Public Act 099-0432

HB3197 Enrolled LRB099 09103 NHT 29296 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

2-3.163 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.163 new)

Sec. 2-3.163. Attendance Commission.

(a) The Attendance Commission is created within the State

Board of Education to study the issue of chronic absenteeism in

this State and make recommendations for strategies to prevent

chronic absenteeism. The Commission shall consist of all of the

following members:

(1) The Director of the Department of Children and

Family Services or his or her designee.

(2) The Chairperson of the State Board of Education or

his or her designee.

(3) The Chairperson of the Board of Higher Education or

his or her designee.

(4) The Secretary of the Department of Human Services

or his or her designee.

(5) The Director of the Department of Public Health or

his or her designee.

(6) The Chairperson of the Illinois Community College

Board or his or her designee.

(7) The Chairperson of the State Charter School

Commission or his or her designee.

(8) An individual that deals with children's

disabilities, impairments, and social emotional issues,

appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.

(9) One member from each of the following

organizations, appointed by the State Superintendent of

Education:

(A) A non-profit organization that advocates for

students in temporary living situations.

(B) An Illinois-focused, non-profit organization

that advocates for the well-being of all children and

families in this State.

(C) An Illinois non-profit, anti-crime

organization of law enforcement that researches and

recommends early learning and youth development

strategies to reduce crime.

(D) An Illinois non-profit organization that

conducts community-organizing around family issues.

(E) A statewide professional teachers'

organization.

(F) A different statewide professional teachers'

organization.

(G) A professional teachers' organization in a

city having a population exceeding 500,000.

(H) An association representing school

administrators.

(I) An association representing school board

members.

(J) An association representing school principals.

(K) An association representing regional

superintendents of schools.

(L) An association representing parents.

(M) An association representing high school

districts.

(N) An association representing large unit

districts.

(O) An organization that advocates for healthier

school environments in Illinois.

(P) An organization that advocates for the health

and safety of Illinois youth and families by providing

capacity building services.

(Q) A statewide association of local philanthropic

organizations that advocates for effective

educational, health, and human service policies to

improve this State's communities.

(R) A statewide organization that advocates for

partnerships among schools, families, and the

community that provide access to support and remove

barriers to learning and development, using schools as

hubs.

(S) An organization representing statewide

programs actively involved in truancy intervention.

Attendance Commission members shall serve without

compensation but shall be reimbursed for their travel expenses

from appropriations to the State Board of Education available

for that purpose and subject to the rules of the appropriate

travel control board.

(b) The Attendance Commission shall meet initially at the

call of the State Superintendent of Education. The members

shall elect a chairperson at their initial meeting. Thereafter,

the Attendance Commission shall meet at the call of the

chairperson. The Attendance Commission shall hold hearings on a

periodic basis to receive testimony from the public regarding

attendance.

(c) The Attendance Commission shall identify strategies,

mechanisms, and approaches to help parents, educators,

principals, superintendents, and the State Board of Education

address and prevent chronic absenteeism and shall recommend to

the General Assembly and State Board of Education:

(1) a standard for attendance and chronic absenteeism,

defining attendance as a calculation of standard clock

hours in a day that equal a full day based on instructional

minutes for both a half day and a full day per learning

environment;

(2) mechanisms to improve data systems to monitor and

track chronic absenteeism across this State in a way that

identifies trends from prekindergarten through grade 12

and allows the identification of students who need

individualized chronic absenteeism prevention plans;

(3) mechanisms for reporting and accountability for

schools and districts across this State, including

creating multiple measure indexes for reporting;

(4) best practices for utilizing attendance and

chronic absenteeism data to create multi-tiered systems of

support and prevention that will result in students being

ready for college and career; and

(5) new initiatives and responses to ongoing

challenges presented by chronic absenteeism.

(d) The State Board of Education shall provide

administrative support to the Commission. The Attendance

Commission shall submit an annual report to the General

Assembly and the State Board of Education no later than

December 15 of each year.

(e) The Attendance Commission is abolished and this Section

is repealed on December 16, 2020.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon

becoming law.