Cell-phone ban, loosening foreign language requirements among education bills to pass

Gov. JB Pritzker says he intends to sign legislation imposing a statewide ban on cell phones and other wireless communication devices during instructional time in public schools and charter schools.

Although many districts in Illinois have already adopted more stringent bans of their own, Senate Bill 2427 would require all school boards to adopt policies that at least meet a minimum standard, beginning in the upcoming 2026-2027 school year.

That includes prohibiting students from using wireless devices during the regular school day, including instructional time, recess, lunch and time passing between classes. But it does not include before- and after-school activities or off-campus learning activities.

The bill provides a variety of exceptions to the ban such as when their use is needed for the student’s health management, for special education purposes or because the student is also a caregiver for a family member.

Wireless communication devices are defined as any portable wireless device that can provide voice, messaging or other data communication between two or more parties. That includes cell phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, gaming devices and wearable devices such as smart watches.

“Every parent and educator knows the damage that unchecked screen time and social media can do to our children and how disruptive they can be in school,” Pritzker said in a statement. “The bipartisan support for this effort reflects the urgency educators and families across Illinois feel.”

The bill prohibits schools from using fines, fees or law enforcement officers to enforce the ban.

The bill passed the House in April, 102-3. The Senate concurred in the House version of the bill Sunday, 55-2.

Foreign language requirement

Students entering high school in 2028 will not necessarily have to complete two years of foreign language as a condition of graduating, under another bill headed to Pritzker’s desk. Instead, they’ll have the option of taking a foreign language or an approved career and technical education course.

Senate Bill 3070 was one of at least two bills lawmakers considered in the final days of the legislative session that would amend the foreign language requirement that lawmakers approved in 2021. It is scheduled to take effect for students entering ninth grade in the 2028-2029 school year.

Another proposal, a Senate amendment to House Bill 4795, would have canceled the foreign language requirement entirely. It passed the Senate unanimously on Saturday but was not taken up in the House.

In debate over both bills, supporters said they supported the concept of emphasizing foreign languages as part of the high school curriculum. But they conceded there simply aren’t enough foreign language teachers available in Illinois to make the classes available to every student in every high school.

“What we’re finding is that teacher shortage is still a big challenge in our state and we do not have enough foreign language teachers, and we want to put more effort in workforce development while we’re building that pool,” Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford, D-Westchester, said on the Senate floor.

SB 3070 passed the Senate Tuesday, May 28, by a vote of 58-0. It passed the House Sunday, May 31, on a vote of 117-0 with four members voting “present.”

Childcare licensing

A bill that paves the way for the new Department of Early Childhood to take over the licensing and regulation of childcare facilities cleared the Senate Saturday and will soon be considered by the House.

The bill has been the subject of intense debate and negotiation since the session began. It’s considered must-pass legislation because the authority already scheduled under current law to transfer to the new agency on July 1. The new bill spells out many of the rules for how the agency is to carry out that authority.

For example, under the bill, the term “day care,” as it relates to the care of children, will be changed in all statutes to “early care and education.” It also changes the word “facility” to “provider.”

House Bill 3595 sets out standards for the types of providers that have to be licensed in order to operate. It also defines the types of smaller providers that are exempt from licensing requirement but which still must register with the state as “recognized alternative providers” whose employees still must undergo background checks.

It also spells out the types of programs that are exempt from any licensing or registration requirements, such as in-home providers who serve three or fewer children, school-based extracurricular programs, activities sponsored by park districts and providers that are attached to retail shopping facilities, health spas or churches that provide care for only a few hours a day while the parent remains on the premises.

The bill passed the Senate on Saturday 50-7, and the House 80-33 on Sunday.

In-state tuition expansion

More students could qualify for in-state tuition at Illinois colleges and universities under a bill that will soon be sent to Gov. JB Pritzker.

House Bill 5093 would loosen one of the requirements for paying in-state tuition by making it available to students who attended Illinois high schools for at least three years, even if they established residency outside the state before enrolling.

If approved by Pritzker, the bill would take effect immediately.

The bill marks the latest in a series of measures Illinois has enacted in recent years aimed at making higher education more affordable for Illinois residents and more attractive to nonresidents.

Nationwide, many states, including Illinois, have allowed their institutions to enter reciprocal agreements with neighboring states to offer either in-state or discounted out-of-state tuition. Illinois is also one of several states that offers in-state tuition to noncitizens who are residents of the state and graduate from local high schools, regardless of their legal status as immigrants.

In recent months, however, the Trump administration has begun suing states over such policies as part of its immigration enforcement crackdown.

During debate on the bill, Republicans in both chambers tried to renew arguments against offering in-state tuition to noncitizens. But supporters of the bill noted that none of the public colleges or universities in Illinois had expressed opposition.

“It isn’t just one group who would benefit from this measure,” Sen. Celina Viallanueva, D-Chicago, the bill’s chief Senate sponsor, said in a statement. “DACA, low-income, first generation, minority and transgender students would no longer have to worry about facing higher tuition costs just for moving away before enrolling in college — a choice that youth rarely get a say in.”

The bill passed the Senate on Saturday, 38-19. It passed the House Sunday, 70-40.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.