Bill Text: IL SB1991 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Enrolled

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

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Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Provides that for an applicant seeking a professional educator license who is enrolled in a program of study in an area of career or technical education defined as an area of identified staff shortages, as defined in the Higher Education Student Assistance Act, or a career and technical educator endorsement on an educator license with stipulations, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall adopt a test of work proficiency.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-4)

Status: (Passed) 2017-08-15 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 100-0118 [SB1991 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-SB1991-Enrolled.html

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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
2-3.80c as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.80c new)
Sec. 2-3.80c. Agriculture Education Shortage Task Force.
(a) The General Assembly recognizes that agriculture is the
most basic and singularly important industry in the State, that
agriculture is of central importance to the welfare and
economic stability of the State, and that the maintenance of
this vital industry requires a continued source of trained and
qualified agriculture educators to train future generations of
agriculturalists.
In 2016, to respond to the ongoing teacher shortage in
agriculture education in Illinois, the General Assembly passed
Public Act 99-826, which deemed agriculture education as an
area of critical need in Illinois.
(b) There is created the Agriculture Education Shortage
Task Force consisting of the following members:
(1) one member of the Senate appointed by the President
of the Senate;
(2) one member of the Senate appointed by the Minority

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Leader of the Senate;
(3) one member of the House of Representatives
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(4) one member of the House of Representatives
appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives; and
(5) the following members, who shall be appointed by
the State Superintendent of Education within 30 days after
the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th
General Assembly:
(A) one representative of the State Board of
Education;
(B) one member representing a statewide
professional teachers' association appointed with the
advice of the Committee established under subsection
(d) of Section 2-3.80 of this Code;
(C) one member representing a different statewide
professional teachers' association appointed with the
advice of the Committee established under subsection
(d) of Section 2-3.80 of this Code;
(D) one member representing a different
professional teachers' association in a city having a
population of over 500,000 appointed with the advice of
the Committee established under subsection (d) of
Section 2-3.80 of this Code;
(E) one member who is a community college

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agriculture education teacher appointed with the
advice of the Committee established under subsection
(d) of Section 2-3.80 of this Code;
(F) one member who is a university agriculture
education teacher appointed with the advice of the
Committee established under subsection (d) of Section
2-3.80 of this Code;
(G) one member representing a statewide
association representing superintendents;
(H) one member representing a statewide
association representing principals;
(I) one member representing a statewide
association representing school board members;
(J) one representative of a school district in a
city having a population exceeding 500,000;
(K) one member representing an education advocacy
group that works with parents; and
(L) one representative of an education public
policy organization.
(c) The Agriculture Education Shortage Task Force shall
first meet at the call of the State Superintendent of Education
within 60 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act
of the 100th General Assembly, and following meetings shall be
at the call of the Chairperson, who shall be elected by a
majority of appointed members at the first meeting of the Task
Force. The State Board of Education shall provide

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administrative support for the Task Force.
(d) Members of the Task Force shall serve without
compensation, but may be reimbursed for travel and related
expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose.
(e) The Task Force shall meet at least 3 times and shall
review the following:
(1) the number of agriculture education teachers in
this State and the type of license held;
(2) the number of graduates who have graduated from an
approved agriculture education program of a public
university in this State in each of the past 4 years;
(3) the number of agriculture education position
openings at secondary education programs in this State in
each of the past 4 years; and
(4) licensure standards, including national licensure
standards, for the agricultural education endorsement on a
professional educator license or an educator license with
stipulations.
(f) The Task Force shall issue a report to the Governor and
the General Assembly, which must be approved by a majority vote
of appointed members and must include recommendations
regarding:
(1) recruitment and retention of agriculture education
teachers, including recommendations on funding for
existing incentive programs;
(2) participation in federal programs that may assist

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in the recruitment and retention of agriculture teachers;
and
(3) other subjects determined by the members of the
Task Force.
(g) The Task Force shall report its findings to the
Governor and General Assembly on or before January 1, 2019,
and, upon filing its report, the Task Force is dissolved.
(h) This Section is repealed on February 1, 2019.
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.