IL HB1861

Amends the School Code to clarify residency determination for children with disabilities placed in long-term, acute care facilities serving primarily Medicaid-eligible minor children in West Harvey-Dixmoor Public Schools District 147 or Thornton Township High School District 205

Requires parents or guardians who move out of state after placing a child in such a facility to enroll the child in a school in the new state to initiate reimbursement to Illinois; if the other state refuses enrollment, the child remains a resident of the last Illinois school district

Reduces documentation requirements for determining unknown parent/guardian location from 4 separate attempts to 3 satisfactory attempts made on 3 separate days, with a 14-day response window

Establishes that for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond, when an out-of-state district refuses to enroll a child despite contact from the nonpublic school and State Board of Education, the student's most recent Illinois resident district becomes the responsible payor

Provides a one-time appropriation for fiscal year 2027 to reimburse resident districts for tuition receipts for applicable children from the 2025-2026 school year, with this provision expiring June 30, 2027