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1 AN ACT concerning safety.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The School Safety Drill Act is amended by
5 changing Sections 5, 10, 15, and 25 and by adding Section 65 as
6 follows:
7 (105 ILCS 128/5)
8 Sec. 5. Definitions. In this Act:
9 "Emergency services and disaster agency" means an agency
10 by the name "emergency services and disaster agency", by the
11 name "emergency management agency", or by any other name that
12 is established by ordinance within a political subdivision to
13 coordinate the emergency management program within that
14 political subdivision with private organizations, other
15 political subdivisions, and the State and federal governments.
16 "First responder" means and includes all fire departments
17 and districts, law enforcement agencies and officials,
18 emergency medical responders, emergency medical dispatchers,
19 and emergency management officials involved in the execution
20 and documentation of the drills administered under this Act.
21 "Hazardous substance" has the meaning given to that term
22 in Section 3.215 of the Environmental Protection Act, except
23 that, as used in this Act, "hazardous substance" also includes
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1 radioactive materials, hydrocarbons, petroleum, gasoline, and
2 crude oil or any products, by-products, or fractions thereof.
3 "Local emergency planning committee" means the committee
4 that is appointed for an emergency planning district under
5 Section 301 of the federal Emergency Planning and Community
6 Right-to-Know Act of 1986.
7 "School" means a public or private facility that offers
8 elementary or secondary education to students under the age of
9 21. As used in this definition, "public facility" means a
10 facility operated by the State or by a unit of local
11 government. As used in this definition, "private facility"
12 means any non-profit, non-home-based, non-public elementary or
13 secondary school that is in compliance with Title VI of the
14 Civil Rights Act of 1964 and attendance at which satisfies the
15 requirements of Section 26-1 of the School Code. While more
16 than one school may be housed in a facility, for purposes of
17 this Act, the facility shall be considered a school. When a
18 school has more than one location, for purposes of this Act,
19 each different location shall be considered its own school.
20 "School district" means any public school district
21 established under the School Code, any program of a special
22 education joint agreement established under Section 3-15.14,
23 10-22.31, or 10-22.31a of the School Code, or any charter
24 school authorized by the State Board of Education in
25 accordance with Section 27A-7.5 of the School Code.
26 "School safety drill" means a pre-planned exercise
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1 conducted by a school in accordance with the drills and
2 requirements set forth in this Act.
3 (Source: P.A. 102-894, eff. 5-20-22; 102-1006, eff. 1-1-23;
4 103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-175, eff. 6-30-23.)
5 (105 ILCS 128/10)
6 Sec. 10. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is (i) to
7 establish minimum requirements and standards for schools to
8 follow when conducting school safety drills and reviewing
9 school emergency and crisis response plans and, beginning July
10 1, 2027, hazardous substance release procedures and (ii) to
11 encourage schools and first responders to work together for
12 the safety of children. Communities and schools may exceed
13 these requirements and standards.
14 (Source: P.A. 94-600, eff. 8-16-05.)
15 (105 ILCS 128/15)
16 Sec. 15. Types of drills. Under this Act, the following
17 school safety drills shall be instituted by all schools in
18 this State:
19 (1) School evacuation drills, which shall address and
20 prepare students and school personnel for situations that
21 occur when conditions outside of a school building are
22 safer than inside a school building. Evacuation incidents
23 are based on the needs of particular communities and may
24 include without limitation the following:
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1 (A) fire;
2 (B) suspicious items or persons;
3 (C) incidents involving hazardous materials,
4 including, but not limited to, chemical, incendiary,
5 and explosives; and
6 (D) bomb threats; and .
7 (E) incidents involving the release or explosion
8 of hazardous substances.
9 (2) Except as limited by subsection (b-5) of Section
10 20 of this Act, bus evacuation drills, which shall address
11 and prepare students and school personnel for situations
12 that occur when conditions outside of a bus are safer than
13 inside the bus. Evacuation incidents are based on the
14 needs of particular communities and may include without
15 limitation the following:
16 (A) fire;
17 (B) suspicious items; and
18 (C) incidents involving hazardous materials,
19 including, but not limited to, chemical, incendiary,
20 and explosives; and .
21 (D) incidents involving the release or explosion
22 of hazardous substances.
23 (3) Law enforcement drills, which shall address and
24 prepare school personnel for situations calling for the
25 involvement of law enforcement when conditions inside a
26 school building are safer than outside of a school
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1 building and it is necessary to protect building occupants
2 from potential dangers in a school building. Law
3 enforcement drills may involve situations that call for
4 the reverse-evacuation or the lock-down of a school
5 building. Evacuation or reverse-evacuation incidents shall
6 include a shooting incident.
7 (4) Severe weather and shelter-in-place drills, which
8 shall address and prepare students for situations
9 involving severe weather emergencies or the release of
10 external gas or chemicals. Severe weather and
11 shelter-in-place incidents shall be based on the needs and
12 environment of particular communities and may include
13 without limitation the following:
14 (A) severe weather, including, but not limited to,
15 shear winds, lightning, and earthquakes;
16 (B) incidents involving hazardous materials,
17 including, but not limited to, chemical, incendiary,
18 and explosives; and
19 (C) incidents involving weapons of mass
20 destruction, including, but not limited to,
21 biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons; and .
22 (D) incidents involving the release or explosion
23 of hazardous materials.
24 (Source: P.A. 100-443, eff. 8-25-17.)
25 (105 ILCS 128/25)
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1 Sec. 25. Annual review.
2 (a) Each public school district, through its school board
3 or the board's designee, shall conduct a minimum of one annual
4 meeting at which it will review each school building's
5 emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and
6 procedures, including procedures regarding the school
7 district's threat assessment team, the school district's
8 hazardous substance release procedures, procedures regarding
9 the school district's cardiac emergency response plan, the
10 efficacy and effects of law enforcement drills, and each
11 building's compliance with the school safety drill programs.
12 The purpose of this annual review shall be to review and update
13 the emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and
14 procedures and the school safety drill programs of the
15 district and each of its school buildings. This review must be
16 at no cost to the school district. In updating a school
17 building's emergency and crisis response plans, consideration
18 may be given to making the emergency and crisis response plans
19 available to first responders, administrators, and teachers
20 for implementation and utilization through the use of
21 electronic applications on electronic devices, including, but
22 not limited to, smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers.
23 (b) Each school board or the board's designee is required
24 to participate in the annual review and to invite each of the
25 following parties to the annual review and provide each party
26 with a minimum of 30 days' notice before the date of the annual
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1 review:
2 (1) The principal of each school within the school
3 district or his or her official designee.
4 (2) Representatives from any other education-related
5 organization or association deemed appropriate by the
6 school district.
7 (3) Representatives from all local first responder
8 organizations to participate, advise, and consult in the
9 review process, including, but not limited to:
10 (A) the appropriate local fire department or
11 district;
12 (B) the appropriate local law enforcement agency;
13 (C) the appropriate local emergency medical
14 services agency if the agency is a separate, local
15 first responder unit; and
16 (D) any other member of the first responder or
17 emergency management community that has contacted the
18 district superintendent or his or her designee during
19 the past year to request involvement in a school's
20 emergency planning or drill process; and .
21 (E) the applicable emergency services and disaster
22 agency or the applicable local emergency planning
23 committee.
24 (4) The school board or its designee may also choose
25 to invite to the annual review any other persons whom it
26 believes will aid in the review process, including, but
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1 not limited to, any members of any other education-related
2 organization or the first responder or emergency
3 management community.
4 (c) Upon the conclusion of the annual review, the school
5 board or the board's designee shall sign a one page report,
6 which may be in either a check-off format or a narrative
7 format, that does the following:
8 (1) summarizes the review's recommended changes to the
9 existing school safety plans and drill plans;
10 (2) lists the parties that participated in the annual
11 review, and includes the annual review's attendance
12 record;
13 (3) certifies that an effective review of the
14 emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and
15 procedures and the school safety drill programs of the
16 district and each of its school buildings has occurred;
17 (4) states that the school district will implement
18 those plans, protocols, procedures, and programs, during
19 the academic year; and
20 (5) includes the authorization of the school board or
21 the board's designee.
22 (d) The school board or its designee shall send a copy of
23 the report to each party that participates in the annual
24 review process and to the appropriate regional superintendent
25 of schools. If any of the participating parties have comments
26 on the certification document, those parties shall submit
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1 their comments in writing to the appropriate regional
2 superintendent. The regional superintendent shall maintain a
3 record of these comments. The certification document may be in
4 a check-off format or narrative format, at the discretion of
5 the district superintendent.
6 (e) The review must occur at least once during the fiscal
7 year, at a specific time chosen at the school district
8 superintendent's discretion.
9 (f) A private school shall conduct a minimum of one annual
10 meeting at which the school must review each school building's
11 emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and
12 procedures, including procedures regarding the school's
13 cardiac emergency response plan, and each building's
14 compliance with the school safety drill programs of the
15 school. The purpose of this annual review shall be to review
16 and update the emergency and crisis response plans, protocols,
17 and procedures and the school safety drill programs of the
18 school. This review must be at no cost to the private school.
19 The private school shall invite representatives from all
20 local first responder organizations to participate, advise,
21 and consult in the review process, including, but not limited
22 to, the following:
23 (1) the appropriate local fire department or fire
24 protection district;
25 (2) the appropriate local law enforcement agency;
26 (3) the appropriate local emergency medical services
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1 agency if the agency is a separate, local first responder
2 unit; and
3 (4) any other member of the first responder or
4 emergency management community that has contacted the
5 school's chief administrative officer or his or her
6 designee during the past year to request involvement in
7 the school's emergency planning or drill process.
8 (Source: P.A. 102-395, eff. 8-16-21; 103-608, eff. 1-1-25.)
9 (105 ILCS 128/65 new)
10 Sec. 65. Hazardous substance release guidance and
11 procedures.
12 (a) By January 1, 2027, the Illinois Emergency Management
13 Agency and Office of Homeland Security, in consultation with
14 the State Board of Education, shall develop and provide
15 guidance for all local emergency planning committees,
16 emergency services and disaster agencies, and school districts
17 in the State specifically related to the potential impact to
18 school districts of a release or explosion of a hazardous
19 substance. This guidance shall be posted on the Internet
20 website of the State Board of Education.
21 (b) The guidance developed under subsection (a) shall
22 include:
23 (1) a description of the methods and procedures to be
24 followed by school personnel in response to a release or
25 explosion of a hazardous substance;
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1 (2) a description of the federal, State, or local
2 agencies, including first responders, responsible for
3 identifying whether the release or explosion of a
4 hazardous substance has occurred and how that information
5 will be communicated to school personnel, including any
6 appropriate precautions school districts should take to
7 protect their students and staff and how the wind
8 direction may impact their evacuation plans;
9 (3) recommendations for school evacuation plans,
10 including recommendations for an alternative plan if
11 advised by federal, State, or local agencies, including
12 first responders, that one is needed due to the wind
13 direction;
14 (4) a list of available training programs;
15 (5) a description of recommended communication
16 protocols for school districts with first responders,
17 local law enforcement agencies, and other local, State, or
18 federal emergency management agencies; and
19 (6) a list of instructions for school districts on how
20 to identify their applicable local emergency planning
21 committee or emergency services and disaster agency.
22 (c) By July 1, 2027, each school district shall, in
23 consultation with the applicable local emergency planning
24 committee or emergency services and disaster agency, develop
25 procedures for each of its schools to address the release or
26 explosion of a hazardous substance based on the guidance
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1 developed under subsection (a). However, a school district is
2 not required to develop procedures until the school year
3 following when the publication of the guidance provided in
4 subsection (a) is made available on the website of the State
5 Board of Education.
6 (d) Each school district shall make available to all
7 school personnel relevant and appropriate information related
8 to the procedures in subsection (c), including identified
9 evacuation plans, as well as alternative evacuation plans,
10 safe locations where student and staff can seek shelter, and a
11 description of how that information will be communicated to
12 school personnel in such an emergency.Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.