Bill Text: IL HB2381 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the School Boards Article of the School Code. Includes LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the topics covered in the required 4-hour training for every voting member of a school board of a school district. Lists information that must be included in the LGBTQ+ inclusivity training. Requires the State Board of Education to develop a training program in collaboration with individuals or organizations that affirm LGBTQ+ people and have recognized expertise in supporting LGBTQ+ young people or adopt a training program previously developed by such individuals or organizations.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-04 - Referred to Rules Committee [HB2381 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB2381-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2381 Introduced , by Rep. Laura Faver Dias SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/10-16a
Amends the School Boards Article of the School Code. Includes LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the topics covered in the required 4-hour training for every voting member of a school board of a school district. Lists information that must be included in the LGBTQ+ inclusivity training. Requires the State Board of Education to develop a training program in collaboration with individuals or organizations that affirm LGBTQ+ people and have recognized expertise in supporting LGBTQ+ young people or adopt a training program previously developed by such individuals or organizations.
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STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Findings and purpose.
(a) The General Assembly finds that:
(1) research confirms that there are negative effects
associated with a lack of a healthy and inclusive learning
environment;
(2) the Trevor Project's National Survey on LGBTQ+
Youth Mental Health in 2019 showed that LGBTQ+ youth who
reported having at least one accepting adult in their
lives were 40% less likely to report a suicide attempt in
the past year;
(3) by giving school board members the necessary tools
and insight on understanding their LGBTQ+ students better,
policies can be implemented by the school board that
protect those students and make them more comfortable in
school; and
(4) it is of the utmost importance that students feel
comfortable and safe and are protected in their learning
environment, which sets students up for success.
(b) It is the purpose of this Act to create an
understanding of the challenges LGBTQ+ individuals face and to
clarify language and terminology. This recognition of the

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issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community in schools would aid
school board members with addressing those issues and
bettering students as the school board members would be more
aware of the challenges faced by different groups in their
community.
Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
10-16a as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/10-16a)
(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 103-771)
Sec. 10-16a. School board member's leadership training.
(a) This Section applies to all school board members
serving pursuant to Section 10-10 of this Code who have been
elected after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
97th General Assembly or appointed to fill a vacancy of at
least one year's duration after the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly.
(a-5) In this Section, "trauma" has the meaning ascribed
to that term in subsection (b) of Section 3-11 of this Code.
(b) Every voting member of a school board of a school
district elected or appointed for a term beginning after the
effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General
Assembly, within a year after the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly or the first year
of his or her first term, shall complete a minimum of 4 hours

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of professional development leadership training covering
topics in education and labor law, financial oversight and
accountability, fiduciary responsibilities of a school board
member, and, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year,
trauma-informed practices for students and staff. The school
district shall maintain on its Internet website, if any, the
names of all voting members of the school board who have
successfully completed the training.
(b-5) The training regarding trauma-informed practices for
students and staff required by this Section must include
information that is relevant to and within the scope of the
duties of a school board member. Such information may include,
but is not limited to:
(1) the recognition of and care for trauma in students
and staff;
(2) the relationship between staff wellness and
student learning;
(3) the effect of trauma on student behavior and
learning;
(4) the prevalence of trauma among students, including
the prevalence of trauma among student populations at
higher risk of experiencing trauma;
(5) the effects of implicit or explicit bias on
recognizing trauma among various student groups in
connection with race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual
orientation, socio-economic status, and other relevant

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factors; and
(6) effective district and school practices that are
shown to:
(A) prevent and mitigate the negative effect of
trauma on student behavior and learning; and
(B) support the emotional wellness of staff.
(c) The training on financial oversight, accountability,
fiduciary responsibilities, and, beginning with the 2023-24
school year, trauma-informed practices for students and staff
may be provided by an association established under this Code
for the purpose of training school board members or by other
qualified providers approved by the State Board of Education,
in consultation with an association so established.
(d) The State Board of Education may adopt rules that are
necessary for the administration of the provisions of this
Section.
(Source: P.A. 102-638, eff. 1-1-23; 103-413, eff. 1-1-24.)
(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 103-771)
Sec. 10-16a. School board member's training.
(a) This Section applies to all school board members
serving pursuant to Section 10-10 of this Code.
(a-5) In this Section, "trauma" has the meaning ascribed
to that term in subsection (b) of Section 3-11 of this Code.
(b) Every voting member of a school board of a school
district, within the first year of his or her first term, shall

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complete a minimum of 4 hours of professional development and
leadership training covering topics in education and labor
law, financial oversight and accountability, fiduciary
responsibilities of a school board member, trauma-informed
practices for students and staff, and, improving student
outcomes, and LGBTQ+ inclusivity. The school district shall
maintain on its Internet website, if any, the names of all
voting members of the school board who have successfully
completed the training.
(b-5) The training regarding trauma-informed practices for
students and staff required by this Section must include
information that is relevant to and within the scope of the
duties of a school board member. Such information may include,
but is not limited to:
(1) the recognition of and care for trauma in students
and staff;
(2) the relationship between staff wellness and
student learning;
(3) the effect of trauma on student behavior and
learning;
(4) the prevalence of trauma among students, including
the prevalence of trauma among student populations at
higher risk of experiencing trauma;
(5) the effects of implicit or explicit bias on
recognizing trauma among various student groups in
connection with race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual

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orientation, socio-economic status, and other relevant
factors; and
(6) effective district and school practices that are
shown to:
(A) prevent and mitigate the negative effect of
trauma on student behavior and learning; and
(B) support the emotional wellness of staff.
(b-10) The training regarding improving student outcomes
required by this Section must include information that is
relevant to and within the scope of the duties of a school
board member.
(b-15) The training regarding LGBTQ+ inclusivity required
by this Section must include information that is relevant to
and within the scope of the duties of a school board member.
Such information shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) understanding the difference between sex, gender,
gender identity, and sexual orientation;
(2) understanding sexual orientation and gender
identity development in children and adolescents;
(3) understanding the rights of LGBTQ+ students and of
Illinois policies related to creating an affirming school
environment, including, but not limited to, State laws
such as the Illinois Human Rights Act, administrative
rules, and any relevant guidance approved by the State
Board of Education;
(4) knowledge of diverse family structures;

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(5) nondiscriminatory education on the basis of
gender, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual
orientation;
(6) understanding the struggles and lived experiences
of LGBTQ+ youth in schools;
(7) the contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals in the
fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics,
history, social sciences, arts, and humanities; and
(8) the effects and risks of outing a student's gender
identity or sexual orientation.
(c) The training on financial oversight, accountability,
fiduciary responsibilities, trauma-informed practices for
students and staff, and improving student outcomes, and LGBTQ+
inclusivity shall be provided by a statewide association
established under this Code for the purpose of training school
board members or by other qualified providers approved by the
State Board of Education, in consultation with an association
so established.
For the training regarding LGBTQ+ inclusivity, the State
Board of Education shall either develop a training program in
collaboration with individuals or organizations that affirm
LGBTQ+ people and have recognized expertise in supporting
LGBTQ+ young people or adopt a training program previously
developed by such individuals or organizations. Thereafter,
the State Board of Education shall periodically review and
update, as necessary, the training regarding LGBTQ+

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inclusivity, in collaboration with individuals or
organizations that affirm LGBTQ+ people and have recognized
expertise in supporting LGBTQ+ young people.
(d) The State Board of Education may adopt rules that are
necessary for the administration of the provisions of this
Section.
(Source: P.A. 102-638, eff. 1-1-23; 103-413, eff. 1-1-24;
103-771, eff. 6-1-25; revised 10-21-24.)