Bill Text: IL HB3402 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Provides that, when hiring or assigning physical education, music, and visual arts educators, a school district must prioritize the hiring or assigning of educators who hold an educator license and endorsement in those content areas. Provides that a professional educator licensure applicant must pass the licensure content area test for the content area he or she is assigned to teach or complete at least 9 semester hours of coursework in the content area prior to his or her employment start date. Provides that, in order to retain his or her employment for subsequent school years, the employee must complete the remaining hours of coursework in the content area in which he or she is teaching and apply for a license endorsement within 3 calendar years after his or her employment start date. Provides that, in the case of a reduction in force, a school district may follow its employee contract language for filling positions.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 19-1)

Status: (Passed) 2023-06-09 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 103-0046 [HB3402 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB3402-Introduced.html

---

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB3402 Introduced , by Rep. Sharon Chung SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/22-95 new
Amends the School Code. Provides that, when hiring physical education, music, and visual arts educators, school districts must prioritize the hiring of educators who hold a teaching license and endorsement in those content areas. Provides that, if a school district is unable to hire a qualified candidate, the district may then hire a candidate who holds a valid professional educator license on a short-term basis. Provides that the professional educator license applicant must pass the content area test for which they are assigned to teach within one calendar year of the employment start date. Provides that, in order to retain employment for subsequent school years, the employee must complete 18 hours of course work in the content area in which they are teaching within 3 calendar years of their employment start date. Provides that in case of a reduction in force, districts may follow their local contract language for filling positions.
LRB103 27224 RJT 53594 b
A BILL FOR
HB3402 LRB103 27224 RJT 53594 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 adding Section
22-95 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/22-95 new)
Sec. 22-95. Hiring priority.
(a) When hiring physical education, music, and visual arts
educators, school districts must prioritize the hiring of
educators who hold a teaching license and endorsement in those
content areas.
(b) If a school district is unable to hire a qualified
candidate under subsection (a), the district may then hire a
candidate who holds a valid professional educator license.
Hiring an applicant with a professional educator license shall
be on a short-term basis. The professional educator license
applicant must pass the content area test for which he or she
is assigned to teach within one calendar year of the
employment start date. In order to retain employment for
subsequent school years, the employee must complete 18 hours
of course work in the content area in which he or she is
teaching within 3 calendar years of his or her employment
start date.

HB3402 - 2 - LRB103 27224 RJT 53594 b
(c) In case of a reduction in force, districts may follow
their local contract language for filling positions.