Senate Sponsors: WATSON. House Sponsors: BLACK Short description: SCH CD-HEARING OFFICERS Synopsis of Bill as introduced: Amends the School Code. Provides that a person must have a minimum of 5 years of experience in cases involving labor and employment relations between educational employers and educational employees or their collective bargaining representatives in order to be included on State Board of Education lists for service as a prospective hearing officer in proceedings for the removal or dismissal for cause of downstate teachers. Revises the procedure under which hearing officers may be selected in such proceedings, providing for a second list and for an alternative selection procedure. Eliminates the $300 maximum per diem for a hearing officer and also eliminates a requirement that the hearing be public if either the teacher or school board request. Requires a hearing officer to make a decision within 30 days from the conclusion of the hearing, and adds provisions relative to removal of a hearing officer from the master list of hearing officers and for rehearing of a case if a hearing officer fails to render a timely decision. Effective immediately. SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1. Changes the 5 year experience requirement for hearing officers from experience "in cases involving" certain labor and employment relations matters to experience "directly related to" those matters. Deletes a proposal to eliminate the requirement of a written warning before setting a hearing on charges if the teacher's conduct is crimi- nal or injures or endangers the health and safety of students. Extends until 30 days from the closure of the record (if that is later than 30 days after the conclusion of the hearing) the time by which a hearing officer is to make a decision, and changes from not "less" than 24 months to not "more" than 24 months the period for which a hearing officer, who without good cause fails to make a decision within the applicable 30 days period, may have his or her name stricken from the list of hearing officers. Provides that the failure of a hearing officer to render a decision within a specified 3 month period must be without good cause in order for the State Board of Education to be required to provide the parties with a new list of prospective hearing officers and in order for the name of the hearing officer to be removed from the master list of hearing officers. Provides that the changes made by the amendatory Act apply to hearings requested after its effective date. FISCAL NOTE (State Bd. of Ed.) Estimated FY98 budget would need to be at least $385,000 if the cap is lifted. STATE MANDATES FISCAL NOTE (SBE) No change from SBE fiscal note. FISCAL NOTE, REVISED (State Bd. of Ed.) No change from previous fiscal note. STATE MANDATES FISCAL NOTE, REVISED (State Bd. of Ed.) No change from previous State mandates note. Last action on Bill: PUBLIC ACT.............................. 90-0224 Last action date: 97-07-25 Location: Senate Amendments to Bill: AMENDMENTS ADOPTED: HOUSE - 0 SENATE - 1 END OF INQUIRY Full Text Bill Status