103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB3425

 

Introduced 2/17/2023, by Rep. Margaret Croke

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
30 ILCS 105/5.990 new
105 ILCS 5/27-23.7

    Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. In provisions relating to bullying prevention and the definition of "policy on bullying", provides that bullying shall also include bullying based off of physical appearance, socioeconomic status, academic status, pregnancy, parenting status, homelessness. Provides that a bullying prevention policy must include procedures for informing parents or guardians of all students involved in the alleged incident of bullying within 24 hours after the school's administration is made aware of the incident (instead of procedures for promptly informing parents or guardians of all students involved in the alleged incident of bullying). Provides that the bullying prevention policy shall also requires all individual instances of bullying, as well as all threats, suggestions, or instances of self-harm to be reported to the parents or legal guardians of those involved under the guidelines provided. Provides that the State Board of Education shall develop a template for a model bullying prevention policy. Provides that schools shall develop the bullying prevention policy for the school based on the model provided by the State Board of Education. Provides that school districts shall collect, maintain, and submit to the State Board of Education non-identifiable data regarding allegations and instances of bullying within the school district. Provides that upon the request of a parent or legal guardian of a child enrolled in a school district within the State, the State Board of Education must provide non-identifiable data of the number of bullying allegations and incidents in a given year at the school district to the requesting parent or legal guardian. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming change. Makes other changes.


LRB103 29456 RJT 55848 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3425LRB103 29456 RJT 55848 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 5. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
5Section 5.990 as follows:
 
6    (30 ILCS 105/5.990 new)
7    Sec. 5.990. The Illinois Bullying and Cyberbullying
8Prevention Fund.
 
9    Section 10. The School Code is amended by changing Section
1027-23.7 as follows:
 
11    (105 ILCS 5/27-23.7)
12    Sec. 27-23.7. Bullying prevention.
13    (a) The General Assembly finds that a safe and civil
14school environment is necessary for students to learn and
15achieve and that bullying causes physical, psychological, and
16emotional harm to students and interferes with students'
17ability to learn and participate in school activities. The
18General Assembly further finds that bullying has been linked
19to other forms of antisocial behavior, such as vandalism,
20shoplifting, skipping and dropping out of school, fighting,
21using drugs and alcohol, sexual harassment, and sexual

 

 

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1violence. Because of the negative outcomes associated with
2bullying in schools, the General Assembly finds that school
3districts, charter schools, and non-public, non-sectarian
4elementary and secondary schools should educate students,
5parents, and school district, charter school, or non-public,
6non-sectarian elementary or secondary school personnel about
7what behaviors constitute prohibited bullying.
8    Bullying on the basis of actual or perceived race, color,
9religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, physical appearance,
10socioeconomic status, academic status, pregnancy, parenting
11status, homelessness, age, marital status, physical or mental
12disability, military status, sexual orientation,
13gender-related identity or expression, unfavorable discharge
14from military service, association with a person or group with
15one or more of the aforementioned actual or perceived
16characteristics, or any other distinguishing characteristic is
17prohibited in all school districts, charter schools, and
18non-public, non-sectarian elementary and secondary schools. No
19student shall be subjected to bullying:
20        (1) during any school-sponsored education program or
21    activity;
22        (2) while in school, on school property, on school
23    buses or other school vehicles, at designated school bus
24    stops waiting for the school bus, or at school-sponsored
25    or school-sanctioned events or activities;
26        (3) through the transmission of information from a

 

 

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1    school computer, a school computer network, or other
2    similar electronic school equipment; or
3        (4) through the transmission of information from a
4    computer that is accessed at a nonschool-related location,
5    activity, function, or program or from the use of
6    technology or an electronic device that is not owned,
7    leased, or used by a school district or school if the
8    bullying causes a substantial disruption to the
9    educational process or orderly operation of a school. This
10    item (4) applies only in cases in which a school
11    administrator or teacher receives a report that bullying
12    through this means has occurred and does not require a
13    district or school to staff or monitor any
14    nonschool-related activity, function, or program.
15    (a-5) Nothing in this Section is intended to infringe upon
16any right to exercise free expression or the free exercise of
17religion or religiously based views protected under the First
18Amendment to the United States Constitution or under Section 3
19of Article I of the Illinois Constitution.
20    (b) In this Section:
21    "Bullying" includes "cyber-bullying" and means any severe
22or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct, including
23communications made in writing or electronically, directed
24toward a student or students that has or can be reasonably
25predicted to have the effect of one or more of the following:
26        (1) placing the student or students in reasonable fear

 

 

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1    of harm to the student's or students' person or property;
2        (2) causing a substantially detrimental effect on the
3    student's or students' physical or mental health;
4        (3) substantially interfering with the student's or
5    students' academic performance; or
6        (4) substantially interfering with the student's or
7    students' ability to participate in or benefit from the
8    services, activities, or privileges provided by a school.
9    Bullying, as defined in this subsection (b), may take
10various forms, including without limitation one or more of the
11following: harassment, threats, intimidation, stalking,
12physical violence, sexual harassment, sexual violence, theft,
13public humiliation, destruction of property, or retaliation
14for asserting or alleging an act of bullying. This list is
15meant to be illustrative and non-exhaustive.
16    "Cyber-bullying" means bullying through the use of
17technology or any electronic communication, including without
18limitation any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images,
19sounds, data, or intelligence of any nature transmitted in
20whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic system,
21photoelectronic system, or photooptical system, including
22without limitation electronic mail, Internet communications,
23instant messages, or facsimile communications.
24"Cyber-bullying" includes the creation of a webpage or weblog
25in which the creator assumes the identity of another person or
26the knowing impersonation of another person as the author of

 

 

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1posted content or messages if the creation or impersonation
2creates any of the effects enumerated in the definition of
3bullying in this Section. "Cyber-bullying" also includes the
4distribution by electronic means of a communication to more
5than one person or the posting of material on an electronic
6medium that may be accessed by one or more persons if the
7distribution or posting creates any of the effects enumerated
8in the definition of bullying in this Section.
9    "Policy on bullying" means a bullying prevention policy
10that meets the following criteria:
11        (1) Includes the bullying definition provided in this
12    Section.
13        (2) Includes a statement that bullying is contrary to
14    State law and the policy of the school district, charter
15    school, or non-public, non-sectarian elementary or
16    secondary school and is consistent with subsection (a-5)
17    of this Section.
18        (3) Includes procedures for promptly reporting
19    bullying, including, but not limited to, identifying and
20    providing the school e-mail address (if applicable) and
21    school telephone number for the staff person or persons
22    responsible for receiving such reports and a procedure for
23    anonymous reporting; however, this shall not be construed
24    to permit formal disciplinary action solely on the basis
25    of an anonymous report.
26        (4) Consistent with federal and State laws and rules

 

 

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1    governing student privacy rights, includes procedures for
2    promptly informing parents or guardians of all students
3    involved in the alleged incident of bullying within 24
4    hours after the school's administration is made aware of
5    the incident and discussing, as appropriate, the
6    availability of social work services, counseling, school
7    psychological services, other interventions, and
8    restorative measures. The school shall make diligent
9    efforts to notify a parent or legal guardian, utilizing
10    all contact information the school has available or that
11    can be reasonably obtained by the school within the
12    24-hour period.
13        (5) Contains procedures for promptly investigating and
14    addressing reports of bullying, including the following:
15            (A) Making all reasonable efforts to complete the
16        investigation within 10 school days after the date the
17        report of the incident of bullying was received and
18        taking into consideration additional relevant
19        information received during the course of the
20        investigation about the reported incident of bullying.
21            (B) Involving appropriate school support personnel
22        and other staff persons with knowledge, experience,
23        and training on bullying prevention, as deemed
24        appropriate, in the investigation process.
25            (C) Notifying the principal or school
26        administrator or his or her designee of the report of

 

 

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1        the incident of bullying as soon as possible after the
2        report is received.
3            (D) Consistent with federal and State laws and
4        rules governing student privacy rights, providing
5        parents and guardians of the students who are parties
6        to the investigation information about the
7        investigation and an opportunity to meet with the
8        principal or school administrator or his or her
9        designee to discuss the investigation, the findings of
10        the investigation, and the actions taken to address
11        the reported incident of bullying.
12        (6) Includes the interventions that can be taken to
13    address bullying, which may include, but are not limited
14    to, school social work services, restorative measures,
15    social-emotional skill building, counseling, school
16    psychological services, and community-based services.
17        (7) Includes a statement prohibiting reprisal or
18    retaliation against any person who reports an act of
19    bullying and the consequences and appropriate remedial
20    actions for a person who engages in reprisal or
21    retaliation.
22        (8) Includes consequences and appropriate remedial
23    actions for a person found to have falsely accused another
24    of bullying as a means of retaliation or as a means of
25    bullying.
26        (9) Is based on the engagement of a range of school

 

 

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1    stakeholders, including students and parents or guardians.
2        (10) Is posted on the school district's, charter
3    school's, or non-public, non-sectarian elementary or
4    secondary school's existing Internet website, is included
5    in the student handbook, and, where applicable, posted
6    where other policies, rules, and standards of conduct are
7    currently posted in the school and provided periodically
8    throughout the school year to students and faculty, and is
9    distributed annually to parents, guardians, students, and
10    school personnel, including new employees when hired.
11        (11) As part of the process of reviewing and
12    re-evaluating the policy under subsection (d) of this
13    Section, contains a policy evaluation process to assess
14    the outcomes and effectiveness of the policy that
15    includes, but is not limited to, factors such as the
16    frequency of victimization; student, staff, and family
17    observations of safety at a school; identification of
18    areas of a school where bullying occurs; the types of
19    bullying utilized; and bystander intervention or
20    participation. The school district, charter school, or
21    non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school
22    may use relevant data and information it already collects
23    for other purposes in the policy evaluation. The
24    information developed as a result of the policy evaluation
25    must be made available on the Internet website of the
26    school district, charter school, or non-public,

 

 

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1    non-sectarian elementary or secondary school. If an
2    Internet website is not available, the information must be
3    provided to school administrators, school board members,
4    school personnel, parents, guardians, and students.
5        (12) Is consistent with the policies of the school
6    board, charter school, or non-public, non-sectarian
7    elementary or secondary school.
8        (13) Requires all individual instances of bullying, as
9    well as all threats, suggestions, or instances of
10    self-harm to be reported to the parents or legal guardians
11    of those involved under the guidelines provided in
12    paragraph (4) of this definition.
13        (14) The policy on bullying developed by the schools
14    shall be based on the State Board of Education's template
15    for a model bullying prevention policy developed under
16    subsection (i). The policy shall be integrated within the
17    school districts' curricula, discipline policies, and any
18    other violence prevention efforts, including, but not
19    limited to, social and emotional learning standards and
20    response to intervention plans as defined by the State
21    Board of Education's administrative rule.
22    "Restorative measures" means a continuum of school-based
23alternatives to exclusionary discipline, such as suspensions
24and expulsions, that: (i) are adapted to the particular needs
25of the school and community, (ii) contribute to maintaining
26school safety, (iii) protect the integrity of a positive and

 

 

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1productive learning climate, (iv) teach students the personal
2and interpersonal skills they will need to be successful in
3school and society, (v) serve to build and restore
4relationships among students, families, schools, and
5communities, (vi) reduce the likelihood of future disruption
6by balancing accountability with an understanding of students'
7behavioral health needs in order to keep students in school,
8and (vii) increase student accountability if the incident of
9bullying is based on religion, race, ethnicity, or any other
10category that is identified in the Illinois Human Rights Act.
11    "School personnel" means persons employed by, on contract
12with, or who volunteer in a school district, charter school,
13or non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school,
14including without limitation school and school district
15administrators, teachers, school social workers, school
16counselors, school psychologists, school nurses, cafeteria
17workers, custodians, bus drivers, school resource officers,
18and security guards.
19    (c) (Blank).
20    (d) Each school district, charter school, and non-public,
21non-sectarian elementary or secondary school shall create,
22maintain, and implement a policy on bullying, which policy
23must be filed with the State Board of Education. The policy or
24implementing procedure shall include a process to investigate
25whether a reported act of bullying is within the permissible
26scope of the district's or school's jurisdiction and shall

 

 

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1require that the district or school provide the victim with
2information regarding services that are available within the
3district and community, such as counseling, support services,
4and other programs. School personnel available for help with a
5bully or to make a report about bullying shall be made known to
6parents or legal guardians, students, and school personnel.
7Every 2 years, each school district, charter school, and
8non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school shall
9conduct a review and re-evaluation of its policy and make any
10necessary and appropriate revisions. No later than September
1130 of the subject year, the policy must be filed with the State
12Board of Education after being updated. The State Board of
13Education shall monitor and provide technical support for the
14implementation of policies created under this subsection (d).
15In monitoring the implementation of the policies, the State
16Board of Education shall review each filed policy on bullying
17to ensure all policies meet the requirements set forth in this
18Section, including ensuring that each policy meets the 12
19criterion identified within the definition of "policy on
20bullying" set forth in this Section.
21    If a school district, charter school, or non-public,
22non-sectarian elementary or secondary school fails to file a
23policy on bullying by September 30 of the subject year, the
24State Board of Education shall provide a written request for
25filing to the school district, charter school, or non-public,
26non-sectarian elementary or secondary school. If a school

 

 

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1district, charter school, or non-public, non-sectarian
2elementary or secondary school fails to file a policy on
3bullying within 14 days of receipt of the aforementioned
4written request, the State Board of Education shall publish
5notice of the non-compliance on the State Board of Education's
6website.
7    (e) This Section shall not be interpreted to prevent a
8victim from seeking redress under any other available civil or
9criminal law.
10    (f) School districts shall collect, maintain, and submit
11to the State Board of Education non-identifiable data
12regarding allegations and instances of bullying within the
13school district. School districts must submit such data in an
14annual report due to the State Board of Education no later than
15June 1 of each year. The State Board of Education shall adopt
16rules for the submission of data which shall include, without
17limitation, a record of each complaint and action taken. The
18State Board of Education shall adopt rules regarding the
19notification of school districts that fail to comply with the
20requirements of this subsection.
21    (g) Upon the request of a parent or legal guardian of a
22child enrolled in a school district within this State, the
23State Board of Education must provide non-identifiable data of
24the number of bullying allegations and incidents in a given
25year at the school district to the requesting parent or legal
26guardian. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules

 

 

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1regarding: (i) the handling of such data, (ii) maintaining
2privacy of the students and families involved, and (iii) best
3practices for sharing numerical data with parents and legal
4guardians.
5    (h) A recommendation that out-of-school suspension,
6expulsion, or referral to law enforcement shall only be
7imposed when required by the federal Gun-Free Schools Act of
81994 or in exceptional circumstances to be determined by the
9State Board; and a recommendation to seek free or
10cost-effective professional development and youth programming
11on bullying prevention that is consistent with the State
12Board's recommendations for such training that is
13research-based and addresses the specific context of the
14school.
15    (i) The State Board of Education shall develop a template
16for a model bullying prevention policy. The State Board of
17Education shall adopt rules to implement the provisions of
18this subsection.
19    (j) There is created the Illinois Bullying and
20Cyberbullying Prevention Fund in the State Treasury. Any
21moneys appropriated to the fund may be used for the purposes of
22subsection (k).
23    (k) The State Superintendent of Education may provide a
24grant to school districts to support the school district's
25anti-bullying programming. Grants may be awarded from the
26Illinois Bullying and Cyberbullying Prevention Fund. School

 

 

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1districts that are not in compliance with subsection (f) are
2not eligible to receive a grant from the Illinois Bullying and
3Cyberbullying Prevention Fund.
4(Source: P.A. 102-197, eff. 7-30-21; 102-241, eff. 8-3-21;
5102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 102-894, eff. 5-20-22.)