Bill Amendment: IL HB4535 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly

NOTE: For additional amemendments please see the Bill Drafting List

---

Bill Title: SCH CD-E-LEARNING DAY-ELECTION

Status: 2026-06-01 - Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter [HB4535 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB4535-House_Amendment_001.html

---

Rep. Maura Hirschauer

Filed: 3/3/2026

 

 

 

10400HB4535ham001 LRB104 17754 LNS 34900 a
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 4535
AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 4535 by replacing
everything after the enacting clause with the following:
"Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
10-20.56 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/10-20.56)
Sec. 10-20.56. E-learning days.
(a) The State Board of Education shall establish and
maintain, for implementation in school districts, a program
for use of electronic-learning (e-learning) days, as described
in this Section. School districts may utilize a program
approved under this Section for use during remote learning
days and blended remote learning days under Section 10-30 or
34-18.66.
(b) The school board of a school district may, by
resolution, adopt a research-based program or research-based

10400HB4535ham001 - 2 - LRB104 17754 LNS 34900 a
programs for e-learning days district-wide that shall permit
student instruction to be received electronically while
students are not physically present in lieu of the district's
scheduled emergency days as required by Section 10-19 of this
Code or because a school was selected to be a polling place
under Section 11-4.1 of the Election Code. Except as otherwise
provided in this subsection (b), the The research-based
program or programs may not exceed the minimum number of
emergency days in the approved school calendar and must be
verified annually by the regional office of education or
intermediate service center for the school district before the
implementation of any e-learning days in that school year to
ensure access for all students. An e-learning day used by a
school district under this subsection (b) due to a school
being selected as a polling place pursuant to Section 11-4.1
of the Election Code does not count toward the school
district's minimum number of emergency days. The regional
office of education or intermediate service center shall
ensure that the specific needs of all students are met,
including special education students and English learners, and
that all mandates are still met using the proposed
research-based program. The e-learning program may utilize the
Internet, telephones, texts, chat rooms, or other similar
means of electronic communication for instruction and
interaction between teachers and students that meet the needs
of all learners. The e-learning program shall address the

10400HB4535ham001 - 3 - LRB104 17754 LNS 34900 a
school district's responsibility to ensure that all teachers
and staff who may be involved in the provision of e-learning
have access to any and all hardware and software that may be
required for the program. If a proposed program does not
address this responsibility, the school district must propose
an alternate program.
(c) Before its adoption by a school board, the school
board must hold a public hearing on a school district's
initial proposal for an e-learning program or for renewal of
such a program, at a regular or special meeting of the school
board, in which the terms of the proposal must be
substantially presented and an opportunity for allowing public
comments must be provided. Notice of such public hearing must
be provided at least 10 days prior to the hearing by:
(1) publication in a newspaper of general circulation
in the school district;
(2) written or electronic notice designed to reach the
parents or guardians of all students enrolled in the
school district; and
(3) written or electronic notice designed to reach any
exclusive collective bargaining representatives of school
district employees and all those employees not in a
collective bargaining unit.
(d) The regional office of education or intermediate
service center for the school district must timely verify that
a proposal for an e-learning program has met the requirements

10400HB4535ham001 - 4 - LRB104 17754 LNS 34900 a
specified in this Section and that the proposal contains
provisions designed to reasonably and practicably accomplish
the following:
(1) to ensure and verify at least 5 clock hours of
instruction or school work, as required under Section
10-19.05, for each student participating in an e-learning
day;
(2) to ensure access from home or other appropriate
remote facility for all students participating, including
computers, the Internet, and other forms of electronic
communication that must be utilized in the proposed
program;
(2.5) to ensure that non-electronic materials are made
available to students participating in the program who do
not have access to the required technology or to
participating teachers or students who are prevented from
accessing the required technology;
(3) to ensure appropriate learning opportunities for
students with special needs;
(4) to monitor and verify each student's electronic
participation;
(5) to address the extent to which student
participation is within the student's control as to the
time, pace, and means of learning;
(6) to provide effective notice to students and their
parents or guardians of the use of particular days for

10400HB4535ham001 - 5 - LRB104 17754 LNS 34900 a
e-learning;
(7) to provide staff and students with adequate
training for e-learning days' participation;
(8) to ensure an opportunity for any collective
bargaining negotiations with representatives of the school
district's employees that would be legally required,
including all classifications of school district employees
who are represented by collective bargaining agreements
and who would be affected in the event of an e-learning
day;
(9) to review and revise the program as implemented to
address difficulties confronted; and
(10) to ensure that the protocol regarding general
expectations and responsibilities of the program is
communicated to teachers, staff, and students at least 30
days prior to utilizing an e-learning day in a school
year.
The school board's approval of a school district's initial
e-learning program and renewal of the e-learning program shall
be for a term of 3 school years, beginning with the first
school year in which the program was approved and verified by
the regional office of education or intermediate service
center for the school district.
(d-5) A school district shall pay to its contractors who
provide educational support services to the district,
including, but not limited to, custodial, transportation, or

10400HB4535ham001 - 6 - LRB104 17754 LNS 34900 a
food service providers, their daily, regular rate of pay or
billings rendered for any e-learning day that is used because
a school was selected to be a polling place under Section
11-4.1 of the Election Code, except that this requirement does
not apply to contractors who are paid under contracts that are
entered into, amended, or renewed on or after March 15, 2022 or
to contracts that otherwise address compensation for such
e-learning days.
(d-10) A school district shall pay to its employees who
provide educational support services to the district,
including, but not limited to, custodial employees, building
maintenance employees, transportation employees, food service
providers, classroom assistants, or administrative staff,
their daily, regular rate of pay and benefits rendered for any
school closure or e-learning day if the closure precludes them
from performing their regularly scheduled duties and the
employee would have reported for work but for the closure,
except this requirement does not apply if the day is
rescheduled and the employee will be paid their daily, regular
rate of pay and benefits for the rescheduled day when services
are rendered.
(d-15) A school district shall make full payment that
would have otherwise been paid to its contractors who provide
educational support services to the district, including, but
not limited to, custodial, building maintenance,
transportation, food service providers, classroom assistants,

10400HB4535ham001 - 7 - LRB104 17754 LNS 34900 a
or administrative staff, their daily, regular rate of pay and
benefits rendered for any school closure or e-learning day if
any closure precludes them from performing their regularly
scheduled duties and employees would have reported for work
but for the closure. The employees who provide the support
services covered by such contracts shall be paid their daily
bid package rates and benefits as defined by their local
operating agreements or collective bargaining agreements,
except this requirement does not apply if the day is
rescheduled and the employee will be paid their daily, regular
rate of pay and benefits for the rescheduled day when services
are rendered.
(d-20) A school district shall make full payment or
reimbursement to an employee or contractor as specified in
subsection (d-10) or (d-15) of this Section for any school
closure or e-learning day in the 2021-2022 school year that
occurred prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of
the 102nd General Assembly if the employee or contractor did
not receive pay or was required to use earned paid time off,
except this requirement does not apply if the day is
rescheduled and the employee will be paid their daily, regular
rate of pay and benefits for the rescheduled day when services
are rendered.
(e) The State Board of Education may adopt rules
consistent with the provision of this Section.
(f) For purposes of subsections (d-10), (d-15), and (d-20)

10400HB4535ham001 - 8 - LRB104 17754 LNS 34900 a
of this Section:
"Employee" means anyone employed by a school district on
or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd
General Assembly.
"School district" includes charter schools established
under Article 27A of this Code, but does not include the
Department of Juvenile Justice School District.
(Source: P.A. 102-584, eff. 6-1-22; 102-697, eff. 4-5-22;
103-780, eff. 8-2-24.)".