Illinois Rep. Ortiz’s adult education reform bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Aarón M. Ortíz aims to update adult education laws, including raising the minimum student age and revising funding and reporting requirements, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 72 Democrats voted in favor of the bill, while 37 Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 37 Democrats and 11 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while seven Republicans voted against it.

Ortiz introduced the bill in the Illinois House on Feb. 5, 2026 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as HB5135, was passed on May 21, 2026 during the general assembly session 104.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill’s official text as follows: “Amends the Adult Education Act and the Public Community College Act. With respect to the annual report on adult education for the preceding school year by the Illinois Community College Board, removes the requirement to include a summary of State reimbursement for adult basic education, adult secondary education, English language acquisition, high school credit, integrated English literacy and civics education, and bridge and integrated education and training programs in coordination with vocational skills training. Provides that any public community college district maintaining adult educations classes for the instruction of those persons who, among other requirements, are 17 (rather than 16) years of age or older are entitled to claim an apportionment of State reimbursement. Allows classes in adult education to include digital literacy. Removes language providing that the maximum generation rate for reimbursement per credit hour or per unit of instruction shall be equal to the community college system reimbursement rate for adult education divided by one-third. Provides that State adult education funds, other than matching funds, are not subject to the authorizing federal law. Removes language providing that approved programs for adult education may assess students up to $6 per credit hour or unit of instruction per semester per student. Removes language requiring an education plan to be established for each adult learning participating in the instructional programs. Requires each adult learner participating in the instructional programs to complete an assessment of foundational skills to appropriately place the adult learner in an instructional program. Makes other and conforming changes.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill revises Illinois adult education laws by raising the minimum age for community college adult education students from 16 to 17, allowing digital literacy to count as reimbursable instruction, and updating funding and reporting rules. It removes detailed state reimbursement breakdowns from the Illinois Community College Board’s annual report while keeping data on needs, enrollment, performance and allocations. The bill lets approved programs charge most students up to $30 per semester, clarifies that state adult education funds other than required federal matches are not governed by federal authorizing law, and requires every adult learner to complete a foundational skills assessment for proper placement.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar (Democrat-22nd District), Rep. Dagmara Avelar (Democrat-85th District), and Sen. Graciela Guzmán (Democrat-20th District), along with six other sponsors.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Ortiz graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2013 with a BA.

Ortiz, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State House in 2019 to represent the state’s 1st House District, replacing previous state representative Daniel J. Burke.

Lawmakers listed as “Not Voting” were present for the vote but did not cast a vote. Those marked as having an “Excused Absence” were not present and formally provided a reason for their absence, which was accepted.