Education (School Safety)

Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Requires the State Board of Education and the Office of the Fire Marshal to develop clear and definitive guidelines to school districts, private schools, and first responders as to how to develop threat assessment procedures, rapid entry response plans, and cardiac emergency response plans. Requires the State Board of Education and the Office of the State Fire Marshal to cooperate to adopt rules to implement the provisions of the amendatory Act. Grants emergency rulemaking powers to the State Board of Education and the Office of the State Fire Marshal to implement the provisions of the amendatory Act for a period not to exceed 180 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Requires the State Board of Education to provide school districts with standards outlining what steps or consideration shall be included within the school district's threat assessment procedure. Makes a corresponding change in the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that out-of-school suspensions and expulsions should only be used when the student's presence poses a threat to the operation of the school, poses a threat to the health or safety of students or school personnel, or causes a disruption to other students' learning opportunities. Provides that to ensure that students are not excluded from school unnecessarily, it is recommended that school officials consider implementing proactive evidence-based interventions that improve behavioral outcomes for all students. Provides that out-of-school suspensions of 3 days or less may be used only if the student's conduct poses a threat to the operation of the school, poses a threat to the health or safety of students or school personnel, or causes (rather than the student's continuing presence in school would pose a threat to school safety or) a disruption to other students' learning opportunities. Provides that the school board shall be solely responsible for determining, on a case-by-case basis, whether the student's conduct poses a threat to the operation of the school, poses a threat to the health or safety of students or school personnel, or causes a disruption to other students' learning opportunities. Provides that out-of-school suspensions of longer than 3 days, expulsions, and disciplinary removals to alternative schools may be used only if other appropriate and available behavioral and disciplinary interventions have been attempted (rather than exhausted) and the student's conduct poses a threat to the school, poses a threat to the health or safety of students or school personnel, or causes a disruption to other students' learning opportunities (rather than the student's continuing presence in school would either (i) pose a threat to the safety of other students, staff, or members of the school community or (ii) substantially disrupt, impede, or interfere with the operation of the school). Makes conforming changes.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. In the statute creating the offense of threatening a public official or human service provider, includes threatening a teacher, principal, or administrator of a public or private elementary or secondary school. Changes the name of the offense to threatening a public official, a human service provider, or a teacher, principal, or administrator of a public or private elementary or secondary school. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 to make conforming changes.

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning a school board's suspension or expulsion of pupils, provides that a student who is determined to have committed sexual violence, sexual assault, or sexual activity with an individual without the individual's consent at a school, a school-sponsored activity or event, or any activity or event that bears a reasonable relationship to school shall be expelled for a period of not less than one year. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that aggravated assault of a teacher upon school grounds or grounds adjacent to a school or in any part of a building used for school purposes is a Class 4 felony (rather than a Class A misdemeanor).

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning bullying prevention, provides that "policy on bullying" means a bullying prevention policy that is age and developmentally appropriate. Effective July 1, 2025.

Amends the School Code. Removes language allowing school districts that collect biometric information from students to adopt specified policies. Instead, prohibits a school district from purchasing or otherwise acquiring biometric systems to use on students. Provides that a school district may not do any of the following with respect to students: (1) obtain, retain, possess, access, request, or use biometric systems or biometric information derived from biometric systems; or (2) enter into an agreement with a third party for the purpose of obtaining, retaining, possessing, accessing, or using, by or on behalf of the school district, biometric systems. Provides that, within 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, if a school district is in possession of student biometric information, then the school district shall destroy the biometric information and provide certified documentation of destruction to the State Board of Education. Provides that, within 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, any school district that has contracted with a third party to obtain, collect, or store student biometric information shall require the third party to destroy all biometric information in its possession and confirm in writing the completion of this destruction to the school district. During the 30-day period in which a school district may still have student biometric information in its possession, prohibits the school district from selling, leasing, or otherwise disclosing the biometric information to another person or entity unless: (1) the individual who has legal custody of the student or the student, if he or she has reached the age of 18, consents to the disclosure; or (2) the disclosure is required by court order. Makes other changes.

Creates the Mobile Panic Alert System Act. Provides that the Act may be referred to as Alyssa's Law. Requires, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, each public school to implement a mobile panic alert system capable of connecting diverse emergency services technologies to ensure real-time coordination between multiple first responder agencies. Allows a school district to implement additional strategies or systems to ensure real-time coordination between multiple first responder agencies in a school security emergency. Sets forth provisions requiring a competitive contract solicitation. Subject to appropriation, requires the State Board of Education to establish and administer a Mobile Panic Alert System Grant Program for the purpose of issuing grants to reimburse school districts for the cost of mobile panic alert systems from moneys appropriated from the Mobile Panic Alert System Grant Fund. Amends the State Finance Act and the School Code to make conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2026.

Urges the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to identify and publish a list of evidence-based, decision-making, and impulse-control curricula that have been demonstrated to reduce violence involvement, make at least one free or low-cost curriculum available statewide for optional integration into existing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) instruction, encourage districts to implement these programs using existing resources and staff development, and develop, pilot, and rigorously test new school-based decision-making and violence-prevention curricula that can be easily adopted by ISBE and schools statewide if proven effective in reducing violence. Urges the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC), the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), and county probation and diversion programs to identify and approve evidence-based, decision-making curricula appropriate for minors under supervision, diversion, or detention, to encourage their integration as standard early interventions, and to implement these initiatives within existing budgets and structures. Urges the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) to coordinate with ISBE, AOIC, DJJ, and local partners to align violence-prevention curricula and community-based interventions across settings. Recognizes Professor Jens Ludwig for his groundbreaking research, leadership, and publication of Unforgiving Places. Acknowledges the contributions of other scholars and organizations advancing behavioral approaches to violence prevention.

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, requires a school district, if funds are available, to provide a minimum of 3 hours of instruction for students in any of grades 7 through 12 on (i) legal aspects explaining certain laws and penalties, (ii) responding to a police encounter, and (iii) the aftermath. Allows the State Board of Education to prepare and make available to school boards resource materials that may be used as guidelines for the development of the instruction. Effective immediately.