Education

Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that coursework related to psychology shall count toward the semester hours that an early childhood teacher must obtain to be qualified as an early childhood teacher. Provides that, before July 1, 2026, the Department of Children and Family Services shall publish and maintain on its website a full and complete list of courses that qualify toward the attainment of the required qualifications for a child care teacher. Provides that, on and after July 1, 2026, the Department of Early Childhood shall publish and maintain on its website a full and complete list of courses that qualify toward the attainment of the required qualifications for a child care teacher.

Amends the Children With Disabilities Article of the School Code. Allows parents or guardians to use audio recording devices during meetings with their child's individualized education program team regarding the child's placement or progress in an individualized education program. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Provides that, by no later than January 1, 2026, the Department of Central Management Services shall, by rule, establish a program to allow the active members of TRS and their dependent beneficiaries to participate in the program of group health benefits made available under the Act to TRS benefit recipients and TRS dependent beneficiaries, including the program of group health benefits for Medicare-primary members and their Medicare-primary dependents, in lieu of health benefits otherwise provided by the school district. Provides that the Department of Central Management Services shall adopt any rules necessary to implement and administer the program, including, but not limited to, the manner of electing to participate in the program, eligibility for participation in the program, and contributions for coverage through the program. Effective immediately.

HB 1977 proposes to appropriate $2 from the state's General Revenue Fund to Eastern Illinois University. This funding is designated to cover the university's ordinary and contingent expenses for Fiscal Year 2026, becoming effective on July 1, 2025.

Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall compile and disseminate annually a list of Illinois organizations offering externships, internships, and volunteer opportunities to young women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Provides that each school board shall post the list disseminated by the State Board of Education in a location easily accessible to students.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Prohibits municipal ordinances that regulate truants from including a fine or fee for violations or providing for enforcement by citation. Amends the School Code. Requires a memorandum of understanding between a local law enforcement agency and a school district for any school district that uses a school resource officer; sets forth requirements for the memorandum. Provides that a student is prohibited from being issued a monetary fine or fee by any person (rather than providing that a student may not be issued a monetary fine or fee) as a disciplinary consequence. Prohibits school personnel of a school district from referring a student to any other local public entity or a local law enforcement agency for that entity or agency to issue the student a monetary fine or fee as a disciplinary consequence. Prohibits a school district from referring a truant, chronic truant, or truant minor to any other local public entity for that local public entity to issue the child's parent or guardian a fine or a fee as punishment for the child's truancy. Makes conforming and other changes.

Amends the Student Investment Account Act. Allows the State Treasurer to originate, guarantee, acquire, and service refinance loans; invest in, and enter into contracts with, institutions that provide refinance loans; deposit funds with financial institutions that provide refinance loans; establish specific criteria governing the eligibility of entities to participate in the making of refinance loans; charge and collect premiums for insurance on refinance loans; and deduct from a State employee's salary, wages, commissions, and bonuses the recovery of a refinance loan debt. Removes language allowing the State Treasurer to: enter into income share agreements with participants, facilitate income share agreements between participants and eligible income share agreement providers, and perform other acts as may be necessary or desirable in connection with income share agreements; enter into contracts and guarantee agreements as necessary to operate the Student Investment Account with income share agreement providers or qualified income share agreement organizations; establish specific criteria governing the eligibility of entities to participate in the making of income share agreements; pay income share agreement providers or qualified income share agreement organizations an administrative fee in connection with services provided pursuant to the Student Investment Account; charge and collect premiums for insurance on income share agreements; and deduct from a State employee's salary, wages, commissions, and bonuses the recovery of an income share agreement. Allows (rather than requires) the State Treasurer to establish fees to cover the costs of administration, recordkeeping, marketing, and investment management related to the Student Investment Account. Removes language allowing moneys in the Student Investment Account Assistance Fund to be used to provide assistance to income share agreement participants. Makes conforming changes.

Amends the Substance Use Disorder Act. Provides that beginning on the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Department of Human Services shall not approve any initial or renewal application for the licensure of a facility where substance use treatment or intervention services will be provided within 1,000 feet of: (i) any building or buildings or real property comprising a public or private elementary or secondary school, community college, college, or university, including any adjacent school yard, school playing field, or school playground; (ii) a public playground; or (iii) any public park building or real property comprising any public park. Provides that nothing in the amendatory Act shall be construed to invalidate any initial or renewal application for licensure approved prior to the effective date of the amendatory Act.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Illinois State University for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, as follows: General Funds $82,175,300; Other State Funds $30,000; Total $82,205,300.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Expands the categories of families eligible for child care assistance to include families with a parent or guardian who is employed as a mental health care worker, teacher, or health care provider and has income below the specified income threshold established for such families. Provides that notwithstanding any other provision of law or administrative rule to the contrary, beginning in State Fiscal Year 2026, for families with a parent or guardian who is employed as a mental health care worker, teacher, or health care provider, the specified income threshold shall be no less than 300% of the then-current federal poverty level for each family size. Defines terms. Effective July 1, 2025.