IL HB2986

Allows ex officio members of the Illinois Holocaust and Genocide Commission (State Superintendent of Education, Executive Director of Board of Higher Education, Director of Veterans' Affairs) to designate representatives to serve in their place

Reorganizes State Board of Education terminology by changing "divisions" to "departments" and updates department names, including renaming "Specialized Instruction" to "Special Education" and "Language" to "Multilingual or Language Development"

Streamlines school district financial reporting by requiring auditing firms to file Annual Financial Reports and audits directly with the State Board of Education by October 15, eliminating the regional superintendent intermediary role for forwarding reports

Removes the 3-year time limit for English learners participating in transitional bilingual education programs, allowing students to remain until they achieve sufficient English proficiency regardless of enrollment duration

Repeals several outdated provisions including the Illinois Summer School for the Arts Act, the Interagency Board for Children who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Act, and various obsolete School Code sections related to reading improvement programs and reporting requirements