Public Act 0364 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0605 Enrolled LRB096 07460 NHT 17552 b

Public Act 096-0364

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.