SB1556 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 10966 LNS 21048 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB1556

Introduced 2/4/2025, by Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/2-3.118a new
105 ILCS 5/10-20.74

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.

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

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 adding Section 2-3.118a and by changing Sections 10-20.74 and 27-13.3 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.118a new)

Sec. 2-3.118a. State Instructional Technology Advisory Board.

(a) The State Board of Education shall establish a 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.

(b) The Advisory Board shall consist of the following members:

(1) the State Superintendent of Education or his or her designee, who shall serve as chairperson of the Advisory Board;

(2) 3 representatives appointed by a statewide association representing teachers;

(3) 2 principals appointed by a statewide principals association;

(4) 2 superintendents appointed by a statewide superintendents association;

(5) 2 school board members appointed by a statewide school board association;

(6) 2 members representing regional offices of education appointed by the State Superintendent of Education;

(7) 2 currently practicing classroom teachers appointed by the State Superintendent of Education;

(8) one representative of a statewide association of educators concerned with instructional technology appointed by the State Superintendent of Education; and

(9) 2 experts on educational applications of artificial intelligence appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.

The members of the Advisory Board shall serve 2-year terms, as long as they continue to meet the criteria under which they were appointed, and may be reappointed without limitation to additional 2-year terms.

(c) The State Board of Education shall, in consultation with the Advisory Board, develop standards concerning safety, transparency, data privacy, and educational quality for any artificial intelligence technology that may be used in schools.

(1) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules necessary to create these standards and to develop and use a rubric or other method to evaluate artificial intelligence tools and applications against these standards.

(2) No later than December 31, 2025 and no later than July 1 of each subsequent calendar year, the State Board of Education shall make a reasonable effort to identify and evaluate the artificial intelligence tools and applications most commonly used in schools in this State, which includes making available a means for educators to request an evaluation of specific tools.

(3) No later than December 31, 2025 and no later than July 1 of each subsequent calendar year, the State Board of Education shall publish and provide to school districts a list of technology tools employing artificial intelligence that have been evaluated against these standards and the results of that evaluation. The State Board of Education may update this list from time to time in addition to the required annual publication. This list shall be provided only as an informational resource and may not be used to prohibit or require the use of any artificial intelligence technology by districts. The inclusion of a tool on this list does not constitute an endorsement by the State Board of Education.

(d) The State Board of Education shall, in collaboration with the Advisory Board, develop guidance for school districts and educators on the use of artificial intelligence in education. This guidance shall include, but is not limited to:

(1) explanations of basic artificial intelligence concepts, including machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision;

(2) specific ways artificial intelligence can be used at the district, school, classroom, and individual level to enhance teaching and learning while preserving the human relationships essential to effective teaching and learning;

(3) how districts and individual educators can evaluate and address bias, privacy, and transparency in artificial intelligence technologies and applications, including how they can access the results of evaluations performed by the State Board of Education;

(4) best practices for selecting, implementing, and evaluating the use of artificial intelligence technologies and applications;

(5) best practices for developing student literacy in artificial intelligence and engaging students in age-appropriate discussions on the responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence; and

(6) best practices for making artificial intelligence technologies and applications available and accessible to all students.

(e) The State Board of Education shall provide this guidance to all school districts and charter schools in this State no later than December 31, 2025 and no later than July 1 of each subsequent calendar year.

The State Board of Education shall develop and offer both synchronous and asynchronous professional development opportunities designed to help educators understand and implement this guidance effectively.

The State Board of Education shall review and update the guidance for educators on the use of artificial intelligence in education from time to time as needed and no less than once per year.

(105 ILCS 5/10-20.74)

Sec. 10-20.74. Educational technology capacity and policies; report. School districts shall submit to the State Board of Education, or its designee, an annual report that shall include, at a minimum, information regarding educational technology capacity and policies, including device availability for students, school-based access and infrastructure, professional learning and training opportunities, and documentation of developmentally appropriate computer literacy instruction embedded in the district's curriculum at each grade level, and student, teacher, and district use of artificial intelligence.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.