---
type: "Bill"
title: "VOCATIONAL ACADEMIES ACT"
description: "Creates the Vocational Academies Act. Allows a school district, in partnership with community colleges, local employers, and community-based organizations, to establish a vocational academy that is eligible for a grant from the State Board of Education if the vocational academy meets specified requirements. Effective immediately."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "94th"
identifier: "HB 3646"
citation: "Illinois HB 3646 (94th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 30
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2005-02-24"
last_action: "2005-07-14"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/748bbc26-5ddb-4dec-9109-2865ea38f648"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3646&GAID=8&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=20082&SessionID=50&GA=94"
source_hash: "94c99424e1bfbf9d60c152bcb2733467176b43e51bf1076903a1d069af79c316"
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 HB 3646 (94th) — VOCATIONAL ACADEMIES ACT

Creates the Vocational Academies Act. Allows a school district, in partnership with community colleges, local employers, and community-based organizations, to establish a vocational academy that is eligible for a grant from the State Board of Education if the vocational academy meets specified requirements. Effective immediately.

## 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=09400HB3646&GA=94&SessionId=50&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=20082&DocNum=3646&GAID=8&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09400HB3646eng&GA=94&SessionId=50&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=20082&DocNum=3646&GAID=8&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09400HB3646enr&GA=94&SessionId=50&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=20082&DocNum=3646&GAID=8&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **113–0** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **53–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Robert W. Pritchard — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2005-02-24** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Robert W. Pritchard `filing`
- **2005-02-24** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2005-02-24** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2005-03-01** Assigned to Elementary & Secondary Education Committee `referral-committee`
- **2005-03-09** Do Pass / Short Debate Elementary & Secondary Education Committee; 020-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2005-03-10** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2005-03-10** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. William Davis
- **2005-03-15** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2005-03-15** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2005-03-16** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 113-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2005-03-16** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Rosemary Mulligan
- **2005-03-16** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Ruth Munson
- **2005-03-16** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Carolyn H. Krause
- **2005-03-16** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. James H. Meyer
- **2005-03-17** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2005-03-17** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading April 6, 2005 `reading-1`
- **2005-04-13** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. John M. Sullivan
- **2005-04-14** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2005-04-14** Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2005-04-21** Assigned to Education `referral-committee`
- **2005-05-04** Do Pass Education; 009-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2005-05-04** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 5, 2005
- **2005-05-10** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2005-05-10** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 11, 2005
- **2005-05-16** Third Reading - Passed; 053-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2005-05-16** Passed Both Houses
- **2005-06-14** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2005-07-14** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2005-07-14** Effective Date July 14, 2005
- **2005-07-14** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 94-0220 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/748bbc26-5ddb-4dec-9109-2865ea38f648`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).