101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB3643

 

Introduced , by Rep. Grant Wehrli

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/10-20.69 new
105 ILCS 5/34-18.61 new

    Amends the School Code. Provides for legislative findings. Provides that if a school district employee or volunteer, student, or student's parent or guardian reports a threat made by a student, the principal of that student's school must immediately investigate the threat using specified criteria to determine its credibility; defines "threat". Provides that if the principal determines the threat is credible, he or she shall immediately report the threat to a local law enforcement agency for investigation. Provides that after the principal notifies the local law enforcement agency, the school district must take disciplinary action against the student. Provides that following each reported threat, regardless of whether it was deemed credible, the principal must submit a report to the school board to be reviewed at its next regularly scheduled board meeting or special meeting; specifies the report's requirements. Provides that after the school board reviews the report, the principal must submit the report to the State Board of Education and the State Board must submit an annual report to the General Assembly compiling all of the reports it received in the prior school year. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3643LRB101 07139 AXK 52177 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. This Act may be referred to as the School Threat
5Prevention and Protection Act.
 
6    Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Sections
710-20.69 and 34-18.61 as follows:
 
8    (105 ILCS 5/10-20.69 new)
9    Sec. 10-20.69. School threat prevention.
10    (a) The General Assembly finds that the number of school
11shootings has increased at an alarming rate, causing
12policymakers to introduce a number of school safety
13initiatives. The General Assembly also finds that the number of
14threats made by students against school employees and other
15students is ever-increasing, and, in an effort to better
16protect students and school employees, it is no longer feasible
17to dismiss threats made by a student, regardless of the
18student's background or educational attainment or the details
19of the threat.
20    (b) In this Section, "threat" means, but is not limited to,
21a student's statement of possible destruction of a school
22building or school property or statement of possible violence,

 

 

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1death, or bodily harm directed against a person at a school,
2school function, or school event, regardless of whether school
3is in session. A threat may be oral, written, or electronically
4transmitted.
5    (c) If a school district employee or volunteer, student, or
6student's parent or guardian reports a threat made by a
7student, including by a student in a special education program
8under Article 14, the principal of that student's school must
9immediately investigate the threat using all of the following
10criteria to determine its credibility:
11        (1) Whether the threat is immediate or remote.
12        (2) Whether the threat constitutes a prediction or
13    promise of harm to a person or school property.
14        (3) The plausibility of the threat.
15        (4) If applicable, how the person who is the object of
16    the threat reacted.
17        (5) The factors in the student's personal profile that
18    would make the threat more or less credible.
19    (d) If the principal determines the threat is credible, he
20or she shall immediately report the threat to a local law
21enforcement agency for investigation. After the principal
22notifies the local law enforcement agency, the school district
23must take disciplinary action against the student under Section
2410-22.6.
25    (e) If the principal determines that the threat is not
26credible and does not report it to a local law enforcement

 

 

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1agency and an additional threat is made by that same student,
2the principal must notify a local law enforcement agency of the
3threat. After the principal notifies the local law enforcement
4agency, the school district must take disciplinary action
5against the student under Section 10-22.6.
6    (f) Following each reported threat, regardless of whether
7it was deemed credible, the principal must submit a report to
8the school board to be reviewed at its next regularly scheduled
9board meeting or special meeting. The report shall include
10information on the threat, including who made the threat and
11the threat's details. This report must be maintained in the
12student's school student record. After the school board reviews
13the report, the principal must submit the report to the State
14Board Education. The State Board must submit an annual report
15to the General Assembly compiling all of the reports received
16under this subsection in the prior school year.
 
17    (105 ILCS 5/34-18.61 new)
18    Sec. 34-18.61. School threat prevention.
19    (a) The General Assembly finds that the number of school
20shootings has increased at an alarming rate, causing
21policymakers to introduce a number of school safety
22initiatives. The General Assembly also finds that the number of
23threats made by students against school employees and other
24students is ever-increasing, and, in an effort to better
25protect students and school employees, it is no longer feasible

 

 

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1to dismiss threats made by a student, regardless of the
2student's background or educational attainment or the details
3of the threat.
4    (b) In this Section, "threat" means, but is not limited to,
5a student's statement of possible destruction of a school
6building or school property or statement of possible violence,
7death, or bodily harm directed against a person at a school,
8school function, or school event, regardless of whether school
9is in session. A threat may be oral, written, or electronically
10transmitted.
11    (c) If a school district employee or volunteer, student, or
12student's parent or guardian reports a threat made by a
13student, including by a student in a special education program
14under Article 14, the principal of that student's school must
15immediately investigate the threat using all of the following
16criteria to determine its credibility:
17        (1) Whether the threat is immediate or remote.
18        (2) Whether the threat constitutes a prediction or
19    promise of harm to a person or school property.
20        (3) The plausibility of the threat.
21        (4) If applicable, how the person who is the object of
22    the threat reacted.
23        (5) The factors in the student's personal profile that
24    would make the threat more or less credible.
25    (d) If the principal determines the threat is credible, he
26or she shall immediately report the threat to a local law

 

 

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1enforcement agency for investigation. After the principal
2notifies the local law enforcement agency, the school district
3must take disciplinary action against the student under Section
410-22.6.
5    (e) If the principal determines that the threat is not
6credible and does not report it to a local law enforcement
7agency and an additional threat is made by that same student,
8the principal must notify a local law enforcement agency of the
9threat. After the principal notifies the local law enforcement
10agency, the school district must take disciplinary action
11against the student under Section 10-22.6.
12    (f) Following each reported threat, regardless of whether
13it was deemed credible, the principal must submit a report to
14the board to be reviewed at its next regularly scheduled board
15meeting or special meeting. The report shall include
16information on the threat, including who made the threat and
17the threat's details. This report must be maintained in the
18student's school student record. After the board reviews the
19report, the principal must submit the report to the State Board
20of Education. The State Board must submit an annual report to
21the General Assembly compiling all of the reports received
22under this subsection in the prior school year.
 
23    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
24becoming law.