Illinois 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois House Bill HB2502 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2502 Introduced , by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new105 ILCS 5/10-20.14 from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.14105 ILCS 5/10-22.6 from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.6105 ILCS 5/26-12 from Ch. 122, par. 26-12 Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall require that each school district annually report the number of students who were referred to a law enforcement agency or official and the number of instances of referrals to law enforcement that students received. Provides that on or before January 31, 2027 and on or before January 31 of each subsequent year, the State Board of Education shall prepare a report on student referrals to law enforcement in all school districts in the State. Requires a parent-teacher advisory committee to develop policy guideline procedures to establish and maintain a reciprocal reporting system between the school district and local law enforcement agencies regarding both criminal and civil offenses (rather than only criminal offenses) committed by students. Removes language providing that a student may not be issued a monetary fine or fee as a disciplinary consequence. Instead, prohibits school personnel from issuing a monetary fine, fee, ticket, or citation for a municipal code violation. Provides that school personnel (rather than a school district) may not refer a truant, chronic truant, or truant minor to any other local public entity, school resource officer, or peace officer (rather than only to any other local public entity) for that local public entity, school resource officer, or peace officer to issue the child a fine or fee as punishment for truancy. Effective immediately. LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2502 Introduced , by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new105 ILCS 5/10-20.14 from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.14105 ILCS 5/10-22.6 from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.6105 ILCS 5/26-12 from Ch. 122, par. 26-12 105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new 105 ILCS 5/10-20.14 from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.14 105 ILCS 5/10-22.6 from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.6 105 ILCS 5/26-12 from Ch. 122, par. 26-12 Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall require that each school district annually report the number of students who were referred to a law enforcement agency or official and the number of instances of referrals to law enforcement that students received. Provides that on or before January 31, 2027 and on or before January 31 of each subsequent year, the State Board of Education shall prepare a report on student referrals to law enforcement in all school districts in the State. Requires a parent-teacher advisory committee to develop policy guideline procedures to establish and maintain a reciprocal reporting system between the school district and local law enforcement agencies regarding both criminal and civil offenses (rather than only criminal offenses) committed by students. Removes language providing that a student may not be issued a monetary fine or fee as a disciplinary consequence. Instead, prohibits school personnel from issuing a monetary fine, fee, ticket, or citation for a municipal code violation. Provides that school personnel (rather than a school district) may not refer a truant, chronic truant, or truant minor to any other local public entity, school resource officer, or peace officer (rather than only to any other local public entity) for that local public entity, school resource officer, or peace officer to issue the child a fine or fee as punishment for truancy. Effective immediately. LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY A BILL FOR
2	2	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2502 Introduced , by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
3	3	105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new105 ILCS 5/10-20.14 from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.14105 ILCS 5/10-22.6 from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.6105 ILCS 5/26-12 from Ch. 122, par. 26-12 105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new 105 ILCS 5/10-20.14 from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.14 105 ILCS 5/10-22.6 from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.6 105 ILCS 5/26-12 from Ch. 122, par. 26-12
4	4	105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new
5	5	105 ILCS 5/10-20.14 from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.14
6	6	105 ILCS 5/10-22.6 from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.6
7	7	105 ILCS 5/26-12 from Ch. 122, par. 26-12
8	8	Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall require that each school district annually report the number of students who were referred to a law enforcement agency or official and the number of instances of referrals to law enforcement that students received. Provides that on or before January 31, 2027 and on or before January 31 of each subsequent year, the State Board of Education shall prepare a report on student referrals to law enforcement in all school districts in the State. Requires a parent-teacher advisory committee to develop policy guideline procedures to establish and maintain a reciprocal reporting system between the school district and local law enforcement agencies regarding both criminal and civil offenses (rather than only criminal offenses) committed by students. Removes language providing that a student may not be issued a monetary fine or fee as a disciplinary consequence. Instead, prohibits school personnel from issuing a monetary fine, fee, ticket, or citation for a municipal code violation. Provides that school personnel (rather than a school district) may not refer a truant, chronic truant, or truant minor to any other local public entity, school resource officer, or peace officer (rather than only to any other local public entity) for that local public entity, school resource officer, or peace officer to issue the child a fine or fee as punishment for truancy. Effective immediately.
9	9	LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
10	10	LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
11	11	STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY
12	12	STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY
13	13	A BILL FOR
14	14	HB2502LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
15	15	HB2502 LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
16	16	1 AN ACT concerning education.
17	17	2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
18	18	3 represented in the General Assembly:
19	19	4 Section 1. Findings and intent.
20	20	5 (a) The General Assembly finds the following:
21	21	6 (1) Public Act 99-456 prohibited schools from issuing
22	22	7 monetary fines or fees as a disciplinary consequence.
23	23	8 (2) Public Act 100-810 prohibited schools from
24	24	9 referring truant minors to local public entities for the
25	25	10 purpose of issuing fines or fees as punishment for truancy
26	26	11 and required schools to document the provision of all
27	27	12 appropriate and available supportive services before
28	28	13 referring an individual having custody of a truant minor
29	29	14 to a local public entity.
30	30	15 (3) Thousands of students have been referred to
31	31	16 municipalities for behaviors occurring on school grounds,
32	32	17 during school-related events, or while taking school
33	33	18 transportation.
34	34	19 (4) Municipal tickets, citations, and ordinance
35	35	20 violations disproportionately impact students of color and
36	36	21 students with disabilities.
37	37	22 (5) Municipal fines and fees associated with municipal
38	38	23 tickets, citations, and ordinance violations create
39	39	24 financial hardship for minors and their families.
40	40
41	41
42	42
43	43	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2502 Introduced , by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
44	44	105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new105 ILCS 5/10-20.14 from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.14105 ILCS 5/10-22.6 from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.6105 ILCS 5/26-12 from Ch. 122, par. 26-12 105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new 105 ILCS 5/10-20.14 from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.14 105 ILCS 5/10-22.6 from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.6 105 ILCS 5/26-12 from Ch. 122, par. 26-12
45	45	105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new
46	46	105 ILCS 5/10-20.14 from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.14
47	47	105 ILCS 5/10-22.6 from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.6
48	48	105 ILCS 5/26-12 from Ch. 122, par. 26-12
49	49	Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall require that each school district annually report the number of students who were referred to a law enforcement agency or official and the number of instances of referrals to law enforcement that students received. Provides that on or before January 31, 2027 and on or before January 31 of each subsequent year, the State Board of Education shall prepare a report on student referrals to law enforcement in all school districts in the State. Requires a parent-teacher advisory committee to develop policy guideline procedures to establish and maintain a reciprocal reporting system between the school district and local law enforcement agencies regarding both criminal and civil offenses (rather than only criminal offenses) committed by students. Removes language providing that a student may not be issued a monetary fine or fee as a disciplinary consequence. Instead, prohibits school personnel from issuing a monetary fine, fee, ticket, or citation for a municipal code violation. Provides that school personnel (rather than a school district) may not refer a truant, chronic truant, or truant minor to any other local public entity, school resource officer, or peace officer (rather than only to any other local public entity) for that local public entity, school resource officer, or peace officer to issue the child a fine or fee as punishment for truancy. Effective immediately.
50	50	LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
51	51	LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
52	52	STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY
53	53	STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY
54	54	A BILL FOR
55	55
56	56
57	57
58	58
59	59
60	60	105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new
61	61	105 ILCS 5/10-20.14 from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.14
62	62	105 ILCS 5/10-22.6 from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.6
63	63	105 ILCS 5/26-12 from Ch. 122, par. 26-12
64	64
65	65
66	66
67	67	LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
68	68
69	69	STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY
70	70
71	71
72	72
73	73
74	74
75	75
76	76
77	77
78	78
79	79
80	80
81	81	HB2502 LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
82	82
83	83
84	84	HB2502- 2 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 2 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
85	85	HB2502 - 2 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
86	86	1 (6) Municipal proceedings do not provide minors with
87	87	2 sufficient due process, confidentiality, or record
88	88	3 expungement protections.
89	89	4 (7) In accordance with federal law and regulations,
90	90	5 Illinois schools provide data to the Civil Rights Data
91	91	6 Collection required by the Office for Civil Rights of the
92	92	7 U.S. Department of Education, including data on referrals
93	93	8 to law enforcement, and which disaggregates referrals
94	94	9 resulting in arrests, but does not disaggregate referrals
95	95	10 resulting in a municipal ticket, citation, or ordinance
96	96	11 violation.
97	97	12 (b) It is the intent of the General Assembly to learn more
98	98	13 about the prevalence of student referrals to law enforcement,
99	99	14 particularly those resulting in municipal tickets, citations,
100	100	15 and ordinance violations for behaviors occurring on school
101	101	16 grounds, during school-related events, or while taking school
102	102	17 transportation. It is not the intent of the General Assembly
103	103	18 to modify current school disciplinary responses provided in
104	104	19 the School Code or responses to alleged delinquent or criminal
105	105	20 conduct as set forth in the School Code, the Juvenile Court Act
106	106	21 of 1987, or the Criminal Code of 2012.
107	107	22 Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section
108	108	23 2-3.206 and by changing Sections 10-20.14, 10-22.6, and 26-12
109	109	24 as follows:
110	110
111	111
112	112
113	113
114	114
115	115	HB2502 - 2 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
116	116
117	117
118	118	HB2502- 3 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 3 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
119	119	HB2502 - 3 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
120	120	1 (105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new)
121	121	2 Sec. 2-3.206. Law enforcement referral report.
122	122	3 (a) As used in this Section, "referral to law enforcement"
123	123	4 means an action by which a student is reported to a law
124	124	5 enforcement agency or official, including a school police
125	125	6 unit, for an incident that occurred on school grounds, during
126	126	7 school-related events or activities (whether in-person or
127	127	8 virtual), or while taking school transportation, regardless of
128	128	9 whether official action is taken. "Referral to law
129	129	10 enforcement" includes citations, tickets, court referrals, and
130	130	11 school-related arrests.
131	131	12 (b) The State Board of Education shall require that each
132	132	13 school district annually report, in a manner and method
133	133	14 determined by the State Board, the number of students in
134	134	15 kindergarten through grade 12 who were referred to a law
135	135	16 enforcement agency or official and the number of instances of
136	136	17 referrals to law enforcement that students in grades
137	137	18 kindergarten through 12 received.
138	138	19 (c) The data reported under subsection (b) shall be
139	139	20 disaggregated by the result of the referral, such as a
140	140	21 citation, ticket, court referral, or school-related arrest,
141	141	22 incident type, race and ethnicity, sex, age, grade level,
142	142	23 whether a student is an English learner, and disability.
143	143	24 (d) On or before January 31, 2027 and on or before January
144	144	25 31 of each subsequent year, the State Board of Education,
145	145	26 through the State Superintendent of Education, shall prepare a
146	146
147	147
148	148
149	149
150	150
151	151	HB2502 - 3 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
152	152
153	153
154	154	HB2502- 4 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 4 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
155	155	HB2502 - 4 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
156	156	1 report on student referrals to law enforcement in all school
157	157	2 districts in this State, including State-authorized charter
158	158	3 schools. This report shall include data from all public
159	159	4 schools within school districts, including district-authorized
160	160	5 charter schools. This report must be posted on the Internet
161	161	6 website of the State Board of Education. The report shall
162	162	7 include data reported under subsection (b) and shall be
163	163	8 disaggregated according to subsection (c).
164	164	9 (105 ILCS 5/10-20.14) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.14)
165	165	10 Sec. 10-20.14. Student discipline policies; parent-teacher
166	166	11 advisory committee.
167	167	12 (a) To establish and maintain a parent-teacher advisory
168	168	13 committee to develop with the school board or governing body
169	169	14 of a charter school policy guidelines on student discipline,
170	170	15 including school searches and bullying prevention as set forth
171	171	16 in Section 27-23.7 of this Code. School authorities shall
172	172	17 furnish a copy of the policy to the parents or guardian of each
173	173	18 student within 15 days after the beginning of the school year,
174	174	19 or within 15 days after starting classes for a student who
175	175	20 transfers into the district during the school year, and the
176	176	21 school board or governing body of a charter school shall
177	177	22 require that a school inform its students of the contents of
178	178	23 the policy. School boards and the governing bodies of charter
179	179	24 schools, along with the parent-teacher advisory committee,
180	180	25 must annually review their student discipline policies and the
181	181
182	182
183	183
184	184
185	185
186	186	HB2502 - 4 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
187	187
188	188
189	189	HB2502- 5 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 5 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
190	190	HB2502 - 5 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
191	191	1 implementation of those policies and any other factors related
192	192	2 to the safety of their schools, students, and school
193	193	3 personnel.
194	194	4 (a-5) On or before September 15, 2016, each elementary and
195	195	5 secondary school and charter school shall, at a minimum, adopt
196	196	6 student discipline policies that fulfill the requirements set
197	197	7 forth in this Section, subsections (a) and (b) of Section
198	198	8 10-22.6 of this Code, Section 34-19 of this Code if
199	199	9 applicable, and federal and State laws that provide special
200	200	10 requirements for the discipline of students with disabilities.
201	201	11 (b) The parent-teacher advisory committee in cooperation
202	202	12 with local law enforcement agencies shall develop, with the
203	203	13 school board, policy guideline procedures to establish and
204	204	14 maintain a reciprocal reporting system between the school
205	205	15 district and local law enforcement agencies regarding criminal
206	206	16 and civil offenses committed by students. School districts are
207	207	17 encouraged to create memoranda of understanding with local law
208	208	18 enforcement agencies that clearly define law enforcement's
209	209	19 role in schools, in accordance with Sections 2-3.206 and
210	210	20 Section 10-22.6 of this Code. In consultation with
211	211	21 stakeholders deemed appropriate by the State Board of
212	212	22 Education, the State Board of Education shall draft and
213	213	23 publish guidance for the development of reciprocal reporting
214	214	24 systems in accordance with this Section on or before July 1,
215	215	25 2025.
216	216	26 (c) The parent-teacher advisory committee, in cooperation
217	217
218	218
219	219
220	220
221	221
222	222	HB2502 - 5 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
223	223
224	224
225	225	HB2502- 6 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 6 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
226	226	HB2502 - 6 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
227	227	1 with school bus personnel, shall develop, with the school
228	228	2 board, policy guideline procedures to establish and maintain
229	229	3 school bus safety procedures. These procedures shall be
230	230	4 incorporated into the district's student discipline policy. In
231	231	5 consultation with stakeholders deemed appropriate by the State
232	232	6 Board of Education, the State Board of Education shall draft
233	233	7 and publish guidance for school bus safety procedures in
234	234	8 accordance with this Section on or before July 1, 2025.
235	235	9 (d) As used in this subsection (d), "evidence-based
236	236	10 intervention" means intervention that has demonstrated a
237	237	11 statistically significant effect on improving student outcomes
238	238	12 as documented in peer-reviewed scholarly journals.
239	239	13 The school board, in consultation with the parent-teacher
240	240	14 advisory committee and other community-based organizations,
241	241	15 must include provisions in the student discipline policy to
242	242	16 address students who have demonstrated behaviors that put them
243	243	17 at risk for aggressive behavior, including without limitation
244	244	18 bullying, as defined in the policy. These provisions must
245	245	19 include procedures for notifying parents or legal guardians
246	246	20 and intervention procedures based upon available
247	247	21 community-based and district resources.
248	248	22 In consultation with behavioral health experts, the State
249	249	23 Board of Education shall draft and publish guidance for
250	250	24 evidence-based intervention procedures, including examples, in
251	251	25 accordance with this Section on or before July 1, 2025.
252	252	26 (Source: P.A. 103-896, eff. 8-9-24.)
253	253
254	254
255	255
256	256
257	257
258	258	HB2502 - 6 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
259	259
260	260
261	261	HB2502- 7 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 7 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
262	262	HB2502 - 7 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
263	263	1 (105 ILCS 5/10-22.6) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.6)
264	264	2 (Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 102-466)
265	265	3 Sec. 10-22.6. Suspension or expulsion of students; school
266	266	4 searches.
267	267	5 (a) To expel students guilty of gross disobedience or
268	268	6 misconduct, including gross disobedience or misconduct
269	269	7 perpetuated by electronic means, pursuant to subsection (b-20)
270	270	8 of this Section, and no action shall lie against them for such
271	271	9 expulsion. Expulsion shall take place only after the parents
272	272	10 have been requested to appear at a meeting of the board, or
273	273	11 with a hearing officer appointed by it, to discuss their
274	274	12 child's behavior. Such request shall be made by registered or
275	275	13 certified mail and shall state the time, place and purpose of
276	276	14 the meeting. The board, or a hearing officer appointed by it,
277	277	15 at such meeting shall state the reasons for dismissal and the
278	278	16 date on which the expulsion is to become effective. If a
279	279	17 hearing officer is appointed by the board, the hearing officer
280	280	18 shall report to the board a written summary of the evidence
281	281	19 heard at the meeting and the board may take such action thereon
282	282	20 as it finds appropriate. If the board acts to expel a student,
283	283	21 the written expulsion decision shall detail the specific
284	284	22 reasons why removing the student from the learning environment
285	285	23 is in the best interest of the school. The expulsion decision
286	286	24 shall also include a rationale as to the specific duration of
287	287	25 the expulsion. An expelled student may be immediately
288	288
289	289
290	290
291	291
292	292
293	293	HB2502 - 7 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
294	294
295	295
296	296	HB2502- 8 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 8 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
297	297	HB2502 - 8 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
298	298	1 transferred to an alternative program in the manner provided
299	299	2 in Article 13A or 13B of this Code. A student must not be
300	300	3 denied transfer because of the expulsion, except in cases in
301	301	4 which such transfer is deemed to cause a threat to the safety
302	302	5 of students or staff in the alternative program.
303	303	6 (b) To suspend or by policy to authorize the
304	304	7 superintendent of the district or the principal, assistant
305	305	8 principal, or dean of students of any school to suspend
306	306	9 students guilty of gross disobedience or misconduct, or to
307	307	10 suspend students guilty of gross disobedience or misconduct on
308	308	11 the school bus from riding the school bus, pursuant to
309	309	12 subsections (b-15) and (b-20) of this Section, and no action
310	310	13 shall lie against them for such suspension. The board may by
311	311	14 policy authorize the superintendent of the district or the
312	312	15 principal, assistant principal, or dean of students of any
313	313	16 school to suspend students guilty of such acts for a period not
314	314	17 to exceed 10 school days. If a student is suspended due to
315	315	18 gross disobedience or misconduct on a school bus, the board
316	316	19 may suspend the student in excess of 10 school days for safety
317	317	20 reasons.
318	318	21 Any suspension shall be reported immediately to the
319	319	22 parents or guardian of a student along with a full statement of
320	320	23 the reasons for such suspension and a notice of their right to
321	321	24 a review. The school board must be given a summary of the
322	322	25 notice, including the reason for the suspension and the
323	323	26 suspension length. Upon request of the parents or guardian,
324	324
325	325
326	326
327	327
328	328
329	329	HB2502 - 8 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
330	330
331	331
332	332	HB2502- 9 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 9 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
333	333	HB2502 - 9 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
334	334	1 the school board or a hearing officer appointed by it shall
335	335	2 review such action of the superintendent or principal,
336	336	3 assistant principal, or dean of students. At such review, the
337	337	4 parents or guardian of the student may appear and discuss the
338	338	5 suspension with the board or its hearing officer. If a hearing
339	339	6 officer is appointed by the board, he shall report to the board
340	340	7 a written summary of the evidence heard at the meeting. After
341	341	8 its hearing or upon receipt of the written report of its
342	342	9 hearing officer, the board may take such action as it finds
343	343	10 appropriate. If a student is suspended pursuant to this
344	344	11 subsection (b), the board shall, in the written suspension
345	345	12 decision, detail the specific act of gross disobedience or
346	346	13 misconduct resulting in the decision to suspend. The
347	347	14 suspension decision shall also include a rationale as to the
348	348	15 specific duration of the suspension.
349	349	16 (b-5) Among the many possible disciplinary interventions
350	350	17 and consequences available to school officials, school
351	351	18 exclusions, such as out-of-school suspensions and expulsions,
352	352	19 are the most serious. School officials shall limit the number
353	353	20 and duration of expulsions and suspensions to the greatest
354	354	21 extent practicable, and it is recommended that they use them
355	355	22 only for legitimate educational purposes. To ensure that
356	356	23 students are not excluded from school unnecessarily, it is
357	357	24 recommended that school officials consider forms of
358	358	25 non-exclusionary discipline prior to using out-of-school
359	359	26 suspensions or expulsions.
360	360
361	361
362	362
363	363
364	364
365	365	HB2502 - 9 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
366	366
367	367
368	368	HB2502- 10 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 10 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
369	369	HB2502 - 10 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
370	370	1 (b-10) Unless otherwise required by federal law or this
371	371	2 Code, school boards may not institute zero-tolerance policies
372	372	3 by which school administrators are required to suspend or
373	373	4 expel students for particular behaviors.
374	374	5 (b-15) Out-of-school suspensions of 3 days or less may be
375	375	6 used only if the student's continuing presence in school would
376	376	7 pose a threat to school safety or a disruption to other
377	377	8 students' learning opportunities. For purposes of this
378	378	9 subsection (b-15), "threat to school safety or a disruption to
379	379	10 other students' learning opportunities" shall be determined on
380	380	11 a case-by-case basis by the school board or its designee.
381	381	12 School officials shall make all reasonable efforts to resolve
382	382	13 such threats, address such disruptions, and minimize the
383	383	14 length of suspensions to the greatest extent practicable.
384	384	15 (b-20) Unless otherwise required by this Code,
385	385	16 out-of-school suspensions of longer than 3 days, expulsions,
386	386	17 and disciplinary removals to alternative schools may be used
387	387	18 only if other appropriate and available behavioral and
388	388	19 disciplinary interventions have been exhausted and the
389	389	20 student's continuing presence in school would either (i) pose
390	390	21 a threat to the safety of other students, staff, or members of
391	391	22 the school community or (ii) substantially disrupt, impede, or
392	392	23 interfere with the operation of the school. For purposes of
393	393	24 this subsection (b-20), "threat to the safety of other
394	394	25 students, staff, or members of the school community" and
395	395	26 "substantially disrupt, impede, or interfere with the
396	396
397	397
398	398
399	399
400	400
401	401	HB2502 - 10 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
402	402
403	403
404	404	HB2502- 11 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 11 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
405	405	HB2502 - 11 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
406	406	1 operation of the school" shall be determined on a case-by-case
407	407	2 basis by school officials. For purposes of this subsection
408	408	3 (b-20), the determination of whether "appropriate and
409	409	4 available behavioral and disciplinary interventions have been
410	410	5 exhausted" shall be made by school officials. School officials
411	411	6 shall make all reasonable efforts to resolve such threats,
412	412	7 address such disruptions, and minimize the length of student
413	413	8 exclusions to the greatest extent practicable. Within the
414	414	9 suspension decision described in subsection (b) of this
415	415	10 Section or the expulsion decision described in subsection (a)
416	416	11 of this Section, it shall be documented whether other
417	417	12 interventions were attempted or whether it was determined that
418	418	13 there were no other appropriate and available interventions.
419	419	14 (b-25) Students who are suspended out-of-school for longer
420	420	15 than 3 school days shall be provided appropriate and available
421	421	16 support services during the period of their suspension. For
422	422	17 purposes of this subsection (b-25), "appropriate and available
423	423	18 support services" shall be determined by school authorities.
424	424	19 Within the suspension decision described in subsection (b) of
425	425	20 this Section, it shall be documented whether such services are
426	426	21 to be provided or whether it was determined that there are no
427	427	22 such appropriate and available services.
428	428	23 A school district may refer students who are expelled to
429	429	24 appropriate and available support services.
430	430	25 A school district shall create a policy to facilitate the
431	431	26 re-engagement of students who are suspended out-of-school,
432	432
433	433
434	434
435	435
436	436
437	437	HB2502 - 11 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
438	438
439	439
440	440	HB2502- 12 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 12 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
441	441	HB2502 - 12 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
442	442	1 expelled, or returning from an alternative school setting. In
443	443	2 consultation with stakeholders deemed appropriate by the State
444	444	3 Board of Education, the State Board of Education shall draft
445	445	4 and publish guidance for the re-engagement of students who are
446	446	5 suspended out-of-school, expelled, or returning from an
447	447	6 alternative school setting in accordance with this Section and
448	448	7 Section 13A-4 on or before July 1, 2025.
449	449	8 (b-30) A school district shall create a policy by which
450	450	9 suspended students, including those students suspended from
451	451	10 the school bus who do not have alternate transportation to
452	452	11 school, shall have the opportunity to make up work for
453	453	12 equivalent academic credit. It shall be the responsibility of
454	454	13 a student's parent or guardian to notify school officials that
455	455	14 a student suspended from the school bus does not have
456	456	15 alternate transportation to school.
457	457	16 (c) A school board must invite a representative from a
458	458	17 local mental health agency to consult with the board at the
459	459	18 meeting whenever there is evidence that mental illness may be
460	460	19 the cause of a student's expulsion or suspension.
461	461	20 (c-5) School districts shall make reasonable efforts to
462	462	21 provide ongoing professional development to all school
463	463	22 personnel, school board members, and school resource officers,
464	464	23 on the requirements of this Section and Section 10-20.14, the
465	465	24 adverse consequences of school exclusion and justice-system
466	466	25 involvement, effective classroom management strategies,
467	467	26 culturally responsive discipline, trauma-responsive learning
468	468
469	469
470	470
471	471
472	472
473	473	HB2502 - 12 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
474	474
475	475
476	476	HB2502- 13 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 13 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
477	477	HB2502 - 13 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
478	478	1 environments, as defined in subsection (b) of Section 3-11,
479	479	2 the appropriate and available supportive services for the
480	480	3 promotion of student attendance and engagement, and
481	481	4 developmentally appropriate disciplinary methods that promote
482	482	5 positive and healthy school climates.
483	483	6 (d) The board may expel a student for a definite period of
484	484	7 time not to exceed 2 calendar years, as determined on a
485	485	8 case-by-case basis. A student who is determined to have
486	486	9 brought one of the following objects to school, any
487	487	10 school-sponsored activity or event, or any activity or event
488	488	11 that bears a reasonable relationship to school shall be
489	489	12 expelled for a period of not less than one year:
490	490	13 (1) A firearm. For the purposes of this Section,
491	491	14 "firearm" means any gun, rifle, shotgun, weapon as defined
492	492	15 by Section 921 of Title 18 of the United States Code,
493	493	16 firearm as defined in Section 1.1 of the Firearm Owners
494	494	17 Identification Card Act, or firearm as defined in Section
495	495	18 24-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012. The expulsion period
496	496	19 under this subdivision (1) may be modified by the
497	497	20 superintendent, and the superintendent's determination may
498	498	21 be modified by the board on a case-by-case basis.
499	499	22 (2) A knife, brass knuckles or other knuckle weapon
500	500	23 regardless of its composition, a billy club, or any other
501	501	24 object if used or attempted to be used to cause bodily
502	502	25 harm, including "look alikes" of any firearm as defined in
503	503	26 subdivision (1) of this subsection (d). The expulsion
504	504
505	505
506	506
507	507
508	508
509	509	HB2502 - 13 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
510	510
511	511
512	512	HB2502- 14 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 14 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
513	513	HB2502 - 14 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
514	514	1 requirement under this subdivision (2) may be modified by
515	515	2 the superintendent, and the superintendent's determination
516	516	3 may be modified by the board on a case-by-case basis.
517	517	4 Expulsion or suspension shall be construed in a manner
518	518	5 consistent with the federal Individuals with Disabilities
519	519	6 Education Act. A student who is subject to suspension or
520	520	7 expulsion as provided in this Section may be eligible for a
521	521	8 transfer to an alternative school program in accordance with
522	522	9 Article 13A of the School Code.
523	523	10 (d-5) The board may suspend or by regulation authorize the
524	524	11 superintendent of the district or the principal, assistant
525	525	12 principal, or dean of students of any school to suspend a
526	526	13 student for a period not to exceed 10 school days or may expel
527	527	14 a student for a definite period of time not to exceed 2
528	528	15 calendar years, as determined on a case-by-case basis, if (i)
529	529	16 that student has been determined to have made an explicit
530	530	17 threat on an Internet website against a school employee, a
531	531	18 student, or any school-related personnel, (ii) the Internet
532	532	19 website through which the threat was made is a site that was
533	533	20 accessible within the school at the time the threat was made or
534	534	21 was available to third parties who worked or studied within
535	535	22 the school grounds at the time the threat was made, and (iii)
536	536	23 the threat could be reasonably interpreted as threatening to
537	537	24 the safety and security of the threatened individual because
538	538	25 of the individual's duties or employment status or status as a
539	539	26 student inside the school.
540	540
541	541
542	542
543	543
544	544
545	545	HB2502 - 14 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
546	546
547	547
548	548	HB2502- 15 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 15 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
549	549	HB2502 - 15 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
550	550	1 (e) To maintain order and security in the schools, school
551	551	2 authorities may inspect and search places and areas such as
552	552	3 lockers, desks, parking lots, and other school property and
553	553	4 equipment owned or controlled by the school, as well as
554	554	5 personal effects left in those places and areas by students,
555	555	6 without notice to or the consent of the student, and without a
556	556	7 search warrant. As a matter of public policy, the General
557	557	8 Assembly finds that students have no reasonable expectation of
558	558	9 privacy in these places and areas or in their personal effects
559	559	10 left in these places and areas. School authorities may request
560	560	11 the assistance of law enforcement officials for the purpose of
561	561	12 conducting inspections and searches of lockers, desks, parking
562	562	13 lots, and other school property and equipment owned or
563	563	14 controlled by the school for illegal drugs, weapons, or other
564	564	15 illegal or dangerous substances or materials, including
565	565	16 searches conducted through the use of specially trained dogs.
566	566	17 If a search conducted in accordance with this Section produces
567	567	18 evidence that the student has violated or is violating either
568	568	19 the law, local ordinance, or the school's policies or rules,
569	569	20 such evidence may be seized by school authorities, and
570	570	21 disciplinary action may be taken. School authorities may also
571	571	22 turn over such evidence to law enforcement authorities.
572	572	23 (f) Suspension or expulsion may include suspension or
573	573	24 expulsion from school and all school activities and a
574	574	25 prohibition from being present on school grounds.
575	575	26 (g) A school district may adopt a policy providing that if
576	576
577	577
578	578
579	579
580	580
581	581	HB2502 - 15 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
582	582
583	583
584	584	HB2502- 16 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 16 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
585	585	HB2502 - 16 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
586	586	1 a student is suspended or expelled for any reason from any
587	587	2 public or private school in this or any other state, the
588	588	3 student must complete the entire term of the suspension or
589	589	4 expulsion in an alternative school program under Article 13A
590	590	5 of this Code or an alternative learning opportunities program
591	591	6 under Article 13B of this Code before being admitted into the
592	592	7 school district if there is no threat to the safety of students
593	593	8 or staff in the alternative program.
594	594	9 (h) School officials shall not advise or encourage
595	595	10 students to drop out voluntarily due to behavioral or academic
596	596	11 difficulties.
597	597	12 (i) In this subsection (i):
598	598	13 "Municipal code violation" means the violation of a rule
599	599	14 or regulation established by a local government authority,
600	600	15 authorized by Section 1-2-1 of the Illinois Municipal Code.
601	601	16 "School personnel" means a person who is employed by, who
602	602	17 is on contract with, or who volunteers in a school district or
603	603	18 charter school, including, but not limited to, a school
604	604	19 administrator, school district administrator, teacher, school
605	605	20 social worker, school counselor, school psychologist, school
606	606	21 nurse, paraprofessional, speech-language pathologist,
607	607	22 cafeteria worker, custodian, bus driver, school resource
608	608	23 officer, or security guard.
609	609	24 School personnel may not issue A student may not be issued
610	610	25 a monetary fine, or fee, ticket, or citation for a municipal
611	611	26 code violation as a disciplinary consequence, though this
612	612
613	613
614	614
615	615
616	616
617	617	HB2502 - 16 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
618	618
619	619
620	620	HB2502- 17 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 17 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
621	621	HB2502 - 17 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
622	622	1 shall not preclude requiring a student to provide restitution
623	623	2 for lost, stolen, or damaged property. This subsection (i)
624	624	3 does not modify school disciplinary responses under this
625	625	4 Section or Section 10-20.14 of this Code that existed before
626	626	5 the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General
627	627	6 Assembly or responses to alleged delinquent or criminal
628	628	7 conduct set forth in this Code, Article V of the Juvenile Court
629	629	8 Act of 1987, or the Criminal Code of 2012.
630	630	9 (j) Subsections (a) through (i) of this Section shall
631	631	10 apply to elementary and secondary schools, charter schools,
632	632	11 special charter districts, and school districts organized
633	633	12 under Article 34 of this Code.
634	634	13 (k) The expulsion of students enrolled in programs funded
635	635	14 under Section 1C-2 of this Code is subject to the requirements
636	636	15 under paragraph (7) of subsection (a) of Section 2-3.71 of
637	637	16 this Code.
638	638	17 (l) An in-school suspension program provided by a school
639	639	18 district for any students in kindergarten through grade 12 may
640	640	19 focus on promoting non-violent conflict resolution and
641	641	20 positive interaction with other students and school personnel.
642	642	21 A school district may employ a school social worker or a
643	643	22 licensed mental health professional to oversee an in-school
644	644	23 suspension program in kindergarten through grade 12.
645	645	24 (Source: P.A. 102-539, eff. 8-20-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22;
646	646	25 103-594, eff. 6-25-24; 103-896, eff. 8-9-24; revised 9-25-24.)
647	647
648	648
649	649
650	650
651	651
652	652	HB2502 - 17 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
653	653
654	654
655	655	HB2502- 18 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 18 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
656	656	HB2502 - 18 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
657	657	1 (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 102-466)
658	658	2 Sec. 10-22.6. Suspension or expulsion of students; school
659	659	3 searches.
660	660	4 (a) To expel students guilty of gross disobedience or
661	661	5 misconduct, including gross disobedience or misconduct
662	662	6 perpetuated by electronic means, pursuant to subsection (b-20)
663	663	7 of this Section, and no action shall lie against them for such
664	664	8 expulsion. Expulsion shall take place only after the parents
665	665	9 or guardians have been requested to appear at a meeting of the
666	666	10 board, or with a hearing officer appointed by it, to discuss
667	667	11 their child's behavior. Such request shall be made by
668	668	12 registered or certified mail and shall state the time, place
669	669	13 and purpose of the meeting. The board, or a hearing officer
670	670	14 appointed by it, at such meeting shall state the reasons for
671	671	15 dismissal and the date on which the expulsion is to become
672	672	16 effective. If a hearing officer is appointed by the board, the
673	673	17 hearing officer shall report to the board a written summary of
674	674	18 the evidence heard at the meeting and the board may take such
675	675	19 action thereon as it finds appropriate. If the board acts to
676	676	20 expel a student, the written expulsion decision shall detail
677	677	21 the specific reasons why removing the student from the
678	678	22 learning environment is in the best interest of the school.
679	679	23 The expulsion decision shall also include a rationale as to
680	680	24 the specific duration of the expulsion. An expelled student
681	681	25 may be immediately transferred to an alternative program in
682	682	26 the manner provided in Article 13A or 13B of this Code. A
683	683
684	684
685	685
686	686
687	687
688	688	HB2502 - 18 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
689	689
690	690
691	691	HB2502- 19 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 19 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
692	692	HB2502 - 19 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
693	693	1 student must not be denied transfer because of the expulsion,
694	694	2 except in cases in which such transfer is deemed to cause a
695	695	3 threat to the safety of students or staff in the alternative
696	696	4 program.
697	697	5 (b) To suspend or by policy to authorize the
698	698	6 superintendent of the district or the principal, assistant
699	699	7 principal, or dean of students of any school to suspend
700	700	8 students guilty of gross disobedience or misconduct, or to
701	701	9 suspend students guilty of gross disobedience or misconduct on
702	702	10 the school bus from riding the school bus, pursuant to
703	703	11 subsections (b-15) and (b-20) of this Section, and no action
704	704	12 shall lie against them for such suspension. The board may by
705	705	13 policy authorize the superintendent of the district or the
706	706	14 principal, assistant principal, or dean of students of any
707	707	15 school to suspend students guilty of such acts for a period not
708	708	16 to exceed 10 school days. If a student is suspended due to
709	709	17 gross disobedience or misconduct on a school bus, the board
710	710	18 may suspend the student in excess of 10 school days for safety
711	711	19 reasons.
712	712	20 Any suspension shall be reported immediately to the
713	713	21 parents or guardians of a student along with a full statement
714	714	22 of the reasons for such suspension and a notice of their right
715	715	23 to a review. The school board must be given a summary of the
716	716	24 notice, including the reason for the suspension and the
717	717	25 suspension length. Upon request of the parents or guardians,
718	718	26 the school board or a hearing officer appointed by it shall
719	719
720	720
721	721
722	722
723	723
724	724	HB2502 - 19 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
725	725
726	726
727	727	HB2502- 20 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 20 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
728	728	HB2502 - 20 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
729	729	1 review such action of the superintendent or principal,
730	730	2 assistant principal, or dean of students. At such review, the
731	731	3 parents or guardians of the student may appear and discuss the
732	732	4 suspension with the board or its hearing officer. If a hearing
733	733	5 officer is appointed by the board, he shall report to the board
734	734	6 a written summary of the evidence heard at the meeting. After
735	735	7 its hearing or upon receipt of the written report of its
736	736	8 hearing officer, the board may take such action as it finds
737	737	9 appropriate. If a student is suspended pursuant to this
738	738	10 subsection (b), the board shall, in the written suspension
739	739	11 decision, detail the specific act of gross disobedience or
740	740	12 misconduct resulting in the decision to suspend. The
741	741	13 suspension decision shall also include a rationale as to the
742	742	14 specific duration of the suspension.
743	743	15 (b-5) Among the many possible disciplinary interventions
744	744	16 and consequences available to school officials, school
745	745	17 exclusions, such as out-of-school suspensions and expulsions,
746	746	18 are the most serious. School officials shall limit the number
747	747	19 and duration of expulsions and suspensions to the greatest
748	748	20 extent practicable, and it is recommended that they use them
749	749	21 only for legitimate educational purposes. To ensure that
750	750	22 students are not excluded from school unnecessarily, it is
751	751	23 recommended that school officials consider forms of
752	752	24 non-exclusionary discipline prior to using out-of-school
753	753	25 suspensions or expulsions.
754	754	26 (b-10) Unless otherwise required by federal law or this
755	755
756	756
757	757
758	758
759	759
760	760	HB2502 - 20 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
761	761
762	762
763	763	HB2502- 21 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 21 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
764	764	HB2502 - 21 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
765	765	1 Code, school boards may not institute zero-tolerance policies
766	766	2 by which school administrators are required to suspend or
767	767	3 expel students for particular behaviors.
768	768	4 (b-15) Out-of-school suspensions of 3 days or less may be
769	769	5 used only if the student's continuing presence in school would
770	770	6 pose a threat to school safety or a disruption to other
771	771	7 students' learning opportunities. For purposes of this
772	772	8 subsection (b-15), "threat to school safety or a disruption to
773	773	9 other students' learning opportunities" shall be determined on
774	774	10 a case-by-case basis by the school board or its designee.
775	775	11 School officials shall make all reasonable efforts to resolve
776	776	12 such threats, address such disruptions, and minimize the
777	777	13 length of suspensions to the greatest extent practicable.
778	778	14 (b-20) Unless otherwise required by this Code,
779	779	15 out-of-school suspensions of longer than 3 days, expulsions,
780	780	16 and disciplinary removals to alternative schools may be used
781	781	17 only if other appropriate and available behavioral and
782	782	18 disciplinary interventions have been exhausted and the
783	783	19 student's continuing presence in school would either (i) pose
784	784	20 a threat to the safety of other students, staff, or members of
785	785	21 the school community or (ii) substantially disrupt, impede, or
786	786	22 interfere with the operation of the school. For purposes of
787	787	23 this subsection (b-20), "threat to the safety of other
788	788	24 students, staff, or members of the school community" and
789	789	25 "substantially disrupt, impede, or interfere with the
790	790	26 operation of the school" shall be determined on a case-by-case
791	791
792	792
793	793
794	794
795	795
796	796	HB2502 - 21 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
797	797
798	798
799	799	HB2502- 22 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 22 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
800	800	HB2502 - 22 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
801	801	1 basis by school officials. For purposes of this subsection
802	802	2 (b-20), the determination of whether "appropriate and
803	803	3 available behavioral and disciplinary interventions have been
804	804	4 exhausted" shall be made by school officials. School officials
805	805	5 shall make all reasonable efforts to resolve such threats,
806	806	6 address such disruptions, and minimize the length of student
807	807	7 exclusions to the greatest extent practicable. Within the
808	808	8 suspension decision described in subsection (b) of this
809	809	9 Section or the expulsion decision described in subsection (a)
810	810	10 of this Section, it shall be documented whether other
811	811	11 interventions were attempted or whether it was determined that
812	812	12 there were no other appropriate and available interventions.
813	813	13 (b-25) Students who are suspended out-of-school for longer
814	814	14 than 3 school days shall be provided appropriate and available
815	815	15 support services during the period of their suspension. For
816	816	16 purposes of this subsection (b-25), "appropriate and available
817	817	17 support services" shall be determined by school authorities.
818	818	18 Within the suspension decision described in subsection (b) of
819	819	19 this Section, it shall be documented whether such services are
820	820	20 to be provided or whether it was determined that there are no
821	821	21 such appropriate and available services.
822	822	22 A school district may refer students who are expelled to
823	823	23 appropriate and available support services.
824	824	24 A school district shall create a policy to facilitate the
825	825	25 re-engagement of students who are suspended out-of-school,
826	826	26 expelled, or returning from an alternative school setting. In
827	827
828	828
829	829
830	830
831	831
832	832	HB2502 - 22 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
833	833
834	834
835	835	HB2502- 23 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 23 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
836	836	HB2502 - 23 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
837	837	1 consultation with stakeholders deemed appropriate by the State
838	838	2 Board of Education, the State Board of Education shall draft
839	839	3 and publish guidance for the re-engagement of students who are
840	840	4 suspended out-of-school, expelled, or returning from an
841	841	5 alternative school setting in accordance with this Section and
842	842	6 Section 13A-4 on or before July 1, 2025.
843	843	7 (b-30) A school district shall create a policy by which
844	844	8 suspended students, including those students suspended from
845	845	9 the school bus who do not have alternate transportation to
846	846	10 school, shall have the opportunity to make up work for
847	847	11 equivalent academic credit. It shall be the responsibility of
848	848	12 a student's parents or guardians to notify school officials
849	849	13 that a student suspended from the school bus does not have
850	850	14 alternate transportation to school.
851	851	15 (b-35) In all suspension review hearings conducted under
852	852	16 subsection (b) or expulsion hearings conducted under
853	853	17 subsection (a), a student may disclose any factor to be
854	854	18 considered in mitigation, including his or her status as a
855	855	19 parent, expectant parent, or victim of domestic or sexual
856	856	20 violence, as defined in Article 26A. A representative of the
857	857	21 parent's or guardian's choice, or of the student's choice if
858	858	22 emancipated, must be permitted to represent the student
859	859	23 throughout the proceedings and to address the school board or
860	860	24 its appointed hearing officer. With the approval of the
861	861	25 student's parent or guardian, or of the student if
862	862	26 emancipated, a support person must be permitted to accompany
863	863
864	864
865	865
866	866
867	867
868	868	HB2502 - 23 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
869	869
870	870
871	871	HB2502- 24 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 24 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
872	872	HB2502 - 24 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
873	873	1 the student to any disciplinary hearings or proceedings. The
874	874	2 representative or support person must comply with any rules of
875	875	3 the school district's hearing process. If the representative
876	876	4 or support person violates the rules or engages in behavior or
877	877	5 advocacy that harasses, abuses, or intimidates either party, a
878	878	6 witness, or anyone else in attendance at the hearing, the
879	879	7 representative or support person may be prohibited from
880	880	8 further participation in the hearing or proceeding. A
881	881	9 suspension or expulsion proceeding under this subsection
882	882	10 (b-35) must be conducted independently from any ongoing
883	883	11 criminal investigation or proceeding, and an absence of
884	884	12 pending or possible criminal charges, criminal investigations,
885	885	13 or proceedings may not be a factor in school disciplinary
886	886	14 decisions.
887	887	15 (b-40) During a suspension review hearing conducted under
888	888	16 subsection (b) or an expulsion hearing conducted under
889	889	17 subsection (a) that involves allegations of sexual violence by
890	890	18 the student who is subject to discipline, neither the student
891	891	19 nor his or her representative shall directly question nor have
892	892	20 direct contact with the alleged victim. The student who is
893	893	21 subject to discipline or his or her representative may, at the
894	894	22 discretion and direction of the school board or its appointed
895	895	23 hearing officer, suggest questions to be posed by the school
896	896	24 board or its appointed hearing officer to the alleged victim.
897	897	25 (c) A school board must invite a representative from a
898	898	26 local mental health agency to consult with the board at the
899	899
900	900
901	901
902	902
903	903
904	904	HB2502 - 24 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
905	905
906	906
907	907	HB2502- 25 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 25 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
908	908	HB2502 - 25 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
909	909	1 meeting whenever there is evidence that mental illness may be
910	910	2 the cause of a student's expulsion or suspension.
911	911	3 (c-5) School districts shall make reasonable efforts to
912	912	4 provide ongoing professional development to all school
913	913	5 personnel, school board members, and school resource officers
914	914	6 on the requirements of this Section and Section 10-20.14, the
915	915	7 adverse consequences of school exclusion and justice-system
916	916	8 involvement, effective classroom management strategies,
917	917	9 culturally responsive discipline, trauma-responsive learning
918	918	10 environments, as defined in subsection (b) of Section 3-11,
919	919	11 the appropriate and available supportive services for the
920	920	12 promotion of student attendance and engagement, and
921	921	13 developmentally appropriate disciplinary methods that promote
922	922	14 positive and healthy school climates.
923	923	15 (d) The board may expel a student for a definite period of
924	924	16 time not to exceed 2 calendar years, as determined on a
925	925	17 case-by-case basis. A student who is determined to have
926	926	18 brought one of the following objects to school, any
927	927	19 school-sponsored activity or event, or any activity or event
928	928	20 that bears a reasonable relationship to school shall be
929	929	21 expelled for a period of not less than one year:
930	930	22 (1) A firearm. For the purposes of this Section,
931	931	23 "firearm" means any gun, rifle, shotgun, weapon as defined
932	932	24 by Section 921 of Title 18 of the United States Code,
933	933	25 firearm as defined in Section 1.1 of the Firearm Owners
934	934	26 Identification Card Act, or firearm as defined in Section
935	935
936	936
937	937
938	938
939	939
940	940	HB2502 - 25 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
941	941
942	942
943	943	HB2502- 26 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 26 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
944	944	HB2502 - 26 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
945	945	1 24-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012. The expulsion period
946	946	2 under this subdivision (1) may be modified by the
947	947	3 superintendent, and the superintendent's determination may
948	948	4 be modified by the board on a case-by-case basis.
949	949	5 (2) A knife, brass knuckles or other knuckle weapon
950	950	6 regardless of its composition, a billy club, or any other
951	951	7 object if used or attempted to be used to cause bodily
952	952	8 harm, including "look alikes" of any firearm as defined in
953	953	9 subdivision (1) of this subsection (d). The expulsion
954	954	10 requirement under this subdivision (2) may be modified by
955	955	11 the superintendent, and the superintendent's determination
956	956	12 may be modified by the board on a case-by-case basis.
957	957	13 Expulsion or suspension shall be construed in a manner
958	958	14 consistent with the federal Individuals with Disabilities
959	959	15 Education Act. A student who is subject to suspension or
960	960	16 expulsion as provided in this Section may be eligible for a
961	961	17 transfer to an alternative school program in accordance with
962	962	18 Article 13A of the School Code.
963	963	19 (d-5) The board may suspend or by regulation authorize the
964	964	20 superintendent of the district or the principal, assistant
965	965	21 principal, or dean of students of any school to suspend a
966	966	22 student for a period not to exceed 10 school days or may expel
967	967	23 a student for a definite period of time not to exceed 2
968	968	24 calendar years, as determined on a case-by-case basis, if (i)
969	969	25 that student has been determined to have made an explicit
970	970	26 threat on an Internet website against a school employee, a
971	971
972	972
973	973
974	974
975	975
976	976	HB2502 - 26 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
977	977
978	978
979	979	HB2502- 27 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 27 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
980	980	HB2502 - 27 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
981	981	1 student, or any school-related personnel, (ii) the Internet
982	982	2 website through which the threat was made is a site that was
983	983	3 accessible within the school at the time the threat was made or
984	984	4 was available to third parties who worked or studied within
985	985	5 the school grounds at the time the threat was made, and (iii)
986	986	6 the threat could be reasonably interpreted as threatening to
987	987	7 the safety and security of the threatened individual because
988	988	8 of the individual's duties or employment status or status as a
989	989	9 student inside the school.
990	990	10 (e) To maintain order and security in the schools, school
991	991	11 authorities may inspect and search places and areas such as
992	992	12 lockers, desks, parking lots, and other school property and
993	993	13 equipment owned or controlled by the school, as well as
994	994	14 personal effects left in those places and areas by students,
995	995	15 without notice to or the consent of the student, and without a
996	996	16 search warrant. As a matter of public policy, the General
997	997	17 Assembly finds that students have no reasonable expectation of
998	998	18 privacy in these places and areas or in their personal effects
999	999	19 left in these places and areas. School authorities may request
1000	1000	20 the assistance of law enforcement officials for the purpose of
1001	1001	21 conducting inspections and searches of lockers, desks, parking
1002	1002	22 lots, and other school property and equipment owned or
1003	1003	23 controlled by the school for illegal drugs, weapons, or other
1004	1004	24 illegal or dangerous substances or materials, including
1005	1005	25 searches conducted through the use of specially trained dogs.
1006	1006	26 If a search conducted in accordance with this Section produces
1007	1007
1008	1008
1009	1009
1010	1010
1011	1011
1012	1012	HB2502 - 27 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1013	1013
1014	1014
1015	1015	HB2502- 28 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 28 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1016	1016	HB2502 - 28 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1017	1017	1 evidence that the student has violated or is violating either
1018	1018	2 the law, local ordinance, or the school's policies or rules,
1019	1019	3 such evidence may be seized by school authorities, and
1020	1020	4 disciplinary action may be taken. School authorities may also
1021	1021	5 turn over such evidence to law enforcement authorities.
1022	1022	6 (f) Suspension or expulsion may include suspension or
1023	1023	7 expulsion from school and all school activities and a
1024	1024	8 prohibition from being present on school grounds.
1025	1025	9 (g) A school district may adopt a policy providing that if
1026	1026	10 a student is suspended or expelled for any reason from any
1027	1027	11 public or private school in this or any other state, the
1028	1028	12 student must complete the entire term of the suspension or
1029	1029	13 expulsion in an alternative school program under Article 13A
1030	1030	14 of this Code or an alternative learning opportunities program
1031	1031	15 under Article 13B of this Code before being admitted into the
1032	1032	16 school district if there is no threat to the safety of students
1033	1033	17 or staff in the alternative program. A school district that
1034	1034	18 adopts a policy under this subsection (g) must include a
1035	1035	19 provision allowing for consideration of any mitigating
1036	1036	20 factors, including, but not limited to, a student's status as
1037	1037	21 a parent, expectant parent, or victim of domestic or sexual
1038	1038	22 violence, as defined in Article 26A.
1039	1039	23 (h) School officials shall not advise or encourage
1040	1040	24 students to drop out voluntarily due to behavioral or academic
1041	1041	25 difficulties.
1042	1042	26 (i) In this subsection (i):
1043	1043
1044	1044
1045	1045
1046	1046
1047	1047
1048	1048	HB2502 - 28 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1049	1049
1050	1050
1051	1051	HB2502- 29 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 29 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1052	1052	HB2502 - 29 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1053	1053	1 "Municipal code violation" means the violation of a rule
1054	1054	2 or regulation established by a local government authority,
1055	1055	3 authorized by Section 1-2-1 of the Illinois Municipal Code.
1056	1056	4 "School personnel" means a person who is employed by, who
1057	1057	5 is on contract with, or who volunteers in a school district or
1058	1058	6 charter school, including, but not limited to, a school
1059	1059	7 administrator, school district administrator, teacher, school
1060	1060	8 social worker, school counselor, school psychologist, school
1061	1061	9 nurse, paraprofessional, speech-language pathologist,
1062	1062	10 cafeteria worker, custodian, bus driver, school resource
1063	1063	11 officer, or security guard.
1064	1064	12 School personnel may not issue A student may not be issued
1065	1065	13 a monetary fine, or fee, ticket, or citation for a municipal
1066	1066	14 code violation as a disciplinary consequence, though this
1067	1067	15 shall not preclude requiring a student to provide restitution
1068	1068	16 for lost, stolen, or damaged property. This subsection (i)
1069	1069	17 does not modify school disciplinary responses under this
1070	1070	18 Section or Section 10-20.14 of this Code that existed before
1071	1071	19 the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General
1072	1072	20 Assembly or responses to alleged delinquent or criminal
1073	1073	21 conduct set forth in this Code, Article V of the Juvenile Court
1074	1074	22 Act of 1987, or the Criminal Code of 2012.
1075	1075	23 (j) Subsections (a) through (i) of this Section shall
1076	1076	24 apply to elementary and secondary schools, charter schools,
1077	1077	25 special charter districts, and school districts organized
1078	1078	26 under Article 34 of this Code.
1079	1079
1080	1080
1081	1081
1082	1082
1083	1083
1084	1084	HB2502 - 29 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1085	1085
1086	1086
1087	1087	HB2502- 30 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 30 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1088	1088	HB2502 - 30 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1089	1089	1 (k) Through June 30, 2026, the expulsion of students
1090	1090	2 enrolled in programs funded under Section 1C-2 of this Code is
1091	1091	3 subject to the requirements under paragraph (7) of subsection
1092	1092	4 (a) of Section 2-3.71 of this Code.
1093	1093	5 (k-5) On and after July 1, 2026, the expulsion of children
1094	1094	6 enrolled in programs funded under Section 15-25 of the
1095	1095	7 Department of Early Childhood Act is subject to the
1096	1096	8 requirements of paragraph (7) of subsection (a) of Section
1097	1097	9 15-30 of the Department of Early Childhood Act.
1098	1098	10 (l) An in-school suspension program provided by a school
1099	1099	11 district for any students in kindergarten through grade 12 may
1100	1100	12 focus on promoting non-violent conflict resolution and
1101	1101	13 positive interaction with other students and school personnel.
1102	1102	14 A school district may employ a school social worker or a
1103	1103	15 licensed mental health professional to oversee an in-school
1104	1104	16 suspension program in kindergarten through grade 12.
1105	1105	17 (Source: P.A. 102-466, eff. 7-1-25; 102-539, eff. 8-20-21;
1106	1106	18 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-594, eff. 6-25-24; 103-896, eff.
1107	1107	19 8-9-24; revised 9-25-24.)
1108	1108	20 (105 ILCS 5/26-12) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-12)
1109	1109	21 Sec. 26-12. Punitive action.
1110	1110	22 (a) No punitive action, including out-of-school
1111	1111	23 suspensions, expulsions, or court action, shall be taken
1112	1112	24 against truant minors for such truancy unless appropriate and
1113	1113	25 available supportive services and other school resources have
1114	1114
1115	1115
1116	1116
1117	1117
1118	1118
1119	1119	HB2502 - 30 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1120	1120
1121	1121
1122	1122	HB2502- 31 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 31 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1123	1123	HB2502 - 31 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1124	1124	1 been provided to the student. Notwithstanding the provisions
1125	1125	2 of Section 10-22.6 of this Code, a truant minor may not be
1126	1126	3 expelled for nonattendance unless he or she has accrued 15
1127	1127	4 consecutive days of absences without valid cause and the
1128	1128	5 student cannot be located by the school district or the school
1129	1129	6 district has located the student but cannot, after exhausting
1130	1130	7 all available supportive services, compel the student to
1131	1131	8 return to school.
1132	1132	9 (b) School personnel A school district may not refer a
1133	1133	10 truant, chronic truant, or truant minor to any other local
1134	1134	11 public entity, as defined under Section 1-206 of the Local
1135	1135	12 Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act,
1136	1136	13 school resource officer, as defined in Section 10-20.68 of
1137	1137	14 this Code, or peace officer, as defined in Section 2-13 of the
1138	1138	15 Criminal Code of 2012, for that local public entity, school
1139	1139	16 resource officer, or peace officer to issue the child a fine or
1140	1140	17 a fee as punishment for his or her truancy.
1141	1141	18 (c) A school district may refer any person having custody
1142	1142	19 or control of a truant, chronic truant, or truant minor to any
1143	1143	20 other local public entity, as defined under Section 1-206 of
1144	1144	21 the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort
1145	1145	22 Immunity Act, for that local public entity to issue the person
1146	1146	23 a fine or fee for the child's truancy only if the school
1147	1147	24 district's truant officer, regional office of education, or
1148	1148	25 intermediate service center has been notified of the truant
1149	1149	26 behavior and the school district, regional office of
1150	1150
1151	1151
1152	1152
1153	1153
1154	1154
1155	1155	HB2502 - 31 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1156	1156
1157	1157
1158	1158	HB2502- 32 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 32 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1159	1159	HB2502 - 32 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1160	1160	1 education, or intermediate service center has offered all
1161	1161	2 appropriate and available supportive services and other school
1162	1162	3 resources to the child. Before a school district may refer a
1163	1163	4 person having custody or control of a child to a municipality,
1164	1164	5 as defined under Section 1-1-2 of the Illinois Municipal Code,
1165	1165	6 the school district must provide the following appropriate and
1166	1166	7 available services:
1167	1167	8 (1) For any child who is a homeless child, as defined
1168	1168	9 under Section 1-5 of the Education for Homeless Children
1169	1169	10 Act, a meeting between the child, the person having
1170	1170	11 custody or control of the child, relevant school
1171	1171	12 personnel, and a homeless liaison to discuss any barriers
1172	1172	13 to the child's attendance due to the child's transitional
1173	1173	14 living situation and to construct a plan that removes
1174	1174	15 these barriers.
1175	1175	16 (2) For any child with a documented disability, a
1176	1176	17 meeting between the child, the person having custody or
1177	1177	18 control of the child, and relevant school personnel to
1178	1178	19 review the child's current needs and address the
1179	1179	20 appropriateness of the child's placement and services. For
1180	1180	21 any child subject to Article 14 of this Code, this meeting
1181	1181	22 shall be an individualized education program meeting and
1182	1182	23 shall include relevant members of the individualized
1183	1183	24 education program team. For any child with a disability
1184	1184	25 under Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of
1185	1185	26 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794), this meeting shall be a Section 504
1186	1186
1187	1187
1188	1188
1189	1189
1190	1190
1191	1191	HB2502 - 32 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1192	1192
1193	1193
1194	1194	HB2502- 33 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 33 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1195	1195	HB2502 - 33 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1196	1196	1 plan review and include relevant members of the Section
1197	1197	2 504 plan team.
1198	1198	3 (3) For any child currently being evaluated by a
1199	1199	4 school district for a disability or for whom the school
1200	1200	5 has a basis of knowledge that the child is a child with a
1201	1201	6 disability under 20 U.S.C. 1415(k)(5), the completion of
1202	1202	7 the evaluation and determination of the child's
1203	1203	8 eligibility for special education services.
1204	1204	9 (d) Before a school district may refer a person having
1205	1205	10 custody or control of a child to a local public entity under
1206	1206	11 this Section, the school district must document any
1207	1207	12 appropriate and available supportive services offered to the
1208	1208	13 child. In the event a meeting under this Section does not
1209	1209	14 occur, a school district must have documentation that it made
1210	1210	15 reasonable efforts to convene the meeting at a mutually
1211	1211	16 convenient time and date for the school district and the
1212	1212	17 person having custody or control of the child and, but for the
1213	1213	18 conduct of that person, the meeting would have occurred.
1214	1214	19 (Source: P.A. 100-810, eff. 1-1-19; 100-825, eff. 8-13-18;
1215	1215	20 101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)
1216	1216	21 Section 95. No acceleration or delay. Where this Act makes
1217	1217	22 changes in a statute that is represented in this Act by text
1218	1218	23 that is not yet or no longer in effect (for example, a Section
1219	1219	24 represented by multiple versions), the use of that text does
1220	1220	25 not accelerate or delay the taking effect of (i) the changes
1221	1221
1222	1222
1223	1223
1224	1224
1225	1225
1226	1226	HB2502 - 33 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1227	1227
1228	1228
1229	1229	HB2502- 34 -LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b HB2502 - 34 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1230	1230	HB2502 - 34 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b
1231	1231	1 made by this Act or (ii) provisions derived from any other
1232	1232	2 Public Act.
1233	1233
1234	1234
1235	1235
1236	1236
1237	1237
1238	1238	HB2502 - 34 - LRB104 06246 LNS 16281 b