Illinois 102nd Regular Session Status: Passed Senate Bipartisan · 9 D · 1 R cosponsors

SB 3900 — RIGHT TO READ ACT

Last action — Session Sine Die

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 102nd Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Creates the Right to Read Act. Provides that the State Board of Education shall offer support: to each public school district to select evidence-based core reading instruction programs and implement them using structured literacy instruction; and to each early childhood, elementary, and special education teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, and administrator to complete evidence-based training in teaching reading. Requires the State Board of Education to annually compile and post on its website information on the steps it has undertaken to support school districts to deliver high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction, including a list of any Early Literacy Grant recipients, documentation of how the recipient allocated the funding to support improved literacy, and what evidence-based literacy curricula the recipient is utilizing. Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning educator testing, requires applicants seeking specified licenses to pass a test in reading foundations, which shall include assessment of the applicant's understanding of phonological and phonemic awareness, concepts of print and the alphabetic principle, the role of phonics in promoting reading development, word analysis skills and strategies, vocabulary development, application of reading comprehension skills and strategies, and methods for assessing reading development. In provisions concerning minimum requirements for educators trained in other states or countries, provides that an applicant who has successfully completed a reading foundations test of at least comparable rigor to the Illinois reading foundations test is not required to complete a reading foundations test. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/21B-20 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Makes changes to the General Assembly's findings. Makes changes concerning the support offered by the State Board of Education to a public school district to select evidence-based core reading instruction programs and implement them. Makes changes concerning the support offered by the State Board of Education to each early childhood, elementary, and special education teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, higher education faculty member, and administrator to complete evidence-based training in teaching reading, including creation of a tool that school districts and the public may use to evaluate professional development and training programs (instead of the creation of an advisory list of rigorous professional development programs). Further amends the School Code. Requires that, before October 1, 2023, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, review and, as needed, amend its professional licensure standards to align with the principles of evidence-based literacy instruction. Makes changes to the amendatory provisions concerning educator testing, including requiring that applicants seeking specified licenses pass a test in reading foundations after October 1, 2025. Makes changes concerning the minimum requirements for educators trained in other states or countries, including providing that applicants must complete coursework concerning evidence-based methods of reading that include explicit and repeated focus on phonemic awareness, a systematic approach to phonics (decoding), spelling instruction (encoding), vocabulary development, including morphology, reading fluency, oral language development, and reading comprehension, including syntax and background (content) knowledge. Effective immediately.

Bill Text

Amendments

1 amendment

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Action History

  1. Session Sine Die

  2. Pursuant to Senate Rule 3-9(b) / Referred to Assignments

  3. Rule 2-10 Third Reading Deadline Established As April 8, 2022

  4. Rule 2-10 Third Reading Deadline Established As March 25, 2022

  5. Rule 2-10 Third Reading Deadline Established As March 11, 2022

  6. Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Laura M. Murphy

  7. Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Christopher Belt

  8. Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Rachelle Crowe

  9. Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr.

  10. Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Terri Bryant

  11. Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Doris Turner

  12. Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Patricia Van Pelt

  13. Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter

  14. Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Adriane Johnson

  15. Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Darren Bailey

  16. Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading February 10, 2022

  17. Do Pass as Amended Education; 013-000-000

  18. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted

  19. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Assignments Refers to Education

  20. Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. John Connor

  21. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Assignments

  22. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford

  23. Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. David Koehler

  24. Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Laura Fine

  25. Assigned to Education

  26. Referred to Assignments

  27. First Reading

  28. Filed with Secretary by Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 13 co-sponsors · 169 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (13)

Not signed on (169)

169 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

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Subjects

education
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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 3900 do?
Creates the Right to Read Act. Provides that the State Board of Education shall offer support: to each public school district to select evidence-based core reading instruction programs and implement them using structured literacy instruction; and to each early childhood, elementary, and special education teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, and administrator to complete evidence-based training in teaching reading. Requires the State Board of Education to annually compile and post on its website information on the steps it has undertaken to support school districts to deliver high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction, including a list of any Early Literacy Grant recipients, documentation of how the recipient allocated the funding to support improved literacy, and what evidence-based literacy curricula the recipient is utilizing. Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning educator testing, requires applicants seeking specified licenses to pass a test in reading foundations, which shall include assessment of the applicant's understanding of phonological and phonemic awareness, concepts of print and the alphabetic principle, the role of phonics in promoting reading development, word analysis skills and strategies, vocabulary development, application of reading comprehension skills and strategies, and methods for assessing reading development. In provisions concerning minimum requirements for educators trained in other states or countries, provides that an applicant who has successfully completed a reading foundations test of at least comparable rigor to the Illinois reading foundations test is not required to complete a reading foundations test. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/21B-20 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Makes changes to the General Assembly's findings. Makes changes concerning the support offered by the State Board of Education to a public school district to select evidence-based core reading instruction programs and implement them. Makes changes concerning the support offered by the State Board of Education to each early childhood, elementary, and special education teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, higher education faculty member, and administrator to complete evidence-based training in teaching reading, including creation of a tool that school districts and the public may use to evaluate professional development and training programs (instead of the creation of an advisory list of rigorous professional development programs). Further amends the School Code. Requires that, before October 1, 2023, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, review and, as needed, amend its professional licensure standards to align with the principles of evidence-based literacy instruction. Makes changes to the amendatory provisions concerning educator testing, including requiring that applicants seeking specified licenses pass a test in reading foundations after October 1, 2025. Makes changes concerning the minimum requirements for educators trained in other states or countries, including providing that applicants must complete coursework concerning evidence-based methods of reading that include explicit and repeated focus on phonemic awareness, a systematic approach to phonics (decoding), spelling instruction (encoding), vocabulary development, including morphology, reading fluency, oral language development, and reading comprehension, including syntax and background (content) knowledge. Effective immediately.
Who sponsors SB 3900?
SB 3900 is sponsored by Kimberly A. Lightford (Democrat), Laura Fine (Democrat), John Connor, Christopher Belt (Democrat), David Koehler (Democrat), Darren Bailey, Adriane L. Johnson (Democrat), Mattie Hunter (Democrat), Doris Turner (Democrat), Terri Bryant (Republican), Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (Democrat), Rachelle Crowe, Laura M. Murphy (Democrat), and Van Pelt.
What is the current status of SB 3900?
This bill died with 102nd Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track SB 3900?
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