Bill Text: IL HB1624 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Illinois Police Training Act to provide that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board may offer a school resource officer course to a qualified retired law enforcement officer. Provides that nothing in the school resource officer course provision prohibits a school resource officer or qualified retired law enforcement officer from carrying a firearm. Amends the School Code. Provides that beginning January 1, 2024, a school or school district may employ a qualified retired law enforcement officer who obtains a certificate of completion or approved waiver under the Illinois Police Training Act to carry out the duties of a school resource officer. Makes a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2023-03-10 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB1624 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB1624-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB1624 Introduced , by Rep. Ryan Spain SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
50 ILCS 705/10.22
105 ILCS 5/10-20.68
Amends the Illinois Police Training Act to provide that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board may offer a school resource officer course to a qualified retired law enforcement officer. Provides that nothing in the school resource officer course provision prohibits a school resource officer or qualified retired law enforcement officer from carrying a firearm. Amends the School Code. Provides that beginning January 1, 2024, a school or school district may employ a qualified retired law enforcement officer who obtains a certificate of completion or approved waiver under the Illinois Police Training Act to carry out the duties of a school resource officer. Makes a conforming change. Effective immediately.
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A BILL FOR
HB1624 LRB103 05111 RJT 50125 b
AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Illinois Police Training Act is amended by
changing Section 10.22 as follows:
(50 ILCS 705/10.22)
Sec. 10.22. School resource officers.
(a) The Board shall develop or approve a course for school
resource officers as defined in Section 10-20.68 of the School
Code.
(b) The school resource officer course shall be developed
within one year after January 1, 2019 (the effective date of
Public Act 100-984) and shall be created in consultation with
organizations demonstrating expertise and or experience in the
areas of youth and adolescent developmental issues,
educational administrative issues, prevention of child abuse
and exploitation, youth mental health treatment, and juvenile
advocacy.
(c) The Board shall develop a process allowing law
enforcement agencies to request a waiver of this training
requirement for any specific individual assigned as a school
resource officer. Applications for these waivers may be
submitted by a local law enforcement agency chief

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administrator for any officer whose prior training and
experience may qualify for a waiver of the training
requirement of this subsection (c). The Board may issue a
waiver at its discretion, based solely on the prior training
and experience of an officer.
(d) Upon completion, the employing agency shall be issued
a certificate attesting to a specific officer's completion of
the school resource officer training. Additionally, a letter
of approval shall be issued to the employing agency for any
officer who is approved for a training waiver under this
subsection (d).
(e) The Board may offer the school resource officer course
developed under this Section to a qualified retired law
enforcement officer, as defined under the federal Law
Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004, for the purpose of
employment at a school or school district and may issue, for
such purpose, a certificate or waiver in the same manner as
provided under this Section for any other officer.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
contrary, nothing in this Section prohibits a school resource
officer or qualified retired law enforcement officer from
carrying a firearm.
(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-652, eff. 1-1-22;
102-694, eff. 1-7-22.)
Section 10. The School Code is amended by changing

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Section 10-20.68 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/10-20.68)
Sec. 10-20.68. School resource officer.
(a) In this Section, "school resource officer" means a law
enforcement officer who has been primarily assigned to a
school or school district under an agreement with a local law
enforcement agency.
(b) Beginning January 1, 2021, any law enforcement agency
that provides a school resource officer under this Section
shall provide to the school district a certificate of
completion, or approved waiver, issued by the Illinois Law
Enforcement Training Standards Board under Section 10.22 of
the Illinois Police Training Act indicating that the subject
officer has completed the requisite course of instruction in
the applicable subject areas within one year of assignment, or
has prior experience and training which satisfies this
requirement.
(c) In an effort to defray the related costs, any law
enforcement agency that provides a school resource officer
should apply for grant funding through the federal Community
Oriented Policing Services grant program.
(d) Beginning January 1, 2024, a school or school district
may employ a qualified retired law enforcement officer, as
defined under the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act
of 2004, who obtains a certificate of completion or approved

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waiver under Section 10.22 of the Illinois Police Training Act
to carry out the duties of a school resource officer.
(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
contrary, nothing in this Section prohibits a school resource
officer or qualified retired law enforcement officer from
carrying a firearm.
(Source: P.A. 100-984, eff. 1-1-19; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.