republic-os/legislation/us/states/il/99th/hb-119.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "SCH CD-COMM RETENTION STUDENTS"
description: "Amends the School Code. Provides that a school board may create a committee on the retention of students, consisting of the district superintendent or his or her designee, a district administrator who directs student instruction and curriculum, a principal, and a teacher. Provides that prior to retention in a grade, a school may submit, by a date as set by the committee, the names of all students determined by the school to not qualify for promotion to the next higher grade and the reason for that determination. Requires the committee to review the school's decision to retain with respect to each student and make a final decision regarding whether or not to retain a particular student. Requires the committee to take into consideration the performance evaluation of the student's teacher or teachers. Provides that the committee may vote to prohibit the school district from retaining the student if the committee determines that the student is being retained due to inadequate instruction, resources, or facilities provided by the school district or due to the student having an undiagnosed learning disability. Amends the Children with Disabilities Article to provide that a child with a learning disability must not be denied promotion, graduation, or a general diploma on the basis of failing a minimal competency test when such failure can be directly related to the disabling condition of the student. Effective immediately."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "99th"
identifier: "HB 119"
citation: "Illinois HB 119 (99th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 38
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2015-01-14"
last_action: "2016-07-22"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/cbe60376-b9e6-4ad2-805d-c9607eb22705"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=119&GAID=13&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=83610&SessionID=88&GA=99"
source_hash: "75a7cf6a6f5062f0892965433c99b7a0d5c4e82713ebae1ecdfdd728b09eb98c"
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 119 (99th) — SCH CD-COMM RETENTION STUDENTS

Amends the School Code. Provides that a school board may create a committee on the retention of students, consisting of the district superintendent or his or her designee, a district administrator who directs student instruction and curriculum, a principal, and a teacher. Provides that prior to retention in a grade, a school may submit, by a date as set by the committee, the names of all students determined by the school to not qualify for promotion to the next higher grade and the reason for that determination. Requires the committee to review the school's decision to retain with respect to each student and make a final decision regarding whether or not to retain a particular student. Requires the committee to take into consideration the performance evaluation of the student's teacher or teachers. Provides that the committee may vote to prohibit the school district from retaining the student if the committee determines that the student is being retained due to inadequate instruction, resources, or facilities provided by the school district or due to the student having an undiagnosed learning disability. Amends the Children with Disabilities Article to provide that a child with a learning disability must not be denied promotion, graduation, or a general diploma on the basis of failing a minimal competency test when such failure can be directly related to the disabling condition of the student. 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=09900HB0119&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=83610&DocNum=119&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09900HB0119eng&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=83610&DocNum=119&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09900HB0119enr&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=83610&DocNum=119&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **105–6** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **55–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Mary E. Flowers — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2015-01-14** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Mary E. Flowers `filing`
- **2015-01-14** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2015-01-14** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2015-02-03** Assigned to Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee `referral-committee`
- **2015-02-26** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Mary E. Flowers `amendment-introduction`
- **2015-02-26** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2015-03-02** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee
- **2015-03-25** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted in Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee; by Voice Vote `amendment-passage`
- **2015-03-25** Motion Do Pass as Amended - Lost Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee; 013-010-000 `committee-failure`
- **2015-03-25** Remains in Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee
- **2015-03-27** Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2016-01-28** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Rita Mayfield
- **2016-02-16** Assigned to Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee `referral-committee`
- **2016-04-05** Do Pass as Amended / Short Debate Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee; 015-006-002 `committee-passage`
- **2016-04-05** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2016-04-13** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. La Shawn K. Ford
- **2016-04-13** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch
- **2016-04-13** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Sonya M. Harper
- **2016-04-13** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2016-04-13** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2016-04-19** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 105-006-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2016-04-19** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2016-04-19** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading April 20, 2016 `reading-1`
- **2016-04-19** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Monique D. Davis
- **2016-04-26** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins
- **2016-04-27** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2016-04-27** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2016-04-27** Assigned to Education `referral-committee`
- **2016-05-03** Do Pass Education; 013-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2016-05-03** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 4, 2016
- **2016-05-17** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2016-05-17** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 18, 2016
- **2016-05-18** Third Reading - Passed; 055-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2016-05-18** Passed Both Houses
- **2016-06-16** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2016-07-22** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2016-07-22** Effective Date July 22, 2016
- **2016-07-22** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 99-0592 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/cbe60376-b9e6-4ad2-805d-c9607eb22705`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).