Public Act 096-0364
 
HB0605 Enrolled LRB096 07460 NHT 17552 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
2-3.147 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.147)
    Sec. 2-3.147. The Ensuring Success in School Task Force.
    (a) In this Section:
    "Domestic violence" means abuse by a family or household
member, as "abuse" and "family or household members" are
defined in Section 103 of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of
1986.
    "Sexual violence" means sexual assault, abuse, or stalking
of an adult or minor child proscribed in the Criminal Code of
1961 in Sections 12-7.3, 12-7.4, 12-7.5, 12-12, 12-13, 12-14,
12-14.1, 12-15, and 12-16, including sexual violence committed
by perpetrators who are strangers to the victim and sexual
violence committed by perpetrators who are known or related by
blood or marriage to the victim.
    (b) The State Board of Education shall convene an Ensuring
Success in School Task Force to develop policies, procedures,
and protocols to be adopted by school districts for addressing
the educational and related needs of children and youth who are
parents, expectant parents, or victims of domestic or sexual
violence to ensure their ability to stay in school, stay safe
while in school, and successfully complete their education. The
State Board of Education shall be the agency responsible for
providing staff and administrative support to the task force.
    (c) The Ensuring Success in School Task Force shall do all
of the following:
        (1) Conduct a thorough examination of the barriers to
    school attendance, safety, and completion for children and
    youth who are parents, expectant parents, or victims of
    domestic or sexual violence.
        (2) Conduct a discovery process that includes relevant
    research and the identification of effective policies,
    protocols, and programs within this State and elsewhere.
        (3) Conduct meetings and public hearings in
    geographically diverse locations throughout the State to
    ensure the maximum input from area advocates and service
    providers, from local education agencies, and from
    children and youth who are parents, expectant parents, or
    victims of domestic or sexual violence and their parents or
    guardians.
        (4) Establish and adhere to procedures and protocols to
    allow children and youth who are parents, expectant
    parents, or victims of domestic or sexual violence, their
    parents or guardians, and advocates who work on behalf of
    such children and youth to participate in the task force
    anonymously and confidentially.
        (5) Invite the testimony of and confer with experts on
    relevant topics.
        (6) Produce a report of the task force's findings on
    best practices and policies, which shall include a plan
    with a phased and prioritized implementation timetable
    with focus on ensuring the successful and safe completion
    of school for children and youth who are parents, expectant
    parents, or victims of domestic or sexual violence. The
    task force shall submit a report to the General Assembly on
    or before December January 1, 2009 on its findings,
    recommendations, and implementation plan. Any task force
    reports shall be published on the State Board of
    Education's Internet website on the date the report is
    delivered to the General Assembly.
        (7) Recommend new legislation or proposed rules
    developed by the task force.
    (d) The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the
House of Representatives shall each appoint one co-chairperson
of the Ensuring Success in School Task Force. In addition to
the 2 co-chairpersons, the task force shall be comprised of
each of the following members, appointed by the State Board of
Education, and shall be representative of the geographic,
racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of this State:
        (1) A representative of a statewide nonprofit,
    nongovernmental domestic violence organization.
        (2) A domestic violence victims' advocate or service
    provider from a different nonprofit, nongovernmental
    domestic violence organization.
        (3) A representative of a statewide nonprofit,
    nongovernmental sexual assault organization.
        (4) A sexual assault victims' advocate or service
    provider from a different nonprofit, nongovernmental
    sexual assault organization.
        (5) A teen parent advocate or service provider from a
    nonprofit, nongovernmental organization.
        (6) A school social worker.
        (7) A school psychologist.
        (8) A school counselor.
        (9) A representative of a statewide professional
    teachers' organization.
        (10) A representative of a different statewide
    professional teachers' organization.
        (11) A representative of a statewide organization that
    represents school boards.
        (12) A representative of a statewide organization
    representing principals.
        (13) A representative of City of Chicago School
    District 299.
        (14) A representative of a nonprofit, nongovernmental
    youth services provider.
        (15) A representative of a statewide nonprofit,
    nongovernmental multi-issue advocacy organization with
    expertise in a cross-section of relevant issues.
        (16) An alternative education service provider.
        (17) A representative from a regional office of
    education.
        (18) A truancy intervention services provider.
        (19) A youth who is a parent or expectant parent
    directly affected by the issues, problems, and concerns of
    staying in school and successfully completing his or her
    education through high school.
        (20) A youth who is a victim of domestic or sexual
    violence directly affected by the issues, problems, and
    concerns of staying in school and successfully completing
    his or her education.
        (21) A parent or guardian of a child or youth who is a
    parent or expectant parent directly affected by the issues,
    problems, and concerns of staying in school and
    successfully completing his or her education.
        (22) A parent or guardian of a child or youth who is a
    victim of domestic or sexual violence directly affected by
    the issues, problems, and concerns of staying in school and
    successfully completing his or her education.
The task force shall also consist of one member appointed by
the Minority Leader of the Senate, one member appointed by the
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the State
Superintendent of Education, the Secretary of Human Services,
the Director of Healthcare and Family Services, the Director of
Children and Family Services, and the Director of Public Health
or their designees.
    (e) Members of the Ensuring Success in School Task Force
shall receive no compensation for their participation, but may
be reimbursed by the State Board of Education for expenses in
connection with their participation, including travel, if
funds are available. However, members of the task force who are
youth who are parents, expectant parents, or victims of
domestic or sexual violence and the parents or guardians of
such youth shall be reimbursed for their travel expenses
connected to their participation in the task force.
(Source: P.A. 95-558, eff. 8-30-07; 95-876, eff. 8-21-08.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.