HB4274 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 35300 CES 65342 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB4274

Introduced 1/16/2024, by Rep. Dan Swanson

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/22-100 new

Amends the School Code. Provides that a school nurse or other designated person employed by a school district shall remove a tick from a student in accordance with guidelines issued by the Department of Public Health. After the tick has been removed, requires (i) the school nurse or other designated person to notify the parent or guardian of the student (and sets forth what the notice must state), (ii) the school to provide the parent or guardian with an information sheet from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Public Health regarding the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever and testing labs for ticks, and (iii) the school to preserve the tick for 72 hours so that the parent or guardian may send the tick to a lab for testing and provide information to the parent or guardian on how to send the tick to a lab for testing (but allows the parent or guardian to give the school permission to dispose of the tick before the 72-hour time period has expired). Provides that the Department of Public Health shall issue guidelines on how to remove a tick, publish those guidelines on the Department of Public Health's Internet website, and, in consultation with the State Board of Education, provide the guidelines to school districts. Provides that a school district and its employees and agents shall incur no liability, except for willful or wanton conduct, as a result of any injury arising from the removal of a tick if the removal of the tick followed the guidelines issued by the Department of Public Health. Effective July 1, 2024.

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section 22-100 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/22-100 new)

Sec. 22-100. Tick removal.

(a) A school nurse or other designated person employed by a school district shall remove a tick from a student in accordance with guidelines issued by the Department of Public Health. After removal of the tick, all of the following requirements apply:

(1) The school nurse or other designated person shall notify the parent or guardian of the student in writing of the tick removal. The notice shall be in substantially the following form:

A tick was removed from your child today. Ticks can transmit disease and make people sick. Common illnesses caused by ticks in Illinois are Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Not all tick bites lead to tick-borne diseases.

You should record the date on which the tick was removed.

It is recommended that you seek medical treatment from your child's health care provider promptly if you notice any early signs or symptoms of illness within 3 to 30 days after the date of removal.

Some people with Lyme disease will get a bullseye rash. Others may have an atypical rash. Not everyone who has Lyme disease will get a rash. Other symptoms that may occur during the early state of Lyme disease include chills, fever, headache, tiredness, stiff neck, joint pain or swelling, and swollen lymph nodes. Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics. If untreated, infection may progress to joint, heart, brain, or nerve abnormalities.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a bacterial disease spread through the bite of an infected tick. Most people who get sick with RMSF will have a fever, headache, and rash. RMSF can be deadly if not treated early with the right antibiotic. Early signs and symptoms are not specific to RMSF, including fever and headache. However, the disease can rapidly progress to a serious and life-threatening illness. See your child's health care provider if your child becomes ill after having been bitten by a tick or having been in the woods or in areas with high brush where ticks commonly live. Signs and symptoms may include fever, headache, rash, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, muscle pain, and lack of appetite.

Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are not the only tick-borne diseases with which an individual can be infected after being bitten by a tick.

(2) In addition to the notice, the school shall provide the parent or guardian with an information sheet from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Public Health regarding the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever and testing labs for ticks.

(3) The school shall preserve the tick for 72 hours so that the parent or guardian may send the tick to a lab for testing and shall provide information to the parent or guardian on how to send the tick to a lab for testing. However, the parent or guardian may give the school permission to dispose of the tick before the 72-hour time period has expired.

(c) The Department of Public Health shall issue guidelines on how to remove a tick under subsection (a), publish those guidelines on the Department of Public Health's Internet website, and, in consultation with the State Board of Education, provide the guidelines to school districts.

(d) A school district and its employees and agents shall incur no liability, except for willful or wanton conduct, as a result of any injury arising from the removal of a tick under subsection (a) if the removal of the tick was conducted following the guidelines issued by the Department of Public Health under subsection (c).

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2024.