104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB1491
 
Introduced 1/31/2025, by Sen. Mary Edly-Allen
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
50 ILCS 705/10.17
    Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Requires the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to develop a course and certification program for certified therapy dog teams consisting of officers employing the use of therapy dogs in relation to crisis and emergency response.


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A BILL FOR
 
SB1491LRB104 05067 RTM 15095 b

1    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Police Training Act is amended by 
5changing Section 10.17 as follows:
 
6    (50 ILCS 705/10.17)
7    Sec. 10.17. Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) intervention 
8team training; mental health awareness training; certified 
9therapy dog team training and certification.
10    (a) The Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board 
11shall develop and approve a standard curriculum for certified 
12training programs in crisis intervention, including a 
13specialty certification course of at least 40 hours, 
14addressing specialized policing responses to people with 
15mental illnesses. The Board shall conduct Crisis Intervention 
16Team (CIT) training programs that train officers to identify 
17signs and symptoms of mental illness, to de-escalate 
18situations involving individuals who appear to have a mental 
19illness, and connect that person in crisis to treatment. 
20Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training programs shall be a 
21collaboration between law enforcement professionals, mental 
22health providers, families, and consumer advocates and must 
23minimally include the following components: (1) basic 
 
 
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1information about mental illnesses and how to recognize them; 
2(2) information about mental health laws and resources; (3) 
3learning from family members of individuals with mental 
4illness and their experiences; and (4) verbal de-escalation 
5training and role-plays. Officers who have successfully 
6completed this program shall be issued a certificate attesting 
7to their attendance of a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) 
8training program.
9    (b) The Board shall create an introductory course 
10incorporating adult learning models that provides law 
11enforcement officers with an awareness of mental health issues 
12including a history of the mental health system, types of 
13mental health illness including signs and symptoms of mental 
14illness and common treatments and medications, and the 
15potential interactions law enforcement officers may have on a 
16regular basis with these individuals, their families, and 
17service providers including de-escalating a potential crisis 
18situation. This course, in addition to other traditional 
19learning settings, may be made available in an electronic 
20format. 
21    (c) The Board shall develop a course and certification 
22program for certified therapy dog teams consisting of officers 
23employing the use of therapy dogs in relation to crisis and 
24emergency response. This program shall aim to ensure that 
25Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officers and therapy dog teams 
26are available in various regions throughout the State to be 
 
 
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1dispatched in the event of a crisis. 
2    The amendatory changes to this Section made by Public Act 
3101-652 shall take effect January 1, 2022. 
4(Source: P.A. 101-652, eff. 7-1-21; 102-28, eff. 6-25-21.)