Will County Gazette

Meg Loughran Cappel introduced SB1555 in the Illinois Senate on Feb. 4, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "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."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends the School Code to update the membership and responsibilities of the Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities, aligning with the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997. The council will provide advice and policy guidance on special education and related services and is tasked with advising various state stakeholders, reviewing regulatory proposals, evaluating unmet needs, and guiding the development of corrective action plans. The council will comprise 28 members, with 23 appointed by the governor and five ex-officio members representing governmental departments. Members should reflect the state's demographic diversity and include parents of children with disabilities and individuals with disabilities. Appointments and terms for council members are specified, and procedures for filling vacancies are outlined. The council will meet at least four times a year, and while members serve without compensation, they will be reimbursed for necessary expenses. This act is effective upon becoming law.

Meg Loughran Cappel has proposed another five bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Cappel graduated from Benedictine University with a BA.

Meg Loughran Cappel is currently serving in the Illinois State Senate, representing the state's 49th Senate District. She replaced previous state senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant in 2020.

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.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
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.
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".
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.