HB5116 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB100 17375 AXK 32540 b

100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB5116

Introduced , by Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/2-3.25g	from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.25g
105 ILCS 5/10-20.21

Amends the School Code. For school districts other than the Chicago school district (which already has similar provisions), provides that for a one-year period after the expiration of the term of a school board member or other termination of a school board member's service, (i) the former board member is not eligible for employment by the board, an attendance center, or any other subdivision or agent of the board or the school district governed by the board and (ii) the board and the chief purchasing officer may not let any contract for services, employment, or other work to the former board member or to any corporation, partnership, association, sole proprietorship, or other entity other than publicly traded companies from which the former board member receives an annual income, dividends, or other compensation in excess of $1,500. Provides that a waiver from mandates of the Code may not be requested from the provision. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT 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 changing Sections 2-3.25g and 10-20.21 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.25g) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.25g)

Sec. 2-3.25g. Waiver or modification of mandates within the School Code and administrative rules and regulations.

(a) In this Section:

"Board" means a school board or the governing board or administrative district, as the case may be, for a joint agreement.

"Eligible applicant" means a school district, joint agreement made up of school districts, or regional superintendent of schools on behalf of schools and programs operated by the regional office of education.

"Implementation date" has the meaning set forth in Section 24A-2.5 of this Code.

"State Board" means the State Board of Education.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this School Code or any other law of this State to the contrary, eligible applicants may petition the State Board of Education for the waiver or modification of the mandates of this School Code or of the administrative rules and regulations promulgated by the State Board of Education. Waivers or modifications of administrative rules and regulations and modifications of mandates of this School Code may be requested when an eligible applicant demonstrates that it can address the intent of the rule or mandate in a more effective, efficient, or economical manner or when necessary to stimulate innovation or improve student performance. Waivers of mandates of the School Code may be requested when the waivers are necessary to stimulate innovation or improve student performance or when the applicant demonstrates that it can address the intent of the mandate of the School Code in a more effective, efficient, or economical manner. Waivers may not be requested from laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to special education, teacher educator licensure, teacher tenure and seniority, or Section 5-2.1 of this Code or from compliance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (Public Law 114-95). A waiver may not be requested from subsection (e) of Section 10-20.21 or Section 34-21.3 of this Code with regard to employment of a former school board member. Eligible applicants may not seek a waiver or seek a modification of a mandate regarding the requirements for (i) student performance data to be a significant factor in teacher or principal evaluations or (ii) teachers and principals to be rated using the 4 categories of "excellent", "proficient", "needs improvement", or "unsatisfactory". On September 1, 2014, any previously authorized waiver or modification from such requirements shall terminate.

(c) Eligible applicants, as a matter of inherent managerial policy, and any Independent Authority established under Section 2-3.25f-5 of this Code may submit an application for a waiver or modification authorized under this Section. Each application must include a written request by the eligible applicant or Independent Authority and must demonstrate that the intent of the mandate can be addressed in a more effective, efficient, or economical manner or be based upon a specific plan for improved student performance and school improvement. Any eligible applicant requesting a waiver or modification for the reason that intent of the mandate can be addressed in a more economical manner shall include in the application a fiscal analysis showing current expenditures on the mandate and projected savings resulting from the waiver or modification. Applications and plans developed by eligible applicants must be approved by the board or regional superintendent of schools applying on behalf of schools or programs operated by the regional office of education following a public hearing on the application and plan and the opportunity for the board or regional superintendent to hear testimony from staff directly involved in its implementation, parents, and students. The time period for such testimony shall be separate from the time period established by the eligible applicant for public comment on other matters.

(c-5) If the applicant is a school district, then the district shall post information that sets forth the time, date, place, and general subject matter of the public hearing on its Internet website at least 14 days prior to the hearing. If the district is requesting to increase the fee charged for driver education authorized pursuant to Section 27-24.2 of this Code, the website information shall include the proposed amount of the fee the district will request. All school districts must publish a notice of the public hearing at least 7 days prior to the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation within the school district that sets forth the time, date, place, and general subject matter of the hearing. Districts requesting to increase the fee charged for driver education shall include in the published notice the proposed amount of the fee the district will request. If the applicant is a joint agreement or regional superintendent, then the joint agreement or regional superintendent shall post information that sets forth the time, date, place, and general subject matter of the public hearing on its Internet website at least 14 days prior to the hearing. If the joint agreement or regional superintendent is requesting to increase the fee charged for driver education authorized pursuant to Section 27-24.2 of this Code, the website information shall include the proposed amount of the fee the applicant will request. All joint agreements and regional superintendents must publish a notice of the public hearing at least 7 days prior to the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation in each school district that is a member of the joint agreement or that is served by the educational service region that sets forth the time, date, place, and general subject matter of the hearing, provided that a notice appearing in a newspaper generally circulated in more than one school district shall be deemed to fulfill this requirement with respect to all of the affected districts. Joint agreements or regional superintendents requesting to increase the fee charged for driver education shall include in the published notice the proposed amount of the fee the applicant will request. The eligible applicant must notify in writing the affected exclusive collective bargaining agent and those State legislators representing the eligible applicant's territory of its intent to seek approval of a waiver or modification and of the hearing to be held to take testimony from staff. The affected exclusive collective bargaining agents shall be notified of such public hearing at least 7 days prior to the date of the hearing and shall be allowed to attend such public hearing. The eligible applicant shall attest to compliance with all of the notification and procedural requirements set forth in this Section.

(d) A request for a waiver or modification of administrative rules and regulations or for a modification of mandates contained in this School Code shall be submitted to the State Board of Education within 15 days after approval by the board or regional superintendent of schools. The application as submitted to the State Board of Education shall include a description of the public hearing. Following receipt of the waiver or modification request, the State Board shall have 45 days to review the application and request. If the State Board fails to disapprove the application within that 45 day period, the waiver or modification shall be deemed granted. The State Board may disapprove any request if it is not based upon sound educational practices, endangers the health or safety of students or staff, compromises equal opportunities for learning, or fails to demonstrate that the intent of the rule or mandate can be addressed in a more effective, efficient, or economical manner or have improved student performance as a primary goal. Any request disapproved by the State Board may be appealed to the General Assembly by the eligible applicant as outlined in this Section.

A request for a waiver from mandates contained in this School Code shall be submitted to the State Board within 15 days after approval by the board or regional superintendent of schools. The application as submitted to the State Board of Education shall include a description of the public hearing. The description shall include, but need not be limited to, the means of notice, the number of people in attendance, the number of people who spoke as proponents or opponents of the waiver, a brief description of their comments, and whether there were any written statements submitted. The State Board shall review the applications and requests for completeness and shall compile the requests in reports to be filed with the General Assembly. The State Board shall file reports outlining the waivers requested by eligible applicants and appeals by eligible applicants of requests disapproved by the State Board with the Senate and the House of Representatives before each March 1 and October 1.

The report shall be reviewed by a panel of 4 members consisting of:

(1) the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(2) the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives;

(3) the President of the Senate; and

(4) the Minority Leader of the Senate. The State Board of Education may provide the panel recommendations on waiver requests. The members of the panel shall review the report submitted by the State Board of Education and submit to the State Board of Education any notice of further consideration to any waiver request within 14 days after the member receives the report. If 3 or more of the panel members submit a notice of further consideration to any waiver request contained within the report, the State Board of Education shall submit the waiver request to the General Assembly for consideration. If less than 3 panel members submit a notice of further consideration to a waiver request, the waiver may be approved, denied, or modified by the State Board. If the State Board does not act on a waiver request within 10 days, then the waiver request is approved. If the waiver request is denied by the State Board, it shall submit the waiver request to the General Assembly for consideration.

The General Assembly may disapprove any waiver request submitted to the General Assembly pursuant to this subsection (d) in whole or in part within 60 calendar days after each house of the General Assembly next convenes after the waiver request is submitted by adoption of a resolution by a record vote of the majority of members elected in each house. If the General Assembly fails to disapprove any waiver request or appealed request within such 60 day period, the waiver or modification shall be deemed granted. Any resolution adopted by the General Assembly disapproving a report of the State Board in whole or in part shall be binding on the State Board.

(e) An approved waiver or modification may remain in effect for a period not to exceed 5 school years and may be renewed upon application by the eligible applicant. However, such waiver or modification may be changed within that 5-year period by a board or regional superintendent of schools applying on behalf of schools or programs operated by the regional office of education following the procedure as set forth in this Section for the initial waiver or modification request. If neither the State Board of Education nor the General Assembly disapproves, the change is deemed granted.

(f) (Blank).

(Source: P.A. 99-78, eff. 7-20-15; 100-465, eff. 8-31-17.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-20.21)

Sec. 10-20.21. Contracts.

(a) To award all contracts for purchase of supplies and materials or work involving an expenditure in excess of $25,000 or a lower amount as required by board policy to the lowest responsible bidder, considering conformity with specifications, terms of delivery, quality and serviceability, after due advertisement, except the following: (i) contracts for the services of individuals possessing a high degree of professional skill where the ability or fitness of the individual plays an important part; (ii) contracts for the printing of finance committee reports and departmental reports; (iii) contracts for the printing or engraving of bonds, tax warrants and other evidences of indebtedness; (iv) contracts for the purchase of perishable foods and perishable beverages; (v) contracts for materials and work which have been awarded to the lowest responsible bidder after due advertisement, but due to unforeseen revisions, not the fault of the contractor for materials and work, must be revised causing expenditures not in excess of 10% of the contract price; (vi) contracts for the maintenance or servicing of, or provision of repair parts for, equipment which are made with the manufacturer or authorized service agent of that equipment where the provision of parts, maintenance, or servicing can best be performed by the manufacturer or authorized service agent; (vii) purchases and contracts for the use, purchase, delivery, movement, or installation of data processing equipment, software, or services and telecommunications and interconnect equipment, software, and services; (viii) contracts for duplicating machines and supplies; (ix) contracts for the purchase of natural gas when the cost is less than that offered by a public utility; (x) purchases of equipment previously owned by some entity other than the district itself; (xi) contracts for repair, maintenance, remodeling, renovation, or construction, or a single project involving an expenditure not to exceed $50,000 and not involving a change or increase in the size, type, or extent of an existing facility; (xii) contracts for goods or services procured from another governmental agency; (xiii) contracts for goods or services which are economically procurable from only one source, such as for the purchase of magazines, books, periodicals, pamphlets and reports, and for utility services such as water, light, heat, telephone or telegraph; (xiv) where funds are expended in an emergency and such emergency expenditure is approved by 3/4 of the members of the board; (xv) State master contracts authorized under Article 28A of this Code; and (xvi) contracts providing for the transportation of pupils, which contracts must be advertised in the same manner as competitive bids and awarded by first considering the bidder or bidders most able to provide safety and comfort for the pupils, stability of service, and any other factors set forth in the request for proposal regarding quality of service, and then price. However, at no time shall a cause of action lie against a school board for awarding a pupil transportation contract per the standards set forth in this subsection (a) unless the cause of action is based on fraudulent conduct.

All competitive bids for contracts involving an expenditure in excess of $25,000 or a lower amount as required by board policy must be sealed by the bidder and must be opened by a member or employee of the school board at a public bid opening at which the contents of the bids must be announced. Each bidder must receive at least 3 days' notice of the time and place of the bid opening. For purposes of this Section due advertisement includes, but is not limited to, at least one public notice at least 10 days before the bid date in a newspaper published in the district, or if no newspaper is published in the district, in a newspaper of general circulation in the area of the district. State master contracts and certified education purchasing contracts, as defined in Article 28A of this Code, are not subject to the requirements of this paragraph.

Under this Section, the acceptance of bids sealed by a bidder and the opening of these bids at a public bid opening may be permitted by an electronic process for communicating, accepting, and opening competitive bids. However, bids for construction purposes are prohibited from being communicated, accepted, or opened electronically. An electronic bidding process must provide for, but is not limited to, the following safeguards:

(1) On the date and time certain of a bid opening, the primary person conducting the competitive, sealed, electronic bid process shall log onto a specified database using a unique username and password previously assigned to the bidder to allow access to the bidder's specific bid project number.

(2) The specified electronic database must be on a network that (i) is in a secure environment behind a firewall; (ii) has specific encryption tools; (iii) maintains specific intrusion detection systems; (iv) has redundant systems architecture with data storage back-up, whether by compact disc or tape; and (v) maintains a disaster recovery plan.

It is the legislative intent of Public Act 96-841 to maintain the integrity of the sealed bidding process provided for in this Section, to further limit any possibility of bid-rigging, to reduce administrative costs to school districts, and to effect efficiencies in communications with bidders.

(b) To require, as a condition of any contract for goods and services, that persons bidding for and awarded a contract and all affiliates of the person collect and remit Illinois Use Tax on all sales of tangible personal property into the State of Illinois in accordance with the provisions of the Illinois Use Tax Act regardless of whether the person or affiliate is a "retailer maintaining a place of business within this State" as defined in Section 2 of the Use Tax Act. For purposes of this Section, the term "affiliate" means any entity that (1) directly, indirectly, or constructively controls another entity, (2) is directly, indirectly, or constructively controlled by another entity, or (3) is subject to the control of a common entity. For purposes of this subsection (b), an entity controls another entity if it owns, directly or individually, more than 10% of the voting securities of that entity. As used in this subsection (b), the term "voting security" means a security that (1) confers upon the holder the right to vote for the election of members of the board of directors or similar governing body of the business or (2) is convertible into, or entitles the holder to receive upon its exercise, a security that confers such a right to vote. A general partnership interest is a voting security.

To require that bids and contracts include a certification by the bidder or contractor that the bidder or contractor is not barred from bidding for or entering into a contract under this Section and that the bidder or contractor acknowledges that the school board may declare the contract void if the certification completed pursuant to this subsection (b) is false.

(b-5) To require all contracts and agreements that pertain to goods and services and that are intended to generate additional revenue and other remunerations for the school district in excess of $1,000, including without limitation vending machine contracts, sports and other attire, class rings, and photographic services, to be approved by the school board. The school board shall file as an attachment to its annual budget a report, in a form as determined by the State Board of Education, indicating for the prior year the name of the vendor, the product or service provided, and the actual net revenue and non-monetary remuneration from each of the contracts or agreements. In addition, the report shall indicate for what purpose the revenue was used and how and to whom the non-monetary remuneration was distributed.

(b-10) To prohibit any contract to purchase food with a bidder or offeror if the bidder's or offeror's contract terms prohibit the school from donating food to food banks, including, but not limited to, homeless shelters, food pantries, and soup kitchens.

(c) If the State education purchasing entity creates a master contract as defined in Article 28A of this Code, then the State education purchasing entity shall notify school districts of the existence of the master contract.

(d) In purchasing supplies, materials, equipment, or services that are not subject to subsection (c) of this Section, before a school district solicits bids or awards a contract, the district may review and consider as a bid under subsection (a) of this Section certified education purchasing contracts that are already available through the State education purchasing entity.

(e) For a one-year period after the expiration of the term of a school board member or other termination of a school board member's service, (i) the former board member is not eligible for employment by the board, an attendance center, or any other subdivision or agent of the board or the school district governed by the board and (ii) the board and the chief purchasing officer may not let or delegate authority to let any contract for services, employment, or other work to the former board member or to any corporation, partnership, association, sole proprietorship, or other entity other than publicly traded companies from which the former board member receives an annual income, dividends, or other compensation in excess of $1,500. Any contract that is entered into by or under a delegation of authority from the board or the chief purchasing officer shall contain a provision stating that the contract is not legally binding on the board if entered into in violation of this subsection (e).

(Source: P.A. 99-552, eff. 7-15-16.)

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