Bill Text: IL HB4137 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Amends the Education for Homeless Children Act. Allows a school district to provide for an extended motel stay for a child who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Effective immediately.

Sponsorship: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-1)

Status: (Enrolled) 2026-06-18 - Sent to the Governor [HB4137 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB4137-Enrolled.html

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AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Education for Homeless Children Act is
amended by changing Section 1-17 as follows:
(105 ILCS 45/1-17)
Sec. 1-17. Homeless prevention.
(a) If a child is homeless or is at risk of becoming
homeless, the school district may:
(1) provide rental, or mortgage assistance, or
extended motel stay in such amount as will allow the child
and his or her parent, his or her guardian, or the person
who enrolled the child to remain permanently in their
current living situation or obtain a new living situation;
(2) provide financial assistance with respect to
unpaid bills, loans, or other financial debts that results
in housing being considered inadequate pursuant to Section
1-5 of this Act and the Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless
Assistance Act; or
(3) provide assistance under both items (1) and (2) of
this subsection (a).
(b) In order to provide homeless prevention assistance
under subsection (a) of this Section, a school district shall

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first make an attempt to provide such assistance through a
homeless assistance agency that is part of the Federal
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act's continuum of care for
the area in which the school district is located. If the
attempts to secure assistance through the applicable continuum
of care are unsuccessful, subject to the limitations specified
in Section 29-5 of the School Code, transportation funds under
Section 29-5 of the School Code may be used for those purposes.
(c) Prior to providing homeless prevention assistance
pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section, a housing plan
must first be approved in writing by the school district and
the parent, guardian, or person who enrolled the child.
(d) For purposes of this Section:
"At risk of becoming homeless" means that documented
evidence has been provided by the parent, guardian, or person
who enrolled the child that shows that a living situation
will, within 8 weeks, cease to become fixed, regular, and
adequate and will result in the child becoming homeless within
the definition of Section 1-5 of this Act and the Federal
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The documented
evidence shall include, but need not be limited to:
foreclosure notices, eviction notices, notices indicating that
utilities will be shut off or discontinued, or written
statements from the parent, guardian, or person who enrolled
the child, supplemented by financial documentation, that
indicate a loss of income that will prevent the maintenance of

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a permanent living situation.
"Person who enrolled the child" also means an
unaccompanied youth.
(Source: P.A. 100-332, eff. 8-25-17.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.