(105 ILCS 5/22-62)

Sec. 22-62. School Code Mandate Reduction Council.

(a) The School Code Mandate Reduction Council is created to evaluate and assess mandates in the School Code for the purposes of modifying, combining, or eliminating mandates that are outdated, duplicative, unnecessarily burdensome, or no longer necessary to providing an efficient system of high-quality public educational institutions and services. The Council may choose to focus on specific areas of mandates or specific articles and sections of the School Code as the Council sees fit for the purposes of mandate reduction.

(b) Before January 1, 2027, members of the Council shall include all of the following:

(1) Two members appointed by the President of the Senate.

(2) Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate.

(3) Two members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(4) Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

(5) Three representatives of a statewide professional teachers' organization appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.

(6) Three representatives of a different statewide professional teachers' organization appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.

(7) One representative of a teachers' association representing health, physical education, recreation, and dance teachers appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.

(8) One representative of a statewide organization representing school principals appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.

(9) One representative of a statewide organization representing school boards appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.

(10) One representative of a statewide organization representing regional superintendents of schools appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.

(11) One representative of a statewide organization representing school administrators appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.

(12) One representative of a statewide organization representing school business officials appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.

(13) One representative of a statewide organization representing administrators for special education appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.

(14) One representative of a statewide organization representing school districts in the southern suburbs of the City of Chicago appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.

(15) One representative of a statewide organization representing school districts in the collar counties of the City of Chicago appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.

(16) One representative of an organization representing large unit school districts appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.

(17) One representative of the State Board of Education appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.

(c) On and after January 1, 2027, members of the Council shall include all members listed in paragraphs (5) through (19) of subsection (b) of this Section along with the following members:

(1) One member appointed by the President of the Senate.

(2) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate.

(3) One member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(4) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

(d) Members of the Council shall serve without compensation.

(e) The State Board of Education shall provide administrative assistance and necessary staff support services.

(f) The State Superintendent of Education shall convene the Council for an initial meeting and shall select one member as chairperson at that initial meeting. The Council shall meet no less than 4 times between October 1, 2025 and September 1, 2026.

(g) No later than October 1, 2026, the Council shall file a report with the General Assembly. The report shall include all of the following:

(1) A list of mandates recommended to be eliminated from the School Code. The report shall include references to each appropriate statute that contains the mandates recommended to be eliminated.

(2) A list of mandates to be modified or combined with other mandates in the School Code and how these mandates should be modified or combined. The report shall include references to each appropriate statute that contains the mandates recommended to be modified or combined with other mandates.

(h) In any year after 2026, the State Superintendent of Education may convene the Council if the State Superintendent of Education deems appropriate. Any organization that had representation on the Council in the most recent year the Council met may request that the State Superintendent of Education once again convene the Council. To convene the Council, the State Superintendent of Education shall send notice to the General Assembly and all organizations listed in subsection (b) of this Section. The notice must reference this Section and state the date that representatives of each participating organization shall be chosen and the date for the initial meeting of the Council for that year. The State Superintendent of Education shall convene the Council for an initial meeting and shall select one member as chairperson at that initial meeting. If the State Superintendent of Education convenes the Council in any given year, then the Council must issue a report to the General Assembly consistent with the requirements of subsection (g) of this Section by October 1 after the Council's last meeting.

(Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)