June 8, 2021 Spring Legislative Session Recap

 Spring Legislative Session Recap

By: Judy Hackett & Melissa Taylor, Legislative Co-Chairs

The legislative session has ended and it has been nothing short of a roller coaster.  The number of bills introduced that impacted education, and special education specifically, felt overwhelming at times. Our favorite analogy came from Dr. Brent Clark, Executive Director of IASA as he described the frenzy of bills as a swarm of bees.  We did everything we could to swipe them away, but some got through and we got stung repeatedly.   

There are several bills that passed both chambers and are currently awaiting the Governor’s signature that we would like to draw your attention to.  This is not an exhaustive list of all the education bills that passed but highlights those with specific implications for special education administrators.  Understandably for several of these bills, our IAASE  members have many questions and need for further clarification. ISBE and our school attorneys will provide more detailed information in the coming days and will provide updates as we receive them. 

HB0040 - Allows students who turn 22 to finish the remainder of the school year as opposed to the current practice of aging out on the day before their 22nd birthday.  

HB0041 - Requires that, prior to making an out-of-state residential placement, school districts must refer to a comparable in-state placement, if available.

HB0219 - Reforms the use of time out and physical restraint.

HB0290 - Requires the state to provide a parents guide to PUNS and for schools to distribute it at each annual review.

HB2748 - Provides that if a student with an IEP turns 22 during the time in which the student's in-person instruction, services, or activities are suspended for a period of 3 months or more during the school year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the student is eligible for services up to the end of the regular 2021-2022 school year, unless the student is no longer a resident of that school district.  

HB3950 - Secures that students with disabilities have access to the district’s CTE programs as part of transition programming and requires community colleges to develop dual credit courses for students with disabilities.

SB0517 -The amended version of this bill now requires the creation of a Senate commission to review the current funding system, consider other state structures and make recommended changes to Illinois’s special education funding formulas by November 30, 2021, to ensure placement neutral funding and address high-cost needs in line with the principles of EBF.

SB0654 - Requires daily playtime for students in grades K-5.  Defines playtime and requires that, for students with disabilities, it complies with the IEP.

We would like to thank our legislative committee for their service and offer our sincere thanks to those of you who answered our calls by filing witness slips and contacting your legislators.  A very special thanks to those members who reside in Senate District 46 who really supported our efforts to amend  HB2748 by making calls and personal contacts.  Finally, we are truly appreciative of the tireless and tenacious efforts of Shannon Miller Bellini during this frenzied session.  While there are some “stings” in the list of bills above, there were many “bees” that did not get through; often due to Shannon’s hustle, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. In the political process, communication, advocacy, and relationships play a pivotal role and the contributions of our legislative committee and IAASE membership have made a positive impact in this legislative session. 

June 1st - IAASE Blog: In depth look at the Federal Committee

     The Federal Committee is currently composed of 12 members and is tasked with “monitoring

federal legislation, identifying and informing the membership of current national laws and

issues.” The committee is to study and make recommendations of actions to be taken on behalf

of IAASE and individual members.

    One of the best ways of getting our voices heard at the federal level is to participate in the

Special Education Legislative Summit (SELS). I had the honor of going to Washington, DC for

SELS 2019 as part of Team Illinois. The conference was an amazing opportunity to make a

difference for children with special needs, to have personal conversations with legislators and

staffers, and to build relationships with like minded educators from around the country. In 2019,

Team Illinois met with a member of Congress from every district in Illinois to ask for full funding

for IDEA. We were able to share personal stories with those in charge to see how the shortage

of funding impacts our students who need the most services. Many legislators signed on to the

full funding bill as sponsors as a result of our efforts. We also left our contact information and

offered to be resources for legislators if ever they needed to hear from the field.

    Due to the pandemic, SELS 2020 looked different and was adapted. It was not as glamorous as

Team Illinois lobbied from our home offices by phone or computer. However the passion for

helping students with disabilities continued. Just as it was in person, we joined together to be

briefed on the issues facing special education across the country. We contacted our legislators

and had those personal conversations in spite of the travel restrictions.

Although the conference will again be virtual, I will return to have my voice heard. I encourage

all members to participate. You may be worried that you are not as knowledgeable on

legislative matters as you think would be needed to participate. This is simply not the case.

CEC/CASE will provide the background knowledge that you need and prepare you for those

conversations. Team Illinois will provide all the scaffolding that you need to feel confident in

your lobbying efforts. No one will go alone and experienced members will virtually accompany

those who are new to the process. IAASE members bring the most important knowledge to

SELS and it isn’t political. Our membership is passionate about doing what is right for children

with disabilities. We have lived experiences to share and we are ready to educate those in

power who can help our students.

    In closing, I would like to encourage all members to sign up to participate in SELS. We need

representation from every part of the state. Please join me at SELS 2021 to have our voices

heard.

You may register for free at:

https://exceptionalchildren.org/sels