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HB4577 • 2026
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This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.
Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.
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Plain English: Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB4577 Select Language × The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience.
Plain English: Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB4577 Select Language × The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience.
Governor Approved
Effective Date January 1, 2027
Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0555
Sent to the Governor
Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr.
Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter
Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Robert F. Martwick
Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 House Concurs 076-027-003
House Concurs
Passed Both Houses
Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Motion Filed Concur Rep. Laura Faver Dias
Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Referred to Rules Committee
Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Rules Referred to Education Policy Committee
Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Recommends Be Adopted Education Policy Committee ; 009-003-000
Recalled to Second Reading
Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Adopted; Edly-Allen
Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading
Third Reading - Passed; 045-013-000
Arrived in House
Placed on Calendar Order of Concurrence Senate Amendment(s) 1
Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Recommend Do Adopt Education ; 012-001-000
Second Reading
Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 19, 2026
Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Assignments Refers to Education
Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Mary Edly-Allen
Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Assignments
Do Pass Education ; 010-004-000
Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 7, 2026
Postponed - Education
Assigned to Education
Arrive in Senate
Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading
Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Mary Edly-Allen
First Reading
Referred to Assignments
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Maurice A. West, II
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Janet Yang Rohr
Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 080-026-000
House Floor Amendment No. 2 Adopted
Second Reading - Short Debate
Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
House Floor Amendment No. 2 Recommends Be Adopted Education Policy Committee ; 012-000-000
House Floor Amendment No. 2 Rules Refers to Education Policy Committee
House Floor Amendment No. 2 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Laura Faver Dias
House Floor Amendment No. 2 Referred to Rules Committee
Do Pass / Short Debate Education Policy Committee ; 009-004-000
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Tabled
Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Laura Faver Dias
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee
Assigned to Education Policy Committee
First Reading
Referred to Rules Committee
Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Laura Faver Dias
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Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB4577 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 HB4577 Home Legislation Full Text HB4577 - 104th General Assembly Bill Status Full Text Votes Witness Slips Select Menu Bill Status Full Text Votes Witness Slips Printer Friendly Version Introduced Engrossed Enrolled House Amendment 001 House Amendment 002 Senate Amendment 001 Printer Friendly Version Introduced Engrossed Enrolled House Amendment 001 House Amendment 002 Senate Amendment 001 Open PDF HB4577 Enrolled LRB104 17463 LNS 30889 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 10-22.18 as follows: 6 (105 ILCS 5/10-22.18) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.18) 7 Sec. 10-22.18. Kindergartens. 8 (a) As used in this subsection (a), "play-based learning" 9 means either teacher-initiated play or student-initiated play. 10 In this definition, "teacher-initiated play" means intentional 11 teacher-directed play with activities set up and led by a 12 teacher that are aligned to learning goals or standards, and 13 "student-initiated play" means child-selected opportunities to 14 build, pretend, create, move, or explore in an environment 15 intentionally curated by a teacher to align with learning 16 goals or standards. 17 To establish kindergartens for the instruction of children 18 between the ages of 4 and 6 years and to pay the necessary 19 expenses thereof out of the school funds of the district. 20 Until the 2027-2028 school year, upon petition of at least 50 21 parents or guardians of children between the ages of 4 and 6, 22 residing within any school district and within one mile of the 23 public school where such kindergarten is proposed to be HB4577 Enrolled - 2 - LRB104 17463 LNS 30889 b 1 established, the board of directors shall, if funds are 2 available, establish a kindergarten in connection with the 3 public school designated in the petition and maintain it as 4 long as the annual average daily attendance therein is not 5 less than 15. Until the 2027-2028 school year, the board may 6 establish a kindergarten with half-day attendance or with 7 full-day attendance; however, if the board establishes 8 full-day kindergarten, it shall also establish half-day 9 kindergarten. Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, each 10 school board must establish a kindergarten with full-day 11 attendance and may establish a kindergarten with half-day 12 attendance. Full-day and half-day kindergarten should be 13 developmentally appropriate and provide opportunities for 14 play-based learning. No one shall be employed to teach in a 15 kindergarten who does not hold a license as provided by law. 16 (b) An elementary or unit school district that does not 17 offer full-day kindergarten as of October 1, 2022, may, by 18 action of the State Board of Education, apply for an extension 19 of the 2027-2028 school year implementation deadline for 2 20 additional years if one of the following criteria are met: 21 (1) the school district is funded below 76% of 22 adequacy according to the Evidence-Based Funding formula 23 under Section 18-8.15 of this Code in Fiscal Year 2023; 24 (2) the school district is ranked in the top 25% of 25 capital funding need by the Full-Day Kindergarten Task 26 Force, but has yet to receive capital funding as of the HB4577 Enrolled - 3 - LRB104 17463 LNS 30889 b 1 date of the application; or 2 (3) the school district meets a criterion set by the 3 State Board of Education based on the Full-Day 4 Kindergarten Task Force's recommendations under subsection 5 (b) of Section 10-22.18e of this Code. 6 (Source: P.A. 102-894, eff. 5-20-22; 103-410, eff. 8-2-23.) 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