House Sponsors: LOPEZ-ACEVEDO. Senate Sponsors: BURZYNSKI-MOLARO-MUNOZ Short description: SCH CD-TRANSITION BILINGUAL ED Synopsis of Bill as introduced: Amends the Transitional Bilingual Education Article of the School Code. Beginning July 1, 2003, requires the State Board of Education to implement a test or tests to assess the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of applicants for a certificate in the English language and in the language of the transitional bilingual education program requested by the applicant. Effective immediately. FISCAL NOTE (State Board of Education) A $44 test fee for 1,300 applicants would generate $57,200. A commercial test costs $65 per test. Development of new tests would cost $1,000,000 over 2 to 3 years. STATE MANDATES NOTE (State Board of Education) Same as SBE fiscal note. HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 1. Provides that the implementation of the assessment test shall begin on July 1, 2001 instead of July 1, 2003. FISCAL NOTE, H-AM 1 (State Board of Education) The State Bd. of Ed. provides approximately $60,000 to support the bilingual language-testing program. The fees charged appli- cants would not offset the developmental costs for new tests. If the agency were to develop a new assessment, it would have to budget for these costs in future budget requests. Last action on Bill: PUBLIC ACT.............................. 91-0370 Last action date: 99-07-30 Location: House Amendments to Bill: AMENDMENTS ADOPTED: HOUSE - 1 SENATE - 0 END OF INQUIRY Full Text Bill Status