The recent support of legislators, especially Illinois legislators, has been critical in the arena of public policy and is vital to the expansion of the PBIS initiative.

• July 14, 2008

U.S. Representative Phil Hare (IL-17), a member of the Illinois PBIS Network Statewide Leadership Team, has scheduled a congressional briefing on PBIS in Illinois schools.  It will be held on Thursday, July 24, 2008 from 9 to 10 a.m. in Washington, D.C., at the Cannon House Office Building, Room 340.  The purpose of the briefing is to highlight Illinois’ leadership in implementing school-wide Positive Behavior Supports and encourage support for the Positive Behavior for Effective Schools Act (H.R. 3407) introduced by Congressman Hare, along with original co-sponsor Danny Davis (IL-7).  Testimony on PBIS and Illinois PBIS success will be provided by a panel of speakers, Lucille Eber, Statewide Director, Illinois PBIS Network, George Sugai, Co-Director of the National PBIS Center, Andrew Krugly, principal, Dewey Elementary School, Evanston, IL, Joy Boostrom, external coach, Monmouth-Roseville School District, and Laurel Stine, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law.  Representative Hare would like to garner as much co-sponsorship support as possible before the end of the current congressional session in late September.  For more information about this legislation and the companion legislation, S.2111, introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senator Barack Obama and co-sponsors Richard Durbin (IL) and Bernard Sanders (VT), see our September 2007 update below.

Here's How You Can Help!

Contact your local Illinois U.S. Representative NOW by e-mail, hard copy letter, or telephone call and ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 3407. Follow these easy steps...

1. To find your U.S. Representative,log-on to U.S. House of Representatives website, www.house.gov/writerep, and follow the prompts for complete contact information on your local legislator.
       
2. Use the “IL PBIS School Endorsement Letter Template (MSWord) ” to e-mail or mail a hard copy letter on your personal or organization’s letterhead.  E-mails and letters should be sent to both the Washington, D.C. Office and a Local District Office.

To encourage support at the statewide level, the Illinois PBIS Network as has:

1. Provided a letter of support to U.S. Representative Phil Hare from Lucille Eber, Statewide Director.  To view a copy of this correspondence, click here:
   
   Illinois PBIS Network letter of support to US Representative Phil Hare (MS Word).
     
2. Contacted all Illinois Representatives in Congress to request that they sign on as co-sponsors to H.R. 3407.   To view an example of this correspondence, click here:
   
   Illinois Representative to the U.S. Congress support template (MS Word).
    
3. Contacted the members of the Illinois PBIS Network Statewide Leadership Team and requested that they provide a letter of support to the U.S. Representative in their district.  To view an example of this correspondence, click here:
   
   SLT email and endorsement letter template (MS Word).
       
4. Contacted all PBIS School Personnel (i.e., superintendents, principals, internal/external coaches, etc.)  and requested that they provide a letter of support to the U.S. Representative in their district.  To view an example of this correspondence click here:
   
   PBIS School Personnel email and endorsement letter template (MS Word).
     
5. Contacted people on the National Forum for Implementers of School-wide PBS mailing list and requested they they provide a letter of support.  To view an example of this correspondence, click here:
   
   Forum mailing list email and PBIS Advocate endorsement template (MS Word).
      
6. Contacted our PBIS National Partners and requested their help in drumming up national support among their U.S. Congressmen.  To view an example of this correspondence, click here:
   
   National Partner email with all templates (MS Word).

• September 27, 2007
  
  US Senator Barack Obama (IL), along with co-sponsors Richard Durbin (IL) and Bernard Sanders (VT), introduced the Positive Behavior for Effective Schools Act in the US Senate (S.2111), which is companion legislation to H.R.3407.

  For more information, log on to: http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/110search.html.  Under the words "Enter Search", scroll to "Bill Number" and type in the number (i.e., S.2111), then click on "SEARCH."

  Obama Press Release 10/02/07: Student Behavior in Schools (PDF)

• August 3, 2007
  
  US Representative Phil Hare (IL-17), along with co-sponsors Danny Davis (IL-7), David Loebsack (IA-2), and Lynn Woolsey (CA-6), introduced the Positive Behavior for Effective Schools Act in the US House of Representatives (H.R.3407).
  

  For more information, log on to: http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/110search.html.  Under the words "Enter Search" scroll to "Bill Number" and type in the number (i.e., H.R.3407), then click on "SEARCH".

• May 8, 2007
  
  U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy (MA) along with 11 co-sponsors introduced the Mental Health in Schools Act of 2007 (S.1332). 

  For more information log-on to:  http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/110search.html.  Under the words “Enter Search” scroll to “Bill Number” and type in the number (i.e., S.1332), then click on “SEARCH.” 

• March 8, 2007
  
  Illinois State Senator Don Harmon (District 39) filed the Illinois General Assembly Senate Resolution SR0090:  Children’s Mental Health Funding, which is companion legislation to HR0113.  

For more information log-on to:  http://www.ilga.gov/.   In the left column under “By Number,” type the bill number (i.e., SR0090), then click on “GO.” 

• February 21, 2007
  
  Illinois State Representative Kathleen Ryg (District 59) filed Illinois General Assembly House Resolution HR0113:  Children’s Mental Health Funding. 

 For more information log-on to:  http://www.ilga.gov/.   In the left column under “By Number,” type the bill number (i.e., HR0113), then click on “GO.”