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1 | AN ACT concerning education. | |||||||||||||||||||
2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | |||||||||||||||||||
3 | represented in the General Assembly: | |||||||||||||||||||
4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | 2-3.25g-5 as follows: | |||||||||||||||||||
6 | (105 ILCS 5/2-3.25g-5 new) | |||||||||||||||||||
7 | Sec. 2-3.25g-5. Waiver Process Task Force. | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | (a) The Waiver Process Task Force is created. The Task | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | Force shall consist of the following voting members: | |||||||||||||||||||
10 | (1) a member of the General Assembly, appointed by the | |||||||||||||||||||
11 | Speaker of the House of Representatives; | |||||||||||||||||||
12 | (2) a member of the General Assembly, appointed by the | |||||||||||||||||||
13 | Minority Leader of the House of Representatives; | |||||||||||||||||||
14 | (3) a member of the General Assembly, appointed by the | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | President of the Senate; | |||||||||||||||||||
16 | (4) a member of the General Assembly, appointed by the | |||||||||||||||||||
17 | Minority Leader of the Senate; | |||||||||||||||||||
18 | (5) the Lieutenant Governor or his or her designee; | |||||||||||||||||||
19 | (6) the State Superintendent of Education or his or | |||||||||||||||||||
20 | her designee, who shall serve as a co-chairperson of the | |||||||||||||||||||
21 | Task Force; | |||||||||||||||||||
22 | (7) the Director of Public Health or his or her | |||||||||||||||||||
23 | designee, who shall serve as a co-chairperson of the Task |
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1 | Force; | ||||||
2 | (8) the Chief Executive Officer of City of Chicago | ||||||
3 | School District 299, appointed by the Chicago Board of | ||||||
4 | Education; | ||||||
5 | (9) 2 representatives from a statewide organization | ||||||
6 | representing health, physical education, recreation, and | ||||||
7 | dance, appointed by the head of that organization, of | ||||||
8 | which one representative is a current teacher and one is a | ||||||
9 | retired teacher; | ||||||
10 | (10) a representative of City of Chicago School | ||||||
11 | District 299, appointed by the Chicago Board of Education; | ||||||
12 | (11) 2 representatives of a statewide professional | ||||||
13 | teachers' organization, appointed by the head of that | ||||||
14 | organization; | ||||||
15 | (12) 2 representatives of a statewide professional | ||||||
16 | teachers' organization other than the statewide | ||||||
17 | professional teachers' organization in paragraph (11), | ||||||
18 | appointed by the head of that organization; | ||||||
19 | (13) a representative of an organization representing | ||||||
20 | professional teachers in a city having a population of | ||||||
21 | more than 500,000, appointed by the head of that | ||||||
22 | organization; | ||||||
23 | (14) a representative of a statewide organization | ||||||
24 | representing principals, appointed by the head of that | ||||||
25 | organization; | ||||||
26 | (15) a representative of a statewide organization |
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1 | representing school administrators, appointed by the head | ||||||
2 | of that organization; | ||||||
3 | (16) a representative of a statewide organization | ||||||
4 | representing school boards, appointed by the head of that | ||||||
5 | organization; | ||||||
6 | (17) a representative of a statewide organization | ||||||
7 | representing school business officials, appointed by the | ||||||
8 | head of that organization; | ||||||
9 | (18) a representative of a statewide organization | ||||||
10 | representing parents, appointed by the head of that | ||||||
11 | organization; | ||||||
12 | (19) a representative of a national research and | ||||||
13 | advocacy organization focused on cardiovascular health and | ||||||
14 | wellness, appointed by the head of that organization; | ||||||
15 | (20) a representative of an organization that | ||||||
16 | advocates for healthy school environments, appointed by | ||||||
17 | the head of that organization; | ||||||
18 | (21) a representative of a not-for-profit organization | ||||||
19 | serving children and youth, appointed by the head of that | ||||||
20 | organization; | ||||||
21 | (22) a representative of a not-for-profit organization | ||||||
22 | that partners to promote prevention and improve public | ||||||
23 | health systems that maximize the health and quality of | ||||||
24 | life of the people of this State, appointed by the head of | ||||||
25 | that organization; | ||||||
26 | (23) a representative of a statewide organization |
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1 | representing driver education and safety, appointed by the | ||||||
2 | head of that organization; | ||||||
3 | (24) a representative of a statewide organization | ||||||
4 | representing adapted physical education, appointed by the | ||||||
5 | head of that organization; | ||||||
6 | (25) a representative of a statewide organization | ||||||
7 | representing health education, appointed by the head of | ||||||
8 | that organization; and | ||||||
9 | (26) a representative from a regional office of | ||||||
10 | education, appointed by the State Superintendent of | ||||||
11 | Education. | ||||||
12 | Additional members may be appointed to the Task Force with | ||||||
13 | the approval of the co-chairpersons. All members of the Task | ||||||
14 | Force shall serve without compensation. | ||||||
15 | (b) The Task Force shall meet at the call of the | ||||||
16 | co-chairpersons, with the initial meeting of the Task Force | ||||||
17 | being held as soon as possible after the effective date of this | ||||||
18 | amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly. | ||||||
19 | (c) The State Board of Education and the Department of | ||||||
20 | Public Health shall provide assistance and necessary staff | ||||||
21 | support services to the Task Force. | ||||||
22 | (d) The purposes of the Task Force are to: | ||||||
23 | (1) examine the current waiver response process and | ||||||
24 | make recommendations on a more equitable and fair waiver | ||||||
25 | response at the elementary and secondary school levels in | ||||||
26 | this State, including educating and promoting leadership |
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1 | on the waiver response process among school districts and | ||||||
2 | school officials; | ||||||
3 | (2) develop and use metrics to access the viability of | ||||||
4 | waiver requests and the impact of such requests on | ||||||
5 | students in kindergarten through grade 12; | ||||||
6 | (3) promote training and professional development on | ||||||
7 | creating waiver requests that include accountability | ||||||
8 | measures for teachers and other community stakeholders | ||||||
9 | across this State; | ||||||
10 | (4) identify and seek local, State, and national | ||||||
11 | resources to support an equitable and fair waiver process; | ||||||
12 | and | ||||||
13 | (5) complete such other strategies as may be | ||||||
14 | identified by the Task Force. | ||||||
15 | (e) The Task Force shall make recommendations to the | ||||||
16 | Governor and the General Assembly on how waivers should be | ||||||
17 | requested, how waivers should be reviewed for approval, and | ||||||
18 | how to demonstrate the ability to fulfill accountability | ||||||
19 | measures proposed in requested waivers. The Task Force shall | ||||||
20 | focus on updating the waiver request process, the waiver | ||||||
21 | acceptance or denial process, and ways to hold waiver | ||||||
22 | applicants accountable for meeting the stated goals of | ||||||
23 | waivers. | ||||||
24 | (f) On or before December 31, 2025, the Task Force must | ||||||
25 | report its recommendations by filing copies of its report with | ||||||
26 | the Governor and the General Assembly. Upon filing its report, |
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1 | the Task Force is dissolved. | ||||||
2 | (g) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2027. | ||||||
3 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
4 | becoming law. |