---
type: "Bill"
title: "SCH CD-TEACHER CERT-ASIAN LANG"
description: "Amends the Teacher Certification Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning a special certification designation for foreign language, specifically includes Asian languages. Effective July 1, 2003."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "93rd"
identifier: "SB 891"
citation: "Illinois SB 891 (93rd)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 46
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2003-02-19"
last_action: "2003-08-08"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/797d1485-fbf5-4f2f-8496-9d24dbc37d5b"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=891&GAID=3&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=3763&SessionID=3&GA=93"
source_hash: "4d70faf2ba3b0064bce478a3a3df4fcb5568d0cf31f19cc8720c53a8987858c7"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-il"]
---

# Illinois SB 891 (93rd) — SCH CD-TEACHER CERT-ASIAN LANG

Amends the Teacher Certification Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning a special certification designation for foreign language, specifically includes Asian languages. Effective July 1, 2003.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300SB0891&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=3763&DocNum=891&GAID=3&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300SB0891eng&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=3763&DocNum=891&GAID=3&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300SB0891enr&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=3763&DocNum=891&GAID=3&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **36–17** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **113–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Barack Obama — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2003-02-19** Filed with Secretary by Sen. Barack Obama `filing`
- **2003-02-19** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2003-02-19** Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2003-02-26** Assigned to Education `referral-committee`
- **2003-03-04** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Barack Obama `amendment-introduction`
- **2003-03-04** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2003-03-05** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Education
- **2003-03-11** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2003-03-12** Do Pass as Amended Education; 006-004-000 `committee-passage`
- **2003-03-12** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading March 13, 2003
- **2003-03-13** Fiscal Note Requested by Sen. Dan Cronin
- **2003-03-27** Fiscal Note Filed as Amended with Committee Amendment No. 1
- **2003-03-27** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2003-03-27** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading April 2, 2003
- **2003-03-28** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Barack Obama `amendment-introduction`
- **2003-03-28** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2003-04-01** Senate Floor Amendment No. 3 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Barack Obama `amendment-introduction`
- **2003-04-01** Senate Floor Amendment No. 3 Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2003-04-02** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Rules Refers to Education
- **2003-04-02** Senate Floor Amendment No. 3 Rules Refers to Education
- **2003-04-02** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Be Adopted Education; 010-000-000 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2003-04-02** Senate Floor Amendment No. 3 Be Adopted Education; 010-000-000 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2003-04-02** Recalled to Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2003-04-02** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Adopted; Obama `amendment-passage`
- **2003-04-02** Senate Floor Amendment No. 3 Adopted; Obama `amendment-passage`
- **2003-04-02** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading April 3, 2003
- **2003-04-03** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter
- **2003-04-03** Third Reading - Passed; 036-017-003 `reading-3, passage`
- **2003-04-04** Arrived in House `introduction`
- **2003-04-04** Chief House Sponsor Rep. Harry Osterman
- **2003-04-04** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2003-04-04** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2003-04-08** Assigned to Elementary and Secondary Education Committee `referral-committee`
- **2003-04-16** Do Pass / Short Debate Elementary and Secondary Education Committee; 017-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2003-04-16** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2003-05-01** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Karen A. Yarbrough
- **2003-05-09** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2003-05-09** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2003-05-09** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Deborah L. Graham
- **2003-05-16** Committee/3rd Reading Deadline Extended-Rule 9(b); May 23, 2003
- **2003-05-20** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 113-000-001 `reading-3, passage`
- **2003-05-20** Passed Both Houses
- **2003-06-18** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2003-08-08** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2003-08-08** Effective Date January 1, 2004
- **2003-08-08** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 93-0471 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/797d1485-fbf5-4f2f-8496-9d24dbc37d5b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).