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IASPA:

Laws, Loopholes and the Latest

Sara Boucek

sara@krihaboucek.com

217.781.4877

August 20, 2025

krihaboucek.com

@krihabouceklaw

Oakbrook Terrace Office

2 Trans Am Plaza Dr., Suite 450

Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

Southern Illinois Office

3 Club Centre Court Suite D�Edwardsville, IL 62025

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Overall State of State of Things

Political Climate
Culture and Climate
Overall Issues

Labor/Employment

Leading with Passion

Proactive, Alignment, Set the Expectation, Servant Leadership, Invisible Backpack, Opportunities, Never Stop Having Fun

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New Latest Laws: Labor/Employment

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Labor/Employment

HB 79: Amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In a provision concerning suspensions of retirement annuities during employment with a participating employer, provides that an annuitant receiving a sheriff's law enforcement employee annuity shall be considered a participating employee if the annuitant returns to work as a school security guard employed by a participating employer and works more than 999 hours annually. 6.20.25 Sent to Governor
HB 1368: Requires approved providers to ensure that professional development activities (rather than professional development) related to literacy instruction (rather than English language arts) are aligned to evidence-based strategies as defined in the comprehensive literacy plan for the State developed by the State Board of Education (rather than aligned with the comprehensive literacy plan for the State developed by the State Board of Education). 6.20.25 Sent to Governor
HB 1787: Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Requires a school district to provide training on school evacuation drills and law enforcement lockdown drills to all school personnel serving in a substitute capacity. Provides that training shall be provided in person when available. Provides that a school district shall provide support for substitute personnel by ensuring that recommendations are implemented, including, without limitation, that maps indicating all school exits are prominently displayed in every classroom and the information packet given to full-time-equivalent employees includes district-approved materials outlining evacuation and lockdown procedures. 6.24.25 Sent to Governor
HB 3193: Allows payback of 6% penalties over 7 years (instead of 3) 6.24.25 Sent to Governor
HB 3373: Amends the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act. In provisions concerning the qualifications of applicants, provides that the first part of the required examination for licensure may be taken upon graduation and before completion of a postdoctoral supervised experience in clinical, school, or counseling psychology. 6.20.25 Sent to Governor

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Labor/Employment

HB 3446: 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. 6.24.25 Sent to Governor
SB 28: Amends the School Code. In a provision regarding an optional alternative evaluative dismissal process for teacher evaluations, removes the definition of and references to "student growth components". Makes the following changes in the Evaluation of Certified Employees Article: Removes the definitions of and references to "implementation date", "Race to the Top Grant", and "School Improvement Grant". Provides that, beginning July 1, 2025, each school district may incorporate the use of data and indicators on student growth as a factor in rating teaching performance into its evaluation plan for all teachers in contractual continued service and teachers not in contractual continued service (now, a school district is required to incorporate student growth data and indicators as a significant factor). Makes other changes concerning student growth. Changes the components of an evaluation plan for a teacher's performance. Makes changes concerning a principal's or assistant principal's evaluation. With respect to the types of rules the State Board of Education may adopt, removes the inclusion of rules that (i) define the term "significant" factor" for purposes of including consideration of student growth in performance ratings and (ii) establish a model evaluation plan for use by school districts in which student growth shall comprise 50% of the performance rating. Allows a school district (rather than only a school district with 500,000 or more inhabitants) to use an annual State assessment as a measure of student growth for purposes of teacher or principal evaluations. Removes and changes outdated provisions. Makes other and conforming changes. Effective July 1, 2025. 6/30/25 Signed by Governor/Public Act 104-0020

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Labor/Employment

HB 3528: Amends the School Code. Provides that no institution of higher education shall establish or maintain any policy which requires student teaching for preservice teachers to be unpaid. Effective immediately. 6.20.25 Sent to Governor
SB 1329: Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that the State Superintendent of Education may notify a license holder's current or most recent employer, if the employer is a public school or school district, charter school, special education cooperative, nonpublic school, nonpublic special education facility, or public school residential facility, that the license holder is being investigated for an alleged act of misconduct that constitutes a threat to the safety of students. 6.20.25 Sent to Governor
SB 212: Amends the Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act. Provides that an employer shall provide 30 minutes of paid break time (rather than reasonable break time) to an employee who needs to express breast milk for her nursing infant child each time the employee has the need to express milk for one year after the child's birth. Provides that the employee may use other paid break time or meal time for any time needed in excess of 30 minutes. Provides that an employer shall provide paid break time (rather than reasonable break time) as needed by the employee unless to do so would create an undue hardship. 6.18.25 Sent to Governor

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Labor/Employment

SB 1583: Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that, notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, individuals seeking a short-term approval for school support personnel, as defined in rules, are not required to take the test of content area knowledge prior to the short-term approval being issued. Further amends the School Code. Allows the State Superintendent of Education to designate a regional office of education or intermediate service center as a learning partner in any iteration of the statewide system of support so that services are provided to schools that are identified for school improvement under (i) the accountability system and (ii) the definition for Targeted, Comprehensive, or Intensive. Provides that the status of learning partner may be revoked at the State Superintendent's sole discretion. 6.27.25 Sent to Governor
SB 1584: Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may develop, by rules, a credential valid for an individual to serve as an educator in a specific education area or grade range for a temporary period of time and upon meeting the conditions set forth in those rules, to be known as a Short-Term Approval. Provides that a Short-Term Approval may be issued on an existing educator license or may stand alone, as applicable to the particular Short-Term Approval. Requires a Short-Term Approval to have an expiration date without the ability to renew. Provides that before the expiration of an educator's Short-Term Approval, the educator must obtain a license or endorsement in the same specific education area or grade range as the Short-Term Approval, and if the educator does not obtain the required license or endorsement in the specific education area or grade range and the Short-Term Approval expires, the educator is not eligible to continue serving as an educator in the specific education area or grade range. Provides that the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may consider extending the expiration date of the educator's Short-Term Approval if the educator can demonstrate that a serious health condition inhibited the educator's ability to timely apply for and receive the license or endorsement for the specific education area or grade range for which the Short-Term Approval was issued. Allows an educator to receive only one extension for each Short-Term Approval for no more than one year. 6.18.25 Sent to Governor

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Labor/Employment

SB 1947: 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. 6.27.25 Sent to Governor

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