SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Graciela Guzmán’s bill to decouple Illinois adult education funding from federal rules was signed into law Wednesday.
“Adult education changes lives. It helps parents earn a diploma, workers gain new skills, immigrants learn English, and people build a better future for themselves and their families,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “Illinois should not have to put those opportunities at risk every time the federal government changes course. This law ensures that our communities, not political chaos in Washington, determine how we invest in adult learners.”
Adult education programs help Illinois residents earn high school equivalency credentials, learn English, build digital literacy, prepare for college and workforce training, and develop the skills needed for family-sustaining careers.
This legislation comes as the Trump administration has sought to exert greater control over education policy while threatening federal education funding. Without action, changes to federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act requirements could have disrupted access to adult education programs that thousands of Illinois residents rely on every year.
Guzmán’s law ensures that Illinois-funded adult education programs are governed by Illinois law rather than federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act requirements, while preserving compliance where federal funding is involved. This gives the state greater flexibility to respond to the needs of adult learners instead of changing federal priorities.
Under Guzmán’s initiative, community colleges and educational institutions can use state funding for digital literacy instruction and expand eligibility for adult education programs beginning at age 17, helping more Illinoisans prepare for college, careers and civic life.
“The promise of adult education should never depend on who’s in the White House,” said Guzmán. “Illinois is choosing stability over chaos and opportunity over political games. Every person deserves the chance to earn a credential, learn new skills, improve their English, or pursue a better job, and this law helps ensure those opportunities remain available.”
House Bill 5135 was signed into law Wednesday.
