Public Act 102-0867
 
SB3915 EnrolledLRB102 25817 CMG 35157 b

    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
21B-40 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/21B-40)
    Sec. 21B-40. Fees.
    (a) Beginning with the start of the new licensure system
established pursuant to this Article, the following fees shall
be charged to applicants:
        (1) A $100 application fee for a Professional Educator
    License or an Educator License with Stipulations.
        (1.5) A $50 application fee for a Substitute Teaching
    License. If the application for a Substitute Teaching
    License is made and granted after July 1, 2017, the
    licensee may apply for a refund of the application fee
    within 18 months of issuance of the new license and shall
    be issued that refund by the State Board of Education if
    the licensee provides evidence to the State Board of
    Education that the licensee has taught pursuant to the
    Substitute Teaching License at least 10 full school days
    within one year of issuance.
        (1.7) A $25 application fee for a Short-Term
    Substitute Teaching License. The Short-Term Substitute
    Teaching License must be registered in at least one region
    in this State, but does not require a registration fee.
    The licensee may apply for a refund of the application fee
    within 18 months of issuance of the new license and shall
    be issued that refund by the State Board of Education if
    the licensee provides evidence to the State Board of
    Education that the licensee has taught pursuant to the
    Short-Term Substitute Teaching License at least 10 full
    school days within one year of issuance. The application
    fee for a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License shall be
    waived when the Governor has declared a disaster due to a
    public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the
    Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.
        (2) A $150 application fee for individuals who have
    not been entitled by an Illinois-approved educator
    preparation program at an Illinois institution of higher
    education and are seeking any of the licenses set forth in
    subdivision (1) of this subsection (a).
        (3) A $50 application fee for each endorsement or
    approval.
        (4) A $10 per year registration fee for the course of
    the validity cycle to register the license, which shall be
    paid to the regional office of education having
    supervision and control over the school in which the
    individual holding the license is to be employed. If the
    individual holding the license is not yet employed, then
    the license may be registered in any county in this State.
    The registration fee must be paid in its entirety the
    first time the individual registers the license for a
    particular validity period in a single region. No
    additional fee may be charged for that validity period
    should the individual subsequently register the license in
    additional regions. An individual must register the
    license (i) immediately after initial issuance of the
    license and (ii) at the beginning of each renewal cycle if
    the individual has satisfied the renewal requirements
    required under this Code.
        Beginning on July 1, 2017, at the beginning of each
    renewal cycle, individuals who hold a Substitute Teaching
    License may apply for a reimbursement of the registration
    fee within 18 months of renewal and shall be issued that
    reimbursement by the State Board of Education from funds
    appropriated for that purpose if the licensee provides
    evidence to the State Board of Education that the licensee
    has taught pursuant to the Substitute Teaching License at
    least 10 full school days within one year of renewal.
        (5) The license renewal fee for an Educator License
    with Stipulations with a paraprofessional educator
    endorsement is $25.
    (b) All application fees paid pursuant to subdivisions (1)
through (3) of subsection (a) of this Section shall be
deposited into the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund and
shall be used, subject to appropriation, by the State Board of
Education to provide the technology and human resources
necessary for the timely and efficient processing of
applications and for the renewal of licenses. Funds available
from the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund may also be
used by the State Board of Education to support the
recruitment and retention of educators, to support educator
preparation programs as they seek national accreditation, and
to provide professional development aligned with the
requirements set forth in Section 21B-45 of this Code. A
majority of the funds in the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving
Fund must be dedicated to the timely and efficient processing
of applications and for the renewal of licenses. The Teacher
Certificate Fee Revolving Fund is not subject to
administrative charge transfers, authorized under Section 8h
of the State Finance Act, from the Teacher Certificate Fee
Revolving Fund into any other fund of this State, and moneys in
the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund shall not revert
back to the General Revenue Fund at any time.
    The regional superintendent of schools shall deposit the
registration fees paid pursuant to subdivision (4) of
subsection (a) of this Section into the institute fund
established pursuant to Section 3-11 of this Code.
    (c) The State Board of Education and each regional office
of education are authorized to charge a service or convenience
fee for the use of credit cards for the payment of license
fees. This service or convenience fee shall not exceed the
amount required by the credit card processing company or
vendor that has entered into a contract with the State Board or
regional office of education for this purpose, and the fee
must be paid to that company or vendor.
    (d) If, at the time a certificate issued under Article 21
of this Code is exchanged for a license issued under this
Article, a person has paid registration fees for any years of
the validity period of the certificate and these years have
not expired when the certificate is exchanged, then those fees
must be applied to the registration of the new license.
(Source: P.A. 100-550, eff. 11-8-17; 100-596, eff. 7-1-18;
100-772, eff. 8-10-18; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-570, eff.
8-23-19.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.