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Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Illinois Rep. Mccombie’s education externship opportunity bill passes House and Senate

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Tony M. McCombie, Illinois State Representative from the 89th District | Illinois General Assembly

Tony M. McCombie, Illinois State Representative from the 89th District | Illinois General Assembly

Newly passed bill authored by State Rep. Tony M. McCombie aims to increase access to externships, internships, and volunteer opportunities for high school students through a publicly accessible submission form maintained by the Illinois State Board of Education, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 76 Democrats and 37 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 39 Democrats and 19 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Mccombie introduced the bill in the Illinois House on Feb. 5, 2025 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as HB2801, was passed on May 22, 2025 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 School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall compile and disseminate annually a list of Illinois organizations offering externships, internships, and volunteer opportunities to young women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Provides that each school board shall post the list disseminated by the State Board of Education in a location easily accessible to students."

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

In essence, this bill mandates the Illinois State Board of Education to create and maintain a publicly accessible form by July 1, 2026, allowing organizations to submit opportunities for high school students to engage in externships, internships, or volunteer work connected to career and technical education pathways. Submitted opportunities are subject to review and approval by the board and will be listed on its website. The list will be updated annually and distributed to all school districts. Additionally, by July 1, 2027, and each year thereafter, the board must publish a report detailing the total number of submitting organizations, disaggregated by career area, from the previous year.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Regan Deering (Republican-88th District), Rep. Anna Moeller (Democrat-43rd District), and Sen. Jason Plummer (Republican-55th District), along with two 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.

McCombie graduated from Western Illinois University in 1996 with a BA.

McCombie, a Republican, was elected to the Illinois State House in 2023 to represent the state's 89th House District, replacing previous state representative Andrew Chesney.

Senate Vote – Third Reading on HB2801 (May 22, 2025)

LegislatorPartyDistrictVote
Adriane JohnsonDemocrat30th DistrictYea
Andrew S. ChesneyRepublican45th DistrictYea
Bill CunninghamDemocrat18th DistrictYea
Celina VillanuevaDemocrat12th DistrictYea
Chapin RoseRepublican51st DistrictYea
Chris BalkemaRepublican53rd DistrictYea
Christopher BeltDemocrat57th DistrictYea
Craig WilcoxRepublican32nd DistrictYea
Cristina CastroDemocrat22nd DistrictYea
Dale FowlerRepublican59th DistrictYea
Darby A. HillsRepublican26th DistrictYea
Dave SyversonRepublican35th DistrictYea
David KoehlerDemocrat46th DistrictYea
Donald P. DeWitteRepublican33rd DistrictYea
Doris TurnerDemocrat48th DistrictYea
Elgie R. Sims, Jr.Democrat17th DistrictYea
Emil Jones, IIIDemocrat14th DistrictYea
Erica HarrissRepublican56th DistrictYea
Graciela GuzmánDemocrat20th DistrictYea
Jason PlummerRepublican55th DistrictYea
Javier L. CervantesDemocrat1st DistrictYea
Jil TracyRepublican50th DistrictYea
John F. CurranRepublican41st DistrictYea
Julie A. MorrisonDemocrat29th DistrictYea
Karina VillaDemocrat25th DistrictYea
Kimberly A. LightfordDemocrat4th DistrictYea
Lakesia CollinsDemocrat5th DistrictYea
Laura EllmanDemocrat21st DistrictYea
Laura FineDemocrat9th DistrictYea
Laura M. MurphyDemocrat28th DistrictYea
Li Arellano, Jr.Republican37th DistrictYea
Linda HolmesDemocrat42nd DistrictYea
Mark L. WalkerDemocrat27th DistrictYea
Mary Edly-AllenDemocrat31st DistrictYea
Mattie HunterDemocrat3rd DistrictYea
Meg Loughran CappelDemocrat49th DistrictNot vote
Michael E. HastingsDemocrat19th DistrictYea
Michael W. HalpinDemocrat36th DistrictYea
Mike PorfirioDemocrat11th DistrictYea
Mike SimmonsDemocrat7th DistrictYea
Mr. PresidentDemocrat39th DistrictYea
Napoleon Harris, IIIDemocrat15th DistrictYea
Neil AndersonRepublican47th DistrictYea
Omar AquinoDemocrat2nd DistrictYea
Patrick J. JoyceDemocrat40th DistrictYea
Paul FaraciDemocrat52nd DistrictYea
Rachel VenturaDemocrat43rd DistrictYea
Ram VillivalamDemocrat8th DistrictYea
Robert F. MartwickDemocrat10th DistrictYea
Robert PetersDemocrat13th DistrictYea
Sally J. TurnerRepublican44th DistrictYea
Sara FeigenholtzDemocrat6th DistrictYea
Seth LewisRepublican24th DistrictYea
Steve McClureRepublican54th DistrictYea
Steve StadelmanDemocrat34th DistrictYea
Sue RezinRepublican38th DistrictYea
Suzy Glowiak HiltonDemocrat23rd DistrictYea
Terri BryantRepublican58th DistrictYea
Willie PrestonDemocrat16th DistrictYea

House Vote – Third Reading on HB2801 (Apr 09, 2025)

LegislatorPartyDistrictVote
Aarón M. OrtízDemocrat1st DistrictYea
Abdelnasser RashidDemocrat21st DistrictYea
Adam M. NiemergRepublican102nd DistrictYea
Amy BrielDemocrat76th DistrictYea
Amy ElikRepublican111th DistrictYea
Amy L. GrantRepublican47th DistrictYea
Angelica Guerrero-CuellarDemocrat22nd DistrictYea
Ann M. WilliamsDemocrat11th DistrictYea
Anna MoellerDemocrat43rd DistrictYea
Anne StavaDemocrat81st DistrictYea
Anthony DeLucaDemocrat80th DistrictYea
Barbara HernandezDemocrat50th DistrictYea
Blaine WilhourRepublican110th DistrictYea
Bob MorganDemocrat58th DistrictYea
Brad HalbrookRepublican107th DistrictNot vote
Brad StephensRepublican20th DistrictYea
Bradley FrittsRepublican74th DistrictYea
Brandun SchweizerRepublican104th DistrictYea
Camille Y. LillyDemocrat78th DistrictYea
Carol AmmonsDemocrat103rd DistrictAbsent, excused
Charles MeierRepublican109th DistrictYea
Chris MillerRepublican101st DistrictPresent
Christopher "C.D." DavidsmeyerRepublican100th DistrictYea
Curtis J. Tarver, IIDemocrat25th DistrictYea
Dagmara AvelarDemocrat85th DistrictYea
Dan SwansonRepublican71st DistrictYea
Dan UgasteRepublican65th DistrictYea
Daniel DidechDemocrat59th DistrictYea
Dave SeverinRepublican116th DistrictAbsent, excused
Dave VellaDemocrat68th DistrictYea
David FriessRepublican115th DistrictYea
Debbie Meyers-MartinDemocrat38th DistrictYea
Dennis TipswordRepublican105th DistrictYea
Diane Blair-SherlockDemocrat46th DistrictYea
Edgar González, Jr.Democrat23rd DistrictYea
Elizabeth "Lisa" HernandezDemocrat2nd DistrictYea
Eva-Dina DelgadoDemocrat3rd DistrictYea
Fred CrespoDemocrat44th DistrictYea
Gregg JohnsonDemocrat72nd DistrictYea
Harry BentonDemocrat97th DistrictYea
Hoan HuynhDemocrat13th DistrictYea
Jackie HaasRepublican79th DistrictYea
Jaime M. Andrade, Jr.Democrat40th DistrictYea
Janet Yang RohrDemocrat41st DistrictYea
Jason R. BuntingRepublican106th DistrictYea
Jawaharial WilliamsDemocrat10th DistrictYea
Jay HoffmanDemocrat113th DistrictYea
Jed DavisRepublican75th DistrictYea
Jeff KeicherRepublican70th DistrictYea
Jehan Gordon-BoothDemocrat92nd DistrictYea
Jennifer Gong-GershowitzDemocrat17th DistrictYea
Jennifer SanalitroRepublican48th DistrictYea
Joe C. SosnowskiRepublican69th DistrictYea
John M. CabelloRepublican90th DistrictYea
Joyce MasonDemocrat61st DistrictYea
Justin SlaughterDemocrat27th DistrictYea
Kam BucknerDemocrat26th DistrictYea
Katie StuartDemocrat112th DistrictYea
Kelly M. CassidyDemocrat14th DistrictYea
Kevin John OlickalDemocrat16th DistrictYea
Kevin SchmidtRepublican114th DistrictYea
Kimberly Du BucletDemocrat5th DistrictYea
Kyle MooreRepublican99th DistrictYea
La Shawn K. FordDemocrat8th DistrictYea
Laura Faver DiasDemocrat62nd DistrictYea
Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr.Democrat86th DistrictYea
Lilian JiménezDemocrat4th DistrictYea
Lindsey LaPointeDemocrat19th DistrictYea
Lisa DavisDemocrat32nd DistrictYea
Marcus C. Evans, Jr.Democrat33rd DistrictYea
Margaret CrokeDemocrat12th DistrictYea
Martha DeuterDemocrat45th DistrictYea
Martin J. MoylanDemocrat55th DistrictYea
Martin McLaughlinRepublican52nd DistrictYea
Mary Beth CantyDemocrat54th DistrictYea
Mary GillDemocrat35th DistrictYea
Matt HansonDemocrat83rd DistrictYea
Maura HirschauerDemocrat49th DistrictYea
Maurice A. West, IIDemocrat67th DistrictYea
Michael CrawfordDemocrat31st DistrictYea
Michael J. Coffey, Jr.Republican95th DistrictYea
Michael J. KellyDemocrat15th DistrictYea
Michelle MussmanDemocrat56th DistrictYea
Mr. SpeakerDemocrat7th DistrictYea
Nabeela SyedDemocrat51st DistrictYea
Natalie A. ManleyDemocrat98th DistrictYea
Nicholas K. SmithDemocrat34th DistrictYea
Nicole La HaRepublican82nd DistrictYea
Nicolle GrasseDemocrat53rd DistrictYea
Norine K. HammondRepublican94th DistrictYea
Norma HernandezDemocrat77th DistrictYea
Patrick SheehanRepublican37th DistrictYea
Patrick WindhorstRepublican117th DistrictYea
Paul JacobsRepublican118th DistrictYea
Regan DeeringRepublican88th DistrictYea
Rick RyanDemocrat36th DistrictYea
Rita MayfieldDemocrat60th DistrictYea
Robert "Bob" RitaDemocrat28th DistrictYea
Robyn GabelDemocrat18th DistrictYea
Ryan SpainRepublican73rd DistrictYea
Sharon ChungDemocrat91st DistrictYea
Sonya M. HarperDemocrat6th DistrictYea
Stephanie A. KifowitDemocrat84th DistrictYea
Steven ReickRepublican63rd DistrictYea
Sue SchererDemocrat96th DistrictAbsent, excused
Suzanne M. NessDemocrat66th DistrictYea
Terra Costa HowardDemocrat42nd DistrictYea
Thaddeus JonesDemocrat29th DistrictYea
Theresa MahDemocrat24th DistrictYea
Tom WeberRepublican64th DistrictYea
Tony M. McCombieRepublican89th DistrictYea
Tracy Katz MuhlDemocrat57th DistrictYea
Travis WeaverRepublican93rd DistrictYea
Wayne A. RosenthalRepublican108th DistrictYea
Will GuzzardiDemocrat39th DistrictYea
William "Will" DavisDemocrat30th DistrictYea
William E HauterRepublican87th DistrictYea
Yolonda MorrisDemocrat9th DistrictYea

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