Bill Text: IL SB0097 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning Substitute Teaching Licenses, requires an applicant who is enrolled in an approved educator preparation program to have either earned at least 75 credit hours or completed 3 semesters in an educator preparation program (rather than requiring the applicant to have earned at least 90 credit hours). Provides that a school district may not require an individual who retired within the last 5 years while holding a valid Professional Educator License or Educator License with Stipulations to seek or hold a Substitute Teaching License to teach as a substitute teacher if substitute teaching for no more than one year. Provides that a retired educator may not be charged an application fee for a Substitute Teaching License if certain conditions are met.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-17 - Referred to Assignments [SB0097 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-SB0097-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB0097 Introduced 1/17/2025, by Sen. Sally J. Turner SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/21B-20
105 ILCS 5/21B-40
Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning Substitute Teaching Licenses, requires an applicant who is enrolled in an approved educator preparation program to have either earned at least 75 credit hours or completed 3 semesters in an educator preparation program (rather than requiring the applicant to have earned at least 90 credit hours). Provides that a school district may not require an individual who retired within the last 5 years while holding a valid Professional Educator License or Educator License with Stipulations to seek or hold a Substitute Teaching License to teach as a substitute teacher if substitute teaching for no more than one year. Provides that a retired educator may not be charged an application fee for a Substitute Teaching License if certain conditions are met.
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A BILL FOR
SB0097 LRB104 04026 LNS 14050 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
21B-20 and 21B-40 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/21B-20)
Sec. 21B-20. Types of licenses. The State Board of
Education shall implement a system of educator licensure,
whereby individuals employed in school districts who are
required to be licensed must have one of the following
licenses: (i) a professional educator license; (ii) an
educator license with stipulations; (iii) a substitute
teaching license; or (iv) until June 30, 2028, a short-term
substitute teaching license. References in law regarding
individuals certified or certificated or required to be
certified or certificated under Article 21 of this Code shall
also include individuals licensed or required to be licensed
under this Article. The first year of all licenses ends on June
30 following one full year of the license being issued.
The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such
rules as may be necessary to govern the requirements for
licenses and endorsements under this Section.

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(1) Professional Educator License. Persons who (i)
have successfully completed an approved educator
preparation program and are recommended for licensure by
the Illinois institution offering the educator preparation
program, (ii) have successfully completed the required
testing under Section 21B-30 of this Code, (iii) have
successfully completed coursework on the psychology of,
the identification of, and the methods of instruction for
the exceptional child, including, without limitation,
children with learning disabilities, (iv) have
successfully completed coursework in methods of reading
and reading in the content area, and (v) have met all other
criteria established by rule of the State Board of
Education shall be issued a Professional Educator License.
All Professional Educator Licenses are valid until June 30
immediately following 5 years of the license being issued.
The Professional Educator License shall be endorsed with
specific areas and grade levels in which the individual is
eligible to practice. For an early childhood education
endorsement, an individual may satisfy the student
teaching requirement of his or her early childhood teacher
preparation program through placement in a setting with
children from birth through grade 2, and the individual
may be paid and receive credit while student teaching. The
student teaching experience must meet the requirements of
and be approved by the individual's early childhood

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teacher preparation program.
Individuals can receive subsequent endorsements on the
Professional Educator License. Subsequent endorsements
shall require a minimum of 24 semester hours of coursework
in the endorsement area and passage of the applicable
content area test, unless otherwise specified by rule.
(2) Educator License with Stipulations. An Educator
License with Stipulations shall be issued an endorsement
that limits the license holder to one particular position
or does not require completion of an approved educator
program or both.
An individual with an Educator License with
Stipulations must not be employed by a school district or
any other entity to replace any presently employed teacher
who otherwise would not be replaced for any reason.
An Educator License with Stipulations may be issued
with the following endorsements:
(A) (Blank).
(B) Alternative provisional educator. An
alternative provisional educator endorsement on an
Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an
applicant who, at the time of applying for the
endorsement, has done all of the following:
(i) Graduated from a regionally accredited
college or university with a minimum of a
bachelor's degree.

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(ii) Successfully completed the first phase of
the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for
Teachers, as described in Section 21B-50 of this
Code.
(iii) Passed a content area test, as required
under Section 21B-30 of this Code.
The alternative provisional educator endorsement is
valid for 2 years of teaching and may be renewed for a
third year by an individual meeting the requirements set
forth in Section 21B-50 of this Code.
(C) Alternative provisional superintendent. An
alternative provisional superintendent endorsement on
an Educator License with Stipulations entitles the
holder to serve only as a superintendent or assistant
superintendent in a school district's central office.
This endorsement may only be issued to an applicant
who, at the time of applying for the endorsement, has
done all of the following:
(i) Graduated from a regionally accredited
college or university with a minimum of a master's
degree in a management field other than education.
(ii) Been employed for a period of at least 5
years in a management level position in a field
other than education.
(iii) Successfully completed the first phase
of an alternative route to superintendent

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endorsement program, as provided in Section 21B-55
of this Code.
(iv) Passed a content area test required under
Section 21B-30 of this Code.
The endorsement is valid for 2 fiscal years in
order to complete one full year of serving as a
superintendent or assistant superintendent.
(D) (Blank).
(E) Career and technical educator. A career and
technical educator endorsement on an Educator License
with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who
has a minimum of 60 semester hours of coursework from a
regionally accredited institution of higher education
or an accredited trade and technical institution and
has a minimum of 2,000 hours of experience outside of
education in each area to be taught.
The career and technical educator endorsement on
an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until
June 30 immediately following 5 years of the
endorsement being issued and may be renewed.
An individual who holds a valid career and
technical educator endorsement on an Educator License
with Stipulations but does not hold a bachelor's
degree may substitute teach in career and technical
education classrooms.
An individual who holds a valid career and

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technical educator endorsement on an Educator License
with Stipulations is entitled to all of the rights and
privileges granted to a holder of a Professional
Educator License.
(F) (Blank).
(G) Transitional bilingual educator. A
transitional bilingual educator endorsement on an
Educator License with Stipulations may be issued for
the purpose of providing instruction in accordance
with Article 14C of this Code to an applicant who
provides satisfactory evidence that he or she meets
all of the following requirements:
(i) Possesses adequate speaking, reading, and
writing ability in the language other than English
in which transitional bilingual education is
offered.
(ii) Has the ability to successfully
communicate in English.
(iii) Either possessed, within 5 years
previous to his or her applying for a transitional
bilingual educator endorsement, a valid and
comparable teaching certificate or comparable
authorization issued by a foreign country or holds
a degree from an institution of higher learning in
a foreign country that the State Educator
Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be

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the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a
regionally accredited institution of higher
learning in the United States.
A transitional bilingual educator endorsement
shall be valid for prekindergarten through grade 12,
is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years
of the endorsement being issued, and shall not be
renewed.
Persons holding a transitional bilingual educator
endorsement shall not be employed to replace any
presently employed teacher who otherwise would not be
replaced for any reason.
(H) Language endorsement. In an effort to
alleviate the shortage of teachers speaking a language
other than English in the public schools, an
individual who holds an Educator License with
Stipulations may also apply for a language
endorsement, provided that the applicant provides
satisfactory evidence that he or she meets all of the
following requirements:
(i) Holds a transitional bilingual
endorsement.
(ii) Has demonstrated proficiency in the
language for which the endorsement is to be issued
by passing the applicable language content test
required by the State Board of Education.

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(iii) Holds a bachelor's degree or higher from
a regionally accredited institution of higher
education or, for individuals educated in a
country other than the United States, holds a
degree from an institution of higher learning in a
foreign country that the State Educator
Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be
the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a
regionally accredited institution of higher
learning in the United States.
(iv) (Blank).
A language endorsement on an Educator License with
Stipulations is valid for prekindergarten through
grade 12 for the same validity period as the
individual's transitional bilingual educator
endorsement on the Educator License with Stipulations
and shall not be renewed.
(I) Visiting international educator. A visiting
international educator endorsement on an Educator
License with Stipulations may be issued to an
individual who is being recruited by a particular
school district that conducts formal recruitment
programs outside of the United States to secure the
services of qualified teachers and who meets all of
the following requirements:
(i) Holds the equivalent of a minimum of a

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bachelor's degree issued in the United States.
(ii) Has been prepared as a teacher at the
grade level for which he or she will be employed.
(iii) Has adequate content knowledge in the
subject to be taught.
(iv) Has an adequate command of the English
language.
A holder of a visiting international educator
endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations
shall be permitted to teach in bilingual education
programs in the language that was the medium of
instruction in his or her teacher preparation program,
provided that he or she passes the English Language
Proficiency Examination or another test of writing
skills in English identified by the State Board of
Education, in consultation with the State Educator
Preparation and Licensure Board.
A visiting international educator endorsement on
an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for 5
years and shall not be renewed.
(J) Paraprofessional educator. A paraprofessional
educator endorsement on an Educator License with
Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who holds a
high school diploma or its recognized equivalent and
(i) holds an associate's degree or a minimum of 60
semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited

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institution of higher education; (ii) has passed a
paraprofessional competency test under subsection
(c-5) of Section 21B-30; or (iii) is at least 18 years
of age and will be using the Educator License with
Stipulations exclusively for grades prekindergarten
through grade 8, until the individual reaches the age
of 19 years and otherwise meets the criteria for a
paraprofessional educator endorsement pursuant to this
subparagraph (J). The paraprofessional educator
endorsement is valid until June 30 immediately
following 5 years of the endorsement being issued and
may be renewed through application and payment of the
appropriate fee, as required under Section 21B-40 of
this Code. An individual who holds only a
paraprofessional educator endorsement is not subject
to additional requirements in order to renew the
endorsement.
(K) Chief school business official. A chief school
business official endorsement on an Educator License
with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who
qualifies by having a master's degree or higher, 2
years of full-time administrative experience in school
business management or 2 years of university-approved
practical experience, and a minimum of 24 semester
hours of graduate credit in a program approved by the
State Board of Education for the preparation of school

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business administrators and by passage of the
applicable State tests, including an applicable
content area test.
The chief school business official endorsement may
also be affixed to the Educator License with
Stipulations of any holder who qualifies by having a
master's degree in business administration, finance,
accounting, or public administration and who completes
an additional 6 semester hours of internship in school
business management from a regionally accredited
institution of higher education and passes the
applicable State tests, including an applicable
content area test. This endorsement shall be required
for any individual employed as a chief school business
official.
The chief school business official endorsement on
an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until
June 30 immediately following 5 years of the
endorsement being issued and may be renewed if the
license holder completes renewal requirements as
required for individuals who hold a Professional
Educator License endorsed for chief school business
official under Section 21B-45 of this Code and such
rules as may be adopted by the State Board of
Education.
The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules

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necessary to implement Public Act 100-288.
(L) Provisional in-state educator. A provisional
in-state educator endorsement on an Educator License
with Stipulations may be issued to a candidate who has
completed an Illinois-approved educator preparation
program at an Illinois institution of higher education
and who has not successfully completed an
evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness but
who meets all of the following requirements:
(i) Holds at least a bachelor's degree.
(ii) Has completed an approved educator
preparation program at an Illinois institution.
(iii) Has passed an applicable content area
test, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code.
(iv) Has attempted an evidence-based
assessment of teacher effectiveness and received a
minimum score on that assessment, as established
by the State Board of Education in consultation
with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
Board.
A provisional in-state educator endorsement on an
Educator License with Stipulations is valid for one
full fiscal year after the date of issuance and may not
be renewed.
(M) (Blank).
(N) Specialized services. A specialized services

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endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations
may be issued as defined and specified by rule.
(O) Provisional career and technical educator. A
provisional career and technical educator endorsement
on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued
to an applicant who has a minimum of 8,000 hours of
work experience in the skill for which the applicant
is seeking the endorsement. Each employing school
board and regional office of education shall provide
verification, in writing, to the State Superintendent
of Education at the time the application is submitted
that no qualified teacher holding a Professional
Educator License or an Educator License with
Stipulations with a career and technical educator
endorsement is available to teach and that actual
circumstances require such issuance.
A provisional career and technical educator
endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations
is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years
of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed.
An individual who holds a provisional career and
technical educator endorsement on an Educator License
with Stipulations may teach as a substitute teacher in
career and technical education classrooms.
An individual who holds a provisional career and
technical educator endorsement on an Educator License

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with Stipulations is entitled to all of the rights and
privileges granted to a holder of a Professional
Educator License.
(3) Substitute Teaching License. A Substitute Teaching
License may be issued to qualified applicants for
substitute teaching in all grades of the public schools,
prekindergarten through grade 12. Substitute Teaching
Licenses are not eligible for endorsements. Applicants for
a Substitute Teaching License must hold a bachelor's
degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution
of higher education or must be enrolled in an approved
educator preparation program in this State and have either
earned at least 75 90 credit hours or completed 3
semesters in an educator preparation program.
Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for 5 years.
Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for substitute
teaching in every county of this State. If an individual
has had his or her Professional Educator License or
Educator License with Stipulations suspended or revoked,
then that individual is not eligible to obtain a
Substitute Teaching License.
A substitute teacher may only teach in the place of a
licensed teacher who is under contract with the employing
board. If, however, there is no licensed teacher under
contract because of an emergency situation, then a
district may employ a substitute teacher for no longer

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than 30 calendar days per each vacant position in the
district if the district notifies the appropriate regional
office of education within 5 business days after the
employment of the substitute teacher in that vacant
position. A district may continue to employ that same
substitute teacher in that same vacant position for 90
calendar days or until the end of the semester, whichever
is greater, if, prior to the expiration of the
30-calendar-day period then current, the district files a
written request with the appropriate regional office of
education for a 30-calendar-day extension on the basis
that the position remains vacant and the district
continues to actively seek qualified candidates and
provides documentation that it has provided training
specific to the position, including training on meeting
the needs of students with disabilities and English
learners if applicable. Each extension request shall be
granted in writing by the regional office of education. An
emergency situation is one in which an unforeseen vacancy
has occurred and (i) a teacher is unexpectedly unable to
fulfill his or her contractual duties or (ii) teacher
capacity needs of the district exceed previous indications
or vacancies are unfilled due to a lack of qualified
candidates, and the district is actively engaged in
advertising to hire a fully licensed teacher for the
vacant position.

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There is no limit on the number of days that a
substitute teacher may teach in a single school district,
provided that no substitute teacher may teach for longer
than 120 days beginning with the 2021-2022 school year
through the 2022-2023 school year, otherwise 90 school
days for any one licensed teacher under contract in the
same school year. A substitute teacher who holds a
Professional Educator License or Educator License with
Stipulations shall not teach for more than 120 school days
for any one licensed teacher under contract in the same
school year. The limitations in this paragraph (3) on the
number of days a substitute teacher may be employed do not
apply to any school district operating under Article 34 of
this Code.
A school district may not require an individual who
holds a valid Professional Educator License or Educator
License with Stipulations to seek or hold a Substitute
Teaching License to teach as a substitute teacher. A
school district may not require an individual who retired
within the last 5 years while holding a valid Professional
Educator License or Educator License with Stipulations to
seek or hold a Substitute Teaching License to teach as a
substitute teacher if substitute teaching for no more than
one year.
(4) Short-Term Substitute Teaching License. Beginning
on July 1, 2018 and until June 30, 2028, applicants may

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apply to the State Board of Education for issuance of a
Short-Term Substitute Teaching License. A Short-Term
Substitute Teaching License may be issued to a qualified
applicant for substitute teaching in all grades of the
public schools, prekindergarten through grade 12.
Short-Term Substitute Teaching Licenses are not eligible
for endorsements. Applicants for a Short-Term Substitute
Teaching License must hold an associate's degree or have
completed at least 60 credit hours from a regionally
accredited institution of higher education.
Short-Term Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for
substitute teaching in every county of this State. If an
individual has had his or her Professional Educator
License or Educator License with Stipulations suspended or
revoked, then that individual is not eligible to obtain a
Short-Term Substitute Teaching License.
The provisions of Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this
Code apply to short-term substitute teachers.
An individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching
License may teach no more than 15 consecutive days per
licensed teacher who is under contract. For teacher
absences lasting 6 or more days per licensed teacher who
is under contract, a school district may not hire an
individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching
License, unless the Governor has declared a disaster due
to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the

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Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. An individual
holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License must
complete the training program under Section 10-20.67 or
34-18.60 of this Code to be eligible to teach at a public
school. Short-Term Substitute Teaching Licenses under this
Section are valid for 5 years.
(Source: P.A. 102-711, eff. 1-1-23; 102-712, eff. 4-27-22;
102-713, eff. 1-1-23; 102-717, eff. 4-29-22; 102-894, eff.
5-20-22; 103-111, eff. 6-29-23; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23;
103-193, eff. 1-1-24; 103-564, eff. 11-17-23; 103-617, eff.
7-1-24.)
(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. However, a retired educator may not be charged an
application fee for a Substitute Teaching License if the
applicant (i) retired while holding a valid Professional
Educator License or Educator License with Stipulations,
(ii) retired no more than 5 years before applying for the
Substitute Teaching License, and (iii) received a

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performance rating of "excellent" or "proficient" under
Article 24A on the last evaluation received before
retirement. 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.

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(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

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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

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