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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB2984

Introduced 1/27/2026, by Sen. Lakesia Collins

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 3933/5
20 ILCS 3933/10
20 ILCS 3933/15
20 ILCS 3933/20 new
110 ILCS 28/25

Amends the Illinois Early Learning Council Act. Makes changes in
provisions concerning the purpose of the Illinois Early Learning Council.
Provides that the Secretary of Early Childhood or the Secretary's designee
shall serve as co-chairperson of the Council. Provides that the governor
shall appoint to the Council parents and caregivers of children 5 years of
age or under. Provides that the Department of Early Childhood shall
provide staffing and administrative support to the Council. Sets forth
provisions concerning conflicts of interest. Amends the Early Childhood
Access Consortium for Equity Act. Provides that specified members of the
advisory committee to the Early Childhood Access Consortium shall be
appointed by the Department of Early Childhood.
LRB104 20021 SPS 33472 b

A BILL FOR

SB2984
LRB104 20021 SPS 33472 b
1

AN ACT concerning State government.

2

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3
represented in the General Assembly:

4

Section 5.
The Illinois Early Learning Council Act is
5
amended by changing Sections 5, 10, and 15 and by adding
6
Section 20 as follows:

7

(20 ILCS 3933/5)
8

Sec. 5.
Illinois Early Learning Council.
The Illinois
9
Early Learning Council is hereby created to
advise on
10
statewide

coordinate existing
programs and services for
11
children from
the prenatal period

birth
to 5 years of age in
12
order to better meet the early learning needs of children and
13
their families. The goal of the Council is to fulfill the
14
vision of
Illinois being the best state in the nation to raise
15
young children by providing
a statewide, high-quality,
16
accessible, and comprehensive early learning system
to benefit
17
all young children whose parents choose it
. The Council shall
18
guide collaborative efforts to improve and expand upon
19
existing early childhood programs and services, including
20
those related to
education and care, such as
nutrition,
21
nutrition education, and physical activity, in coordination
22
with the Interagency Nutrition Council. This work shall
23
include making use of existing reports, research, and planning

SB2984
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LRB104 20021 SPS 33472 b
1
efforts.
2
(Source: P.A. 93-380, eff. 7-24-03; 94-124, eff. 1-1-06.)

3

(20 ILCS 3933/10)
4

Sec. 10.
Membership.
The Illinois Early Learning Council
5
shall include representation from both public and private
6
organizations, and its membership shall reflect regional,
7
racial, and cultural diversity to ensure representation of the
8
needs of all Illinois children. One member shall be appointed
9
by the President of the Senate, one member appointed by the
10
Minority Leader of the Senate, one member appointed by the
11
Speaker of the House of Representatives, one member appointed
12
by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and
13
other members appointed by the Governor. The Governor's
14
appointments shall include
,
without limitation
,
the following:
15

(1) The Secretary of Early Childhood or the
16

Secretary's Designee, to serve as co-chairperson of the
17

Council.

18

(2)

(1)
A leader of stature from the Governor's
19

office
, to serve as co-chairperson of the Council
.
20

(3)

(2)
The chief administrators of the following
21

State agencies
or their designees
:
Department of Early
22

Childhood,
State Board of Education; Department of Human
23

Services; Department of Children and Family Services;
24

Department of Public Health; Department of Healthcare and
25

Family Services; Board of Higher Education; and Illinois

SB2984
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LRB104 20021 SPS 33472 b
1

Community College Board.
2

(4) Parents and caregivers of children 5 years of age
3

or under.

4

(5)

(3)
Local government stakeholders and nongovernment
5

stakeholders with an interest in early childhood care and
6

education, including representation from the following
7

private-sector fields and constituencies: early childhood
8

education and development; child care; child advocacy;
9

parenting support; local community collaborations among
10

early care and education programs and services; maternal
11

and child health; children with special needs; business;
12

labor; and law enforcement. The Governor shall designate
13

one of the members who is a nongovernment stakeholder to
14

serve as co-chairperson.
15
In addition, the Governor shall request that the Region V
16
office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services'
17
Administration for Children and Families appoint a member to
18
the Council to represent federal children's programs and
19
services.
20

Members appointed by General Assembly members and members
21
appointed by the Governor who are local government or
22
nongovernment stakeholders shall serve 3-year terms, except
23
that of the initial appointments, half of these members, as
24
determined by lot, shall be appointed to 2-year terms so that
25
terms are staggered. Members shall serve on a voluntary,
26
unpaid basis.

SB2984
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LRB104 20021 SPS 33472 b
1
(Source: P.A. 103-594, eff. 6-25-24.)

2

(20 ILCS 3933/15)
3

Sec. 15.
Management and accountability

Accountability
.
The
4
Department of Early Childhood shall provide staffing and
5
administrative support to the Council.
The Illinois Early
6
Learning Council shall annually report to the Governor
, the

7
and
General Assembly
, and the Department of Early Childhood
on
8
the Council's progress towards its goals and objectives.
9
(Source: P.A. 93-380, eff. 7-24-03.)

10

(20 ILCS 3933/20 new)
11

Sec. 20.
Conflicts of interest.
No member of the Council
12
shall cast a vote on or participate substantially in any
13
matter that would provide a direct financial benefit to that
14
member or otherwise give the appearance of a conflict of
15
interest under State law. All provisions and reporting
16
requirements of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act shall
17
apply to Council members.

18

Section 10.
The Early Childhood Access Consortium for
19
Equity Act is amended by changing Section 25 as follows:

20

(110 ILCS 28/25)
21

Sec. 25.
Advisory committee; membership.
22

(a) The Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community

SB2984
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LRB104 20021 SPS 33472 b
1
College Board, the State Board of Education, the Department of
2
Human Services, and the Department of Early Childhood shall
3
jointly convene a Consortium advisory committee to provide
4
guidance on the operation of the Consortium.
5

(b) Membership on the advisory committee shall be
6
comprised of employers and experts appointed by the Board of
7
Higher Education, the Illinois Community College Board, the
8
Department of Early Childhood, the Department of Human
9
Services, and the State Board of Education. Membership shall
10
also include all of the following members:
11

(1) An employer from a community-based child care
12

provider, appointed by the Department of
Early Childhood

13

Human Services
.
14

(2) An employer from a for-profit child care provider,
15

appointed by the Department of
Early Childhood

Human
16

Services
.
17

(3) An employer from a nonprofit child care provider,
18

appointed by the Department of
Early Childhood

Human
19

Services
.
20

(4) A provider of family child care, appointed by the
21

Department of
Early Childhood

Human Services
.
22

(5) An employer located in southern Illinois,
23

appointed by the Department of Early Childhood.
24

(6) An employer located in central Illinois, appointed
25

by the Department of Early Childhood.
26

(7) At least one member who represents an urban school

SB2984
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LRB104 20021 SPS 33472 b
1

district, appointed by the State Board of Education.
2

(8) At least one member who represents a suburban
3

school district, appointed by the State Board of
4

Education.
5

(9) At least one member who represents a rural school
6

district, appointed by the State Board of Education.
7

(10) At least one member who represents a school
8

district in a city with a population of 500,000 or more,
9

appointed by the State Board of Education.
10

(11) Two early childhood advocates with statewide
11

expertise in early childhood workforce issues, appointed
12

by the Department of Early Childhood.
13

(12) The Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson and the
14

Minority Spokesperson or a designee of the Senate
15

Committee on Higher Education.
16

(13) The Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson and the
17

Minority Spokesperson or a designee of the House Committee
18

on Higher Education.
19

(14) One member representing the Illinois Community
20

College Board, who shall serve as co-chairperson,
21

appointed by the Illinois Community College Board.
22

(15) One member representing the Board of Higher
23

Education, who shall serve as co-chairperson, appointed by
24

the Board of Higher Education.
25

(16) One member representing the Illinois Student
26

Assistance Commission, appointed by the Illinois Student

SB2984
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LRB104 20021 SPS 33472 b
1

Assistance Commission.
2

(17) One member representing the State Board of
3

Education, who shall serve as co-chairperson, appointed by
4

the State Board of Education.
5

(18) One member representing the Department of Early
6

Childhood, who shall serve as co-chairperson, appointed by
7

the Department of Early Childhood.
8

(19) One member representing the Department of Human
9

Services, who shall serve as co-chairperson, appointed by
10

the Department of Human Services.
11

(20) One member representing INCCRRA, appointed by the
12

Department of Early Childhood.
13

(21) One member representing the Department of
14

Children and Family Services, appointed by the Department
15

of Children and Family Services.
16

(22) One member representing an organization that
17

advocates on behalf of community college trustees,
18

appointed by the Illinois Community College Board.
19

(23) One member of a union representing child care and
20

early childhood providers, appointed by the Department of
21

Early Childhood

Human Services
.
22

(24) Two members of unions representing higher
23

education faculty, appointed by the Board of Higher
24

Education.
25

(25) A representative from the College of Education of
26

an urban public university, appointed by the Board of

SB2984
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LRB104 20021 SPS 33472 b
1

Higher Education.
2

(26) A representative from the College of Education of
3

a suburban public university, appointed by the Board of
4

Higher Education.
5

(27) A representative from the College of Education of
6

a rural public university, appointed by the Board of
7

Higher Education.
8

(28) A representative from the College of Education of
9

a private university, appointed by the Board of Higher
10

Education.
11

(29) A representative of an urban community college,
12

appointed by the Illinois Community College Board.
13

(30) A representative of a suburban community college,
14

appointed by the Illinois Community College Board.
15

(31) A representative of a rural community college,
16

appointed by the Illinois Community College Board.
17

(c) The advisory committee shall meet at least twice a
18
year. The committee meetings shall be open to the public in
19
accordance with the provisions of the Open Meetings Act.
20

(d) Except for the co-chairpersons of the advisory
21
committee, the initial terms for advisory committee members
22
after June 5, 2024 (the effective date of Public Act 103-588)
23
shall be set by lottery at the first meeting after June 5, 2024
24
(the effective date of Public Act 103-588) as follows:
25

(1) One-third of members shall serve a one-year term.
26

(2) One-third of members shall serve a 2-year term.

SB2984
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LRB104 20021 SPS 33472 b
1

(3) One-third of members shall serve a 3-year term.
2

(e) The initial term of co-chairpersons of the advisory
3
committee shall be for 3 years.
4

(f) After the initial term, each subsequent term for the
5
members of the advisory committee shall be for 3 years or until
6
a successor is appointed.
7

(g) The members of the advisory committee shall serve
8
without compensation, but shall be entitled to reimbursement
9
for all necessary expenses incurred in the performance of
10
their official duties as members of the advisory committee
11
from funds appropriated for that purpose.
12
(Source: P.A. 103-588, eff. 6-5-24; 103-594, eff. 6-25-24;
13
104-417, eff. 8-15-25.)

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