Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to allow an individual who has received a short-term approval license under the Illinois Administrative Code to extend the validity of the short-term approval license beyond the expiration date if the individual has taken leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. Requires the State Board of Education to allow an extension beyond the expiration date equal to or greater than the number of days the individual took for leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.
Senate Committee Amendment No. 1: Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may develop, by rules, a credential valid for an individual to serve as an educator in a specific education area or grade range for a temporary period of time and upon meeting the conditions set forth in those rules, to be known as a Short-Term Approval. Provides that a Short-Term Approval may be issued on an existing educator license or may stand alone, as applicable to the particular Short-Term Approval. Requires a Short-Term Approval to have an expiration date without the ability to renew. Provides that before the expiration of an educator's Short-Term Approval, the educator must obtain a license or endorsement in the same specific education area or grade range as the Short-Term Approval, and if the educator does not obtain the required license or endorsement in the specific education area or grade range and the Short-Term Approval expires, the educator is not eligible to continue serving as an educator in the specific education area or grade range. Provides that the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may consider extending the expiration date of the educator's Short-Term Approval if the educator can demonstrate that a serious health condition inhibited the educator's ability to timely apply for and receive the license or endorsement for the specific education area or grade range for which the Short-Term Approval was issued. Allows an educator to receive only one extension for each Short-Term Approval for no more than one year.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 105 ILCS 5/21
Engrossed: 105 ILCS 5/21