Quincy Reporter

Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) says a bill recently signed into law by Gov. Pritzker will aid vaccinated teachers and 'punish those who haven’t been vaccinated.'

House Bill 1167 would provide paid administrative leave for fully vaccinated teachers who had to take COVID-19-related time off and would be applied retroactively to the 2021-2022 school year. Unvaccinated teachers won't get the same benefit.

“It’s not fair to pit teachers against each other by giving different benefits based on their vaccination status,” Tracy said on her website.

House Bill 1167 passed the House on March 1 and the Senate on March 31. It was originally filed by Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch (D-Westchester) on Feb. 11, 2021. The bill was signed into law April 5 by Pritzker.

Tracy said on her website that when the General Assembly passed legislation to help teachers who had used up their sick time, the bill was vetoed by Pritzker. Next came House Bill 1167, which gives teachers back their already-used sick days, but only those who are fully vaccinated. Teachers have five weeks to get the required doses to be considered fully vaccinated.

Mask mandates ended in Illinois in February and March for many, although there are still places where masks are required (like public transportation). The bill applies to all the staff of community colleges, schools, and universities who have received the necessary doses within a span of 35 days from the effective date of the act. The newly passed law will also permit paycheck protection for all kinds of hourly employees in case of e-learning or emergency school closure days.