Bill Text: IL HB4924 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning the nominating petitions for school board candidates, provides that the name change requirements do not apply to name changes resulting from a civil union to assume a spouse's surname or dissolution of a civil union or declaration of invalidity of a civil union to assume a former surname or a name change that conforms the candidate's name to the candidate's gender identity. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-03-06 - Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy [HB4924 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB4924-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4924 Introduced , by Rep. Ann M. Williams SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/9-10 from Ch. 122, par. 9-10
105 ILCS 5/34-4.1
Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning the nominating petitions for school board candidates, provides that the name change requirements do not apply to name changes resulting from a civil union to assume a spouse's surname or dissolution of a civil union or declaration of invalidity of a civil union to assume a former surname or a name change that conforms the candidate's name to the candidate's gender identity. Effective immediately.
LRB103 38188 RJT 68321 b
A BILL FOR
HB4924 LRB103 38188 RJT 68321 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 Sections
9-10 and 34-4.1 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/9-10) (from Ch. 122, par. 9-10)
Sec. 9-10. Candidates for office - nominating petitions.
Candidates for the office of school director shall be
nominated by petition signed by at least 25 voters or 5% of the
voters, whichever is less, residing within the district and
filed with the county clerk or the county board of election
commissioners, as the case may be, of the county in which the
principal office of the school district is located.
Nominations for members of boards of education, including
non-high school boards of education shall be made by a
petition signed by at least 50 voters or 10% of the voters,
whichever is less, residing within the district and shall be
filed with the county clerk or the county board of election
commissioners, as the case may be, of the county in which the
principal office of the school district is located. In
addition to the requirements of the general election law, the
form of such petitions shall be substantially as follows:
NOMINATING PETITIONS

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(LEAVE OUT THE INAPPLICABLE PART.)
To the (County Clerk or County Board of Election
Commissioners) .... of .... County:
We the undersigned, being (.... or more) (or 10% or more)
(or 5% or more) of the voters residing within said district,
hereby petition that .... who resides at .... in the (city or
village) of .... in Township .... (or who resides outside any
city, village or incorporated town and in Township ....) in
said district shall be a candidate for the office of .... of
the board of education (or board of directors) (full term)
(vacancy) to be voted for at the election to be held on (insert
date).
Name: .................. Address: ...................
In the designation of the name of a candidate on a petition
for nomination, the candidate's given name or names, initial
or initials, a nickname by which the candidate is commonly
known, or a combination thereof may be used in addition to the
candidate's surname. If a candidate has changed his or her
name, whether by a statutory or common law procedure in
Illinois or any other jurisdiction, within 3 years before the
last day for filing the petition, then (i) the candidate's
name on the petition must be followed by "formerly known as
(list all prior names during the 3-year period) until name
changed on (list date of each such name change)" and (ii) the
petition must be accompanied by the candidate's affidavit

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stating the candidate's previous names during the period
specified in clause (i) and the date or dates each of those
names was changed; failure to meet these requirements shall be
grounds for denying certification of the candidate's name for
the ballot, but these requirements do not apply to name
changes resulting from adoption to assume an adoptive parent's
or parents' surname, marriage or civil union to assume a
spouse's surname, or dissolution of marriage or civil union or
declaration of invalidity of marriage or civil union to assume
a former surname or a name change that conforms the
candidate's name to the candidate's gender identity. No other
designation, such as a political slogan, as defined by Section
7-17 of the Election Code, title or degree, or nickname
suggesting or implying possession of a title, degree or
professional status, or similar information may be used in
connection with the candidate's surname.
Nomination papers filed under this Section are not valid
unless the candidate named therein files with the county clerk
or the county board of election commissioners, as the case may
be, of the county in which the principal office of the school
district is located a receipt from the county clerk showing
that the candidate has filed a statement of economic interests
as required by the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Such
receipt shall be so filed either previously during the
calendar year in which his nomination papers were filed or
within the period for the filing of nomination papers in

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accordance with the general election law.
All petitions for the nomination of members of a board of
education shall be filed with the county clerk or the county
board of election commissioners, as the case may be, of the
county in which the principal office of the school district is
located within the time provided for by the general election
law. The county clerk or the county board of election
commissioners may have petition forms available for issuance
to potential candidates, and may give notice of the petition
filing period by publication in a newspaper of general
circulation within the school district not less than 10 days
prior to the first day of filing. The county clerk or the
county board of election commissioners shall make
certification to the proper election authorities in accordance
with the general election law.
The county clerk or the county board of election
commissioners, as the case may be, of the county in which the
principal office of the school district is located shall
notify the candidates for whom a petition for nomination is
filed or the appropriate committee of the obligations under
the Campaign Financing Act as provided in the general election
law. Such notice shall be given on a form prescribed by the
State Board of Elections and in accordance with the
requirements of the general election law. The county clerk or
county board of election commissioners shall within 7 days of
filing or on the last day for filing, whichever is earlier,

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acknowledge to the petitioner in writing the office's
acceptance of the petition.
A candidate for membership on the board of education or
for office as a school director, who has petitioned for
nomination to fill a full term and to fill a vacant term to be
voted upon at the same election, must withdraw his or her
petition for nomination from either the full term or the
vacant term by written declaration.
In all newly organized districts the petition for the
nomination of candidates for members of the board of education
at the first election shall be addressed to and filed with the
regional superintendent of schools in the manner herein
specified for the petitions for members of a board of
education. For such election the regional superintendent shall
fulfill all duties otherwise assigned to the secretary of the
board of education.
(Source: P.A. 98-115, eff. 7-29-13; 99-522, eff. 6-30-16.)
(105 ILCS 5/34-4.1)
Sec. 34-4.1. Nomination petitions. In addition to the
requirements of the general election law, the form of
petitions under Section 34-4 of this Code shall be
substantially as follows:
NOMINATING PETITIONS
(LEAVE OUT THE INAPPLICABLE PART.)
To the Board of Election Commissioners for the City of

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Chicago:
We the undersigned, being (.... or more) of the voters
residing within said district, hereby petition that .... who
resides at .... in the City of Chicago shall be a candidate for
the office of .... of the board of education (full term)
(vacancy) to be voted for at the election to be held on (insert
date).
Name: .................. Address: ...................
In the designation of the name of a candidate on a petition
for nomination, the candidate's given name or names, initial
or initials, a nickname by which the candidate is commonly
known, or a combination thereof may be used in addition to the
candidate's surname. If a candidate has changed his or her
name, whether by a statutory or common law procedure in
Illinois or any other jurisdiction, within 3 years before the
last day for filing the petition, then (i) the candidate's
name on the petition must be followed by "formerly known as
(list all prior names during the 3-year period) until name
changed on (list date of each such name change)" and (ii) the
petition must be accompanied by the candidate's affidavit
stating the candidate's previous names during the period
specified in clause (i) and the date or dates each of those
names was changed; failure to meet these requirements shall be
grounds for denying certification of the candidate's name for
the ballot, but these requirements do not apply to name
changes resulting from adoption to assume an adoptive parent's

HB4924 - 7 - LRB103 38188 RJT 68321 b
or parents' surname, marriage or civil union to assume a
spouse's surname, or dissolution of marriage or civil union or
declaration of invalidity of marriage or civil union to assume
a former surname or a name change that conforms the
candidate's name to the candidate's gender identity. No other
designation, such as a political slogan, as defined by Section
7-17 of the Election Code, title or degree, or nickname
suggesting or implying possession of a title, degree or
professional status, or similar information may be used in
connection with the candidate's surname.
All petitions for the nomination of members of a board of
education shall be filed with the board of election
commissioners of the jurisdiction in which the principal
office of the school district is located. The board of
election commissioners shall receive and file only those
petitions that include a statement of candidacy, the required
number of voter signatures, the notarized signature of the
petition circulator, and a receipt from the county clerk
showing that the candidate has filed a statement of economic
interest on or before the last day to file as required by the
Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. The board of election
commissioners may have petition forms available for issuance
to potential candidates and may give notice of the petition
filing period by publication in a newspaper of general
circulation within the school district not less than 10 days
prior to the first day of filing. The board of election

HB4924 - 8 - LRB103 38188 RJT 68321 b
commissioners shall make certification to the proper election
authorities in accordance with the general election law.
The board of election commissioners of the jurisdiction in
which the principal office of the school district is located
shall notify the candidates for whom a petition for nomination
is filed or the appropriate committee of the obligations under
the Campaign Financing Act as provided in the general election
law. Such notice shall be given on a form prescribed by the
State Board of Elections and in accordance with the
requirements of the general election law. The board of
election commissioners shall within 7 days of filing or on the
last day for filing, whichever is earlier, acknowledge to the
petitioner in writing the office's acceptance of the petition.
A candidate for membership on the board of education who
has petitioned for nomination to fill a full term and to fill a
vacant term to be voted upon at the same election must withdraw
his or her petition for nomination from either the full term or
the vacant term by written declaration.
Nomination petitions are not valid unless the candidate
named therein files with the board of election commissioners a
receipt from the county clerk showing that the candidate has
filed a statement of economic interests as required by the
Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Such receipt shall be so
filed either previously during the calendar year in which his
or her nomination papers were filed or within the period for
the filing of nomination papers in accordance with the general

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election law.
(Source: P.A. 102-177, eff. 6-1-22; 102-691, eff. 12-17-21;
103-467, eff. 8-4-23.)