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HB1553 • 2026
ELECTION DAY WAIVER
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.
ELECTION DAY WAIVER
Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Ethics & Elections
Assigned to Ethics & Elections
Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Ethics & Elections
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Tony M. McCombie
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee
Assigned to Ethics & Elections
First Reading
Referred to Rules Committee
Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Tony M. McCombie
ELECTION DAY WAIVER
Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB1553 Select Language × The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience. In no way should it be considered accurate as to the translation of any content herein. Visitors of the Illinois General Assembly website are encouraged to use other translation services available on the internet. The English language version is always the official and authoritative version of this website. NOTE: To return to the original English language version, select the "Show Original" button on the Google Translate™ menu bar at the top of the window. 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Full Text of HB1553 Home Legislation Full Text HB1553 - 104th General Assembly Bill Status Full Text Votes Witness Slips Select Menu Bill Status Full Text Votes Witness Slips Printer Friendly Version Introduced House Amendment 001 Printer Friendly Version Introduced House Amendment 001 Open PDF 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1553 Introduced 1/28/2025, by Rep. Tony M. McCombie SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/24-2 Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning holidays, provides that a school board or other entity eligible to apply for waivers and modifications under the Code is authorized to hold school or schedule teachers' institutes, parent-teacher conferences, or staff development on November 3, 2026 (2026 General Election Day) if certain conditions are met. Effective July 1, 2025. LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b A BILL FOR HB1553 LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b 1 AN ACT concerning education. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 5 24-2 as follows: 6 (105 ILCS 5/24-2) 7 Sec. 24-2. Holidays. 8 (a) Teachers shall not be required to teach on Saturdays, 9 nor, except as provided in subsection (b) of this Section, 10 shall teachers, educational support personnel employees, or 11 other school employees, other than noncertificated school 12 employees whose presence is necessary because of an emergency 13 or for the continued operation and maintenance of school 14 facilities or property, be required to work on legal school 15 holidays, which are January 1, New Year's Day; the third 16 Monday in January, the Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, 17 Jr.; February 12, the Birthday of President Abraham Lincoln; 18 the first Monday in March (to be known as Casimir Pulaski's 19 birthday); Good Friday; the day designated as Memorial Day by 20 federal law; June 19, Juneteenth National Freedom Day; July 4, 21 Independence Day; the first Monday in September, Labor Day; 22 the second Monday in October, Columbus Day; November 11, 23 Veterans' Day; the Thursday in November commonly called HB1553 - 2 - LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b 1 Thanksgiving Day; and December 25, Christmas Day. School 2 boards may grant special holidays whenever in their judgment 3 such action is advisable. No deduction shall be made from the 4 time or compensation of a school employee, including an 5 educational support personnel employee, on account of any 6 legal or special holiday in which that employee would have 7 otherwise been scheduled to work but for the legal or special 8 holiday. 9 (b) A school board or other entity eligible to apply for 10 waivers and modifications under Section 2-3.25g of this Code 11 is authorized to hold school or schedule teachers' institutes, 12 parent-teacher conferences, or staff development on the third 13 Monday in January (the Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, 14 Jr.); February 12 (the Birthday of President Abraham Lincoln); 15 the first Monday in March (known as Casimir Pulaski's 16 birthday); the second Monday in October (Columbus Day); 17 November 3, 2026 (2026 General Election Day), and November 11 18 (Veterans' Day), provided that: 19 (1) the person or persons or event honored by the 20 holiday are recognized through instructional activities 21 conducted on that day or, if the day is not used for 22 student attendance, on the first school day preceding or 23 following that day; and 24 (2) the entity that chooses to exercise this authority 25 first holds a public hearing about the proposal. The 26 entity shall provide notice preceding the public hearing HB1553 - 3 - LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b 1 to both educators and parents. The notice shall set forth 2 the time, date, and place of the hearing, describe the 3 proposal, and indicate that the entity will take testimony 4 from educators and parents about the proposal. 5 (c) Commemorative holidays, which recognize specified 6 patriotic, civic, cultural or historical persons, activities, 7 or events, are regular school days. Commemorative holidays 8 are: January 17 (the birthday of Muhammad Ali), January 28 (to 9 be known as Christa McAuliffe Day and observed as a 10 commemoration of space exploration), February 15 (the birthday 11 of Susan B. Anthony), March 29 (Viet Nam War Veterans' Day), 12 September 11 (September 11th Day of Remembrance), September 17 13 (Constitution Day), the school day immediately preceding 14 Veterans' Day (Korean War Veterans' Day), October 1 (Recycling 15 Day), October 7 (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Remembrance 16 Day), December 7 (Pearl Harbor Veterans' Day), and any day so 17 appointed by the President or Governor. School boards may 18 establish commemorative holidays whenever in their judgment 19 such action is advisable. School boards shall include 20 instruction relative to commemorated persons, activities, or 21 events on the commemorative holiday or at any other time 22 during the school year and at any point in the curriculum when 23 such instruction may be deemed appropriate. The State Board of 24 Education shall prepare and make available to school boards 25 instructional materials relative to commemorated persons, 26 activities, or events which may be used by school boards in HB1553 - 4 - LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b 1 conjunction with any instruction provided pursuant to this 2 paragraph. 3 (d) City of Chicago School District 299 shall observe 4 March 4 of each year as a commemorative holiday. This holiday 5 shall be known as Mayors' Day which shall be a day to 6 commemorate and be reminded of the past Chief Executive 7 Officers of the City of Chicago, and in particular the late 8 Mayor Richard J. Daley and the late Mayor Harold Washington. 9 If March 4 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, Mayors' Day shall be 10 observed on the following Monday. 11 (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to 12 the contrary, November 3, 2020 shall be a State holiday known 13 as 2020 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout 14 the State pursuant to Public Act 101-642. All government 15 offices, with the exception of election authorities, shall be 16 closed unless authorized to be used as a location for election 17 day services or as a polling place. 18 Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to the 19 contrary, November 8, 2022 shall be a State holiday known as 20 2022 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout the 21 State under Public Act 102-15. 22 Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to the 23 contrary, November 5, 2024 shall be a State holiday known as 24 2024 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout 25 this State pursuant to Public Act 103-467. 26 (Source: P.A. 102-14, eff. 1-1-22; 102-15, eff. 6-17-21; HB1553 - 5 - LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b 1 102-334, eff. 8-9-21; 102-411, eff. 1-1-22; 102-813, eff. 2 5-13-22; 103-15, eff. 7-1-23; 103-395, eff. 1-1-24; 103-467, 3 eff. 8-4-23; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24.) 4 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 5 2025. 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