The new bill, authored by State Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel in the Illinois Senate, seeks to broaden exemptions and clarify professional roles within behavior analysis services, according to the Illinois State Senate.
The bill, introduced as SB4170 on March 10, 2026, during the general assembly session 104, was summarized by the state legislature as follows: “Amends the Behavior Analyst Licensing Act. Adds an occupational therapist to the individuals that the Act does not prohibit from performing or advertising activities that are considered to be the practice of applied behavior analysis under the Act. Provides that any member, partner, shareholder, director, officer, holder of any other ownership interest, or agent of a business organization that provides behavior analysis services who makes clinical decisions regarding patient care without being licensed or exempt under the Act shall be deemed to have violated the provisions concerning unlicensed practice, violation, and civil penalty. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of the Act and any rules adopted under the Act, a public school, school district, charter school, or nonprofit organization that is exempt or qualified for exemption from federal income taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code may employ or contract with a licensed behavioral analyst regardless of whether each individual who owns, operates, or manages the public school, school district, charter school, or nonprofit organization holds a currently valid license issued under the Act. Provides that a public school, school district, charter school, or nonprofit organization that is exempt or qualified for exemption from federal income taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code may employ, contract with, or otherwise engage a licensed behavioral analyst to perform services within his or her scope of practice if the licensed behavioral analyst holds a currently valid license under the Act. Amends the Professional Service Corporation Act. Adds the practice of applied behavior analysis by persons licensed under the Behavior Analyst Licensing Act to the list of personal services that, when combined, constitute “related professions” and “related professional services”. Amends the Professional Limited Liability Company Act. Adds the practice of applied behavior analysis by persons licensed under the Behavior Analyst Licensing Act to the list of professional services that may be combined under a single professional limited liability company. Effective immediately.”
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill expands exemptions under the Behavior Analyst Licensing Act to allow occupational therapists to perform or advertise applied behavior analysis within their training and laws, without using protected behavior analyst titles. It deems owners, officers and agents of businesses that provide behavior analysis services to have engaged in unlicensed practice if they make clinical decisions without proper licensure or exemption. The bill lets public schools, school districts, charter schools and 501(c)(3) nonprofits employ or contract with licensed behavior analysts regardless of ownership licensure. It also adds applied behavior analysis to the professional services that may be combined in professional service corporations and professional limited liability companies. The bill takes effect immediately.
Loughran Cappel has proposed another 39 bills since the beginning of the 104th session, with four of them being adopted.
Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.
You can read more about bills and other measures here.
Cappel graduated from Benedictine University with a BA.
Cappel, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 2020 to represent the state’s 49th Senate District, replacing previous state senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant.
Bills Introduced by Meg Loughran Cappel in Illinois Senate During General Assembly Session 104
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| SB4170 | 03/10/2026 | Amends the Behavior Analyst Licensing Act. Adds an occupational therapist to the individuals that the Act does not prohibit from performing or advertising activities that are considered to be the practice of applied behavior analysis under the Act. Provides that any member, partner, shareholder, director, officer, holder of any other ownership interest, or agent of a business organization that provides behavior analysis services who makes clinical decisions regarding patient care without being licensed or exempt under the Act shall be deemed to have violated the provisions concerning unlicensed practice, violation, and civil penalty. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of the Act and any rules adopted under the Act, a public school, school district, charter school, or nonprofit organization that is exempt or qualified for exemption from federal income taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code may employ or contract with a licensed behavioral analyst regardless of whether each individual who owns, operates, or manages the public school, school district, charter school, or nonprofit organization holds a currently valid license issued under the Act. Provides that a public school, school district, charter school, or nonprofit organization that is exempt or qualified for exemption from federal income taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code may employ, contract with, or otherwise engage a licensed behavioral analyst to perform services within his or her scope of practice if the licensed behavioral analyst holds a currently valid license under the Act. Amends the Professional Service Corporation Act. Adds the practice of applied behavior analysis by persons licensed under the Behavior Analyst Licensing Act to the list of personal services that, when combined, constitute “related professions” and “related professional services”. Amends the Professional Limited Liability Company Act. Adds the practice of applied behavior analysis by persons licensed under the Behavior Analyst Licensing Act to the list of professional services that may be combined under a single professional limited liability company. Effective immediately. |
| SB3904 | 02/06/2026 | Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Allows the Secretary of State, upon receipt of all applicable fees and applications made in the form prescribed by the Secretary, to issue special registration plates designated as autism and neurodivergent plates to residents of the State who are autistic or neurodivergent or who are parents of children who are autistic or neurodivergent. Provides that the plates shall display the Just Bee icon used for identification of autistic or neurodivergent individuals. Provides that in all other respects, the design, color, and format of the plates shall be within the discretion of the Secretary. Requires an original certificate from a licensed physician that certifies the applicant, or the applicant’s child, as autistic or neurodivergent to accompany each application. |
| SB3905 | 02/06/2026 | Amends the Behavior Analyst Licensing Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title. |
| SB3906 | 02/06/2026 | Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that, upon the filing of a petition or a motion by the State or the court, the court shall order the revocation of the defendant’s pretrial release when a defendant who was previously granted pretrial release is charged with a violation of a felony or Class A misdemeanor committed while on pretrial release. Provides that when a defendant previously granted pretrial release is charged with violation of a Class B or C misdemeanor committed while on pretrial release, the State may seek revocation of the defendant’s pretrial release under the Code. Provides that a court shall deny a defendant charged with a Class X felony pretrial release only if: (1) the offense with which the defendant has been charged is not specifically enumerated in the denial of pretrial release provisions of the Code; and (2) prior to denial of pretrial release, the court has determined there is probable cause the defendant has committed a Class X felony, pursuant to the probable cause hearing in the denial of pretrial release provisions of the Code. Makes other changes. |
| SB3928 | 02/06/2026 | Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. With regard to the suspension or revocation of a license, endorsement, or approval, provides that failure of the State Superintendent of Education to complete its investigation and issue formal discipline or otherwise dispose of the investigation within one year after the State Superintendent receives any written investigatory evidence relating to a particular license holder shall result in the investigation being deemed completed and the allegations against the license holder shall be determined to be unsubstantiated and dismissed with prejudice by the State Superintendent. Provides that formal documentation of an unsubstantiated determination shall state that no further action will be taken by the State Superintendent arising from the same facts or circumstances and shall be sent to the license holder within 45 business days after the unsubstantiated determination. |
| SB4014 | 02/06/2026 | Amends the School Code. Provides that certain provisions concerning the recomputation and adjustment of a school district claim for general State aid or evidence-based funding shall end with Fiscal Year 2026. Provides that when a child from an orphanage, foster family home, other State agency, children’s home, or State residential unit eligible for special education services is placed in a separate public day school, that school shall meet the programmatic requirements and regulations for separate public day schools. Provides that any funds appropriated for the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program must be used, among other purposes, for indirect costs necessary for Program operation. Provides that an annual retention bonus of up to $4,000 (rather than $4,000) per year for 2 consecutive years shall be awarded to National Board certified teachers employed in hard-to-staff schools and such funds must be disbursed equally on an annual basis among all qualified educators (rather than on a first-come, first-served basis). Makes other changes. Effective immediately. |
| SB3595 | 02/05/2026 | Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Allows a State entity to prohibit the use of low-speed electric bicycles or a specific class of low-speed electric bicycles on any bicycle path the State entity has jurisdiction over. |
| SB3596 | 02/05/2026 | Amends the Illinois Pre-Need Cemetery Sales Act. Provides that a written sales contract shall contain a description of any additional costs that will be incurred by the person, if known, who is to receive the cemetery merchandise, cemetery services, or the completed interment, entombment, or inurnment spaces under the contract at the time of burial and that are not contemplated within the contract. |
| SB3597 | 02/05/2026 | Amends the Illinois State Police Law. Provides that the Division of Patrol shall enforce the motor carrier safety provisions of the Illinois Vehicle Code and serve as the lead State agency for administering the commercial vehicle safety plan of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Adds human trafficking, sexual assault, and sexual abuse in-service training requirements for Illinois State Police officers. Provides that the Division of Statewide 9-1-1 shall cooperate with federal and State authorities that are engaged in aeronautics and that request to use the Illinois State Police’s radio network system. Provides that the State Police shall maintain a statewide statistical police contact recordkeeping system (rather than develop a separate statewide statistical police recordkeeping system) for the study of juvenile delinquency. Provides that, with the permission (rather than written permission) of a child’s parent or guardian, the Illinois State police may collect (rather than retain) the fingerprints or DNA (rather than only the fingerprint record) of the child. Specifies that the fingerprints or DNA may be retained by the child’s parent or guardian and later used for specified purposes. Amends the Intergovernmental Drug Laws Enforcement Act. Provides that a Metropolitan Enforcement Group may enforce crimes concerning terrorism and threats to public officials and human service providers. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. In provisions concerning criminal prosecutions for violations of the Cannabis Control Act, the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, or the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act and criminal prosecutions for reckless homicide, or driving under the influence of alcohol, other drug, or combination of both, or in any civil action held under a statutory summary suspension or revocation hearing, deletes provisions requiring specified information to be attached to laboratory report from the Illinois State Police, Division of Forensic Services. Amends the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act. In provisions requiring the chief executive officer of a law enforcement agency to report the use of a drone to the State’s Attorney under specified circumstances, adds language allowing the report to be made by the chief executive officer’s designee. Makes other and conforming changes. Effective immediately. |
| SB3598 | 02/05/2026 | Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In a provision regarding the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, changes the definition of “hard-to-staff school” to mean a public school that either (i) is identified as hard-to-staff based on data reported on its school report card or (ii) does not have a school report card but serves a student population in which 30% or more of the student enrollment is considered low-income as determined by the State Board of Education using available enrollment or funding data, and provides that the State Board may not deny a National Board certified teacher a retention bonus solely because the public school at which the teacher is employed does not have a school report card. |
| SB3688 | 02/05/2026 | Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Prohibits a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance issued or renewed in this State from imposing prior authorization or step therapy requirements on menopause therapy under specified conditions. Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987, the Nurse Practice Act, and the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987 to establish provisions concerning continuing education on perimenopause and menopause recognition and management for physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician assistants. Effective January 1, 2027. |
| SB3315 | 02/03/2026 | Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. In provisions concerning coverage for medically fragile and technology dependent children, provides that subject to federal approval, on and after July 1, 2026 the reimbursement rates paid to providers of private duty nursing services for children eligible for medical assistance shall be 25% higher than the reimbursement rates in effect for nursing services on June 30, 2026. Effective July 1, 2026. |
| SB3321 | 02/03/2026 | Amends the Local Governmental Acceptance of Credit Cards Act. Provides that the governing body of a governmental entity accepting payment by credit card may enter into agreements with third-party software providers for the purpose of ensuring that the governmental entity receives the correct remittance for payment. Provides that, if a governmental entity enters into an agreement with one or more financial institutions or other service providers to facilitate the acceptance and processing of credit card payments, then the agreement may not restrict or prevent the governmental entity from using the payment processing system outlined in the State Treasurer Act or any other payment processing system that the governmental entity has procured. Effective immediately. |
| SB3072 | 01/29/2026 | Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that a taxpayer that incurs qualified infrastructure costs in connection with the sale at a qualified retail motor fuel facility in the State of biodiesel, higher blends of ethanol fuel, and renewable diesel is allowed an income tax credit in an amount equal to 30% of those qualified infrastructure costs. Provides that the credit may not exceed $200,000 per qualified facility and $1,000,000 per taxpayer per taxable year. Effective immediately. |
| SB2903 | 01/27/2026 | Amends the Civic Center Code. Provides that all contracts for the sale of property of the value of more than the small purchase maximum under the Illinois Procurement Code (rather than $10,000) shall be awarded to the highest responsible bidder, after advertising for bids. Provides that all construction contracts and contracts for supplies, materials, equipment and services, when the expense thereof will exceed the small purchase maximum under the Illinois Procurement Code (rather than $10,000), shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder, after advertising for bids, except in specified circumstances. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately. |
| SB2904 | 01/27/2026 | Amends the Paid Leave for All Workers Act. Provides that the definition of “employee” does not include an employee who is engaged in the operation of a vessel that is documented by the United States under a specified federal law. Effective immediately. |
| SB2914 | 01/27/2026 | Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. In a provision requiring a school board, before setting a hearing on charges stemming from causes that are considered remediable, to give a teacher reasonable warning, in writing, stating specifically the causes that, if not removed, may result in charges, allows a teacher to grieve the issuance of such warning pursuant to the applicable collective bargaining agreement to determine whether the board had just cause in issuing the warning. Requires the written warning to narrowly specify the nature of the alleged misconduct that needs to be remedied. Provides that under no circumstances may the written warning remain effective for longer than 4 years from the date of the issuance of the written warning. Requires the school district to use reasonable efforts to remove the written warning from the teacher’s personnel file after the 4 years have elapsed or sooner if agreed to through the exclusive bargaining representative, with an exception. Effective immediately. |
| SB2915 | 01/27/2026 | Creates the Judicial Sexual Assault Training Act. Requires the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts to develop and implement a sexual assault continuing education program for judges and relevant court personnel. Provides issues to be included in the program. Requires the program to be included in the New Judge Seminar curriculum and be a mandatory program at the biennial Judicial Education Conference. Requires the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts to make a record of a judge’s completion of the program after the New Judge Seminar and the Judicial Education Conference and make that record available to the public upon request. |
| SB2961 | 01/27/2026 | Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that a licensed day care center may hire an individual who is in the process of completing the educational requirements set forth in administrative rules as an Interim Conditional Child Care Director for a period of 12 months. Requires the hired individual to provide documentation that shows that the individual is enrolled in courses that meet the requirements set forth in administrative rules. Provides that the individual shall be enrolled in an accredited college or university. Provides that during the 12-month employment period, an Interim Conditional Child Care Director with specified qualifications is exempt from the educational requirements set forth in administrative rules. |
| SB2963 | 01/27/2026 | Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax deduction for any amounts paid by the taxpayer’s employer on behalf of the taxpayer as part of an educational assistance program. Creates an income tax deduction for any amounts paid by the taxpayer on behalf of an employee of the taxpayer as part of an educational assistance program. Provides that the deductions are limited to the first $5,250 of such assistance so furnished to any individual. Effective immediately. |
| SB2975 | 01/27/2026 | Appropriates $1,211,674,900 to the State Board of Education for disabled student transportation reimbursements, disabled student tuition and private tuition, and regular and vocational common school transportation reimbursements. Effective July 1, 2026. |
| SB2880 | 01/16/2026 | Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Requires a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2028 to provide coverage for medically necessary assistive technology devices. Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code to require coverage under the provisions of those Acts. |
| SB2773 | 01/13/2026 | Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Allows the State Superintendent of Education to issue a short-term approval for a paraprofessional educator to an individual who does not meet the requirements necessary for issuance of an Educator License with Stipulations with a paraprofessional educator endorsement. Provides that the short-term approval authorizes an individual to serve as a paraprofessional educator in a school district, including a charter school, or a State-operated program, with the short-term approval expiring on June 30 immediately following the third full fiscal year after the approval was issued without renewal. Provides that upon expiration of the short-term approval, the State Superintendent of Education shall issue an Educator License with Stipulations with a paraprofessional educator endorsement to the individual if the individual meets specified requirements. |
| SB2775 | 01/13/2026 | Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. In the definition of “public works”, includes installation, repair, wiring, and maintenance services to Illinois lottery machines and equipment pursuant to a contract between the Department of the Lottery and a contractor. Effective January 1, 2027. |
| SB2655 | 04/29/2025 | Appropriates $1,306,000,000 to the State Board of Education for disabled student transportation reimbursements, disabled student tuition and private tuition, and regular and vocational common school transportation reimbursements. Effective July 1, 2025. |
| SB2119 | 02/07/2025 | Amends the Civic Center Code. Provides that all contracts for the sale of property of the value of more than the small purchase maximum under the Illinois Procurement Code (rather than $10,000) shall be awarded to the highest responsible bidder, after advertising for bids. Provides that all construction contracts and contracts for supplies, materials, equipment and services, when the expense thereof will exceed the small purchase maximum under the Illinois Procurement Code (rather than $10,000), shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder, after advertising for bids except for specified circumstances. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately. |
| SB1943 | 02/06/2025 | Amends the School Code. Expands the definitions of “isolated time out” or “time out”, “physical restraint” or “restraint”, and “time out”. Removes exceptions to the prohibition of prone restraint. Removes language providing that the parents or guardian of a student and the State Superintendent of Education shall be informed whenever isolated time out, time out, or physical restraint is used. Establishes complaint procedures to replace the complaint procedures set forth in the State Board of Education’s rules. Provides that staff members responsible for implementing isolated time out, time out, or physical restraint must be trained in accordance with the system of non-violent intervention adopted by the school district and must be trained at least once every 2 years in a session that is not less than 6 hours. Requires the State Board to convene a group of stakeholders to annually review: (1) data associated with the use of physical restraint, time out, and isolated time out, and efforts made by public entities to reduce these practices; (2) strategies to reduce physical restraint, time out, and isolated time out; (3) decisions made by the State Board related to physical restraint, time out, and isolated time out; (4) student behavior and behavioral interventions that can be use as an alternative to physical restraint, time out, and isolated time out; and (5) professional development needed for public entities in behavioral interventions to ensure the proper use of physical restraint, time out, and isolated time out. Makes other changes. |
| SB1944 | 02/06/2025 | Appropriates $9,200,000 to the State Board of Education for the purpose of new principal mentoring and new educator mentoring and coaching. Effective July 1, 2025. |
| SB1945 | 02/06/2025 | Amends the Educator License Article of the School Code. Provides that if an assessment is determined to be non-uniform, a provisional in-state educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to a candidate who has completed an Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois institution of higher education and who has not successfully completed an applicable content area test but who meets certain requirements, which is valid for one full fiscal year after the date of issuance and may not be renewed. Provides that the process by which the State Board of Education evaluates content area tests to determine content validity, absence of bias, or scores required to pass shall be public information and is available on the website of the State Board. Requires the State Board to evaluate each content area test after it has been administered for at least 10 months, but not more than 12 months, and shall determine whether a content test is non-uniform. Provides that an assessment first introduced prior to January 1, 2017 shall be considered uniform, and an assessment introduced on or after January 1, 2017 that does not meet specified criteria shall be considered uniform. Provides that if the State Board finds that the content area test forms available as of January 1, 2025 are not uniform in the level of difficulty as compared to previous forms of those exams, any candidate for licensure who attempted any content area test in the form that was available as of January 1, 2025, and whose best scores in each subsection of the same content area exam, taken across multiple attempts on the same form of the exam, equal or exceed the passing score for that content area exam as of January 1, 2025, shall be determined to have passed that content area exam. |
| SB1946 | 02/06/2025 | Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Requires any entity that receives crisis response mapping data to provide copies of the data to appropriate local, county, State, and federal first responders for use in response to emergencies. Requires the State Board of Education to provide crisis response mapping data to eligible entities in the order in which such entities apply for it and until any appropriations made for the purposes of this Section are exhausted. Makes other changes. |
| SB1947 | 02/06/2025 | Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Adds 5 administrative or faculty members of community colleges to the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. For a Professional Educator License: provides that the requirements to successfully complete specified coursework are only required until July 1, 2027 or the date that the revised test for a particular content area is implemented, whichever is later; and exempts persons seeking a school support personnel or chief school business official endorsement from the requirement that a person must successfully complete specified coursework. Requires, by July 1, 2027, the State Superintendent of Education to begin incorporating specified topics into revised examinations for individuals seeking a Professional Educator License endorsed in teaching or administration, excluding a chief school business official endorsement. Exempts, for educator licenses, applicants seeking a school support personnel endorsement who hold an active and valid professional license in the same subject matter as the endorsement sought from being required to pass a test of content area knowledge for each area of endorsement for which there is an applicable test. Creates the Teacher Performance Assessment Advisory Committee to aid in operationalizing and creating a pilot, State-developed, teacher performance assessment. Establishes the Paraprofessional to Teacher Pathway Program to provide an expedited pathway for paraprofessionals to earn a Professional Educator License in a specific content area. Sets forth the Program criteria, the requirements for individuals for entry into the Program, and the adoption of rules by the State Board of Education. Provides that an institution of higher education approved to offer educator preparation programs may enter into a partnership agreement with a community college to offer an approved educator preparation program leading to educator licensure for individuals who already hold a bachelor’s degree. Makes other changes. |
| SB1948 | 02/06/2025 | Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that a vehicle or combination of vehicles operated by an engine fueled wholly or partially by an electric battery or hydrogen fuel cell electric fueling system may exceed the posted weight limits by up to 2,000 pounds. |
| SB2002 | 02/06/2025 | Amends the Illinois State Police Law, the State Finance Act, the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act, the Illinois Vehicle Code, the Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act, the Cannabis Control Act, the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act, the Narcotics Profit Forfeiture Act, the Unified Code of Corrections, the Sex Offender Registration Act, the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act, and the Illinois False Claims Act. Makes changes to provisions concerning how certain moneys paid to the State are deposited into certain funds pertaining to the Illinois State Police. Provides that certain funds shall be dissolved after transferring the remaining balance in those funds to designated funds. Makes conforming changes. Effective September 1, 2026. |
| SB2003 | 02/06/2025 | Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax deduction for any amounts paid by the taxpayer’s employer on behalf of the taxpayer as part of an educational assistance program. Creates an income tax deduction for any amounts paid by the taxpayer on behalf of an employee of the taxpayer as part of an educational assistance program. Provides that the deductions are limited to the first $5,250 of such assistance so furnished to any individual. Effective immediately. |
| SB1554 | 02/04/2025 | Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that certain forms of false personation may be accomplished by artificial intelligence. Defines “artificial intelligence”. |
| SB1555 | 02/04/2025 | Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Adds the Secretary of Early Childhood or his or her designee as a member of the Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities. Provides that the Council shall establish a committee charged with ensuring that all children aged 3 to 5 with disabilities have access to high-quality, inclusive, early-childhood services, provided in the least restrictive environment, across all early learning settings. Effective immediately. |
| SB1556 | 02/04/2025 | Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to establish the State Instructional Technology Advisory Board, which shall collaborate with the State Board of Education to provide guidance, integration, oversight, and evaluation of education technologies, including, but not limited to, artificial intelligence technologies. Sets forth the membership of the Advisory Board and terms. Requires the State Board, with the Advisory Board, to develop standards concerning safety, transparency, data privacy, and educational quality for any artificial intelligence technology that may be used in schools and develop guidance for school districts and educators on the use of artificial intelligence in education. Requires the annual school district report to the State Board regarding educational technology capacity and policies to include student, teacher, and district use of artificial intelligence. Effective immediately. |
| SB1492 | 01/31/2025 | Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning platted and subdivided but undeveloped property, provides that (i) beginning with the 2025 taxable year, no property’s assessed value shall be reduced to less than $150 under those provisions and (ii) beginning with the 2035 taxable year, no property shall be eligible for calculation of its assessed value under those provisions for more than a 10-year period. |
| SB1493 | 01/31/2025 | Amends the School Boards Article of the School Code. Requires each member of a board of education, on the date of his or her election to the board, to be the age of 22 (rather than 18) years or over. |
| SB1231 | 01/24/2025 | Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Allows the school district to initiate an impartial due process hearing within 14 (rather than 5) days of any written parent request for an independent educational evaluation to show that its evaluation is appropriate. Requires an independent educational evaluation at public expense to be completed within 60 school days (rather than 30 days) of a parent’s written request unless the school district initiates an impartial due process hearing or the parent or school district offers reasonable grounds to show that such time period should be extended. Provides that if the due process hearing decision indicates that the parent is entitled to an independent educational evaluation, it must be completed within 60 school days (rather than 30 days) of the decision unless the parent or the school district offers reasonable grounds to show that such period should be extended. |
