Public Act 102-0867
 
SB3915 EnrolledLRB102 25817 CMG 35157 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 Section 
21B-40 as follows:
 
    (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. 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. 
        (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 
    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 
Certificate Fee Revolving Fund is not subject to 
administrative charge transfers, authorized under Section 8h 
of the State Finance Act, from the Teacher Certificate Fee 
Revolving Fund into any other fund of this State, and moneys in 
the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund shall not revert 
back to the General Revenue Fund at any time.
    The regional superintendent of schools shall deposit the 
registration fees paid pursuant to subdivision (4) of 
subsection (a) of this Section into the institute fund 
established pursuant to Section 3-11 of this Code.
    (c)  The State Board of Education and each regional office 
of education are authorized to charge a service or convenience 
fee for the use of credit cards for the payment of license 
fees. This service or convenience fee shall not exceed the 
amount required by the credit card processing company or 
vendor that has entered into a contract with the State Board or 
regional office of education for this purpose, and the fee 
must be paid to that company or vendor.
    (d) If, at the time a certificate issued under Article 21 
of this Code is exchanged for a license issued under this 
Article, a person has paid registration fees for any years of 
the validity period of the certificate and these years have 
not expired when the certificate is exchanged, then those fees 
must be applied to the registration of the new license.

(Source: P.A. 100-550, eff. 11-8-17; 100-596, eff. 7-1-18; 
100-772, eff. 8-10-18; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-570, eff. 
8-23-19.)
 
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.