SB2761 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 16633 LNS 30036 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB2761

Introduced 1/13/2026, by Sen. Doris Turner

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/10-22.39

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning in-service training programs for teachers, administrators, and school support personnel, provides that the training regarding health conditions of students shall include the proper handling of service animals in the school setting and the instruction on the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, as it pertains to the school environment, shall include the proper handling of service animals, the rights of students who use service animals, and appropriate interactions with service animals.

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 10-22.39 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/10-22.39)

Sec. 10-22.39. In-service training programs.

(a) To conduct in-service training programs for teachers, administrators, and school support personnel.

(b) In addition to other topics at in-service training programs listed in this Section, teachers, administrators, and school support personnel who work with pupils must be trained in the following topics: health conditions of students; social-emotional learning; developing cultural competency; identifying warning signs of mental illness and suicidal behavior in youth; domestic and sexual violence and the needs of expectant and parenting youth; protections and accommodations for students; educator ethics; responding to child sexual abuse and grooming behavior; and effective instruction in violence prevention and conflict resolution. In-service training programs in these topics shall be credited toward hours of professional development required for license renewal as outlined in subsection (e) of Section 21B-45.

School support personnel may be exempt from in-service training if the training is not relevant to the work they do.

Nurses and school nurses, as defined by Section 10-22.23, are exempt from training required in subsection (b-5).

Beginning July 1, 2024, all teachers, administrators, and school support personnel shall complete training as outlined in Section 10-22.39 during an in-service training program conducted by their school board or through other training opportunities, including, but not limited to, institutes under Section 3-11. Such training must be completed within 6 months of employment by a school board and renewed at least once every 5 years, unless required more frequently by other State or federal law or in accordance with this Section. If teachers, administrators, or school support personnel obtain training outside of an in-service training program or from a previous public school district or nonpublic school employer, they may present documentation showing current compliance with this subsection to satisfy the requirement of receiving training within 6 months of first being employed. Training may be delivered through online, asynchronous means.

(b-5) Training regarding health conditions of students for staff required by this Section shall include, but is not limited to:

(1) (Blank).

(2) Anaphylactic reactions and management. Such training shall be conducted by persons with expertise in anaphylactic reactions and management.

(3) The management of asthma, the prevention of asthma symptoms, and emergency response in the school setting.

(4) The basics of seizure recognition and first aid and appropriate emergency protocols. Such training must be fully consistent with the best practice guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(5) The basics of diabetes care, how to identify when a student with diabetes needs immediate or emergency medical attention, and whom to contact in the case of an emergency.

(6) Current best practices regarding the identification and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

(7) Instruction on how to respond to an incident involving life-threatening bleeding and, if applicable, how to use a school's trauma kit. Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, training on life-threatening bleeding must be completed within 6 months of the employee first being employed by a school board and renewed within 2 years. Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, the training must be completed within 6 months of the employee first being employed by a school board and renewed at least once every 5 years thereafter. School district employees who are trained to respond to trauma pursuant to this subsection (b-5) shall be immune from civil liability in the use of a trauma kit unless the action constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.

(8) The proper handling of service animals in the school setting, including the rights of students who use service animals, appropriate interactions with service animals, and procedures to ensure the health, safety, and accessibility needs of the student. Such training must be consistent with applicable federal and State laws governing service animals in the school setting.

In consultation with professional organizations with expertise in student health issues, including, but not limited to, asthma management, anaphylactic reactions, seizure recognition, and diabetes care, the State Board of Education shall make available resource materials for educating school personnel about student health conditions and emergency response in the school setting.

A school board may satisfy the life-threatening bleeding training under this subsection by using the training, including online training, available from the American College of Surgeons or any other similar organization.

(b-10) The training regarding social-emotional learning for staff required by this Section may include, at a minimum, providing education to all school personnel about the content of the Illinois Social and Emotional Learning Standards, how those standards apply to everyday school interactions, and examples of how social emotional learning can be integrated into instructional practices across all grades and subjects.

(b-15) The training regarding developing cultural competency for staff required by this Section shall include, but is not limited to, understanding and reducing implicit bias, including implicit racial bias. As used in this subsection, "implicit racial bias" has the meaning set forth in Section 10-20.61.

(b-20) The training regarding identifying warning signs of mental illness, trauma, and suicidal behavior in youth for staff required by this Section shall include, but is not limited to, appropriate intervention and referral techniques, including resources and guidelines as outlined in Section 2-3.166, and must include the definitions of trauma, trauma-responsive learning environments, and whole child set forth in subsection (b) of Section 3-11 of this Code.

Illinois Mental Health First Aid training, established under the Illinois Mental Health First Aid Training Act, may satisfy the requirements of this subsection.

If teachers, administrators, or school support personnel obtain mental health first aid training outside of an in-service training program, they may present a certificate of successful completion of the training to the school district to satisfy the requirements of this subsection. Training regarding the implementation of trauma-informed practices under subsection (b) of Section 3-11 satisfies the requirements of this subsection.

(b-25) As used in this subsection:

"Domestic violence" means abuse by a family or household member, as "abuse" and "family or household members" are defined in Section 103 of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986.

"Sexual violence" means sexual assault, abuse, or stalking of an adult or minor child proscribed in the Criminal Code of 1961 or in Sections 11-1.20, 11-1.30, 11-1.40, 11-1.50, 11-1.60, 12-7.3, 12-7.4, 12-7.5, 12-12, 12-13, 12-14, 12-14.1, 12-15, and 12-16 of the Criminal Code of 2012, including sexual violence committed by perpetrators who are strangers to the victim and sexual violence committed by perpetrators who are known or related by blood or marriage to the victim.

The training regarding domestic and sexual violence and the needs of expectant and parenting youth for staff required by this Section must be conducted by persons with expertise in domestic and sexual violence and the needs of expectant and parenting youth, and shall include, but is not limited to:

(1) communicating with and listening to youth victims of domestic or sexual violence and expectant and parenting youth;

(2) connecting youth victims of domestic or sexual violence and expectant and parenting youth to appropriate in-school services and other agencies, programs, and services as needed;

(3) implementing the school district's policies, procedures, and protocols with regard to such youth, including confidentiality; at a minimum, school personnel must be trained to understand, provide information and referrals, and address issues pertaining to youth who are parents, expectant parents, or victims of domestic or sexual violence; and

(4) procedures for responding to incidents of teen dating violence that take place at the school, on school grounds, at school-sponsored activities, or in vehicles used for school-provided transportation as outlined in Section 27-240 of this Code.

(b-30) The training regarding protections and accommodations for students shall include, but is not limited to, instruction on (i) the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, as it pertains to the school environment, including, but not limited to, the proper handling of service animals, the rights of students who use service animals, and appropriate interactions with service animals, and (ii) homelessness. Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, training on homelessness must be completed within 6 months of an employee first being employed by a school board and renewed within 2 years. Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, the training must be completed within 6 months of the employee first being employed by a school board and renewed at least once every 5 years thereafter. Training on homelessness shall include the following:

(1) the definition of homeless children and youths under 42 U.S.C. 11434a;

(2) the signs of homelessness and housing insecurity;

(3) the rights of students experiencing homelessness under State and federal law;

(4) the steps to take when a homeless or housing-insecure student is identified; and

(5) the appropriate referral techniques, including the name and contact number of the school or school district homeless liaison.

School boards may work with a community-based organization that specializes in working with homeless children and youth to develop and provide the training.

(b-35) The training regarding educator ethics and responding to child sexual abuse and grooming behavior shall include, but is not limited to, teacher-student conduct, school employee-student conduct, and evidence-informed training on preventing, recognizing, reporting, and responding to child sexual abuse and grooming as outlined in Section 10-23.13.

(b-40) The training regarding effective instruction in violence prevention and conflict resolution required by this Section shall be conducted in accordance with the requirements of Section 27-115 of this Code.

(b-45) Beginning July 1, 2024, all nonpublic elementary and secondary school teachers, administrators, and school support personnel shall complete the training set forth in subsection (b-5). Training must be completed within 6 months of first being employed by a nonpublic school and renewed at least once every 5 years, unless required more frequently by other State or federal law. If nonpublic teachers, administrators, or school support personnel obtain training from a public school district or nonpublic school employer, the teacher, administrator, or school support personnel may present documentation to the nonpublic school showing current compliance with this subsection to satisfy the requirement of receiving training within 6 months of first being employed.

(c) (Blank).

(d) (Blank).

(e) (Blank).

(f) (Blank).

(g) (Blank).

(h) At least once every 2 years, a school board shall conduct in-service training on homelessness for all school personnel. The training shall include:

(1) the definition of homeless children and youth under Section 11434a of Title 42 of the United States Code;

(2) the signs of homelessness and housing insecurity;

(3) the rights of students experiencing homelessness under State and federal law;

(4) the steps to take when a homeless or housing-insecure student is identified; and

(5) the appropriate referral techniques, including the name and contact number of the school or school district homeless liaison.

A school board may work with a community-based organization that specializes in working with homeless children and youth to develop and provide the training.

(Source: P.A. 103-41, eff. 8-20-24; 103-128, eff. 6-30-23; 103-413, eff. 1-1-24; 103-542, eff. 7-1-24 (see Section 905 of P.A. 103-563 for effective date of P.A. 103-542); 103-603, eff. 1-1-25; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24; 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)