SB2135 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 03870 RLC 13894 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB2135

Introduced 2/7/2025, by Sen. Chapin Rose

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

50 ILCS 705/10.22
105 ILCS 5/10-20.68

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board may offer the school resource officer course to a qualified retired law enforcement officer for the purpose of employment at a school or school district and may issue a certificate or waiver for the school resource officer course in the same manner as provided for any other officer. Amends the School Code. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, a school or school district may employ a qualified retired law enforcement officer who obtains a certificate of completion or approved waiver under the Illinois Police Training Act to carry out the duties of a school resource officer. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, a school resource officer may carry a firearm during the performance of the officer's duties at a school or in a school district. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning schools.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Police Training Act is amended by changing Section 10.22 as follows:

(50 ILCS 705/10.22)

Sec. 10.22. School resource officers.

(a) The Board shall develop or approve a course for school resource officers as defined in Section 10-20.68 of the School Code.

(b) The school resource officer course shall be developed within one year after January 1, 2019 (the effective date of Public Act 100-984) and shall be created in consultation with organizations demonstrating expertise and or experience in the areas of youth and adolescent developmental issues, educational administrative issues, prevention of child abuse and exploitation, youth mental health treatment, and juvenile advocacy.

(c) The Board shall develop a process allowing law enforcement agencies to request a waiver of this training requirement for any specific individual assigned as a school resource officer. Applications for these waivers may be submitted by a local law enforcement agency chief administrator for any officer whose prior training and experience may qualify for a waiver of the training requirement of this subsection (c). The Board may issue a waiver at its discretion, based solely on the prior training and experience of an officer.

(d) Upon completion, the employing agency shall be issued a certificate attesting to a specific officer's completion of the school resource officer training. Additionally, a letter of approval shall be issued to the employing agency for any officer who is approved for a training waiver under this subsection (d).

(e) The Board may offer the school resource officer course developed under this Section to a qualified retired law enforcement officer, as that term is defined under the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004, for the purpose of employment at a school or school district and may issue a certificate or waiver for the school resource officer course in the same manner as provided under this Section for any other officer.

(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-652, eff. 1-1-22; 102-694, eff. 1-7-22.)

Section 10. The School Code is amended by changing Section 10-20.68 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/10-20.68)

Sec. 10-20.68. School resource officer.

(a) In this Section, "school resource officer" means a law enforcement officer who has been primarily assigned to a school or school district under an agreement with a local law enforcement agency.

(b) Beginning January 1, 2021, any law enforcement agency that provides a school resource officer under this Section shall provide to the school district a certificate of completion, or approved waiver, issued by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board under Section 10.22 of the Illinois Police Training Act indicating that the subject officer has completed the requisite course of instruction in the applicable subject areas within one year of assignment, or has prior experience and training which satisfies this requirement.

(c) In an effort to defray the related costs, any law enforcement agency that provides a school resource officer should apply for grant funding through the federal Community Oriented Policing Services grant program.

(d) Beginning January 1, 2026, a school or school district may employ a qualified retired law enforcement officer, as that term is defined under the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004, who obtains a certificate of completion or approved waiver under Section 10.22 of the Illinois Police Training Act to carry out the duties of a school resource officer.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a school resource officer may carry a firearm during the performance of the officer's duties at a school or in a school district.

(Source: P.A. 100-984, eff. 1-1-19; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.