Joined by stakeholders, advocates and lawmakers, Gov. JB Pritzker signed House Bill 1167, a measure that will keep students and teachers safe in the classroom without penalizing vaccinated school employees for taking COVID-required leave for themselves or their children. Ensuring support for all working families, the legislation protects all hourly school employees in addition to classroom teachers, such as bus drivers, food service providers, and administrative personnel. HB 1167 requires school districts, public universities, and community colleges to pay educational support personnel and contractors during any school closure and provides paid administrative leave to vaccinated employees for purposes related to COVID-19. The legislation includes:

• Paid administrative leave for every employee of a public school district established under Article 10 or Article 34 of the School Code, public university, and public community college who meets the following criteria:

– fully vaccinated or has received the required doses to become fully vaccinated within five weeks of the effective date of the Act.

– required, or whose child is required, to be excluded from school because of a positive COVID-19 test result or close contact with a person who had a confirmed case of COVID-19.

– has been required by the school or school district policy to be excluded from school district property due to COVID-19 symptoms.

This legislation is effective immediately.