Bill Text: IL HB4443 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Provides that a law enforcement lockdown drill must not be conducted on the day of or within 2 days before a school-administered standardized test.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-16 - Referred to Rules Committee [HB4443 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB4443-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4443 Introduced , by Rep. Daniel Didech SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 128/20
Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Provides that a law enforcement lockdown drill must not be conducted on the day of or within 2 days before a school-administered standardized test.
LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b
A BILL FOR
HB4443 LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b
AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The School Safety Drill Act is amended by
changing Section 20 as follows:
(105 ILCS 128/20)
(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 103-197)
Sec. 20. Number of drills; incidents covered; local
authority participation.
(a) During each academic year, schools must conduct a
minimum of 3 school evacuation drills to address and prepare
students and school personnel for fire incidents. These drills
must meet all of the following criteria:
(1) One of the 3 school evacuation drills shall
require the participation of the appropriate local fire
department or district.
(A) Each local fire department or fire district
must contact the appropriate school administrator or
his or her designee no later than September 1 of each
year in order to arrange for the participation of the
department or district in the school evacuation drill.
(B) Each school administrator or his or her
designee must contact the responding local fire

HB4443 - 2 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b
official no later than September 15 of each year and
propose to the local fire official 4 dates within the
month of October, during at least 2 different weeks of
October, on which the drill shall occur. The fire
official may choose any of the 4 available dates, and
if he or she does so, the drill shall occur on that
date.
(C) The school administrator or his or her
designee and the local fire official may also, by
mutual agreement, set any other date for the drill,
including a date outside of the month of October.
(D) If the fire official does not select one of the
4 offered dates in October or set another date by
mutual agreement, the requirement that the school
include the local fire service in one of its mandatory
school evacuation drills shall be waived. Schools,
however, shall continue to be strongly encouraged to
include the fire service in a school evacuation drill
at a mutually agreed-upon time.
(E) Upon the participation of the local fire
service, the appropriate local fire official shall
certify that the school evacuation drill was
conducted.
(F) When scheduling the school evacuation drill,
the school administrator or his or her designee and
the local fire department or fire district may, by

HB4443 - 3 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b
mutual agreement on or before September 14, choose to
waive the provisions of subparagraphs (B), (C), and
(D) of this paragraph (1).
Additional school evacuation drills for fire incidents
may involve the participation of the appropriate local
fire department or district.
(2) Schools may conduct additional school evacuation
drills to account for other evacuation incidents,
including without limitation suspicious items or bomb
threats.
(3) All drills shall be conducted at each school
building that houses school children.
(b) During each academic year, schools must conduct a
minimum of one bus evacuation drill. This drill shall be
accounted for in the curriculum in all public schools and in
all other educational institutions in this State that are
supported or maintained, in whole or in part, by public funds
and that provide instruction in any of the grades kindergarten
through 12. This curriculum shall include instruction in safe
bus riding practices for all students. Schools may conduct
additional bus evacuation drills. All drills shall be
conducted at each school building that houses school children.
(b-5) Notwithstanding the minimum requirements established
by this Act, private schools that do not utilize a bus to
transport students for any purpose are exempt from subsection
(b) of this Section, provided that the chief school

HB4443 - 4 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b
administrator of the private school provides written assurance
to the State Board of Education that the private school does
not plan to utilize a bus to transport students for any purpose
during the current academic year. The assurance must be made
on a form supplied by the State Board of Education and filed no
later than October 15. If a private school utilizes a bus to
transport students for any purpose during an academic year
when an assurance pursuant to this subsection (b-5) has been
filed with the State Board of Education, the private school
shall immediately notify the State Board of Education and
comply with subsection (b) of this Section no later than 30
calendar days after utilization of the bus to transport
students, except that, at the discretion of the private
school, students chosen for participation in the bus
evacuation drill need include only the subgroup of students
that are utilizing bus transportation.
(c) During each academic year, schools must conduct a law
enforcement lockdown drill to address a school shooting
incident. No later than 90 days after the first day of each
school year, schools must conduct at least one law enforcement
lockdown drill that addresses an active threat or an active
shooter within a school building. Such drills must be
conducted according to the school district's or private
school's emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and
procedures to evaluate the preparedness of school personnel
and students. Law enforcement lockdown drills must be

HB4443 - 5 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b
conducted on days and times when students are normally present
in the school building and must involve participation from all
school personnel and students present at school at the time of
the lockdown drill, except that administrators or school
support personnel in their discretion may exempt students from
the lockdown drill. The appropriate local law enforcement
agency shall observe the administration of the lockdown drill.
All drills must be conducted at each school building that
houses school children.
(1) A law enforcement lockdown drill must meet all of
the following criteria:
(A) During each calendar year, the appropriate
local law enforcement agency shall contact the
appropriate school administrator to request to
participate in a law enforcement lockdown drill. The
school administrator and local law enforcement agency
shall set, by mutual agreement, a date for the
lockdown drill.
(A-5) The lockdown drill shall require the on-site
participation of the local law enforcement agency. If
a mutually agreeable date cannot be reached between
the school administrator and the appropriate local law
enforcement agency, then the school shall still hold
the lockdown drill without participation from the
agency.
(B) Upon the participation of a local law

HB4443 - 6 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b
enforcement agency in a law enforcement lockdown
drill, the appropriate local law enforcement official
shall certify that the law enforcement lockdown drill
was conducted and notify the school in a timely manner
of any deficiencies noted during the drill.
(C) The lockdown drill must not include
simulations that mimic an actual school shooting
incident or active shooter event.
(D) All lockdown drills must be announced in
advance to all school personnel and students prior to
the commencement of the drill.
(E) Lockdown drill content must be age appropriate
and developmentally appropriate.
(F) Lockdown drills must include and involve
school personnel, including school-based mental health
professionals.
(G) Lockdown drills must include trauma-informed
approaches to address the concerns and well-being of
students and school personnel.
(H) The lockdown drill must not be conducted on
the day of or within 2 days before a
school-administered standardized test.
(2) Schools may conduct additional law enforcement
drills at their discretion.
(3) (Blank).
(4) School administrators and school support personnel

HB4443 - 7 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b
may, in their discretion, exempt a student or students
from participating in a walk-through lockdown drill.
(5) Schools must provide sufficient information and
notification to parents and guardians in advance of any
walk-through lockdown drill that involves the
participation of students. Schools must also provide to
parents and guardians an opportunity to exempt their child
for any reason from participating in the walk-through
lockdown drill.
(6) Schools must provide alternative safety education
and instruction related to an active threat or active
shooter event to students who do not participate in a
walk-through lockdown drill to provide them with essential
information, training, and instruction through less
sensorial safety training methods.
(7) During the drill, students must be allowed to ask
questions related to the drill.
(8) Law enforcement may choose to run an active
shooter simulation, including simulated gun fire drills,
but only on school days when students are not present.
Parental notification is not required for drills conducted
pursuant to this paragraph (8) if students are not
required to be present.
(d) During each academic year, schools must conduct a
minimum of one severe weather and shelter-in-place drill to
address and prepare students and school personnel for possible

HB4443 - 8 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b
tornado incidents and may conduct additional severe weather
and shelter-in-place drills to account for other incidents,
including without limitation earthquakes or hazardous
materials. All drills shall be conducted at each school
building that houses school children.
(Source: P.A. 102-395, eff. 8-16-21.)
(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 103-197)
Sec. 20. Number of drills; incidents covered; local
authority participation.
(a) During each academic year, schools must conduct a
minimum of 3 school evacuation drills to address and prepare
students and school personnel for fire incidents. These drills
must meet all of the following criteria:
(1) One of the 3 school evacuation drills shall
require the participation of the appropriate local fire
department or district.
(A) Each local fire department or fire district
must contact the appropriate school administrator or
his or her designee no later than September 1 of each
year in order to arrange for the participation of the
department or district in the school evacuation drill.
(B) Each school administrator or his or her
designee must contact the responding local fire
official no later than September 15 of each year and
propose to the local fire official 4 dates within the

HB4443 - 9 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b
month of October, during at least 2 different weeks of
October, on which the drill shall occur. The fire
official may choose any of the 4 available dates, and
if he or she does so, the drill shall occur on that
date.
(C) The school administrator or his or her
designee and the local fire official may also, by
mutual agreement, set any other date for the drill,
including a date outside of the month of October.
(D) If the fire official does not select one of the
4 offered dates in October or set another date by
mutual agreement, the requirement that the school
include the local fire service in one of its mandatory
school evacuation drills shall be waived. Schools,
however, shall continue to be strongly encouraged to
include the fire service in a school evacuation drill
at a mutually agreed-upon time.
(E) Upon the participation of the local fire
service, the appropriate local fire official shall
certify that the school evacuation drill was
conducted.
(F) When scheduling the school evacuation drill,
the school administrator or his or her designee and
the local fire department or fire district may, by
mutual agreement on or before September 14, choose to
waive the provisions of subparagraphs (B), (C), and

HB4443 - 10 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b
(D) of this paragraph (1).
Additional school evacuation drills for fire incidents
may involve the participation of the appropriate local
fire department or district.
(2) Schools may conduct additional school evacuation
drills to account for other evacuation incidents,
including without limitation suspicious items or bomb
threats.
(3) All drills shall be conducted at each school
building that houses school children.
(b) During each academic year, schools must conduct a
minimum of one bus evacuation drill. This drill shall be
accounted for in the curriculum in all public schools and in
all other educational institutions in this State that are
supported or maintained, in whole or in part, by public funds
and that provide instruction in any of the grades kindergarten
through 12. This curriculum shall include instruction in safe
bus riding practices for all students. Schools may conduct
additional bus evacuation drills. All drills shall be
conducted at each school building that houses school children.
(b-5) Notwithstanding the minimum requirements established
by this Act, private schools that do not utilize a bus to
transport students for any purpose are exempt from subsection
(b) of this Section, provided that the chief school
administrator of the private school provides written assurance
to the State Board of Education that the private school does

HB4443 - 11 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b
not plan to utilize a bus to transport students for any purpose
during the current academic year. The assurance must be made
on a form supplied by the State Board of Education and filed no
later than October 15. If a private school utilizes a bus to
transport students for any purpose during an academic year
when an assurance pursuant to this subsection (b-5) has been
filed with the State Board of Education, the private school
shall immediately notify the State Board of Education and
comply with subsection (b) of this Section no later than 30
calendar days after utilization of the bus to transport
students, except that, at the discretion of the private
school, students chosen for participation in the bus
evacuation drill need include only the subgroup of students
that are utilizing bus transportation.
(c) During each academic year, schools must conduct a law
enforcement lockdown drill to address a school shooting
incident. No later than 90 days after the first day of each
school year, schools must conduct at least one law enforcement
lockdown drill that addresses an active threat or an active
shooter within a school building. Such drills must be
conducted according to the school district's or private
school's emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and
procedures to evaluate the preparedness of school personnel
and students. Law enforcement lockdown drills must be
conducted on days and times when students are normally present
in the school building and must involve participation from all

HB4443 - 12 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b
school personnel and students present at school at the time of
the lockdown drill, except that administrators or school
support personnel in their discretion may exempt students from
the lockdown drill. The appropriate local law enforcement
agency shall observe the administration of the lockdown drill.
All drills must be conducted at each school building that
houses school children.
(1) A law enforcement lockdown drill must meet all of
the following criteria:
(A) During each calendar year, the appropriate
local law enforcement agency shall contact the
appropriate school administrator to request to
participate in a law enforcement lockdown drill. The
school administrator and local law enforcement agency
shall set, by mutual agreement, a date for the
lockdown drill.
(A-5) The lockdown drill shall require the on-site
participation of the local law enforcement agency. If
a mutually agreeable date cannot be reached between
the school administrator and the appropriate local law
enforcement agency, then the school shall still hold
the lockdown drill without participation from the
agency.
(B) Upon the participation of a local law
enforcement agency in a law enforcement lockdown
drill, the appropriate local law enforcement official

HB4443 - 13 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b
shall certify that the law enforcement lockdown drill
was conducted and notify the school in a timely manner
of any deficiencies noted during the drill.
(C) The lockdown drill must not include
simulations that mimic an actual school shooting
incident or active shooter event.
(D) All lockdown drills must be announced in
advance to all school personnel and students prior to
the commencement of the drill.
(E) Lockdown drill content must be age appropriate
and developmentally appropriate.
(F) Lockdown drills must include and involve
school personnel, including school-based mental health
professionals.
(G) Lockdown drills must include trauma-informed
approaches to address the concerns and well-being of
students and school personnel.
(H) The lockdown drill must not be conducted on
the day of or within 2 days before a
school-administered standardized test.
(2) Schools may conduct additional law enforcement
drills at their discretion.
(3) (Blank).
(4) School administrators and school support personnel
may, in their discretion, exempt a student or students
from participating in a walk-through lockdown drill. When

HB4443 - 14 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b
deciding whether to exempt a student from participating in
a walk-through lockdown drill, the administrator and
school support personnel shall include the student's
individualized education program team or federal Section
504 plan team in the decision to exempt the student from
participating.
(5) Schools must provide sufficient information and
notification to parents and guardians in advance of any
walk-through lockdown drill that involves the
participation of students. Schools must also provide to
parents and guardians an opportunity to exempt their child
for any reason from participating in the walk-through
lockdown drill.
(6) Schools must provide alternative safety education
and instruction related to an active threat or active
shooter event to students who do not participate in a
walk-through lockdown drill to provide them with essential
information, training, and instruction through less
sensorial safety training methods.
(7) During the drill, students must be allowed to ask
questions related to the drill.
(8) Law enforcement may choose to run an active
shooter simulation, including simulated gun fire drills,
but only on school days when students are not present.
Parental notification is not required for drills conducted
pursuant to this paragraph (8) if students are not

HB4443 - 15 - LRB103 33377 RJT 63189 b
required to be present.
(d) During each academic year, schools must conduct a
minimum of one severe weather and shelter-in-place drill to
address and prepare students and school personnel for possible
tornado incidents and may conduct additional severe weather
and shelter-in-place drills to account for other incidents,
including without limitation earthquakes or hazardous
materials. All drills shall be conducted at each school
building that houses school children.
(Source: P.A. 102-395, eff. 8-16-21; 103-197, eff. 1-1-24.)