requires educational improvement organizations for aviation to apply to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to be eligible to accept donations that qualify for the credit. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may award no more than $5,000,000 in credits under the program in any calendar year. Effective immediately.
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.
Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that, through June 30, 2029 (instead of June 30, 2026), an annuitant may accept employment as a teacher without impairing his or her retirement status if that employment is not within the school year during which service was terminated and does not exceed 120 paid days or 600 paid hours in each school year, but not more than 100 paid days in the same classroom. Makes a conforming change. Effective immediately.
