House Bill 1216 Approved Unanimously with Amendments Today

By Jim Broadway, Publisher, State School News Service

Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia's bill to set up a commission on school consolidations was approved by a House committee unanimously this morning, but only after being amended to include representatives of public educator groups on the commission and protracting the period of the "study" of the subject.

Chapa LaVia, who chairs the House committee on PK-12 education, assured committee members that HB 1216 will not result in a set of recommendations that would automatically "become law" if accepted by the General Assembly.

That issue remains a bit ambiguous, even after the bill was amended today. Rep. Jerry Mitchell (R-Rock Falls) urged her to engage in a colloquy on the floor of the House when the bill is called on third reading, to clarify legislative intent in the record.

From an 18-member commission appointed by the legislative leaders and the governor, without any specific qualifications, the bill now requires members to be appointed from public education interests.

Both state teachers unions would be represented, as would the associations of school administrators, school boards, principals, school business officers, large unit districts, special educators. The Chicago Public Schools would be represented, and leaders of the legislature and ISBE would appoint members. The State Board would support the commission administratively and the members would serve without compensation until January of 2013. Instead of having to report its recommendations in just 60 days after the bill is signed into law, HB 1216 now has the commission voting on its report "on or before July 1, 2012." The legislature would have 14 days from the next time it convenes to accept or reject on the commission's report.

Unless a special legislative session were convened in the summer of 2012, that means the legislature could not take action before the fall veto session, in November or December of 2012.

Chapa Lavia said she expects the commission to hold a long series of public hearings throughout the state as a key part of its study. The goals remain the same - saving money, improving student learning, lowering property taxes, assessing the savings that the commission's advice would bring and giving "input to school districts on reorganization."

Again, she assured the committee that the report of the commission would not be a bill that legislators would have to vote up or down. The only reason the bill calls for a vote "to accept" the report is because "this is not a task force, it's a commission," she said.

Any bill based on the recommendations will have to be drafted, filed, heard in committee and moved through the normal legislative process, she  said.

The bill has similarities with 1324, which is in the Senate Executive Committee at this time. Today's action suggests the Chapa LaVia bill is the vehicle most likely to emerge from Gov. Pat Quinn's call for school consolidation, and that the governor now understands his goal will not be reached without the input and acceptance of affected interests.

House Bill 1216 Committee Amendment No. 1
Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the bill as introduced with the following changes: makes changes in the membership of the School District Realignment and Consolidation Commission; requires the report to be filed on or before July 1, 2012 (rather than 60 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act); and provides for repeal of the provisions on January 31, 2013 (rather than January 1, 2012). Effective immediately.

This amendment slows the bill process. It also improves the committee membership.
Ten new legislators signed on as sponsors of the bill today. 

See HB 1216 sponsors and status:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocTypeID=HB&DocNum=1216&GAID=11&SessionID=84&LegID=57174#actions