103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4443 Introduced , by Rep. Daniel Didech SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 128/20 Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Provides that a law enforcement lockdown drill must not be conducted on the day of or within 2 days before a school-administered standardized test. LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4443 Introduced , by Rep. Daniel Didech SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 128/20 105 ILCS 128/20 Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Provides that a law enforcement lockdown drill must not be conducted on the day of or within 2 days before a school-administered standardized test. LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4443 Introduced , by Rep. Daniel Didech SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 128/20 105 ILCS 128/20 105 ILCS 128/20 Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Provides that a law enforcement lockdown drill must not be conducted on the day of or within 2 days before a school-administered standardized test. LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b A BILL FOR HB4443LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b 1 AN ACT concerning education. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The School Safety Drill Act is amended by 5 changing Section 20 as follows: 6 (105 ILCS 128/20) 7 (Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 103-197) 8 Sec. 20. Number of drills; incidents covered; local 9 authority participation. 10 (a) During each academic year, schools must conduct a 11 minimum of 3 school evacuation drills to address and prepare 12 students and school personnel for fire incidents. These drills 13 must meet all of the following criteria: 14 (1) One of the 3 school evacuation drills shall 15 require the participation of the appropriate local fire 16 department or district. 17 (A) Each local fire department or fire district 18 must contact the appropriate school administrator or 19 his or her designee no later than September 1 of each 20 year in order to arrange for the participation of the 21 department or district in the school evacuation drill. 22 (B) Each school administrator or his or her 23 designee must contact the responding local fire 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4443 Introduced , by Rep. Daniel Didech SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 128/20 105 ILCS 128/20 105 ILCS 128/20 Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Provides that a law enforcement lockdown drill must not be conducted on the day of or within 2 days before a school-administered standardized test. LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b A BILL FOR 105 ILCS 128/20 LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443- 2 -LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 2 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 2 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b 1 official no later than September 15 of each year and 2 propose to the local fire official 4 dates within the 3 month of October, during at least 2 different weeks of 4 October, on which the drill shall occur. The fire 5 official may choose any of the 4 available dates, and 6 if he or she does so, the drill shall occur on that 7 date. 8 (C) The school administrator or his or her 9 designee and the local fire official may also, by 10 mutual agreement, set any other date for the drill, 11 including a date outside of the month of October. 12 (D) If the fire official does not select one of the 13 4 offered dates in October or set another date by 14 mutual agreement, the requirement that the school 15 include the local fire service in one of its mandatory 16 school evacuation drills shall be waived. Schools, 17 however, shall continue to be strongly encouraged to 18 include the fire service in a school evacuation drill 19 at a mutually agreed-upon time. 20 (E) Upon the participation of the local fire 21 service, the appropriate local fire official shall 22 certify that the school evacuation drill was 23 conducted. 24 (F) When scheduling the school evacuation drill, 25 the school administrator or his or her designee and 26 the local fire department or fire district may, by HB4443 - 2 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443- 3 -LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 3 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 3 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b 1 mutual agreement on or before September 14, choose to 2 waive the provisions of subparagraphs (B), (C), and 3 (D) of this paragraph (1). 4 Additional school evacuation drills for fire incidents 5 may involve the participation of the appropriate local 6 fire department or district. 7 (2) Schools may conduct additional school evacuation 8 drills to account for other evacuation incidents, 9 including without limitation suspicious items or bomb 10 threats. 11 (3) All drills shall be conducted at each school 12 building that houses school children. 13 (b) During each academic year, schools must conduct a 14 minimum of one bus evacuation drill. This drill shall be 15 accounted for in the curriculum in all public schools and in 16 all other educational institutions in this State that are 17 supported or maintained, in whole or in part, by public funds 18 and that provide instruction in any of the grades kindergarten 19 through 12. This curriculum shall include instruction in safe 20 bus riding practices for all students. Schools may conduct 21 additional bus evacuation drills. All drills shall be 22 conducted at each school building that houses school children. 23 (b-5) Notwithstanding the minimum requirements established 24 by this Act, private schools that do not utilize a bus to 25 transport students for any purpose are exempt from subsection 26 (b) of this Section, provided that the chief school HB4443 - 3 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443- 4 -LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 4 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 4 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b 1 administrator of the private school provides written assurance 2 to the State Board of Education that the private school does 3 not plan to utilize a bus to transport students for any purpose 4 during the current academic year. The assurance must be made 5 on a form supplied by the State Board of Education and filed no 6 later than October 15. If a private school utilizes a bus to 7 transport students for any purpose during an academic year 8 when an assurance pursuant to this subsection (b-5) has been 9 filed with the State Board of Education, the private school 10 shall immediately notify the State Board of Education and 11 comply with subsection (b) of this Section no later than 30 12 calendar days after utilization of the bus to transport 13 students, except that, at the discretion of the private 14 school, students chosen for participation in the bus 15 evacuation drill need include only the subgroup of students 16 that are utilizing bus transportation. 17 (c) During each academic year, schools must conduct a law 18 enforcement lockdown drill to address a school shooting 19 incident. No later than 90 days after the first day of each 20 school year, schools must conduct at least one law enforcement 21 lockdown drill that addresses an active threat or an active 22 shooter within a school building. Such drills must be 23 conducted according to the school district's or private 24 school's emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and 25 procedures to evaluate the preparedness of school personnel 26 and students. Law enforcement lockdown drills must be HB4443 - 4 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443- 5 -LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 5 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 5 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b 1 conducted on days and times when students are normally present 2 in the school building and must involve participation from all 3 school personnel and students present at school at the time of 4 the lockdown drill, except that administrators or school 5 support personnel in their discretion may exempt students from 6 the lockdown drill. The appropriate local law enforcement 7 agency shall observe the administration of the lockdown drill. 8 All drills must be conducted at each school building that 9 houses school children. 10 (1) A law enforcement lockdown drill must meet all of 11 the following criteria: 12 (A) During each calendar year, the appropriate 13 local law enforcement agency shall contact the 14 appropriate school administrator to request to 15 participate in a law enforcement lockdown drill. The 16 school administrator and local law enforcement agency 17 shall set, by mutual agreement, a date for the 18 lockdown drill. 19 (A-5) The lockdown drill shall require the on-site 20 participation of the local law enforcement agency. If 21 a mutually agreeable date cannot be reached between 22 the school administrator and the appropriate local law 23 enforcement agency, then the school shall still hold 24 the lockdown drill without participation from the 25 agency. 26 (B) Upon the participation of a local law HB4443 - 5 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443- 6 -LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 6 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 6 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b 1 enforcement agency in a law enforcement lockdown 2 drill, the appropriate local law enforcement official 3 shall certify that the law enforcement lockdown drill 4 was conducted and notify the school in a timely manner 5 of any deficiencies noted during the drill. 6 (C) The lockdown drill must not include 7 simulations that mimic an actual school shooting 8 incident or active shooter event. 9 (D) All lockdown drills must be announced in 10 advance to all school personnel and students prior to 11 the commencement of the drill. 12 (E) Lockdown drill content must be age appropriate 13 and developmentally appropriate. 14 (F) Lockdown drills must include and involve 15 school personnel, including school-based mental health 16 professionals. 17 (G) Lockdown drills must include trauma-informed 18 approaches to address the concerns and well-being of 19 students and school personnel. 20 (H) The lockdown drill must not be conducted on 21 the day of or within 2 days before a 22 school-administered standardized test. 23 (2) Schools may conduct additional law enforcement 24 drills at their discretion. 25 (3) (Blank). 26 (4) School administrators and school support personnel HB4443 - 6 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443- 7 -LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 7 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 7 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b 1 may, in their discretion, exempt a student or students 2 from participating in a walk-through lockdown drill. 3 (5) Schools must provide sufficient information and 4 notification to parents and guardians in advance of any 5 walk-through lockdown drill that involves the 6 participation of students. Schools must also provide to 7 parents and guardians an opportunity to exempt their child 8 for any reason from participating in the walk-through 9 lockdown drill. 10 (6) Schools must provide alternative safety education 11 and instruction related to an active threat or active 12 shooter event to students who do not participate in a 13 walk-through lockdown drill to provide them with essential 14 information, training, and instruction through less 15 sensorial safety training methods. 16 (7) During the drill, students must be allowed to ask 17 questions related to the drill. 18 (8) Law enforcement may choose to run an active 19 shooter simulation, including simulated gun fire drills, 20 but only on school days when students are not present. 21 Parental notification is not required for drills conducted 22 pursuant to this paragraph (8) if students are not 23 required to be present. 24 (d) During each academic year, schools must conduct a 25 minimum of one severe weather and shelter-in-place drill to 26 address and prepare students and school personnel for possible HB4443 - 7 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443- 8 -LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 8 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 8 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b 1 tornado incidents and may conduct additional severe weather 2 and shelter-in-place drills to account for other incidents, 3 including without limitation earthquakes or hazardous 4 materials. All drills shall be conducted at each school 5 building that houses school children. 6 (Source: P.A. 102-395, eff. 8-16-21.) 7 (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 103-197) 8 Sec. 20. Number of drills; incidents covered; local 9 authority participation. 10 (a) During each academic year, schools must conduct a 11 minimum of 3 school evacuation drills to address and prepare 12 students and school personnel for fire incidents. These drills 13 must meet all of the following criteria: 14 (1) One of the 3 school evacuation drills shall 15 require the participation of the appropriate local fire 16 department or district. 17 (A) Each local fire department or fire district 18 must contact the appropriate school administrator or 19 his or her designee no later than September 1 of each 20 year in order to arrange for the participation of the 21 department or district in the school evacuation drill. 22 (B) Each school administrator or his or her 23 designee must contact the responding local fire 24 official no later than September 15 of each year and 25 propose to the local fire official 4 dates within the HB4443 - 8 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443- 9 -LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 9 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 9 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b 1 month of October, during at least 2 different weeks of 2 October, on which the drill shall occur. The fire 3 official may choose any of the 4 available dates, and 4 if he or she does so, the drill shall occur on that 5 date. 6 (C) The school administrator or his or her 7 designee and the local fire official may also, by 8 mutual agreement, set any other date for the drill, 9 including a date outside of the month of October. 10 (D) If the fire official does not select one of the 11 4 offered dates in October or set another date by 12 mutual agreement, the requirement that the school 13 include the local fire service in one of its mandatory 14 school evacuation drills shall be waived. Schools, 15 however, shall continue to be strongly encouraged to 16 include the fire service in a school evacuation drill 17 at a mutually agreed-upon time. 18 (E) Upon the participation of the local fire 19 service, the appropriate local fire official shall 20 certify that the school evacuation drill was 21 conducted. 22 (F) When scheduling the school evacuation drill, 23 the school administrator or his or her designee and 24 the local fire department or fire district may, by 25 mutual agreement on or before September 14, choose to 26 waive the provisions of subparagraphs (B), (C), and HB4443 - 9 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443- 10 -LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 10 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 10 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b 1 (D) of this paragraph (1). 2 Additional school evacuation drills for fire incidents 3 may involve the participation of the appropriate local 4 fire department or district. 5 (2) Schools may conduct additional school evacuation 6 drills to account for other evacuation incidents, 7 including without limitation suspicious items or bomb 8 threats. 9 (3) All drills shall be conducted at each school 10 building that houses school children. 11 (b) During each academic year, schools must conduct a 12 minimum of one bus evacuation drill. This drill shall be 13 accounted for in the curriculum in all public schools and in 14 all other educational institutions in this State that are 15 supported or maintained, in whole or in part, by public funds 16 and that provide instruction in any of the grades kindergarten 17 through 12. This curriculum shall include instruction in safe 18 bus riding practices for all students. Schools may conduct 19 additional bus evacuation drills. All drills shall be 20 conducted at each school building that houses school children. 21 (b-5) Notwithstanding the minimum requirements established 22 by this Act, private schools that do not utilize a bus to 23 transport students for any purpose are exempt from subsection 24 (b) of this Section, provided that the chief school 25 administrator of the private school provides written assurance 26 to the State Board of Education that the private school does HB4443 - 10 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443- 11 -LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 11 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 11 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b 1 not plan to utilize a bus to transport students for any purpose 2 during the current academic year. The assurance must be made 3 on a form supplied by the State Board of Education and filed no 4 later than October 15. If a private school utilizes a bus to 5 transport students for any purpose during an academic year 6 when an assurance pursuant to this subsection (b-5) has been 7 filed with the State Board of Education, the private school 8 shall immediately notify the State Board of Education and 9 comply with subsection (b) of this Section no later than 30 10 calendar days after utilization of the bus to transport 11 students, except that, at the discretion of the private 12 school, students chosen for participation in the bus 13 evacuation drill need include only the subgroup of students 14 that are utilizing bus transportation. 15 (c) During each academic year, schools must conduct a law 16 enforcement lockdown drill to address a school shooting 17 incident. No later than 90 days after the first day of each 18 school year, schools must conduct at least one law enforcement 19 lockdown drill that addresses an active threat or an active 20 shooter within a school building. Such drills must be 21 conducted according to the school district's or private 22 school's emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and 23 procedures to evaluate the preparedness of school personnel 24 and students. Law enforcement lockdown drills must be 25 conducted on days and times when students are normally present 26 in the school building and must involve participation from all HB4443 - 11 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443- 12 -LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 12 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 12 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b 1 school personnel and students present at school at the time of 2 the lockdown drill, except that administrators or school 3 support personnel in their discretion may exempt students from 4 the lockdown drill. The appropriate local law enforcement 5 agency shall observe the administration of the lockdown drill. 6 All drills must be conducted at each school building that 7 houses school children. 8 (1) A law enforcement lockdown drill must meet all of 9 the following criteria: 10 (A) During each calendar year, the appropriate 11 local law enforcement agency shall contact the 12 appropriate school administrator to request to 13 participate in a law enforcement lockdown drill. The 14 school administrator and local law enforcement agency 15 shall set, by mutual agreement, a date for the 16 lockdown drill. 17 (A-5) The lockdown drill shall require the on-site 18 participation of the local law enforcement agency. If 19 a mutually agreeable date cannot be reached between 20 the school administrator and the appropriate local law 21 enforcement agency, then the school shall still hold 22 the lockdown drill without participation from the 23 agency. 24 (B) Upon the participation of a local law 25 enforcement agency in a law enforcement lockdown 26 drill, the appropriate local law enforcement official HB4443 - 12 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443- 13 -LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 13 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 13 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b 1 shall certify that the law enforcement lockdown drill 2 was conducted and notify the school in a timely manner 3 of any deficiencies noted during the drill. 4 (C) The lockdown drill must not include 5 simulations that mimic an actual school shooting 6 incident or active shooter event. 7 (D) All lockdown drills must be announced in 8 advance to all school personnel and students prior to 9 the commencement of the drill. 10 (E) Lockdown drill content must be age appropriate 11 and developmentally appropriate. 12 (F) Lockdown drills must include and involve 13 school personnel, including school-based mental health 14 professionals. 15 (G) Lockdown drills must include trauma-informed 16 approaches to address the concerns and well-being of 17 students and school personnel. 18 (H) The lockdown drill must not be conducted on 19 the day of or within 2 days before a 20 school-administered standardized test. 21 (2) Schools may conduct additional law enforcement 22 drills at their discretion. 23 (3) (Blank). 24 (4) School administrators and school support personnel 25 may, in their discretion, exempt a student or students 26 from participating in a walk-through lockdown drill. When HB4443 - 13 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443- 14 -LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 14 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 14 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b 1 deciding whether to exempt a student from participating in 2 a walk-through lockdown drill, the administrator and 3 school support personnel shall include the student's 4 individualized education program team or federal Section 5 504 plan team in the decision to exempt the student from 6 participating. 7 (5) Schools must provide sufficient information and 8 notification to parents and guardians in advance of any 9 walk-through lockdown drill that involves the 10 participation of students. Schools must also provide to 11 parents and guardians an opportunity to exempt their child 12 for any reason from participating in the walk-through 13 lockdown drill. 14 (6) Schools must provide alternative safety education 15 and instruction related to an active threat or active 16 shooter event to students who do not participate in a 17 walk-through lockdown drill to provide them with essential 18 information, training, and instruction through less 19 sensorial safety training methods. 20 (7) During the drill, students must be allowed to ask 21 questions related to the drill. 22 (8) Law enforcement may choose to run an active 23 shooter simulation, including simulated gun fire drills, 24 but only on school days when students are not present. 25 Parental notification is not required for drills conducted 26 pursuant to this paragraph (8) if students are not HB4443 - 14 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443- 15 -LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 15 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b HB4443 - 15 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b 1 required to be present. 2 (d) During each academic year, schools must conduct a 3 minimum of one severe weather and shelter-in-place drill to 4 address and prepare students and school personnel for possible 5 tornado incidents and may conduct additional severe weather 6 and shelter-in-place drills to account for other incidents, 7 including without limitation earthquakes or hazardous 8 materials. All drills shall be conducted at each school 9 building that houses school children. 10 (Source: P.A. 102-395, eff. 8-16-21; 103-197, eff. 1-1-24.) HB4443 - 15 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b