Metro East Sun

Amy Elik introduced HB2451 in the Illinois House on Feb. 3, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Course of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each pupil entering the 9th grade beginning with the 2028-2029 school year must successfully complete either 2 years of foreign language courses or at least 2 years of career-focused coursework that has been authorized by the State Board of Education as meeting the requirements for a College and Career Pathway Endorsement under the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act (rather than requiring the successful completion of 2 years of foreign language courses). Amends the University of Illinois Act, the Southern Illinois University Management Act, the Chicago State University Law, the Eastern Illinois University Law, the Governors State University Law, the Illinois State University Law, the Northeastern Illinois University Law, the Northern Illinois University Law, and the Western Illinois University Law. Provides that a university may not require State public high school graduates, as a condition of acceptance, to have completed any years of foreign language courses unless the university permits, as an alternative to completion of a foreign language course, attainment of a College and Career Pathway Endorsement under the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act. Effective immediately."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates that starting in the 2028-29 school year, Illinois high school students must complete either two years of foreign language or two years of career-focused coursework for graduation. The career-focused courses must meet the State Board of Education’s criteria for a College and Career Pathway Endorsement. Additionally, public universities in Illinois cannot require state high school graduates to have completed foreign language courses as a condition for university acceptance if students have obtained a College and Career Pathway Endorsement. The changes take effect immediately upon becoming law.

Amy Elik has proposed another 17 bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Elik graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a BS.

Amy Elik is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 111th House District. She replaced previous state representative Monica Bristow in 2021.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
HB2451	02/03/2025	Amends the Course of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each pupil entering the 9th grade beginning with the 2028-2029 school year must successfully complete either 2 years of foreign language courses or at least 2 years of career-focused coursework that has been authorized by the State Board of Education as meeting the requirements for a College and Career Pathway Endorsement under the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act (rather than requiring the successful completion of 2 years of foreign language courses). Amends the University of Illinois Act, the Southern Illinois University Management Act, the Chicago State University Law, the Eastern Illinois University Law, the Governors State University Law, the Illinois State University Law, the Northeastern Illinois University Law, the Northern Illinois University Law, and the Western Illinois University Law. Provides that a university may not require State public high school graduates, as a condition of acceptance, to have completed any years of foreign language courses unless the university permits, as an alternative to completion of a foreign language course, attainment of a College and Career Pathway Endorsement under the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act. Effective immediately.
HB2444	02/03/2025	Amends the Attorney General Act. Provides that the Office of the Attorney General shall record the number of hours, legal fees, and costs incurred each fiscal year by its attorneys and any outside counsel acting on its behalf to defend the State in all legal proceedings relating to the constitutionality or statutory interpretation of Illinois law. Provides that, on or before July 1, 2026, and each year thereafter, the Attorney General shall report the recorded number of hours, legal fees, and costs incurred annually to the General Assembly. Effective immediately.
HB2445	02/03/2025	Amends the Firearm Owner's Identification Card Act. In provisions regarding notification to the Illinois State Police, allows a physician, clinical psychologist, qualified examiner, law enforcement official, or school administrator who notifies the Department of Human Services or the Illinois State Police of a person who is determined to pose a clear and present danger to himself, herself, or to others to rescind and cancel the notification within 5 days, putting the person back in the position as if the notification had not occurred. Requires the Illinois State Police to adopt rules to implement the provisions added by this amendatory Act.
HB2446	02/03/2025	Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning the conviction of certain offenses as grounds for disqualification for licensure or suspension or revocation of a license, includes the sex offense of abuse by an educator or authority figure under the definition of "sex or other offense". Amends the Sex Offenses Article of the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person commits abuse by an educator or authority figure if that person is an educator or authority figure at the school, the student is at least 18 years of age but under 23 years of age, the person is at least 4 years older than the student and holds or held within the previous year a position of trust, authority, or supervision in relation to the student in connection with an educational or extracurricular program or activity, and the person either: (1) commits an act of sexual conduct with the student; or (2) commits an act of sexual penetration with the student. Provides that abuse by an educator or authority figure involving sexual conduct is a Class A misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense or if there is more than one victim. Provides that abuse by an educator or authority figure involving sexual penetration is a Class 4 felony for the first offense and a Class 3 felony for a second or subsequent offense or if there is more than one victim. Provides that consent of the victim is not a defense to abuse by an educator or authority figure.
HB2447	02/03/2025	Amends the America's Central Port District Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the powers of the District to apply for and accept certain grants, loans, and appropriations and to make certain improvements and changes.
HB2448	02/03/2025	Amends the America's Central Port District Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the powers of the District to apply for and accept certain grants, loans, and appropriations and to make certain improvements and changes.
HB2449	02/03/2025	Amends the America's Central Port District Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the powers of the District to apply for and accept certain grants, loans, and appropriations and to make certain improvements and changes.
HB2450	02/03/2025	Amends the America's Central Port District Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the powers of the District to apply for and accept certain grants, loans, and appropriations and to make certain improvements and changes.
HB2452	02/03/2025	Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, for taxable years 2026 and thereafter, the maximum reduction under the senior citizens homestead exemption is $8,000 in all counties (currently, $8,000 in counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants and counties that are contiguous to a county of 3,000,000 or more inhabitants and $5,000 in all other counties). Provides that the maximum income limitation for the senior citizens assessment freeze homestead exemption is $75,000 (currently, $65,000). Effective immediately.
HB2474	02/03/2025	Amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In a provision concerning suspensions of retirement annuities during employment with a participating employer, provides that, until January 1, 2030, an annuitant receiving an annuity under the sheriff's law enforcement employees provisions shall be considered a participating employee if the annuitant returns to work as a school security guard or school resource officer employed by a participating employer and works more than 1,000 hours annually. Effective immediately.
HB1719	01/24/2025	Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that any person convicted of a first offense of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer is guilty of a Class 2 felony (instead of a Class 4 felony). Provides that any person convicted of a second or subsequent offense of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer is guilty of a Class 1 felony (instead of a Class 3 felony).
HB1720	01/24/2025	Creates the Retail Sale of Tianeptine Prohibition Act. Provides that beginning January 1, 2026, no person shall sell, offer to sell, or distribute in the State any product containing tianeptine. Provides that the Act does not apply to any product containing tianeptine that is lawfully dispensed or prescribed by a pharmacist or a health care professional. Provides that a violation is a business offense, punishable by a minimum fine of $1,500 for each violation. Defines "health care professional". Effective January 1, 2026.
HB1721	01/24/2025	Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that beginning on and after January 1, 2026, a foster family home that includes a pregnant or parenting youth in care and any child of the parenting youth shall be eligible to receive additional foster care payments from the Department of Children and Family Services to cover all reasonable costs incurred by the foster family in caring for the pregnant or parenting youth and any child of the parenting youth. Provides that the parenting youth must be the full-time custodial parent of the child for whom the foster family is requesting additional payment. Permits the Department to prescribe by rule which costs and expenses qualify as "reasonable costs" eligible for payment. Grants the Department rulemaking authority. Effective January 1, 2026.
HB1722	01/24/2025	Amends the General Assembly Organization Act. Provides that, if the House of Representatives or the Senate adopts an amendment to a bill and if that amendment causes the short description of the bill that is posted on the General Assembly's website to no longer accurately reflect the bill's contents, then the chamber that adopted the amendment shall revise the bill's short description so that it accurately reflects the bill's contents.
HB1723	01/24/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. In the statute concerning theft of labor or services or use of property, provides that the notification to return the vehicle, equipment, or other personal property to a particular place at a particular time specified in the notification may be made by electronic means, including email. Includes in a violation of the provision, placing the vehicle, equipment, or any other personal property for sale during the rental period or thereafter without good cause. Provides that for a violation of the provision, the court may order the person convicted to reimburse the victims or their representatives for court filing costs, attorney's fees, and such other related costs.
HB1724	01/24/2025	Amends the Illinois Highway Code. Requires the Department of Transportation to name a highway under its jurisdiction if one chamber of the General Assembly passes a resolution directing the Department to do so.
HB1725	01/24/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that a qualified small business may apply to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for an income tax credit in an amount equal to the amount paid by the taxpayer during the taxable year for qualified advertising with a local news organization. Provides that the credit may not exceed $2,500 per eligible taxpayer in any taxable year. Provides that the aggregate amount of all tax credits awarded by the Department under the amendatory Act in any calendar year may not exceed $3,000,000. Effective immediately.
HB1726	01/24/2025	Amends the Property Tax Code. Makes changes concerning the amount required to be paid under protest for the 2026 or 2027 tax year. Effective immediately.
HB1727	01/24/2025	Amends the General Provisions Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that benefit or annuity payments to a member or participant in a retirement system or pension fund shall be suspended if the member or participant is indicted or charged by information with a felony and the board of the retirement system or pension fund determines that the felony relates to or arises out of or in connection with his or her service as a member or participant of the retirement system or pension fund. Provides that if the member or participant is not convicted of that felony, payment of the benefit or annuity shall resume and the retirement system or pension fund shall pay to the member or participant the amount of the suspended annuity or benefit payments with interest. Provides that if the member or participant is convicted of that felony, the suspended annuity or benefit payments shall not be paid to the member or participant. Provides that the amendatory Act applies without regard to whether the member or participant first became a member or participant of a retirement system or pension fund before the effective date of the amendatory Act. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.
HB1728	01/24/2025	Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that the long-time occupant homestead exemption applies in all counties beginning with taxable year 2026. Effective immediately.