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SB2977 • 2026
BD HIGHER ED-SCH COUNSELOR
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.
BD HIGHER ED-SCH COUNSELOR
Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments
Rule 2-10 Committee/3rd Reading Deadline Established As May 22, 2026
Rule 2-10 Committee/3rd Reading Deadline Established As May 15, 2026
Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Rachel Ventura
Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Adriane Johnson
Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As April 24, 2026
Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Paul Faraci
Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Christopher Belt
Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Graciela Guzmán
Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel
Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Javier L. Cervantes
Assigned to Appropriations- Education
Filed with Secretary by Sen. Michael W. Halpin
First Reading
Referred to Assignments
BD HIGHER ED-SCH COUNSELOR
Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB2977 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 SB2977 Home Legislation Full Text SB2977 - 104th General Assembly Bill Status Full Text Votes Witness Slips Select Menu Bill Status Full Text Votes Witness Slips Printer Friendly Version Introduced Printer Friendly Version Introduced Open PDF 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB2977 Introduced 1/27/2026, by Sen. Michael W. Halpin SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 5 ILCS 100/5-45.71 new 110 ILCS 205/9.47 new Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Subject to appropriation, requires the Board of Higher Education to create a school counselor stipend program. Provides that an educator preparation program shall notify the Board of all eligible students and eligible cooperating school counselors who qualify for the stipend program. Sets forth requirements for the disbursement of stipend funds under the program. Provides that an educator preparation program may not prohibit an eligible student from participating in the stipend program or from receiving a stipend from the stipend program. Requires an eligible cooperating school counselor who receives a stipend to complete specific training. Requires the Board to issue a report, in collaboration with the State Board of Education, evaluating the impact of the stipend program. Permits the Board to adopt emergency rules regarding the administration of the stipend program in certain circumstances. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to make corresponding changes. Effective immediately. LRB104 20385 LNS 33843 b A BILL FOR SB2977 LRB104 20385 LNS 33843 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 Illinois Administrative Procedure Act is 5 amended by adding Section 5-45.71 as follows: 6 (5 ILCS 100/5-45.71 new) 7 Sec. 5-45.71. Emergency rulemaking; school counselor 8 stipend program. To provide for the expeditious and timely 9 implementation of Section 9.47 of the Board of Higher 10 Education Act, emergency rules implementing Section 9.47 of 11 the Board of Higher Education Act may be adopted in accordance 12 with Section 5-45 by the Board of Higher Education. The 13 adoption of emergency rules authorized by Section 5-45 and 14 this Section is deemed to be necessary for the public 15 interest, safety, and welfare. 16 This Section is repealed one year after the effective date 17 of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly. 18 Section 10. The Board of Higher Education Act is amended 19 by adding Section 9.47 as follows: 20 (110 ILCS 205/9.47 new) 21 Sec. 9.47. School counselor stipend program. SB2977 - 2 - LRB104 20385 LNS 33843 b 1 (a) As used in this Section: 2 "Educator preparation program" means an approved educator 3 preparation program offered by a recognized school or 4 institution under Article 21B of the School Code. 5 "Eligible cooperating school counselor" means an 6 individual who (i) is a school counselor as defined in Section 7 10-22.24a of the School Code or holds a Professional Educator 8 License with a school support personnel endorsement in the 9 area of school counselor under Section 21B-25 of the School 10 Code and (ii) is matched with an eligible student. 11 "Eligible student" means a student who is enrolled in an 12 educator preparation program, who is maintaining satisfactory 13 academic progress, who intends to work as a school counselor 14 in this State, who is placed in a school counselor internship, 15 and who is not contracted as the school counselor of record for 16 the school counseling placement. 17 (b) Subject to appropriation, the Board shall create a 18 school counselor stipend program to alleviate the financial 19 burden of becoming a school counselor, to encourage students 20 to pursue careers as school counselors to alleviate this 21 State's school counselor shortage, and to encourage school 22 counselors to be matched with school counselor interns. 23 (c) An educator preparation program shall notify the Board 24 of all eligible students and eligible cooperating school 25 counselors who qualify for the stipend program. 26 (d) Under the stipend program and subject to available SB2977 - 3 - LRB104 20385 LNS 33843 b 1 appropriations, the Board shall disburse to each educator 2 preparation program funds to distribute to each eligible 3 student a stipend of $5,000 per semester for up to 2 4 consecutive semesters, plus additional funds to pay the direct 5 costs of operating the stipend program. 6 (e) If there is a surplus appropriated in a fiscal year for 7 the stipend program, then the Board shall increase the amount 8 disbursed to each educator preparation program by the same 9 percentage that the surplus bears to the amount required to 10 fully fund the total number of eligible students who qualify 11 for the stipend program that fiscal year. An educator 12 preparation program shall increase the stipend amount 13 distributed to each eligible student in proportion to the 14 surplus. 15 (f) If the amount appropriated in a fiscal year for the 16 stipend program is insufficient to fully fund stipends for the 17 total number of eligible students for that fiscal year, then 18 the Board shall prioritize eligible students based on 19 demonstrated financial need reported by each educator 20 preparation program. 21 (g) Funds not distributed in a particular fiscal year by 22 an educator preparation program under this Section shall be 23 returned to the Board to be used for the subsequent fiscal 24 year's stipend program. 25 (h) An educator preparation program may not prohibit an 26 eligible student from participating in the stipend program or SB2977 - 4 - LRB104 20385 LNS 33843 b 1 from receiving a stipend from the stipend program. 2 (i) Under the stipend program and subject to available 3 appropriations, the Board shall disburse funds to the State 4 Board of Education, who shall disburse funds to each school 5 district employing an eligible cooperating school counselor to 6 distribute to each eligible cooperating school counselor a 7 stipend of up to $1,000 per semester for up to 2 consecutive 8 semesters per academic year. The school district shall 9 distribute stipend funds to an eligible cooperating school 10 counselor in one payment. 11 (j) An eligible cooperating school counselor who receives 12 a stipend must complete State-approved, evidence-based 13 training that covers basic responsibilities of a cooperating 14 school counselor. The State Board of Education shall develop 15 training that meets the criteria of this subsection and that 16 is available to cooperating school counselors. 17 (k) If there is a surplus appropriated in a fiscal year for 18 the stipend program, then the Board shall increase the amount 19 disbursed to the State Board of Education to disburse to each 20 school district by the same percentage that the surplus bears 21 to the amount required to fully fund the total number of 22 eligible cooperating school counselors who qualify for the 23 stipend program that fiscal year. A school district shall 24 increase the stipend amount distributed to each eligible 25 cooperating school counselor in proportion to the surplus. 26 (l) If the amount appropriated in a fiscal year for the SB2977 - 5 - LRB104 20385 LNS 33843 b 1 stipend program is insufficient to fully fund stipends for the 2 total number of eligible cooperating school counselors for 3 that fiscal year, then the Board shall reduce the amount 4 disbursed to the State Board of Education to disburse to each 5 school district by the same percentage that the deficit bears 6 to the amount required to fully fund the total number of 7 eligible cooperating school counselors who qualify for the 8 stipend program. A school district shall reduce the stipend 9 amount distributed to each eligible cooperating school 10 counselor in proportion to the deficit. 11 (m) Nothing in this Section is intended to preclude an 12 educator preparation program from providing an eligible 13 cooperating school counselor with additional incentives. 14 (n) An eligible cooperating school counselor participating 15 in the stipend program may receive professional development 16 hours for completing cooperating school counselor training. 17 (o) Subject to available appropriations, the Board shall 18 issue a report evaluating the impact of the stipend program on 19 educator preparation programs, including enrollment and 20 completion rates, hiring rates, and retention rates. The Board 21 shall issue this report in collaboration with the State Board 22 of Education. The Board shall submit this report to the 23 General Assembly and Governor on or before June 30 of the 24 fiscal year following the third consecutive fiscal year during 25 which the stipend program has received funding of at least 26 $2,000,000. SB2977 - 6 - LRB104 20385 LNS 33843 b 1 (p) The Board shall provide guidance and technical 2 assistance to educator preparation programs on the 3 administration of the stipend program. 4 (q) The Board shall adopt rules regarding the 5 administration of the stipend program, including, but not 6 limited to, the allocation of funds for the stipend program. 7 (r) If the stipend program is funded prior to the adoption 8 of rules under subsection (q), emergency rules regarding the 9 administration of the stipend program may be adopted by the 10 Board, subject to the provisions of Section 5-45 of the 11 Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. 12 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 13 becoming law. 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