CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker today signed HB 40 and HB 2748 into law, expanding equity and fairness for special needs students.
The laws will allow special education students to continue attending school through the end of the school year in which they turn 22.
They also will allow special needs students who recently turned 22 and were impacted by COVID-19 to remain eligible for educational services up to the end of the regular 2021-22 school year.
“I strongly believe that a core principle of governance is ensuring that our laws are kind to the people they are meant to serve,” said Pritzker. “And there’s nothing kind about taking a student with disabilities out of the classroom on October 16th, or January 5th, or April 19th, just because they turned another day older.”
Under prior law, special educations students aged out of eligibility on the day they turn 22. The legislation will allow students with disabilities to finish the school year.
State Senator Dave Koehler offered his thoughts on the new laws.
“Students all across Illinois have faced significant challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially special education students who may be left unable to finish their school year,” said Assistant Senator Majority Leader Dave Koehler (D-Peoria). “Students of all ages and abilities deserve the same opportunities when it comes to their education, and I am glad to see this legislation become law.”
HB 2748 will allow special education students to remain eligible for services up to the end of the regular 2021-2022 school year if a student reached the age of 22 during the time in which the student’s in-person instruction, services, or activities were suspended for a period of 3 months or more during the school year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both pieces of legislation are effective immediately.
