Public Act 100-0118
 
SB1991 EnrolledLRB100 11392 MLM 21801 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 
2-3.80c 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 
    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 
        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 
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 
    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.


Effective Date:  8/15/2017