Bill Text: IL SB0090 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Enrolled
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Reinserts the contents of Senate Amendment No. 2 with the following changes. Makes changes concerning the data collection requirements required by the amendatory provisions of the School Code. Makes changes to certain references to specify that the violations to be reported are violations of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. Provides that the State Board of Education may (instead of shall) adopt any rules deemed necessary. In provisions concerning the policy on discrimination in the School Code, makes changes concerning what the written policy shall contain. Changes references to "discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on race, color, or national origin" to "discrimination and harassment based on race, color, or national origin, and retaliation". Removes references specifying that only students may report discrimination and harassment based on race, color, or national origin, and retaliation. Makes changes concerning the procedures for responding to a complaint of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, or national origin, and retaliation. In provisions amending the Illinois Human Rights Act, removes specified changes concerning the public policy of the State regarding discrimination and sexual harassment. Makes changes concerning a failure to report harassment. Sets out exemptions for the harassment provisions. Makes changes concerning the model training program the Department of Human Rights shall produce. Corrects typographical errors. Makes other changes. Effective August 1, 2024.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 62-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-08-04 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 103-0472 [SB0090 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-SB0090-Enrolled.html
Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Reinserts the contents of Senate Amendment No. 2 with the following changes. Makes changes concerning the data collection requirements required by the amendatory provisions of the School Code. Makes changes to certain references to specify that the violations to be reported are violations of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. Provides that the State Board of Education may (instead of shall) adopt any rules deemed necessary. In provisions concerning the policy on discrimination in the School Code, makes changes concerning what the written policy shall contain. Changes references to "discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on race, color, or national origin" to "discrimination and harassment based on race, color, or national origin, and retaliation". Removes references specifying that only students may report discrimination and harassment based on race, color, or national origin, and retaliation. Makes changes concerning the procedures for responding to a complaint of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, or national origin, and retaliation. In provisions amending the Illinois Human Rights Act, removes specified changes concerning the public policy of the State regarding discrimination and sexual harassment. Makes changes concerning a failure to report harassment. Sets out exemptions for the harassment provisions. Makes changes concerning the model training program the Department of Human Rights shall produce. Corrects typographical errors. Makes other changes. Effective August 1, 2024.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 62-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-08-04 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 103-0472 [SB0090 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-SB0090-Enrolled.html
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | AN ACT concerning education.
| ||||||
2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
| ||||||
3 | represented in the General Assembly:
| ||||||
4 | Section 1. This Act may be referred to as the Racism-Free | ||||||
5 | Schools Law.
| ||||||
6 | Section 5. The Freedom of Information Act is amended by | ||||||
7 | changing Section 7.5 as follows:
| ||||||
8 | (5 ILCS 140/7.5)
| ||||||
9 | Sec. 7.5. Statutory exemptions. To the extent provided for | ||||||
10 | by the statutes referenced below, the following shall be | ||||||
11 | exempt from inspection and copying: | ||||||
12 | (a) All information determined to be confidential | ||||||
13 | under Section 4002 of the Technology Advancement and | ||||||
14 | Development Act. | ||||||
15 | (b) Library circulation and order records identifying | ||||||
16 | library users with specific materials under the Library | ||||||
17 | Records Confidentiality Act. | ||||||
18 | (c) Applications, related documents, and medical | ||||||
19 | records received by the Experimental Organ Transplantation | ||||||
20 | Procedures Board and any and all documents or other | ||||||
21 | records prepared by the Experimental Organ Transplantation | ||||||
22 | Procedures Board or its staff relating to applications it |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | has received. | ||||||
2 | (d) Information and records held by the Department of | ||||||
3 | Public Health and its authorized representatives relating | ||||||
4 | to known or suspected cases of sexually transmissible | ||||||
5 | disease or any information the disclosure of which is | ||||||
6 | restricted under the Illinois Sexually Transmissible | ||||||
7 | Disease Control Act. | ||||||
8 | (e) Information the disclosure of which is exempted | ||||||
9 | under Section 30 of the Radon Industry Licensing Act. | ||||||
10 | (f) Firm performance evaluations under Section 55 of | ||||||
11 | the Architectural, Engineering, and Land Surveying | ||||||
12 | Qualifications Based Selection Act. | ||||||
13 | (g) Information the disclosure of which is restricted | ||||||
14 | and exempted under Section 50 of the Illinois Prepaid | ||||||
15 | Tuition Act. | ||||||
16 | (h) Information the disclosure of which is exempted | ||||||
17 | under the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, and | ||||||
18 | records of any lawfully created State or local inspector | ||||||
19 | general's office that would be exempt if created or | ||||||
20 | obtained by an Executive Inspector General's office under | ||||||
21 | that Act. | ||||||
22 | (i) Information contained in a local emergency energy | ||||||
23 | plan submitted to a municipality in accordance with a | ||||||
24 | local emergency energy plan ordinance that is adopted | ||||||
25 | under Section 11-21.5-5 of the Illinois Municipal Code. | ||||||
26 | (j) Information and data concerning the distribution |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | of surcharge moneys collected and remitted by carriers | ||||||
2 | under the Emergency Telephone System Act. | ||||||
3 | (k) Law enforcement officer identification information | ||||||
4 | or driver identification information compiled by a law | ||||||
5 | enforcement agency or the Department of Transportation | ||||||
6 | under Section 11-212 of the Illinois Vehicle Code. | ||||||
7 | (l) Records and information provided to a residential | ||||||
8 | health care facility resident sexual assault and death | ||||||
9 | review team or the Executive Council under the Abuse | ||||||
10 | Prevention Review Team Act. | ||||||
11 | (m) Information provided to the predatory lending | ||||||
12 | database created pursuant to Article 3 of the Residential | ||||||
13 | Real Property Disclosure Act, except to the extent | ||||||
14 | authorized under that Article. | ||||||
15 | (n) Defense budgets and petitions for certification of | ||||||
16 | compensation and expenses for court appointed trial | ||||||
17 | counsel as provided under Sections 10 and 15 of the | ||||||
18 | Capital Crimes Litigation Act. This subsection (n) shall | ||||||
19 | apply until the conclusion of the trial of the case, even | ||||||
20 | if the prosecution chooses not to pursue the death penalty | ||||||
21 | prior to trial or sentencing. | ||||||
22 | (o) Information that is prohibited from being | ||||||
23 | disclosed under Section 4 of the Illinois Health and | ||||||
24 | Hazardous Substances Registry Act. | ||||||
25 | (p) Security portions of system safety program plans, | ||||||
26 | investigation reports, surveys, schedules, lists, data, or |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | information compiled, collected, or prepared by or for the | ||||||
2 | Department of Transportation under Sections 2705-300 and | ||||||
3 | 2705-616 of the Department of Transportation Law of the | ||||||
4 | Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the Regional | ||||||
5 | Transportation Authority under Section 2.11 of the | ||||||
6 | Regional Transportation Authority Act, or the St. Clair | ||||||
7 | County Transit District under the Bi-State Transit Safety | ||||||
8 | Act. | ||||||
9 | (q) Information prohibited from being disclosed by the | ||||||
10 | Personnel Record Review Act. | ||||||
11 | (r) Information prohibited from being disclosed by the | ||||||
12 | Illinois School Student Records Act. | ||||||
13 | (s) Information the disclosure of which is restricted | ||||||
14 | under Section 5-108 of the Public Utilities Act.
| ||||||
15 | (t) All identified or deidentified health information | ||||||
16 | in the form of health data or medical records contained | ||||||
17 | in, stored in, submitted to, transferred by, or released | ||||||
18 | from the Illinois Health Information Exchange, and | ||||||
19 | identified or deidentified health information in the form | ||||||
20 | of health data and medical records of the Illinois Health | ||||||
21 | Information Exchange in the possession of the Illinois | ||||||
22 | Health Information Exchange Office due to its | ||||||
23 | administration of the Illinois Health Information | ||||||
24 | Exchange. The terms "identified" and "deidentified" shall | ||||||
25 | be given the same meaning as in the Health Insurance | ||||||
26 | Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, Public Law |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | 104-191, or any subsequent amendments thereto, and any | ||||||
2 | regulations promulgated thereunder. | ||||||
3 | (u) Records and information provided to an independent | ||||||
4 | team of experts under the Developmental Disability and | ||||||
5 | Mental Health Safety Act (also known as Brian's Law). | ||||||
6 | (v) Names and information of people who have applied | ||||||
7 | for or received Firearm Owner's Identification Cards under | ||||||
8 | the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act or applied for | ||||||
9 | or received a concealed carry license under the Firearm | ||||||
10 | Concealed Carry Act, unless otherwise authorized by the | ||||||
11 | Firearm Concealed Carry Act; and databases under the | ||||||
12 | Firearm Concealed Carry Act, records of the Concealed | ||||||
13 | Carry Licensing Review Board under the Firearm Concealed | ||||||
14 | Carry Act, and law enforcement agency objections under the | ||||||
15 | Firearm Concealed Carry Act. | ||||||
16 | (v-5) Records of the Firearm Owner's Identification | ||||||
17 | Card Review Board that are exempted from disclosure under | ||||||
18 | Section 10 of the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. | ||||||
19 | (w) Personally identifiable information which is | ||||||
20 | exempted from disclosure under subsection (g) of Section | ||||||
21 | 19.1 of the Toll Highway Act. | ||||||
22 | (x) Information which is exempted from disclosure | ||||||
23 | under Section 5-1014.3 of the Counties Code or Section | ||||||
24 | 8-11-21 of the Illinois Municipal Code. | ||||||
25 | (y) Confidential information under the Adult | ||||||
26 | Protective Services Act and its predecessor enabling |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | statute, the Elder Abuse and Neglect Act, including | ||||||
2 | information about the identity and administrative finding | ||||||
3 | against any caregiver of a verified and substantiated | ||||||
4 | decision of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of | ||||||
5 | an eligible adult maintained in the Registry established | ||||||
6 | under Section 7.5 of the Adult Protective Services Act. | ||||||
7 | (z) Records and information provided to a fatality | ||||||
8 | review team or the Illinois Fatality Review Team Advisory | ||||||
9 | Council under Section 15 of the Adult Protective Services | ||||||
10 | Act. | ||||||
11 | (aa) Information which is exempted from disclosure | ||||||
12 | under Section 2.37 of the Wildlife Code. | ||||||
13 | (bb) Information which is or was prohibited from | ||||||
14 | disclosure by the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. | ||||||
15 | (cc) Recordings made under the Law Enforcement | ||||||
16 | Officer-Worn Body Camera Act, except to the extent | ||||||
17 | authorized under that Act. | ||||||
18 | (dd) Information that is prohibited from being | ||||||
19 | disclosed under Section 45 of the Condominium and Common | ||||||
20 | Interest Community Ombudsperson Act. | ||||||
21 | (ee) Information that is exempted from disclosure | ||||||
22 | under Section 30.1 of the Pharmacy Practice Act. | ||||||
23 | (ff) Information that is exempted from disclosure | ||||||
24 | under the Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act. | ||||||
25 | (gg) Information that is prohibited from being | ||||||
26 | disclosed under Section 7-603.5 of the Illinois Vehicle |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | Code. | ||||||
2 | (hh) Records that are exempt from disclosure under | ||||||
3 | Section 1A-16.7 of the Election Code. | ||||||
4 | (ii) Information which is exempted from disclosure | ||||||
5 | under Section 2505-800 of the Department of Revenue Law of | ||||||
6 | the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. | ||||||
7 | (jj) Information and reports that are required to be | ||||||
8 | submitted to the Department of Labor by registering day | ||||||
9 | and temporary labor service agencies but are exempt from | ||||||
10 | disclosure under subsection (a-1) of Section 45 of the Day | ||||||
11 | and Temporary Labor Services Act. | ||||||
12 | (kk) Information prohibited from disclosure under the | ||||||
13 | Seizure and Forfeiture Reporting Act. | ||||||
14 | (ll) Information the disclosure of which is restricted | ||||||
15 | and exempted under Section 5-30.8 of the Illinois Public | ||||||
16 | Aid Code. | ||||||
17 | (mm) Records that are exempt from disclosure under | ||||||
18 | Section 4.2 of the Crime Victims Compensation Act. | ||||||
19 | (nn) Information that is exempt from disclosure under | ||||||
20 | Section 70 of the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. | ||||||
21 | (oo) Communications, notes, records, and reports | ||||||
22 | arising out of a peer support counseling session | ||||||
23 | prohibited from disclosure under the First Responders | ||||||
24 | Suicide Prevention Act. | ||||||
25 | (pp) Names and all identifying information relating to | ||||||
26 | an employee of an emergency services provider or law |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | enforcement agency under the First Responders Suicide | ||||||
2 | Prevention Act. | ||||||
3 | (qq) Information and records held by the Department of | ||||||
4 | Public Health and its authorized representatives collected | ||||||
5 | under the Reproductive Health Act. | ||||||
6 | (rr) Information that is exempt from disclosure under | ||||||
7 | the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. | ||||||
8 | (ss) Data reported by an employer to the Department of | ||||||
9 | Human Rights pursuant to Section 2-108 of the Illinois | ||||||
10 | Human Rights Act. | ||||||
11 | (tt) Recordings made under the Children's Advocacy | ||||||
12 | Center Act, except to the extent authorized under that | ||||||
13 | Act. | ||||||
14 | (uu) Information that is exempt from disclosure under | ||||||
15 | Section 50 of the Sexual Assault Evidence Submission Act. | ||||||
16 | (vv) Information that is exempt from disclosure under | ||||||
17 | subsections (f) and (j) of Section 5-36 of the Illinois | ||||||
18 | Public Aid Code. | ||||||
19 | (ww) Information that is exempt from disclosure under | ||||||
20 | Section 16.8 of the State Treasurer Act. | ||||||
21 | (xx) Information that is exempt from disclosure or | ||||||
22 | information that shall not be made public under the | ||||||
23 | Illinois Insurance Code. | ||||||
24 | (yy) Information prohibited from being disclosed under | ||||||
25 | the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. | ||||||
26 | (zz) Information prohibited from being disclosed under |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act. | ||||||
2 | (aaa) Information prohibited from being disclosed | ||||||
3 | under Section 1-167 of the Illinois Pension Code. | ||||||
4 | (bbb) Information that is prohibited from disclosure | ||||||
5 | by the Illinois Police Training Act and the Illinois State | ||||||
6 | Police Act. | ||||||
7 | (ccc) Records exempt from disclosure under Section
| ||||||
8 | 2605-304 of the Illinois State Police Law of the Civil
| ||||||
9 | Administrative Code of Illinois. | ||||||
10 | (ddd) Information prohibited from being disclosed | ||||||
11 | under Section 35 of the Address Confidentiality for | ||||||
12 | Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Human | ||||||
13 | Trafficking, or Stalking Act. | ||||||
14 | (eee) Information prohibited from being disclosed | ||||||
15 | under subsection (b) of Section 75 of the Domestic | ||||||
16 | Violence Fatality Review Act. | ||||||
17 | (fff) Images from cameras under the Expressway Camera | ||||||
18 | Act. This subsection (fff) is inoperative on and after | ||||||
19 | July 1, 2023. | ||||||
20 | (ggg) Information prohibited from disclosure under | ||||||
21 | paragraph (3) of subsection (a) of Section 14 of the Nurse | ||||||
22 | Agency Licensing Act. | ||||||
23 | (hhh) Information submitted to the Illinois Department | ||||||
24 | of State Police in an affidavit or application for an | ||||||
25 | assault weapon endorsement, assault weapon attachment | ||||||
26 | endorsement, .50 caliber rifle endorsement, or .50 caliber |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | cartridge endorsement under the Firearm Owners | ||||||
2 | Identification Card Act. | ||||||
3 | (iii) Data exempt from disclosure under Section | ||||||
4 | 2-3.196 of the School Code. | ||||||
5 | (Source: P.A. 101-13, eff. 6-12-19; 101-27, eff. 6-25-19; | ||||||
6 | 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-221, eff. 1-1-20; 101-236, eff. | ||||||
7 | 1-1-20; 101-375, eff. 8-16-19; 101-377, eff. 8-16-19; 101-452, | ||||||
8 | eff. 1-1-20; 101-466, eff. 1-1-20; 101-600, eff. 12-6-19; | ||||||
9 | 101-620, eff 12-20-19; 101-649, eff. 7-7-20; 101-652, eff. | ||||||
10 | 1-1-22; 101-656, eff. 3-23-21; 102-36, eff. 6-25-21; 102-237, | ||||||
11 | eff. 1-1-22; 102-292, eff. 1-1-22; 102-520, eff. 8-20-21; | ||||||
12 | 102-559, eff. 8-20-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 102-946, eff. | ||||||
13 | 7-1-22; 102-1042, eff. 6-3-22; 102-1116, eff. 1-10-23; revised | ||||||
14 | 2-13-23.)
| ||||||
15 | Section 10. The School Code is amended by adding Sections | ||||||
16 | 2-3.196 and 22-95 and by changing Sections 27A-5 and 34-18.62 | ||||||
17 | as follows:
| ||||||
18 | (105 ILCS 5/2-3.196 new) | ||||||
19 | Sec. 2-3.196. Discrimination, harassment, and retaliation | ||||||
20 | reporting. | ||||||
21 | (a) The requirements of this Section are subject to | ||||||
22 | appropriation. | ||||||
23 | (b) The State Board of Education shall build data | ||||||
24 | collection systems to allow the collection of data on reported |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | allegations of the conduct described in paragraph (1). | ||||||
2 | Beginning on August 1 of the year after the systems are | ||||||
3 | implemented and for each reporting school year beginning on | ||||||
4 | August 1 and ending on July 31 thereafter, each school | ||||||
5 | district, charter school, and nonpublic, nonsectarian | ||||||
6 | elementary or secondary school shall disclose to the State | ||||||
7 | Board of Education all of the following information: | ||||||
8 | (1) The total number of reported allegations of | ||||||
9 | discrimination, harassment, or retaliation against | ||||||
10 | students received by each school district, charter school, | ||||||
11 | or nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school | ||||||
12 | during the reporting school year, defined as August 1 to | ||||||
13 | July 31, in each of the following categories: | ||||||
14 | (A) sexual harassment; | ||||||
15 | (B) discrimination or harassment on the basis of | ||||||
16 | race, color, or national origin; | ||||||
17 | (C) discrimination or harassment on the basis of | ||||||
18 | sex; | ||||||
19 | (D) discrimination or harassment on the basis of | ||||||
20 | religion; | ||||||
21 | (E) discrimination or harassment on the basis of | ||||||
22 | disability; and | ||||||
23 | (F) retaliation. | ||||||
24 | (2) The status of allegations, as of the last day of | ||||||
25 | the reporting period, in each category under paragraph | ||||||
26 | (1). |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | Allegations shall be reported as unfounded, founded, | ||||||
2 | or investigation pending by the school district, charter | ||||||
3 | school, or nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary | ||||||
4 | school. | ||||||
5 | (c) A school district, charter school, or nonpublic, | ||||||
6 | nonsectarian elementary or secondary school may not include in | ||||||
7 | any disclosures required under this Section any information by | ||||||
8 | which an individual may be personally identified, including | ||||||
9 | the name of the victim or victims or those accused of an act of | ||||||
10 | alleged discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. | ||||||
11 | (d) If a school district, charter school, or nonpublic, | ||||||
12 | nonsectarian elementary or secondary school fails to disclose | ||||||
13 | the information required in subsection (b) of this Section by | ||||||
14 | July 31 of the reporting school year, the State Board of | ||||||
15 | Education shall provide a written request for disclosure to | ||||||
16 | the school district, charter school, or nonpublic, | ||||||
17 | nonsectarian elementary or secondary school, thereby providing | ||||||
18 | the period of time in which the required information must be | ||||||
19 | disclosed. If a school district, charter school, or nonpublic, | ||||||
20 | nonsectarian elementary or secondary school fails to disclose | ||||||
21 | the information within 14 days after receipt of that written | ||||||
22 | request, the State Board of Education may petition the | ||||||
23 | Department of Human Rights to initiate a charge of a civil | ||||||
24 | rights violation pursuant to Section 5A-102 of the Illinois | ||||||
25 | Human Rights Act. | ||||||
26 | (e) The State Board of Education shall publish an annual |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | report aggregating the information reported by school | ||||||
2 | districts, charter schools, and nonpublic, nonsectarian | ||||||
3 | elementary or secondary schools under subsection (b) of this | ||||||
4 | Section. Data included in the report shall not be publicly | ||||||
5 | attributed to any individual school district, charter school, | ||||||
6 | or nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school. The | ||||||
7 | report shall include the number of incidents reported between | ||||||
8 | August 1 and July 31 of the preceding reporting school year, | ||||||
9 | based on each of the categories identified under paragraph (1) | ||||||
10 | of this subsection (b). | ||||||
11 | The annual report shall be filed with the Department of | ||||||
12 | Human Rights and the General Assembly and made available to | ||||||
13 | the public by July 1 of the year following the reporting school | ||||||
14 | year. Data submitted by a school district, charter school, or | ||||||
15 | nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school to | ||||||
16 | comply with this Section is confidential and exempt from the | ||||||
17 | Freedom of Information Act. | ||||||
18 | (f) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules | ||||||
19 | deemed necessary for implementation of this Section. | ||||||
20 | (g) This Section is repealed on July 1, 2029.
| ||||||
21 | (105 ILCS 5/22-95 new) | ||||||
22 | Sec. 22-95. Policy on discrimination, harassment, and | ||||||
23 | retaliation; response procedures. | ||||||
24 | (a) As used in this Section, "policy" means either the use | ||||||
25 | of a singular policy or multiple policies. |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (b) Each school district, charter school, or nonpublic, | ||||||
2 | nonsectarian elementary or secondary school must create, | ||||||
3 | implement, and maintain at least one written policy that | ||||||
4 | prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, | ||||||
5 | and national origin and prohibits retaliation. The policy may | ||||||
6 | be included as part of a broader anti-harassment or | ||||||
7 | anti-discrimination policy, provided that the policy | ||||||
8 | prohibiting discrimination and harassment based on race, | ||||||
9 | color, and national origin and retaliation shall be | ||||||
10 | distinguished with an appropriate title, heading, or label. | ||||||
11 | This policy must comply with and be distributed in accordance | ||||||
12 | with all of the following: | ||||||
13 | (1) The policy must be in writing and must include at a | ||||||
14 | minimum, the following information: | ||||||
15 | (A) descriptions of various forms of | ||||||
16 | discrimination and harassment based on race, color, | ||||||
17 | and national origin, including examples; | ||||||
18 | (B) the school district's, charter school's, or | ||||||
19 | nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary | ||||||
20 | school's internal process for filing a complaint | ||||||
21 | regarding a violation of the policy described in this | ||||||
22 | subsection, or a reference to that process if | ||||||
23 | described elsewhere in policy; | ||||||
24 | (C) an overview of the school district's, charter | ||||||
25 | school's, or nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or | ||||||
26 | secondary school's prevention and response program |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | pursuant to subsection (c); | ||||||
2 | (D) potential remedies for a violation of the | ||||||
3 | policy described in this subsection; | ||||||
4 | (E) a prohibition on retaliation for making a | ||||||
5 | complaint or participating in the complaint process; | ||||||
6 | (F) the legal recourse available through the | ||||||
7 | Department of Human Rights and through federal | ||||||
8 | agencies if a school district, charter school, or | ||||||
9 | nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school | ||||||
10 | fails to take corrective action, or a reference to | ||||||
11 | that process if described elsewhere in policy; and | ||||||
12 | (G) directions on how to contact the Department of | ||||||
13 | Human Rights or a reference to those directions if | ||||||
14 | described elsewhere in the policy. | ||||||
15 | The policy shall make clear that the policy does not | ||||||
16 | impair or otherwise diminish the rights of unionized | ||||||
17 | employees under federal law, State law, or a collective | ||||||
18 | bargaining agreement to request an exclusive bargaining | ||||||
19 | representative to be present during investigator | ||||||
20 | interviews, nor does the policy diminish any rights | ||||||
21 | available under the applicable negotiated collective | ||||||
22 | bargaining agreement, including, but not limited to, the | ||||||
23 | grievance procedure. | ||||||
24 | (2) The policy described in this subsection shall be | ||||||
25 | posted in a prominent and accessible location and | ||||||
26 | distributed in such a manner as to ensure notice of the |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | policy to all employees. If the school district, charter | ||||||
2 | school, or nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary | ||||||
3 | school maintains an Internet website or has an employee | ||||||
4 | Intranet, the website or Intranet shall be considered a | ||||||
5 | prominent and accessible location for the purpose of this | ||||||
6 | paragraph (2). Posting and distribution shall be | ||||||
7 | effectuated by the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year | ||||||
8 | and shall occur annually thereafter. | ||||||
9 | (3) The policy described in this subsection shall be | ||||||
10 | published on the school district's, charter school's, or | ||||||
11 | nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school's | ||||||
12 | Internet website, if one exists, and in a student | ||||||
13 | handbook, if one exists. A summary of the policy in | ||||||
14 | accessible, age-appropriate language shall be distributed | ||||||
15 | annually to students and to the parents or guardians of | ||||||
16 | minor students. School districts, charter schools, and | ||||||
17 | nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary schools | ||||||
18 | shall provide a summary of the policy in the parent or | ||||||
19 | guardian's native language. For the annual distribution of | ||||||
20 | the summary, inclusion of the summary in a student | ||||||
21 | handbook is deemed compliant. | ||||||
22 | (c) Each school district, charter school, and nonpublic, | ||||||
23 | nonsectarian elementary or secondary school must establish | ||||||
24 | procedures for responding to complaints of discrimination and | ||||||
25 | harassment based on race, color, and national origin and | ||||||
26 | retaliation. These procedures must comply with subsection (b) |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | of this Section. Based on these procedures, school districts, | ||||||
2 | charter schools, and nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or | ||||||
3 | secondary schools: | ||||||
4 | (1) shall reduce or remove, to the extent practicable, | ||||||
5 | barriers to reporting discrimination, harassment, and | ||||||
6 | retaliation; | ||||||
7 | (2) shall permit any person who reports or is the | ||||||
8 | victim of an incident of alleged discrimination, | ||||||
9 | harassment, or retaliation to be accompanied when making a | ||||||
10 | report by a support individual of the person's choice who | ||||||
11 | complies with the school district's, charter school's, or | ||||||
12 | nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school's | ||||||
13 | policies or rules; | ||||||
14 | (3) shall permit anonymous reporting, except that this | ||||||
15 | paragraph (3) may not be construed to permit formal | ||||||
16 | disciplinary action solely on the basis of an anonymous | ||||||
17 | report; | ||||||
18 | (4) shall offer remedial interventions or take such | ||||||
19 | disciplinary action as may be appropriate on a | ||||||
20 | case-by-case basis; | ||||||
21 | (5) may offer, but not require or unduly influence, a | ||||||
22 | person who reports or is the victim of an incident of | ||||||
23 | discrimination, harassment, or retaliation the option to | ||||||
24 | resolve allegations directly with the offender; and | ||||||
25 | (6) may not cause a person who reports or is the victim | ||||||
26 | of an incident of discrimination, harassment, or |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | retaliation to suffer adverse consequences as a result of | ||||||
2 | a report of, an investigation of, or a response to the | ||||||
3 | incident; this protection may not permit victims to engage | ||||||
4 | in retaliation against the offender or limit a school | ||||||
5 | district, charter school, or nonpublic, nonsectarian | ||||||
6 | elementary or secondary school from applying disciplinary | ||||||
7 | measures in response to other acts or conduct not related | ||||||
8 | to the process of reporting, investigating, or responding | ||||||
9 | to a report of an incident of discrimination, harassment, | ||||||
10 | or retaliation.
| ||||||
11 | (105 ILCS 5/27A-5)
| ||||||
12 | (Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 102-466 and | ||||||
13 | 102-702 ) | ||||||
14 | Sec. 27A-5. Charter school; legal entity; requirements.
| ||||||
15 | (a) A charter school shall be a public, nonsectarian, | ||||||
16 | nonreligious, non-home
based, and non-profit school. A charter | ||||||
17 | school shall be organized and operated
as a nonprofit | ||||||
18 | corporation or other discrete, legal, nonprofit entity
| ||||||
19 | authorized under the laws of the State of Illinois.
| ||||||
20 | (b) A charter school may be established under this Article | ||||||
21 | by creating a new
school or by converting an existing public | ||||||
22 | school or attendance center to
charter
school status.
| ||||||
23 | Beginning on April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act | ||||||
24 | 93-3), in all new
applications to establish
a charter
school | ||||||
25 | in a city having a population exceeding 500,000, operation of |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | the
charter
school shall be limited to one campus. The changes | ||||||
2 | made to this Section by Public Act 93-3 do not apply to charter | ||||||
3 | schools existing or approved on or before April 16, 2003 (the
| ||||||
4 | effective date of Public Act 93-3). | ||||||
5 | (b-5) In this subsection (b-5), "virtual-schooling" means | ||||||
6 | a cyber school where students engage in online curriculum and | ||||||
7 | instruction via the Internet and electronic communication with | ||||||
8 | their teachers at remote locations and with students | ||||||
9 | participating at different times. | ||||||
10 | From April 1, 2013 through December 31, 2016, there is a | ||||||
11 | moratorium on the establishment of charter schools with | ||||||
12 | virtual-schooling components in school districts other than a | ||||||
13 | school district organized under Article 34 of this Code. This | ||||||
14 | moratorium does not apply to a charter school with | ||||||
15 | virtual-schooling components existing or approved prior to | ||||||
16 | April 1, 2013 or to the renewal of the charter of a charter | ||||||
17 | school with virtual-schooling components already approved | ||||||
18 | prior to April 1, 2013.
| ||||||
19 | (c) A charter school shall be administered and governed by | ||||||
20 | its board of
directors or other governing body
in the manner | ||||||
21 | provided in its charter. The governing body of a charter | ||||||
22 | school
shall be subject to the Freedom of Information Act and | ||||||
23 | the Open Meetings Act. No later than January 1, 2021 (one year | ||||||
24 | after the effective date of Public Act 101-291), a charter | ||||||
25 | school's board of directors or other governing body must | ||||||
26 | include at least one parent or guardian of a pupil currently |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | enrolled in the charter school who may be selected through the | ||||||
2 | charter school or a charter network election, appointment by | ||||||
3 | the charter school's board of directors or other governing | ||||||
4 | body, or by the charter school's Parent Teacher Organization | ||||||
5 | or its equivalent. | ||||||
6 | (c-5) No later than January 1, 2021 (one year after the | ||||||
7 | effective date of Public Act 101-291) or within the first year | ||||||
8 | of his or her first term, every voting member of a charter | ||||||
9 | school's board of directors or other governing body shall | ||||||
10 | complete a minimum of 4 hours of professional development | ||||||
11 | leadership training to ensure that each member has sufficient | ||||||
12 | familiarity with the board's or governing body's role and | ||||||
13 | responsibilities, including financial oversight and | ||||||
14 | accountability of the school, evaluating the principal's and | ||||||
15 | school's performance, adherence to the Freedom of Information | ||||||
16 | Act and the Open Meetings Act, and compliance with education | ||||||
17 | and labor law. In each subsequent year of his or her term, a | ||||||
18 | voting member of a charter school's board of directors or | ||||||
19 | other governing body shall complete a minimum of 2 hours of | ||||||
20 | professional development training in these same areas. The | ||||||
21 | training under this subsection may be provided or certified by | ||||||
22 | a statewide charter school membership association or may be | ||||||
23 | provided or certified by other qualified providers approved by | ||||||
24 | the State Board of Education.
| ||||||
25 | (d) For purposes of this subsection (d), "non-curricular | ||||||
26 | health and safety requirement" means any health and safety |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | requirement created by statute or rule to provide, maintain, | ||||||
2 | preserve, or safeguard safe or healthful conditions for | ||||||
3 | students and school personnel or to eliminate, reduce, or | ||||||
4 | prevent threats to the health and safety of students and | ||||||
5 | school personnel. "Non-curricular health and safety | ||||||
6 | requirement" does not include any course of study or | ||||||
7 | specialized instructional requirement for which the State | ||||||
8 | Board has established goals and learning standards or which is | ||||||
9 | designed primarily to impart knowledge and skills for students | ||||||
10 | to master and apply as an outcome of their education. | ||||||
11 | A charter school shall comply with all non-curricular | ||||||
12 | health and safety
requirements applicable to public schools | ||||||
13 | under the laws of the State of
Illinois. On or before September | ||||||
14 | 1, 2015, the State Board shall promulgate and post on its | ||||||
15 | Internet website a list of non-curricular health and safety | ||||||
16 | requirements that a charter school must meet. The list shall | ||||||
17 | be updated annually no later than September 1. Any charter | ||||||
18 | contract between a charter school and its authorizer must | ||||||
19 | contain a provision that requires the charter school to follow | ||||||
20 | the list of all non-curricular health and safety requirements | ||||||
21 | promulgated by the State Board and any non-curricular health | ||||||
22 | and safety requirements added by the State Board to such list | ||||||
23 | during the term of the charter. Nothing in this subsection (d) | ||||||
24 | precludes an authorizer from including non-curricular health | ||||||
25 | and safety requirements in a charter school contract that are | ||||||
26 | not contained in the list promulgated by the State Board, |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | including non-curricular health and safety requirements of the | ||||||
2 | authorizing local school board.
| ||||||
3 | (e) Except as otherwise provided in the School Code, a | ||||||
4 | charter school shall
not charge tuition; provided that a | ||||||
5 | charter school may charge reasonable fees
for textbooks, | ||||||
6 | instructional materials, and student activities.
| ||||||
7 | (f) A charter school shall be responsible for the | ||||||
8 | management and operation
of its fiscal affairs, including,
but | ||||||
9 | not limited to, the preparation of its budget. An audit of each | ||||||
10 | charter
school's finances shall be conducted annually by an | ||||||
11 | outside, independent
contractor retained by the charter | ||||||
12 | school. The contractor shall not be an employee of the charter | ||||||
13 | school or affiliated with the charter school or its authorizer | ||||||
14 | in any way, other than to audit the charter school's finances. | ||||||
15 | To ensure financial accountability for the use of public | ||||||
16 | funds, on or before December 1 of every year of operation, each | ||||||
17 | charter school shall submit to its authorizer and the State | ||||||
18 | Board a copy of its audit and a copy of the Form 990 the | ||||||
19 | charter school filed that year with the federal Internal | ||||||
20 | Revenue Service. In addition, if deemed necessary for proper | ||||||
21 | financial oversight of the charter school, an authorizer may | ||||||
22 | require quarterly financial statements from each charter | ||||||
23 | school.
| ||||||
24 | (g) A charter school shall comply with all provisions of | ||||||
25 | this Article, the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, | ||||||
26 | all federal and State laws and rules applicable to public |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | schools that pertain to special education and the instruction | ||||||
2 | of English learners, and
its charter. A charter
school is | ||||||
3 | exempt from all other State laws and regulations in this Code
| ||||||
4 | governing public
schools and local school board policies; | ||||||
5 | however, a charter school is not exempt from the following:
| ||||||
6 | (1) Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this Code | ||||||
7 | regarding criminal
history records checks and checks of | ||||||
8 | the Statewide Sex Offender Database and Statewide Murderer | ||||||
9 | and Violent Offender Against Youth Database of applicants | ||||||
10 | for employment;
| ||||||
11 | (2) Sections 10-20.14, 10-22.6, 24-24, 34-19, and | ||||||
12 | 34-84a of this Code regarding discipline of
students;
| ||||||
13 | (3) the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees | ||||||
14 | Tort Immunity Act;
| ||||||
15 | (4) Section 108.75 of the General Not For Profit | ||||||
16 | Corporation Act of 1986
regarding indemnification of | ||||||
17 | officers, directors, employees, and agents;
| ||||||
18 | (5) the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act;
| ||||||
19 | (5.5) subsection (b) of Section 10-23.12 and | ||||||
20 | subsection (b) of Section 34-18.6 of this Code; | ||||||
21 | (6) the Illinois School Student Records Act;
| ||||||
22 | (7) Section 10-17a of this Code regarding school | ||||||
23 | report cards;
| ||||||
24 | (8) the P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act; | ||||||
25 | (9) Section 27-23.7 of this Code regarding bullying | ||||||
26 | prevention; |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (10) Section 2-3.162 of this Code regarding student | ||||||
2 | discipline reporting; | ||||||
3 | (11) Sections 22-80 and 27-8.1 of this Code; | ||||||
4 | (12) Sections 10-20.60 and 34-18.53 of this Code; | ||||||
5 | (13) Sections 10-20.63 and 34-18.56 of this Code; | ||||||
6 | (14) Sections 22-90 and 26-18 of this Code; | ||||||
7 | (15) Section 22-30 of this Code; | ||||||
8 | (16) Sections 24-12 and 34-85 of this Code; | ||||||
9 | (17) the Seizure Smart School Act; | ||||||
10 | (18) Section 2-3.64a-10 of this Code; | ||||||
11 | (19) Sections 10-20.73 and 34-21.9 of this Code; | ||||||
12 | (20) Section 10-22.25b of this Code; | ||||||
13 | (21) Section 27-9.1a of this Code; | ||||||
14 | (22) Section 27-9.1b of this Code; | ||||||
15 | (23) Section 34-18.8 of this Code; | ||||||
16 | (25) Section 2-3.188 of this Code; | ||||||
17 | (26) Section 22-85.5 of this Code; | ||||||
18 | (27) subsections Subsections (d-10), (d-15), and | ||||||
19 | (d-20) of Section 10-20.56 of this Code; and | ||||||
20 | (28) Sections 10-20.83 and 34-18.78 of this Code ; . | ||||||
21 | (29) (27) Section 10-20.13 of this Code; | ||||||
22 | (30) (28) Section 28-19.2 of this Code; and | ||||||
23 | (31) (29) Section 34-21.6 of this Code ; . | ||||||
24 | (33) Section 2-3.196 of this Code; | ||||||
25 | (34) Section 22-95 of this Code; | ||||||
26 | (35) Section 34-18.62 of this Code; and |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (36) the Illinois Human Rights Act. | ||||||
2 | The change made by Public Act 96-104 to this subsection | ||||||
3 | (g) is declaratory of existing law. | ||||||
4 | (h) A charter school may negotiate and contract with a | ||||||
5 | school district, the
governing body of a State college or | ||||||
6 | university or public community college, or
any other public or | ||||||
7 | for-profit or nonprofit private entity for: (i) the use
of a | ||||||
8 | school building and grounds or any other real property or | ||||||
9 | facilities that
the charter school desires to use or convert | ||||||
10 | for use as a charter school site,
(ii) the operation and | ||||||
11 | maintenance thereof, and
(iii) the provision of any service, | ||||||
12 | activity, or undertaking that the charter
school is required | ||||||
13 | to perform in order to carry out the terms of its charter.
| ||||||
14 | However, a charter school
that is established on
or
after | ||||||
15 | April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3) and that | ||||||
16 | operates
in a city having a population exceeding
500,000 may | ||||||
17 | not contract with a for-profit entity to
manage or operate the | ||||||
18 | school during the period that commences on April 16, 2003 (the
| ||||||
19 | effective date of Public Act 93-3) and
concludes at the end of | ||||||
20 | the 2004-2005 school year.
Except as provided in subsection | ||||||
21 | (i) of this Section, a school district may
charge a charter | ||||||
22 | school reasonable rent for the use of the district's
| ||||||
23 | buildings, grounds, and facilities. Any services for which a | ||||||
24 | charter school
contracts
with a school district shall be | ||||||
25 | provided by the district at cost. Any services
for which a | ||||||
26 | charter school contracts with a local school board or with the
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | governing body of a State college or university or public | ||||||
2 | community college
shall be provided by the public entity at | ||||||
3 | cost.
| ||||||
4 | (i) In no event shall a charter school that is established | ||||||
5 | by converting an
existing school or attendance center to | ||||||
6 | charter school status be required to
pay rent for space
that is | ||||||
7 | deemed available, as negotiated and provided in the charter | ||||||
8 | agreement,
in school district
facilities. However, all other | ||||||
9 | costs for the operation and maintenance of
school district | ||||||
10 | facilities that are used by the charter school shall be | ||||||
11 | subject
to negotiation between
the charter school and the | ||||||
12 | local school board and shall be set forth in the
charter.
| ||||||
13 | (j) A charter school may limit student enrollment by age | ||||||
14 | or grade level.
| ||||||
15 | (k) If the charter school is approved by the State Board or | ||||||
16 | Commission, then the charter school is its own local education | ||||||
17 | agency. | ||||||
18 | (Source: P.A. 101-50, eff. 7-1-20; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; | ||||||
19 | 101-291, eff. 1-1-20; 101-531, eff. 8-23-19; 101-543, eff. | ||||||
20 | 8-23-19; 101-654, eff. 3-8-21; 102-51, eff. 7-9-21; 102-157, | ||||||
21 | eff. 7-1-22; 102-360, eff. 1-1-22; 102-445, eff. 8-20-21; | ||||||
22 | 102-522, eff. 8-20-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-676, eff. | ||||||
23 | 12-3-21; 102-697, eff. 4-5-22; 102-805, eff. 1-1-23; 102-813, | ||||||
24 | eff. 5-13-22; revised 12-13-22.)
| ||||||
25 | (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 102-702 but |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | before amendment by P.A. 102-466 ) | ||||||
2 | Sec. 27A-5. Charter school; legal entity; requirements.
| ||||||
3 | (a) A charter school shall be a public, nonsectarian, | ||||||
4 | nonreligious, non-home
based, and non-profit school. A charter | ||||||
5 | school shall be organized and operated
as a nonprofit | ||||||
6 | corporation or other discrete, legal, nonprofit entity
| ||||||
7 | authorized under the laws of the State of Illinois.
| ||||||
8 | (b) A charter school may be established under this Article | ||||||
9 | by creating a new
school or by converting an existing public | ||||||
10 | school or attendance center to
charter
school status.
| ||||||
11 | Beginning on April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act | ||||||
12 | 93-3), in all new
applications to establish
a charter
school | ||||||
13 | in a city having a population exceeding 500,000, operation of | ||||||
14 | the
charter
school shall be limited to one campus. The changes | ||||||
15 | made to this Section by Public Act 93-3 do not apply to charter | ||||||
16 | schools existing or approved on or before April 16, 2003 (the
| ||||||
17 | effective date of Public Act 93-3). | ||||||
18 | (b-5) In this subsection (b-5), "virtual-schooling" means | ||||||
19 | a cyber school where students engage in online curriculum and | ||||||
20 | instruction via the Internet and electronic communication with | ||||||
21 | their teachers at remote locations and with students | ||||||
22 | participating at different times. | ||||||
23 | From April 1, 2013 through December 31, 2016, there is a | ||||||
24 | moratorium on the establishment of charter schools with | ||||||
25 | virtual-schooling components in school districts other than a | ||||||
26 | school district organized under Article 34 of this Code. This |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | moratorium does not apply to a charter school with | ||||||
2 | virtual-schooling components existing or approved prior to | ||||||
3 | April 1, 2013 or to the renewal of the charter of a charter | ||||||
4 | school with virtual-schooling components already approved | ||||||
5 | prior to April 1, 2013.
| ||||||
6 | (c) A charter school shall be administered and governed by | ||||||
7 | its board of
directors or other governing body
in the manner | ||||||
8 | provided in its charter. The governing body of a charter | ||||||
9 | school
shall be subject to the Freedom of Information Act and | ||||||
10 | the Open Meetings Act. No later than January 1, 2021 (one year | ||||||
11 | after the effective date of Public Act 101-291), a charter | ||||||
12 | school's board of directors or other governing body must | ||||||
13 | include at least one parent or guardian of a pupil currently | ||||||
14 | enrolled in the charter school who may be selected through the | ||||||
15 | charter school or a charter network election, appointment by | ||||||
16 | the charter school's board of directors or other governing | ||||||
17 | body, or by the charter school's Parent Teacher Organization | ||||||
18 | or its equivalent. | ||||||
19 | (c-5) No later than January 1, 2021 (one year after the | ||||||
20 | effective date of Public Act 101-291) or within the first year | ||||||
21 | of his or her first term, every voting member of a charter | ||||||
22 | school's board of directors or other governing body shall | ||||||
23 | complete a minimum of 4 hours of professional development | ||||||
24 | leadership training to ensure that each member has sufficient | ||||||
25 | familiarity with the board's or governing body's role and | ||||||
26 | responsibilities, including financial oversight and |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | accountability of the school, evaluating the principal's and | ||||||
2 | school's performance, adherence to the Freedom of Information | ||||||
3 | Act and the Open Meetings Act, and compliance with education | ||||||
4 | and labor law. In each subsequent year of his or her term, a | ||||||
5 | voting member of a charter school's board of directors or | ||||||
6 | other governing body shall complete a minimum of 2 hours of | ||||||
7 | professional development training in these same areas. The | ||||||
8 | training under this subsection may be provided or certified by | ||||||
9 | a statewide charter school membership association or may be | ||||||
10 | provided or certified by other qualified providers approved by | ||||||
11 | the State Board of Education.
| ||||||
12 | (d) For purposes of this subsection (d), "non-curricular | ||||||
13 | health and safety requirement" means any health and safety | ||||||
14 | requirement created by statute or rule to provide, maintain, | ||||||
15 | preserve, or safeguard safe or healthful conditions for | ||||||
16 | students and school personnel or to eliminate, reduce, or | ||||||
17 | prevent threats to the health and safety of students and | ||||||
18 | school personnel. "Non-curricular health and safety | ||||||
19 | requirement" does not include any course of study or | ||||||
20 | specialized instructional requirement for which the State | ||||||
21 | Board has established goals and learning standards or which is | ||||||
22 | designed primarily to impart knowledge and skills for students | ||||||
23 | to master and apply as an outcome of their education. | ||||||
24 | A charter school shall comply with all non-curricular | ||||||
25 | health and safety
requirements applicable to public schools | ||||||
26 | under the laws of the State of
Illinois. On or before September |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | 1, 2015, the State Board shall promulgate and post on its | ||||||
2 | Internet website a list of non-curricular health and safety | ||||||
3 | requirements that a charter school must meet. The list shall | ||||||
4 | be updated annually no later than September 1. Any charter | ||||||
5 | contract between a charter school and its authorizer must | ||||||
6 | contain a provision that requires the charter school to follow | ||||||
7 | the list of all non-curricular health and safety requirements | ||||||
8 | promulgated by the State Board and any non-curricular health | ||||||
9 | and safety requirements added by the State Board to such list | ||||||
10 | during the term of the charter. Nothing in this subsection (d) | ||||||
11 | precludes an authorizer from including non-curricular health | ||||||
12 | and safety requirements in a charter school contract that are | ||||||
13 | not contained in the list promulgated by the State Board, | ||||||
14 | including non-curricular health and safety requirements of the | ||||||
15 | authorizing local school board.
| ||||||
16 | (e) Except as otherwise provided in the School Code, a | ||||||
17 | charter school shall
not charge tuition; provided that a | ||||||
18 | charter school may charge reasonable fees
for textbooks, | ||||||
19 | instructional materials, and student activities.
| ||||||
20 | (f) A charter school shall be responsible for the | ||||||
21 | management and operation
of its fiscal affairs, including,
but | ||||||
22 | not limited to, the preparation of its budget. An audit of each | ||||||
23 | charter
school's finances shall be conducted annually by an | ||||||
24 | outside, independent
contractor retained by the charter | ||||||
25 | school. The contractor shall not be an employee of the charter | ||||||
26 | school or affiliated with the charter school or its authorizer |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | in any way, other than to audit the charter school's finances. | ||||||
2 | To ensure financial accountability for the use of public | ||||||
3 | funds, on or before December 1 of every year of operation, each | ||||||
4 | charter school shall submit to its authorizer and the State | ||||||
5 | Board a copy of its audit and a copy of the Form 990 the | ||||||
6 | charter school filed that year with the federal Internal | ||||||
7 | Revenue Service. In addition, if deemed necessary for proper | ||||||
8 | financial oversight of the charter school, an authorizer may | ||||||
9 | require quarterly financial statements from each charter | ||||||
10 | school.
| ||||||
11 | (g) A charter school shall comply with all provisions of | ||||||
12 | this Article, the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, | ||||||
13 | all federal and State laws and rules applicable to public | ||||||
14 | schools that pertain to special education and the instruction | ||||||
15 | of English learners, and
its charter. A charter
school is | ||||||
16 | exempt from all other State laws and regulations in this Code
| ||||||
17 | governing public
schools and local school board policies; | ||||||
18 | however, a charter school is not exempt from the following:
| ||||||
19 | (1) Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this Code | ||||||
20 | regarding criminal
history records checks and checks of | ||||||
21 | the Statewide Sex Offender Database and Statewide Murderer | ||||||
22 | and Violent Offender Against Youth Database of applicants | ||||||
23 | for employment;
| ||||||
24 | (2) Sections 10-20.14, 10-22.6, 24-24, 34-19, and | ||||||
25 | 34-84a of this Code regarding discipline of
students;
| ||||||
26 | (3) the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | Tort Immunity Act;
| ||||||
2 | (4) Section 108.75 of the General Not For Profit | ||||||
3 | Corporation Act of 1986
regarding indemnification of | ||||||
4 | officers, directors, employees, and agents;
| ||||||
5 | (5) the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act;
| ||||||
6 | (5.5) subsection (b) of Section 10-23.12 and | ||||||
7 | subsection (b) of Section 34-18.6 of this Code; | ||||||
8 | (6) the Illinois School Student Records Act;
| ||||||
9 | (7) Section 10-17a of this Code regarding school | ||||||
10 | report cards;
| ||||||
11 | (8) the P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act; | ||||||
12 | (9) Section 27-23.7 of this Code regarding bullying | ||||||
13 | prevention; | ||||||
14 | (10) Section 2-3.162 of this Code regarding student | ||||||
15 | discipline reporting; | ||||||
16 | (11) Sections 22-80 and 27-8.1 of this Code; | ||||||
17 | (12) Sections 10-20.60 and 34-18.53 of this Code; | ||||||
18 | (13) Sections 10-20.63 and 34-18.56 of this Code; | ||||||
19 | (14) Sections 22-90 and 26-18 of this Code; | ||||||
20 | (15) Section 22-30 of this Code; | ||||||
21 | (16) Sections 24-12 and 34-85 of this Code; | ||||||
22 | (17) the Seizure Smart School Act; | ||||||
23 | (18) Section 2-3.64a-10 of this Code; | ||||||
24 | (19) Sections 10-20.73 and 34-21.9 of this Code; | ||||||
25 | (20) Section 10-22.25b of this Code; | ||||||
26 | (21) Section 27-9.1a of this Code; |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (22) Section 27-9.1b of this Code; | ||||||
2 | (23) Section 34-18.8 of this Code; and | ||||||
3 | (25) Section 2-3.188 of this Code; | ||||||
4 | (26) Section 22-85.5 of this Code; | ||||||
5 | (27) subsections Subsections (d-10), (d-15), and | ||||||
6 | (d-20) of Section 10-20.56 of this Code; and | ||||||
7 | (28) Sections 10-20.83 and 34-18.78 of this Code ; . | ||||||
8 | (29) (27) Section 10-20.13 of this Code; | ||||||
9 | (30) (28) Section 28-19.2 of this Code; and | ||||||
10 | (31) (29) Section 34-21.6 of this Code ; . | ||||||
11 | (32) (25) Section 22-85.10 of this Code ; . | ||||||
12 | (33) Section 2-3.196 of this Code; | ||||||
13 | (34) Section 22-95 of this Code; | ||||||
14 | (35) Section 34-18.62 of this Code; and | ||||||
15 | (36) the Illinois Human Rights Act. | ||||||
16 | The change made by Public Act 96-104 to this subsection | ||||||
17 | (g) is declaratory of existing law. | ||||||
18 | (h) A charter school may negotiate and contract with a | ||||||
19 | school district, the
governing body of a State college or | ||||||
20 | university or public community college, or
any other public or | ||||||
21 | for-profit or nonprofit private entity for: (i) the use
of a | ||||||
22 | school building and grounds or any other real property or | ||||||
23 | facilities that
the charter school desires to use or convert | ||||||
24 | for use as a charter school site,
(ii) the operation and | ||||||
25 | maintenance thereof, and
(iii) the provision of any service, | ||||||
26 | activity, or undertaking that the charter
school is required |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | to perform in order to carry out the terms of its charter.
| ||||||
2 | However, a charter school
that is established on
or
after | ||||||
3 | April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3) and that | ||||||
4 | operates
in a city having a population exceeding
500,000 may | ||||||
5 | not contract with a for-profit entity to
manage or operate the | ||||||
6 | school during the period that commences on April 16, 2003 (the
| ||||||
7 | effective date of Public Act 93-3) and
concludes at the end of | ||||||
8 | the 2004-2005 school year.
Except as provided in subsection | ||||||
9 | (i) of this Section, a school district may
charge a charter | ||||||
10 | school reasonable rent for the use of the district's
| ||||||
11 | buildings, grounds, and facilities. Any services for which a | ||||||
12 | charter school
contracts
with a school district shall be | ||||||
13 | provided by the district at cost. Any services
for which a | ||||||
14 | charter school contracts with a local school board or with the
| ||||||
15 | governing body of a State college or university or public | ||||||
16 | community college
shall be provided by the public entity at | ||||||
17 | cost.
| ||||||
18 | (i) In no event shall a charter school that is established | ||||||
19 | by converting an
existing school or attendance center to | ||||||
20 | charter school status be required to
pay rent for space
that is | ||||||
21 | deemed available, as negotiated and provided in the charter | ||||||
22 | agreement,
in school district
facilities. However, all other | ||||||
23 | costs for the operation and maintenance of
school district | ||||||
24 | facilities that are used by the charter school shall be | ||||||
25 | subject
to negotiation between
the charter school and the | ||||||
26 | local school board and shall be set forth in the
charter.
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (j) A charter school may limit student enrollment by age | ||||||
2 | or grade level.
| ||||||
3 | (k) If the charter school is approved by the State Board or | ||||||
4 | Commission, then the charter school is its own local education | ||||||
5 | agency. | ||||||
6 | (Source: P.A. 101-50, eff. 7-1-20; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; | ||||||
7 | 101-291, eff. 1-1-20; 101-531, eff. 8-23-19; 101-543, eff. | ||||||
8 | 8-23-19; 101-654, eff. 3-8-21; 102-51, eff. 7-9-21; 102-157, | ||||||
9 | eff. 7-1-22; 102-360, eff. 1-1-22; 102-445, eff. 8-20-21; | ||||||
10 | 102-522, eff. 8-20-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-676, eff. | ||||||
11 | 12-3-21; 102-697, eff. 4-5-22; 102-702, eff. 7-1-23; 102-805, | ||||||
12 | eff. 1-1-23; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; revised 12-13-22.)
| ||||||
13 | (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 102-466 ) | ||||||
14 | Sec. 27A-5. Charter school; legal entity; requirements.
| ||||||
15 | (a) A charter school shall be a public, nonsectarian, | ||||||
16 | nonreligious, non-home
based, and non-profit school. A charter | ||||||
17 | school shall be organized and operated
as a nonprofit | ||||||
18 | corporation or other discrete, legal, nonprofit entity
| ||||||
19 | authorized under the laws of the State of Illinois.
| ||||||
20 | (b) A charter school may be established under this Article | ||||||
21 | by creating a new
school or by converting an existing public | ||||||
22 | school or attendance center to
charter
school status.
| ||||||
23 | Beginning on April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act | ||||||
24 | 93-3), in all new
applications to establish
a charter
school | ||||||
25 | in a city having a population exceeding 500,000, operation of |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | the
charter
school shall be limited to one campus. The changes | ||||||
2 | made to this Section by Public Act 93-3 do not apply to charter | ||||||
3 | schools existing or approved on or before April 16, 2003 (the
| ||||||
4 | effective date of Public Act 93-3). | ||||||
5 | (b-5) In this subsection (b-5), "virtual-schooling" means | ||||||
6 | a cyber school where students engage in online curriculum and | ||||||
7 | instruction via the Internet and electronic communication with | ||||||
8 | their teachers at remote locations and with students | ||||||
9 | participating at different times. | ||||||
10 | From April 1, 2013 through December 31, 2016, there is a | ||||||
11 | moratorium on the establishment of charter schools with | ||||||
12 | virtual-schooling components in school districts other than a | ||||||
13 | school district organized under Article 34 of this Code. This | ||||||
14 | moratorium does not apply to a charter school with | ||||||
15 | virtual-schooling components existing or approved prior to | ||||||
16 | April 1, 2013 or to the renewal of the charter of a charter | ||||||
17 | school with virtual-schooling components already approved | ||||||
18 | prior to April 1, 2013.
| ||||||
19 | (c) A charter school shall be administered and governed by | ||||||
20 | its board of
directors or other governing body
in the manner | ||||||
21 | provided in its charter. The governing body of a charter | ||||||
22 | school
shall be subject to the Freedom of Information Act and | ||||||
23 | the Open Meetings Act. No later than January 1, 2021 (one year | ||||||
24 | after the effective date of Public Act 101-291), a charter | ||||||
25 | school's board of directors or other governing body must | ||||||
26 | include at least one parent or guardian of a pupil currently |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | enrolled in the charter school who may be selected through the | ||||||
2 | charter school or a charter network election, appointment by | ||||||
3 | the charter school's board of directors or other governing | ||||||
4 | body, or by the charter school's Parent Teacher Organization | ||||||
5 | or its equivalent. | ||||||
6 | (c-5) No later than January 1, 2021 (one year after the | ||||||
7 | effective date of Public Act 101-291) or within the first year | ||||||
8 | of his or her first term, every voting member of a charter | ||||||
9 | school's board of directors or other governing body shall | ||||||
10 | complete a minimum of 4 hours of professional development | ||||||
11 | leadership training to ensure that each member has sufficient | ||||||
12 | familiarity with the board's or governing body's role and | ||||||
13 | responsibilities, including financial oversight and | ||||||
14 | accountability of the school, evaluating the principal's and | ||||||
15 | school's performance, adherence to the Freedom of Information | ||||||
16 | Act and the Open Meetings Act, and compliance with education | ||||||
17 | and labor law. In each subsequent year of his or her term, a | ||||||
18 | voting member of a charter school's board of directors or | ||||||
19 | other governing body shall complete a minimum of 2 hours of | ||||||
20 | professional development training in these same areas. The | ||||||
21 | training under this subsection may be provided or certified by | ||||||
22 | a statewide charter school membership association or may be | ||||||
23 | provided or certified by other qualified providers approved by | ||||||
24 | the State Board of Education.
| ||||||
25 | (d) For purposes of this subsection (d), "non-curricular | ||||||
26 | health and safety requirement" means any health and safety |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | requirement created by statute or rule to provide, maintain, | ||||||
2 | preserve, or safeguard safe or healthful conditions for | ||||||
3 | students and school personnel or to eliminate, reduce, or | ||||||
4 | prevent threats to the health and safety of students and | ||||||
5 | school personnel. "Non-curricular health and safety | ||||||
6 | requirement" does not include any course of study or | ||||||
7 | specialized instructional requirement for which the State | ||||||
8 | Board has established goals and learning standards or which is | ||||||
9 | designed primarily to impart knowledge and skills for students | ||||||
10 | to master and apply as an outcome of their education. | ||||||
11 | A charter school shall comply with all non-curricular | ||||||
12 | health and safety
requirements applicable to public schools | ||||||
13 | under the laws of the State of
Illinois. On or before September | ||||||
14 | 1, 2015, the State Board shall promulgate and post on its | ||||||
15 | Internet website a list of non-curricular health and safety | ||||||
16 | requirements that a charter school must meet. The list shall | ||||||
17 | be updated annually no later than September 1. Any charter | ||||||
18 | contract between a charter school and its authorizer must | ||||||
19 | contain a provision that requires the charter school to follow | ||||||
20 | the list of all non-curricular health and safety requirements | ||||||
21 | promulgated by the State Board and any non-curricular health | ||||||
22 | and safety requirements added by the State Board to such list | ||||||
23 | during the term of the charter. Nothing in this subsection (d) | ||||||
24 | precludes an authorizer from including non-curricular health | ||||||
25 | and safety requirements in a charter school contract that are | ||||||
26 | not contained in the list promulgated by the State Board, |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | including non-curricular health and safety requirements of the | ||||||
2 | authorizing local school board.
| ||||||
3 | (e) Except as otherwise provided in the School Code, a | ||||||
4 | charter school shall
not charge tuition; provided that a | ||||||
5 | charter school may charge reasonable fees
for textbooks, | ||||||
6 | instructional materials, and student activities.
| ||||||
7 | (f) A charter school shall be responsible for the | ||||||
8 | management and operation
of its fiscal affairs, including,
but | ||||||
9 | not limited to, the preparation of its budget. An audit of each | ||||||
10 | charter
school's finances shall be conducted annually by an | ||||||
11 | outside, independent
contractor retained by the charter | ||||||
12 | school. The contractor shall not be an employee of the charter | ||||||
13 | school or affiliated with the charter school or its authorizer | ||||||
14 | in any way, other than to audit the charter school's finances. | ||||||
15 | To ensure financial accountability for the use of public | ||||||
16 | funds, on or before December 1 of every year of operation, each | ||||||
17 | charter school shall submit to its authorizer and the State | ||||||
18 | Board a copy of its audit and a copy of the Form 990 the | ||||||
19 | charter school filed that year with the federal Internal | ||||||
20 | Revenue Service. In addition, if deemed necessary for proper | ||||||
21 | financial oversight of the charter school, an authorizer may | ||||||
22 | require quarterly financial statements from each charter | ||||||
23 | school.
| ||||||
24 | (g) A charter school shall comply with all provisions of | ||||||
25 | this Article, the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, | ||||||
26 | all federal and State laws and rules applicable to public |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | schools that pertain to special education and the instruction | ||||||
2 | of English learners, and
its charter. A charter
school is | ||||||
3 | exempt from all other State laws and regulations in this Code
| ||||||
4 | governing public
schools and local school board policies; | ||||||
5 | however, a charter school is not exempt from the following:
| ||||||
6 | (1) Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this Code | ||||||
7 | regarding criminal
history records checks and checks of | ||||||
8 | the Statewide Sex Offender Database and Statewide Murderer | ||||||
9 | and Violent Offender Against Youth Database of applicants | ||||||
10 | for employment;
| ||||||
11 | (2) Sections 10-20.14, 10-22.6, 24-24, 34-19, and | ||||||
12 | 34-84a of this Code regarding discipline of
students;
| ||||||
13 | (3) the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees | ||||||
14 | Tort Immunity Act;
| ||||||
15 | (4) Section 108.75 of the General Not For Profit | ||||||
16 | Corporation Act of 1986
regarding indemnification of | ||||||
17 | officers, directors, employees, and agents;
| ||||||
18 | (5) the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act;
| ||||||
19 | (5.5) subsection (b) of Section 10-23.12 and | ||||||
20 | subsection (b) of Section 34-18.6 of this Code; | ||||||
21 | (6) the Illinois School Student Records Act;
| ||||||
22 | (7) Section 10-17a of this Code regarding school | ||||||
23 | report cards;
| ||||||
24 | (8) the P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act; | ||||||
25 | (9) Section 27-23.7 of this Code regarding bullying | ||||||
26 | prevention; |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (10) Section 2-3.162 of this Code regarding student | ||||||
2 | discipline reporting; | ||||||
3 | (11) Sections 22-80 and 27-8.1 of this Code; | ||||||
4 | (12) Sections 10-20.60 and 34-18.53 of this Code; | ||||||
5 | (13) Sections 10-20.63 and 34-18.56 of this Code; | ||||||
6 | (14) Sections 22-90 and 26-18 of this Code; | ||||||
7 | (15) Section 22-30 of this Code; | ||||||
8 | (16) Sections 24-12 and 34-85 of this Code; | ||||||
9 | (17) the Seizure Smart School Act; | ||||||
10 | (18) Section 2-3.64a-10 of this Code; | ||||||
11 | (19) Sections 10-20.73 and 34-21.9 of this Code; | ||||||
12 | (20) Section 10-22.25b of this Code; | ||||||
13 | (21) Section 27-9.1a of this Code; | ||||||
14 | (22) Section 27-9.1b of this Code; | ||||||
15 | (23) Section 34-18.8 of this Code; | ||||||
16 | (24) Article 26A of this Code; and | ||||||
17 | (25) Section 2-3.188 of this Code; | ||||||
18 | (26) Section 22-85.5 of this Code; | ||||||
19 | (27) subsections Subsections (d-10), (d-15), and | ||||||
20 | (d-20) of Section 10-20.56 of this Code; and | ||||||
21 | (28) Sections 10-20.83 and 34-18.78 of this Code ; . | ||||||
22 | (29) (27) Section 10-20.13 of this Code; | ||||||
23 | (30) (28) Section 28-19.2 of this Code; and | ||||||
24 | (31) (29) Section 34-21.6 of this Code . | ||||||
25 | (32) (25) Section 22-85.10 of this Code ; . | ||||||
26 | (33) Section 2-3.196 of this Code; |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (34) Section 22-95 of this Code; | ||||||
2 | (35) Section 34-18.62 of this Code; and | ||||||
3 | (36) the Illinois Human Rights Act. | ||||||
4 | The change made by Public Act 96-104 to this subsection | ||||||
5 | (g) is declaratory of existing law. | ||||||
6 | (h) A charter school may negotiate and contract with a | ||||||
7 | school district, the
governing body of a State college or | ||||||
8 | university or public community college, or
any other public or | ||||||
9 | for-profit or nonprofit private entity for: (i) the use
of a | ||||||
10 | school building and grounds or any other real property or | ||||||
11 | facilities that
the charter school desires to use or convert | ||||||
12 | for use as a charter school site,
(ii) the operation and | ||||||
13 | maintenance thereof, and
(iii) the provision of any service, | ||||||
14 | activity, or undertaking that the charter
school is required | ||||||
15 | to perform in order to carry out the terms of its charter.
| ||||||
16 | However, a charter school
that is established on
or
after | ||||||
17 | April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3) and that | ||||||
18 | operates
in a city having a population exceeding
500,000 may | ||||||
19 | not contract with a for-profit entity to
manage or operate the | ||||||
20 | school during the period that commences on April 16, 2003 (the
| ||||||
21 | effective date of Public Act 93-3) and
concludes at the end of | ||||||
22 | the 2004-2005 school year.
Except as provided in subsection | ||||||
23 | (i) of this Section, a school district may
charge a charter | ||||||
24 | school reasonable rent for the use of the district's
| ||||||
25 | buildings, grounds, and facilities. Any services for which a | ||||||
26 | charter school
contracts
with a school district shall be |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | provided by the district at cost. Any services
for which a | ||||||
2 | charter school contracts with a local school board or with the
| ||||||
3 | governing body of a State college or university or public | ||||||
4 | community college
shall be provided by the public entity at | ||||||
5 | cost.
| ||||||
6 | (i) In no event shall a charter school that is established | ||||||
7 | by converting an
existing school or attendance center to | ||||||
8 | charter school status be required to
pay rent for space
that is | ||||||
9 | deemed available, as negotiated and provided in the charter | ||||||
10 | agreement,
in school district
facilities. However, all other | ||||||
11 | costs for the operation and maintenance of
school district | ||||||
12 | facilities that are used by the charter school shall be | ||||||
13 | subject
to negotiation between
the charter school and the | ||||||
14 | local school board and shall be set forth in the
charter.
| ||||||
15 | (j) A charter school may limit student enrollment by age | ||||||
16 | or grade level.
| ||||||
17 | (k) If the charter school is approved by the State Board or | ||||||
18 | Commission, then the charter school is its own local education | ||||||
19 | agency. | ||||||
20 | (Source: P.A. 101-50, eff. 7-1-20; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; | ||||||
21 | 101-291, eff. 1-1-20; 101-531, eff. 8-23-19; 101-543, eff. | ||||||
22 | 8-23-19; 101-654, eff. 3-8-21; 102-51, eff. 7-9-21; 102-157, | ||||||
23 | eff. 7-1-22; 102-360, eff. 1-1-22; 102-445, eff. 8-20-21; | ||||||
24 | 102-466, eff. 7-1-25; 102-522, eff. 8-20-21; 102-558, eff. | ||||||
25 | 8-20-21; 102-676, eff. 12-3-21; 102-697, eff. 4-5-22; 102-702, | ||||||
26 | eff. 7-1-23; 102-805, eff. 1-1-23; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | revised 12-13-22.)
| ||||||
2 | (105 ILCS 5/34-18.62)
| ||||||
3 | Sec. 34-18.62. Policies Policy on discrimination and | ||||||
4 | sexual harassment ; prevention and response program . | ||||||
5 | (a) The school district must create, maintain, and | ||||||
6 | implement an age-appropriate policy on sexual harassment that | ||||||
7 | must be posted on the school district's website and, if | ||||||
8 | applicable, any other area where policies, rules, and | ||||||
9 | standards of conduct are currently posted in each school and | ||||||
10 | must also be included in the school district's student code of | ||||||
11 | conduct handbook. | ||||||
12 | (b) The school district must create, maintain, and | ||||||
13 | implement a policy or policies prohibiting discrimination and | ||||||
14 | harassment based on race, color, and national origin and | ||||||
15 | prohibiting retaliation. Such policy or policies may be | ||||||
16 | included as part of a broader anti-harassment or | ||||||
17 | anti-discrimination policy provided they are distinguished | ||||||
18 | with an appropriate title, heading, or label. The policy or | ||||||
19 | policies adopted under this subsection (b) must comply with | ||||||
20 | and be distributed in accordance with subsection (b) of | ||||||
21 | Section 22-95 of this Code. | ||||||
22 | (c) The school district must establish procedures for | ||||||
23 | responding to complaints of discrimination and harassment | ||||||
24 | based on race, color, and national origin, and retaliation. | ||||||
25 | These procedures must comply with subsection (c) of Section |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | 22-95 of this Code.
| ||||||
2 | (Source: P.A. 101-418, eff. 1-1-20; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21.)
| ||||||
3 | Section 15. The Illinois Human Rights Act is amended by | ||||||
4 | changing Sections 1-102, 5-102.2, 5A-101, 5A-102, and 6-101 | ||||||
5 | and by adding Sections 5A-103 and 5A-104 as follows:
| ||||||
6 | (775 ILCS 5/1-102) (from Ch. 68, par. 1-102) | ||||||
7 | Sec. 1-102. Declaration of Policy. It is the public | ||||||
8 | policy of this State:
| ||||||
9 | (A) Freedom from Unlawful Discrimination. To secure for | ||||||
10 | all individuals
within Illinois the freedom from | ||||||
11 | discrimination based on against any individual because
of his | ||||||
12 | or her race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, | ||||||
13 | age, order of protection status,
marital status, physical or | ||||||
14 | mental disability, military
status, sexual orientation, | ||||||
15 | pregnancy, or unfavorable
discharge from military service in | ||||||
16 | connection with employment, real estate
transactions, access | ||||||
17 | to financial credit, and the availability of public
| ||||||
18 | accommodations , including in elementary, secondary, and higher | ||||||
19 | education .
| ||||||
20 | (B) Freedom from Sexual Harassment-Employment and | ||||||
21 | Elementary, Secondary, and Higher Education.
To prevent sexual | ||||||
22 | harassment in employment and sexual harassment in
elementary, | ||||||
23 | secondary, and higher education.
| ||||||
24 | (C) Freedom from Discrimination Based on Citizenship |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | Status-Employment.
To prevent discrimination based on | ||||||
2 | citizenship status in employment.
| ||||||
3 | (C-5) Freedom from Discrimination Based on Work | ||||||
4 | Authorization Status-Employment. To prevent discrimination | ||||||
5 | based on the specific status or term of status that | ||||||
6 | accompanies a legal work authorization. | ||||||
7 | (D) Freedom from Discrimination Based on Familial Status | ||||||
8 | or Source of Income-Real Estate
Transactions. To prevent | ||||||
9 | discrimination based on familial status or source of income in | ||||||
10 | real
estate transactions.
| ||||||
11 | (E) Public Health, Welfare and Safety. To promote the | ||||||
12 | public health,
welfare and safety by protecting the interest | ||||||
13 | of all people in Illinois
in maintaining personal dignity, in | ||||||
14 | realizing their full productive
capacities, and in furthering | ||||||
15 | their interests, rights and privileges as
citizens of this | ||||||
16 | State.
| ||||||
17 | (F) Implementation of Constitutional Guarantees. To secure | ||||||
18 | and
guarantee the rights established by Sections 17, 18 and 19 | ||||||
19 | of Article I
of the Illinois Constitution of 1970.
| ||||||
20 | (G) Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action. To establish | ||||||
21 | Equal
Opportunity and Affirmative Action as the policies of | ||||||
22 | this State in all
of its decisions, programs and activities, | ||||||
23 | and to assure that all State
departments, boards, commissions | ||||||
24 | and instrumentalities rigorously take
affirmative action to | ||||||
25 | provide equality of opportunity and eliminate the
effects of | ||||||
26 | past discrimination in the internal affairs of State
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | government and in their relations with the public.
| ||||||
2 | (H) Unfounded Charges. To protect citizens of this State | ||||||
3 | against
unfounded charges of prohibited unlawful | ||||||
4 | discrimination , sexual harassment in
employment , real estate | ||||||
5 | transactions, financial credit, and public accommodations, | ||||||
6 | including and sexual harassment in elementary, secondary, and | ||||||
7 | higher education , and discrimination
based on citizenship | ||||||
8 | status or work authorization status in employment .
| ||||||
9 | (Source: P.A. 102-233, eff. 8-2-21; 102-896, eff. 1-1-23 .)
| ||||||
10 | (775 ILCS 5/5-102.2) | ||||||
11 | Sec. 5-102.2. Jurisdiction limited. In regard to places of | ||||||
12 | public accommodation defined in paragraph (11) of Section | ||||||
13 | 5-101, the jurisdiction under this Article of the Department | ||||||
14 | is limited to: (1) the failure to enroll an individual; (2) the | ||||||
15 | denial or refusal of full and equal enjoyment of facilities, | ||||||
16 | goods, or services; or (3) severe or pervasive harassment of | ||||||
17 | an individual when the covered entity fails to take corrective | ||||||
18 | action to stop the severe or pervasive harassment. This | ||||||
19 | limitation on jurisdiction set forth in this Section does not | ||||||
20 | apply to civil rights violations under Article 2, 3, 4, 5A, or | ||||||
21 | 6.
| ||||||
22 | (Source: P.A. 102-1102, eff. 1-1-23 .)
| ||||||
23 | (775 ILCS 5/5A-101) (from Ch. 68, par. 5A-101)
| ||||||
24 | Sec. 5A-101. Definitions. The following definitions are |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | applicable
strictly in the content of this Article, except | ||||||
2 | that the term "sexual
harassment
in elementary, secondary, and
| ||||||
3 | higher education" as defined herein has the meaning herein | ||||||
4 | ascribed to
it whenever that term is used anywhere in this Act.
| ||||||
5 | (A) Institution of Elementary, Secondary, or Higher | ||||||
6 | Education. "Institution of elementary, secondary, or higher | ||||||
7 | education"
means: (1) a
publicly or privately operated | ||||||
8 | university, college,
community
college, junior college, | ||||||
9 | business or vocational school, or other educational
| ||||||
10 | institution offering degrees and instruction beyond the
| ||||||
11 | secondary
school level; or
(2) a publicly or privately | ||||||
12 | operated elementary school or secondary school.
| ||||||
13 | (B) Degree. "Degree" means: (1) a
designation, | ||||||
14 | appellation,
series of letters
or words or other symbols which | ||||||
15 | signifies or purports to signify that the
recipient thereof | ||||||
16 | has satisfactorily completed an organized academic, business
| ||||||
17 | or vocational program of study offered beyond the
secondary
| ||||||
18 | school level; or (2) a designation signifying that the | ||||||
19 | recipient has
graduated from an elementary school or secondary | ||||||
20 | school.
| ||||||
21 | (C) Student. "Student" means any individual admitted to or | ||||||
22 | applying for
admission to an institution of elementary, | ||||||
23 | secondary, or higher education, or
enrolled on a full or
part | ||||||
24 | time basis in a course or program of academic, business or | ||||||
25 | vocational
instruction offered by or through an institution of | ||||||
26 | elementary, secondary, or higher education.
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (D) Elementary, Secondary, or Higher Education | ||||||
2 | Representative. "Elementary, secondary, or higher education
| ||||||
3 | representative"
means and includes the president, chancellor | ||||||
4 | or other holder of any executive
office on the administrative | ||||||
5 | staff of an institution of higher education,
an administrator | ||||||
6 | of an elementary school or secondary school, a
member of the | ||||||
7 | faculty of an institution of higher education,
including
but | ||||||
8 | not limited to a dean or associate or assistant dean, a | ||||||
9 | professor or
associate or assistant professor, and a full or | ||||||
10 | part time instructor or
visiting professor, including a | ||||||
11 | graduate assistant or other student who
is employed on a | ||||||
12 | temporary basis of less than full time as a teacher or
| ||||||
13 | instructor of any course or program of academic, business or | ||||||
14 | vocational
instruction offered by or through an institution of | ||||||
15 | higher education, and any
teacher, instructor, or other | ||||||
16 | employee of an elementary school or secondary school.
| ||||||
17 | (E) Sexual Harassment in Elementary, Secondary, and Higher | ||||||
18 | Education. "Sexual harassment in
elementary, secondary, and
| ||||||
19 | higher
education" means any unwelcome sexual advances or | ||||||
20 | requests for sexual favors
made by an elementary, secondary, | ||||||
21 | or
higher
education representative to a student, or any
| ||||||
22 | conduct of
a sexual nature exhibited by
an elementary, | ||||||
23 | secondary, or
higher education representative
toward a
| ||||||
24 | student, when such conduct has the purpose of substantially | ||||||
25 | interfering
with the student's educational performance or | ||||||
26 | creating an intimidating,
hostile or offensive educational |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | environment; or when the elementary, secondary, or higher | ||||||
2 | education
representative either explicitly or implicitly makes | ||||||
3 | the student's submission
to such conduct a term or condition | ||||||
4 | of, or uses the student's submission
to or rejection of such | ||||||
5 | conduct as a basis for determining:
| ||||||
6 | (1) Whether the student will be admitted to an | ||||||
7 | institution
of elementary, secondary, or higher education;
| ||||||
8 | (2) The educational performance required or expected | ||||||
9 | of the student;
| ||||||
10 | (3) The attendance or assignment requirements | ||||||
11 | applicable to the student;
| ||||||
12 | (4) To what courses, fields of study or programs, | ||||||
13 | including honors and
graduate programs, the student will | ||||||
14 | be admitted;
| ||||||
15 | (5) What placement or course proficiency requirements | ||||||
16 | are applicable to the
student;
| ||||||
17 | (6) The quality of instruction the student will | ||||||
18 | receive;
| ||||||
19 | (7) What tuition or fee requirements are applicable to | ||||||
20 | the student;
| ||||||
21 | (8) What scholarship opportunities are available to | ||||||
22 | the student;
| ||||||
23 | (9) What extracurricular teams the student will be a | ||||||
24 | member of or in what
extracurricular competitions the | ||||||
25 | student will participate;
| ||||||
26 | (10) Any grade the student will receive in any |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | examination or in any course
or program of instruction in | ||||||
2 | which the student is enrolled;
| ||||||
3 | (11) The progress of the student toward successful | ||||||
4 | completion of or graduation
from any course or program of | ||||||
5 | instruction in which the student is enrolled; or
| ||||||
6 | (12) What degree, if any, the student will receive.
| ||||||
7 | (F) Harassment in Elementary, Secondary, or Higher | ||||||
8 | Education. "Harassment in elementary, secondary, or higher | ||||||
9 | education" means any unwelcome conduct by an elementary, | ||||||
10 | secondary or higher education representative toward a student
| ||||||
11 | on the basis of a student's actual or perceived race, color, | ||||||
12 | religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, | ||||||
13 | order of protection status, disability, military status, | ||||||
14 | sexual orientation, pregnancy, or unfavorable discharge from | ||||||
15 | military service that has the purpose or effect of | ||||||
16 | substantially interfering with a student's educational | ||||||
17 | performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive | ||||||
18 | educational environment. | ||||||
19 | (G) Educational Environment. "Educational environment" | ||||||
20 | includes conduct that occurs at school, school-related | ||||||
21 | activities, or events, and may include conduct that occurs off | ||||||
22 | school grounds, subject to applicable State and federal law. | ||||||
23 | (Source: P.A. 96-1319, eff. 7-27-10.)
| ||||||
24 | (775 ILCS 5/5A-102) (from Ch. 68, par. 5A-102)
| ||||||
25 | Sec. 5A-102. Civil Rights Violations-Elementary, |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | Secondary, and Higher Education. It is a civil
rights | ||||||
2 | violation:
| ||||||
3 | (A) Sexual Harassment; Elementary Elementary , | ||||||
4 | Secondary, or Higher Education Representative. For any | ||||||
5 | elementary, secondary, or higher education representative
| ||||||
6 | to commit or engage in sexual harassment in elementary, | ||||||
7 | secondary, or higher education.
| ||||||
8 | (B) Sexual Harassment; Institution Institution of | ||||||
9 | Elementary, Secondary, or Higher Education. For any | ||||||
10 | institution of elementary, secondary, or higher education
| ||||||
11 | to fail to take remedial action, or to fail to take | ||||||
12 | appropriate disciplinary
action against an elementary, | ||||||
13 | secondary, or higher education representative employed by | ||||||
14 | such institution,
when such institution knows that such | ||||||
15 | elementary, secondary, or higher education representative | ||||||
16 | was
committing or engaging in or committed or engaged
in | ||||||
17 | sexual harassment in elementary, secondary, or higher | ||||||
18 | education.
| ||||||
19 | (C) Harassment; Elementary, Secondary, or Higher | ||||||
20 | Education Representative. For any elementary, secondary, | ||||||
21 | or higher education representative to commit or engage in | ||||||
22 | harassment in elementary, secondary, or higher education. | ||||||
23 | (D) Harassment; Institution of Elementary, Secondary, | ||||||
24 | or Higher Education. For any institution of elementary, | ||||||
25 | secondary, or higher education to fail to take appropriate | ||||||
26 | corrective action to stop harassment if the institution |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | knows that an elementary, secondary, or higher education | ||||||
2 | representative was committing or engaging in or committed | ||||||
3 | or engaged in harassment in elementary, secondary, or | ||||||
4 | higher education. | ||||||
5 | (E) Failure to Report. For any school district | ||||||
6 | established under the School Code or institutions of | ||||||
7 | elementary or secondary education covered by this Act to | ||||||
8 | fail to disclose information as required by Section | ||||||
9 | 2-3.196 of the School Code. | ||||||
10 | (F) Exemptions. Nothing in Article 5A shall be | ||||||
11 | construed to limit jurisdiction under Section 5-102.2. | ||||||
12 | Subsections (C), (D), and (E) shall apply solely to | ||||||
13 | nonsectarian institutions of elementary, secondary or | ||||||
14 | higher education and elementary, secondary, or higher | ||||||
15 | education representatives employed by such nonsectarian | ||||||
16 | institutions. | ||||||
17 | (Source: P.A. 96-574, eff. 8-18-09; 96-1319, eff. 7-27-10.)
| ||||||
18 | (775 ILCS 5/5A-103 new) | ||||||
19 | Sec. 5A-103. Discrimination and harassment based on race, | ||||||
20 | color, or national origin; and retaliation. | ||||||
21 | (a) The General Assembly finds that harassment and | ||||||
22 | discrimination based on race, color, or national origin has a | ||||||
23 | detrimental influence in schools, contributing to | ||||||
24 | psychological and physical harm and poorer academic outcomes | ||||||
25 | for students of color, and higher rates of teacher turnover |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | among teachers of color. It is the General Assembly's intent | ||||||
2 | that each institution of elementary and secondary education in | ||||||
3 | the State adopt and actively implement policies to reduce and | ||||||
4 | respond effectively to harassment and discrimination based on | ||||||
5 | race, color, and national origin; to provide students, parents | ||||||
6 | or guardians, and employees information on how to recognize | ||||||
7 | and report harassment and discrimination; and, for students, | ||||||
8 | parents or guardians, and employees, to report harassment and | ||||||
9 | discrimination based on race, color, or national origin | ||||||
10 | without fear of retaliation, loss of status, or loss of | ||||||
11 | opportunities. | ||||||
12 | (b) The Department shall produce a model training program | ||||||
13 | aimed at the prevention of discrimination and harassment based | ||||||
14 | on race, color, and national origin in institutions of | ||||||
15 | elementary and secondary education. The model program shall be | ||||||
16 | made available to institutions of elementary and secondary | ||||||
17 | education and to the public online at no cost. This model | ||||||
18 | program shall regard participants as potential bystanders, | ||||||
19 | rather than potential offenders, and include, at a minimum, | ||||||
20 | the following: | ||||||
21 | (1) a primary focus on preventing discrimination and | ||||||
22 | harassment based on race, color, and national origin and | ||||||
23 | retaliation; | ||||||
24 | (2) an explanation of discrimination and harassment | ||||||
25 | based on race, color, and national origin and retaliation; | ||||||
26 | (3) examples of conduct that constitutes |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | discrimination and harassment based on race, color, and | ||||||
2 | national origin and retaliation; | ||||||
3 | (4) an explanation, with examples, of how patterns of | ||||||
4 | conduct can, taken together over time, rise to the level | ||||||
5 | of bullying, harassment, or discrimination; | ||||||
6 | (5) an explanation of the difference between | ||||||
7 | discrimination based on disparate treatment and | ||||||
8 | discrimination based on disparate impact; | ||||||
9 | (6) a summary of other classes that are protected from | ||||||
10 | harassment and discrimination, and a statement that | ||||||
11 | training intended to improve recognition of discrimination | ||||||
12 | and harassment based on race, color, and national origin | ||||||
13 | does not diminish protections under the law for other | ||||||
14 | protected classes; | ||||||
15 | (7) an explanation of the difference between | ||||||
16 | harassment as defined under this Act and bullying; | ||||||
17 | (8) a summary of relevant federal and State statutory | ||||||
18 | protections and remedies available to victims concerning | ||||||
19 | discrimination and harassment based on race, color, and | ||||||
20 | national origin, and retaliation, including, but not | ||||||
21 | limited to, a summary of this Act's protections from | ||||||
22 | discrimination, harassment and retaliation in the | ||||||
23 | following contexts: | ||||||
24 | (a) students toward other students; | ||||||
25 | (b) teachers and other employees of an elementary | ||||||
26 | or secondary school toward students; |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (c) students toward teachers and other employees | ||||||
2 | of an elementary or secondary school; and | ||||||
3 | (d) teachers and other employees of an elementary | ||||||
4 | or secondary school toward other teachers and | ||||||
5 | employees of an elementary or secondary school. | ||||||
6 | (9) directions on how to contact the Department if a | ||||||
7 | school fails to take corrective action to stop the | ||||||
8 | harassment or discrimination; | ||||||
9 | (10) a summary of responsibilities of institutions of | ||||||
10 | elementary or secondary education in the prevention, | ||||||
11 | investigation, and corrective measures of discrimination, | ||||||
12 | harassment, and retaliation, including, but not limited | ||||||
13 | to, explanation of responsibilities in the following | ||||||
14 | contexts: | ||||||
15 | (a) students toward other students; | ||||||
16 | (b) teachers and other employees of an elementary | ||||||
17 | or secondary school toward students; | ||||||
18 | (c) students toward teachers and other employees | ||||||
19 | of an elementary or secondary school; and | ||||||
20 | (d) teachers and other employees of an elementary | ||||||
21 | or secondary school toward other teachers and | ||||||
22 | employees of an elementary or secondary school; and | ||||||
23 | (11) an explanation of the liability for | ||||||
24 | discrimination, harassment, and retaliation under this | ||||||
25 | Act. | ||||||
26 | (c) Every institution of elementary or secondary education |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | in this State shall use the model training program developed | ||||||
2 | by the Department, establish its own training program that | ||||||
3 | equals or exceeds the minimum standards set forth in | ||||||
4 | subsection (b), or use an existing discrimination and | ||||||
5 | harassment prevention training program that equals or exceeds | ||||||
6 | the minimum standards set forth in subsection (b). The | ||||||
7 | training program shall be provided as a component of all new | ||||||
8 | employee training programs for elementary and secondary | ||||||
9 | education representatives and to existing representatives at | ||||||
10 | least once every 2 years. For the purposes of satisfying the | ||||||
11 | requirements under this Section, the Department's model | ||||||
12 | program may be used to supplement any existing program an | ||||||
13 | institution of elementary or secondary education is utilizing | ||||||
14 | or develops. | ||||||
15 | (d) Upon notification of a violation of subsection (c), | ||||||
16 | the Department may launch a preliminary investigation. If the | ||||||
17 | Department finds a violation of this Section, the Department | ||||||
18 | may issue a notice to show cause, giving the institution of | ||||||
19 | elementary or secondary education 30 days to correct the | ||||||
20 | violation. If the institution of elementary or secondary | ||||||
21 | education does not correct the violation within 30 days, the | ||||||
22 | Department may initiate a charge of a civil rights violation.
| ||||||
23 | (775 ILCS 5/6-101) (from Ch. 68, par. 6-101)
| ||||||
24 | Sec. 6-101. Additional civil rights violations under | ||||||
25 | Articles 2, 4, 5, and 5A , and 6 . It is a civil rights
violation |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | for a person, or for 2 or more persons, to conspire to:
| ||||||
2 | (A) Retaliation. Retaliate against a person because | ||||||
3 | that person he or she has : | ||||||
4 | (i) opposed or reported conduct that the person | ||||||
5 | that which he or she reasonably and in good faith | ||||||
6 | believes to be
prohibited unlawful discrimination, | ||||||
7 | sexual harassment in employment, sexual
harassment in | ||||||
8 | elementary, secondary, and higher
education, or | ||||||
9 | discrimination based on arrest record, citizenship | ||||||
10 | status, or work authorization status
in employment | ||||||
11 | under Articles 2, 4, 5, and 5A , and 6; , because he or | ||||||
12 | she has | ||||||
13 | (ii) made a charge, filed a complaint,
testified, | ||||||
14 | assisted, or participated in an investigation, | ||||||
15 | proceeding, or
hearing under this Act ; or , or because | ||||||
16 | he or she has | ||||||
17 | (iii) requested, attempted to request, used, or | ||||||
18 | attempted to use a reasonable accommodation as allowed | ||||||
19 | by this Act;
| ||||||
20 | (B) Aiding and Abetting; Coercion. Aid, abet, compel, | ||||||
21 | or coerce a
person to commit any violation of this Act;
| ||||||
22 | (C) Interference. Wilfully interfere with the | ||||||
23 | performance of a duty
or the exercise of a power by the | ||||||
24 | Commission or one of its members or
representatives or the | ||||||
25 | Department or one of its officers or employees.
| ||||||
26 | Definitions. For the purposes of this Section, "sexual
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | harassment", "citizenship status", and "work authorization | ||||||
2 | status" shall have the same meaning as defined in
Section | ||||||
3 | 2-101 of this Act.
| ||||||
4 | (Source: P.A. 102-233, eff. 8-2-21; 102-362, eff. 1-1-22; | ||||||
5 | 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)
| ||||||
6 | Section 95. No acceleration or delay. Where this Act makes | ||||||
7 | changes in a statute that is represented in this Act by text | ||||||
8 | that is not yet or no longer in effect (for example, a Section | ||||||
9 | represented by multiple versions), the use of that text does | ||||||
10 | not accelerate or delay the taking effect of (i) the changes | ||||||
11 | made by this Act or (ii) provisions derived from any other | ||||||
12 | Public Act.
| ||||||
13 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect August | ||||||
14 | 1, 2024.
|