105 ILCS 5/2-3.25g

"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). 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 either electronically or 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