99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
HB6143

 

Introduced 2/11/2016, by Rep. Barbara Wheeler

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/2-3.25o
105 ILCS 5/10-21.9  from Ch. 122, par. 10-21.9
105 ILCS 5/34-18.5  from Ch. 122, par. 34-18.5

    Amends the School Code. Provides that the requirement that a student teacher undergo a criminal history records check, a Statewide Sex Offender Database check, and a Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database check does not apply to a student teacher who is already employed by a non-public school or school district as a non-licensed staff member and has already undergone such checks for that school or school district.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB6143LRB099 16396 NHT 40729 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections
52-3.25o, 10-21.9, and 34-18.5 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.25o)
7    Sec. 2-3.25o. Registration and recognition of non-public
8elementary and secondary schools.
9    (a) Findings. The General Assembly finds and declares (i)
10that the Constitution of the State of Illinois provides that a
11"fundamental goal of the People of the State is the educational
12development of all persons to the limits of their capacities"
13and (ii) that the educational development of every school
14student serves the public purposes of the State. In order to
15ensure that all Illinois students and teachers have the
16opportunity to enroll and work in State-approved educational
17institutions and programs, the State Board of Education shall
18provide for the voluntary registration and recognition of
19non-public elementary and secondary schools.
20    (b) Registration. All non-public elementary and secondary
21schools in the State of Illinois may voluntarily register with
22the State Board of Education on an annual basis. Registration
23shall be completed in conformance with procedures prescribed by

 

 

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1the State Board of Education. Information required for
2registration shall include assurances of compliance (i) with
3federal and State laws regarding health examination and
4immunization, attendance, length of term, and
5nondiscrimination and (ii) with applicable fire and health
6safety requirements.
7    (c) Recognition. All non-public elementary and secondary
8schools in the State of Illinois may voluntarily seek the
9status of "Non-public School Recognition" from the State Board
10of Education. This status may be obtained by compliance with
11administrative guidelines and review procedures as prescribed
12by the State Board of Education. The guidelines and procedures
13must recognize that some of the aims and the financial bases of
14non-public schools are different from public schools and will
15not be identical to those for public schools, nor will they be
16more burdensome. The guidelines and procedures must also
17recognize the diversity of non-public schools and shall not
18impinge upon the noneducational relationships between those
19schools and their clientele.
20    (c-5) Prohibition against recognition. A non-public
21elementary or secondary school may not obtain "Non-public
22School Recognition" status unless the school requires all
23certified and non-certified applicants for employment with the
24school, after July 1, 2007, to authorize a fingerprint-based
25criminal history records check as a condition of employment to
26determine if such applicants have been convicted of any of the

 

 

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1enumerated criminal or drug offenses set forth in Section
221B-80 of this Code or have been convicted, within 7 years of
3the application for employment, of any other felony under the
4laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in
5any other state or against the laws of the United States that,
6if committed or attempted in this State, would have been
7punishable as a felony under the laws of this State.
8    Authorization for the check shall be furnished by the
9applicant to the school, except that if the applicant is a
10substitute teacher seeking employment in more than one
11non-public school, a teacher seeking concurrent part-time
12employment positions with more than one non-public school (as a
13reading specialist, special education teacher, or otherwise),
14or an educational support personnel employee seeking
15employment positions with more than one non-public school, then
16only one of the non-public schools employing the individual
17shall request the authorization. Upon receipt of this
18authorization, the non-public school shall submit the
19applicant's name, sex, race, date of birth, social security
20number, fingerprint images, and other identifiers, as
21prescribed by the Department of State Police, to the Department
22of State Police.
23    The Department of State Police and Federal Bureau of
24Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a fingerprint-based
25criminal history records check, records of convictions,
26forever and hereafter, until expunged, to the president or

 

 

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1principal of the non-public school that requested the check.
2The Department of State Police shall charge that school a fee
3for conducting such check, which fee must be deposited into the
4State Police Services Fund and must not exceed the cost of the
5inquiry. Subject to appropriations for these purposes, the
6State Superintendent of Education shall reimburse non-public
7schools for fees paid to obtain criminal history records checks
8under this Section.
9    A non-public school may not obtain recognition status
10unless the school also performs a check of the Statewide Sex
11Offender Database, as authorized by the Sex Offender Community
12Notification Law, for each applicant for employment, after July
131, 2007, to determine whether the applicant has been
14adjudicated a sex offender.
15    Any information concerning the record of convictions
16obtained by a non-public school's president or principal under
17this Section is confidential and may be disseminated only to
18the governing body of the non-public school or any other person
19necessary to the decision of hiring the applicant for
20employment. A copy of the record of convictions obtained from
21the Department of State Police shall be provided to the
22applicant for employment. Upon a check of the Statewide Sex
23Offender Database, the non-public school shall notify the
24applicant as to whether or not the applicant has been
25identified in the Sex Offender Database as a sex offender. Any
26information concerning the records of conviction obtained by

 

 

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1the non-public school's president or principal under this
2Section for a substitute teacher seeking employment in more
3than one non-public school, a teacher seeking concurrent
4part-time employment positions with more than one non-public
5school (as a reading specialist, special education teacher, or
6otherwise), or an educational support personnel employee
7seeking employment positions with more than one non-public
8school may be shared with another non-public school's principal
9or president to which the applicant seeks employment. Any
10unauthorized release of confidential information may be a
11violation of Section 7 of the Criminal Identification Act.
12    No non-public school may obtain recognition status that
13knowingly employs a person, hired after July 1, 2007, for whom
14a Department of State Police and Federal Bureau of
15Investigation fingerprint-based criminal history records check
16and a Statewide Sex Offender Database check has not been
17initiated or who has been convicted of any offense enumerated
18in Section 21B-80 of this Code or any offense committed or
19attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United
20States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would
21have been punishable as one or more of those offenses. No
22non-public school may obtain recognition status under this
23Section that knowingly employs a person who has been found to
24be the perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse of a minor under
2518 years of age pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the
26Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

 

 

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1    In order to obtain recognition status under this Section, a
2non-public school must require compliance with the provisions
3of this subsection (c-5) from all employees of persons or firms
4holding contracts with the school, including, but not limited
5to, food service workers, school bus drivers, and other
6transportation employees, who have direct, daily contact with
7pupils. Any information concerning the records of conviction or
8identification as a sex offender of any such employee obtained
9by the non-public school principal or president must be
10promptly reported to the school's governing body.
11    Prior to the commencement of any student teaching
12experience or required internship (which is referred to as
13student teaching in this Section) in any non-public elementary
14or secondary school that has obtained or seeks to obtain
15recognition status under this Section, a student teacher is
16required to authorize a fingerprint-based criminal history
17records check. Authorization for and payment of the costs of
18the check must be furnished by the student teacher to the chief
19administrative officer of the non-public school where the
20student teaching is to be completed. Upon receipt of this
21authorization and payment, the chief administrative officer of
22the non-public school shall submit the student teacher's name,
23sex, race, date of birth, social security number, fingerprint
24images, and other identifiers, as prescribed by the Department
25of State Police, to the Department of State Police. The
26Department of State Police and the Federal Bureau of

 

 

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1Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a fingerprint-based
2criminal history records check, records of convictions,
3forever and hereinafter, until expunged, to the chief
4administrative officer of the non-public school that requested
5the check. The Department of State Police shall charge the
6school a fee for conducting the check, which fee must be passed
7on to the student teacher, must not exceed the cost of the
8inquiry, and must be deposited into the State Police Services
9Fund. The school shall further perform a check of the Statewide
10Sex Offender Database, as authorized by the Sex Offender
11Community Notification Law, and of the Statewide Murderer and
12Violent Offender Against Youth Database, as authorized by the
13Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act,
14for each student teacher. No school that has obtained or seeks
15to obtain recognition status under this Section may knowingly
16allow a person to student teach for whom a criminal history
17records check, a Statewide Sex Offender Database check, and a
18Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database
19check have not been completed and reviewed by the chief
20administrative officer of the non-public school. The
21requirements of this paragraph do not apply to a student
22teacher who is already employed by the school as a non-licensed
23staff member and has already undergone a criminal history
24records check, a Statewide Sex Offender Database check, and a
25Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database
26check for that school as required under this Section.

 

 

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1    A copy of the record of convictions obtained from the
2Department of State Police must be provided to the student
3teacher. Any information concerning the record of convictions
4obtained by the chief administrative officer of the non-public
5school is confidential and may be transmitted only to the chief
6administrative officer of the non-public school or his or her
7designee, the State Superintendent of Education, the State
8Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, or, for
9clarification purposes, the Department of State Police or the
10Statewide Sex Offender Database or Statewide Murderer and
11Violent Offender Against Youth Database. Any unauthorized
12release of confidential information may be a violation of
13Section 7 of the Criminal Identification Act.
14    No school that has obtained or seeks to obtain recognition
15status under this Section may knowingly allow a person to
16student teach who has been convicted of any offense that would
17subject him or her to license suspension or revocation pursuant
18to Section 21B-80 of this Code or who has been found to be the
19perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse of a minor under 18
20years of age pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the
21Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
22    (d) Public purposes. The provisions of this Section are in
23the public interest, for the public benefit, and serve secular
24public purposes.
25    (e) Definition. For purposes of this Section, a non-public
26school means any non-profit, non-home-based, and non-public

 

 

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1elementary or secondary school that is in compliance with Title
2VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and attendance at which
3satisfies the requirements of Section 26-1 of this Code.
4(Source: P.A. 99-21, eff. 1-1-16; 99-30, eff. 7-10-15.)
 
5    (105 ILCS 5/10-21.9)  (from Ch. 122, par. 10-21.9)
6    Sec. 10-21.9. Criminal history records checks and checks of
7the Statewide Sex Offender Database and Statewide Murderer and
8Violent Offender Against Youth Database.
9    (a) Certified and noncertified applicants for employment
10with a school district, except school bus driver applicants,
11are required as a condition of employment to authorize a
12fingerprint-based criminal history records check to determine
13if such applicants have been convicted of any of the enumerated
14criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) of this Section or
15have been convicted, within 7 years of the application for
16employment with the school district, of any other felony under
17the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted
18in any other state or against the laws of the United States
19that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been
20punishable as a felony under the laws of this State.
21Authorization for the check shall be furnished by the applicant
22to the school district, except that if the applicant is a
23substitute teacher seeking employment in more than one school
24district, a teacher seeking concurrent part-time employment
25positions with more than one school district (as a reading

 

 

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1specialist, special education teacher or otherwise), or an
2educational support personnel employee seeking employment
3positions with more than one district, any such district may
4require the applicant to furnish authorization for the check to
5the regional superintendent of the educational service region
6in which are located the school districts in which the
7applicant is seeking employment as a substitute or concurrent
8part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel
9employee. Upon receipt of this authorization, the school
10district or the appropriate regional superintendent, as the
11case may be, shall submit the applicant's name, sex, race, date
12of birth, social security number, fingerprint images, and other
13identifiers, as prescribed by the Department of State Police,
14to the Department. The regional superintendent submitting the
15requisite information to the Department of State Police shall
16promptly notify the school districts in which the applicant is
17seeking employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time
18teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee
19that the check of the applicant has been requested. The
20Department of State Police and the Federal Bureau of
21Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a fingerprint-based
22criminal history records check, records of convictions,
23forever and hereinafter, until expunged, to the president of
24the school board for the school district that requested the
25check, or to the regional superintendent who requested the
26check. The Department shall charge the school district or the

 

 

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1appropriate regional superintendent a fee for conducting such
2check, which fee shall be deposited in the State Police
3Services Fund and shall not exceed the cost of the inquiry; and
4the applicant shall not be charged a fee for such check by the
5school district or by the regional superintendent, except that
6those applicants seeking employment as a substitute teacher
7with a school district may be charged a fee not to exceed the
8cost of the inquiry. Subject to appropriations for these
9purposes, the State Superintendent of Education shall
10reimburse school districts and regional superintendents for
11fees paid to obtain criminal history records checks under this
12Section.
13    (a-5) The school district or regional superintendent shall
14further perform a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database,
15as authorized by the Sex Offender Community Notification Law,
16for each applicant.
17    (a-6) The school district or regional superintendent shall
18further perform a check of the Statewide Murderer and Violent
19Offender Against Youth Database, as authorized by the Murderer
20and Violent Offender Against Youth Community Notification Law,
21for each applicant.
22    (b) Any information concerning the record of convictions
23obtained by the president of the school board or the regional
24superintendent shall be confidential and may only be
25transmitted to the superintendent of the school district or his
26designee, the appropriate regional superintendent if the check

 

 

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1was requested by the school district, the presidents of the
2appropriate school boards if the check was requested from the
3Department of State Police by the regional superintendent, the
4State Superintendent of Education, the State Teacher
5Certification Board, any other person necessary to the decision
6of hiring the applicant for employment, or for clarification
7purposes the Department of State Police or Statewide Sex
8Offender Database, or both. A copy of the record of convictions
9obtained from the Department of State Police shall be provided
10to the applicant for employment. Upon the check of the
11Statewide Sex Offender Database, the school district or
12regional superintendent shall notify an applicant as to whether
13or not the applicant has been identified in the Database as a
14sex offender. If a check of an applicant for employment as a
15substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent
16educational support personnel employee in more than one school
17district was requested by the regional superintendent, and the
18Department of State Police upon a check ascertains that the
19applicant has not been convicted of any of the enumerated
20criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or has not been
21convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment
22with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of
23this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any
24other state or against the laws of the United States that, if
25committed or attempted in this State, would have been
26punishable as a felony under the laws of this State and so

 

 

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1notifies the regional superintendent and if the regional
2superintendent upon a check ascertains that the applicant has
3not been identified in the Sex Offender Database as a sex
4offender, then the regional superintendent shall issue to the
5applicant a certificate evidencing that as of the date
6specified by the Department of State Police the applicant has
7not been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug
8offenses in subsection (c) or has not been convicted, within 7
9years of the application for employment with the school
10district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or
11of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or
12against the laws of the United States that, if committed or
13attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony
14under the laws of this State and evidencing that as of the date
15that the regional superintendent conducted a check of the
16Statewide Sex Offender Database, the applicant has not been
17identified in the Database as a sex offender. The school board
18of any school district may rely on the certificate issued by
19any regional superintendent to that substitute teacher,
20concurrent part-time teacher, or concurrent educational
21support personnel employee or may initiate its own criminal
22history records check of the applicant through the Department
23of State Police and its own check of the Statewide Sex Offender
24Database as provided in subsection (a). Any unauthorized
25release of confidential information may be a violation of
26Section 7 of the Criminal Identification Act.

 

 

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1    (c) No school board shall knowingly employ a person who has
2been convicted of any offense that would subject him or her to
3license suspension or revocation pursuant to Section 21B-80 of
4this Code. Further, no school board shall knowingly employ a
5person who has been found to be the perpetrator of sexual or
6physical abuse of any minor under 18 years of age pursuant to
7proceedings under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
8    (d) No school board shall knowingly employ a person for
9whom a criminal history records check and a Statewide Sex
10Offender Database check has not been initiated.
11    (e) Upon receipt of the record of a conviction of or a
12finding of child abuse by a holder of any certificate issued
13pursuant to Article 21 or Section 34-8.1 or 34-83 of the School
14Code, the State Superintendent of Education may initiate
15certificate suspension and revocation proceedings as
16authorized by law.
17    (e-5) The superintendent of the employing school board
18shall, in writing, notify the State Superintendent of Education
19and the applicable regional superintendent of schools of any
20certificate holder whom he or she has reasonable cause to
21believe has committed an intentional act of abuse or neglect
22with the result of making a child an abused child or a
23neglected child, as defined in Section 3 of the Abused and
24Neglected Child Reporting Act, and that act resulted in the
25certificate holder's dismissal or resignation from the school
26district. This notification must be submitted within 30 days

 

 

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1after the dismissal or resignation. The certificate holder must
2also be contemporaneously sent a copy of the notice by the
3superintendent. All correspondence, documentation, and other
4information so received by the regional superintendent of
5schools, the State Superintendent of Education, the State Board
6of Education, or the State Teacher Certification Board under
7this subsection (e-5) is confidential and must not be disclosed
8to third parties, except (i) as necessary for the State
9Superintendent of Education or his or her designee to
10investigate and prosecute pursuant to Article 21 of this Code,
11(ii) pursuant to a court order, (iii) for disclosure to the
12certificate holder or his or her representative, or (iv) as
13otherwise provided in this Article and provided that any such
14information admitted into evidence in a hearing is exempt from
15this confidentiality and non-disclosure requirement. Except
16for an act of willful or wanton misconduct, any superintendent
17who provides notification as required in this subsection (e-5)
18shall have immunity from any liability, whether civil or
19criminal or that otherwise might result by reason of such
20action.
21    (f) After January 1, 1990 the provisions of this Section
22shall apply to all employees of persons or firms holding
23contracts with any school district including, but not limited
24to, food service workers, school bus drivers and other
25transportation employees, who have direct, daily contact with
26the pupils of any school in such district. For purposes of

 

 

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1criminal history records checks and checks of the Statewide Sex
2Offender Database on employees of persons or firms holding
3contracts with more than one school district and assigned to
4more than one school district, the regional superintendent of
5the educational service region in which the contracting school
6districts are located may, at the request of any such school
7district, be responsible for receiving the authorization for a
8criminal history records check prepared by each such employee
9and submitting the same to the Department of State Police and
10for conducting a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database
11for each employee. Any information concerning the record of
12conviction and identification as a sex offender of any such
13employee obtained by the regional superintendent shall be
14promptly reported to the president of the appropriate school
15board or school boards.
16    (f-5) Upon request of a school or school district, any
17information obtained by a school district pursuant to
18subsection (f) of this Section within the last year must be
19made available to the requesting school or school district.
20    (g) Prior to the commencement of any student teaching
21experience or required internship (which is referred to as
22student teaching in this Section) in the public schools, a
23student teacher is required to authorize a fingerprint-based
24criminal history records check. Authorization for and payment
25of the costs of the check must be furnished by the student
26teacher to the school district where the student teaching is to

 

 

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1be completed. Upon receipt of this authorization and payment,
2the school district shall submit the student teacher's name,
3sex, race, date of birth, social security number, fingerprint
4images, and other identifiers, as prescribed by the Department
5of State Police, to the Department of State Police. The
6Department of State Police and the Federal Bureau of
7Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a fingerprint-based
8criminal history records check, records of convictions,
9forever and hereinafter, until expunged, to the president of
10the school board for the school district that requested the
11check. The Department shall charge the school district a fee
12for conducting the check, which fee must not exceed the cost of
13the inquiry and must be deposited into the State Police
14Services Fund. The school district shall further perform a
15check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database, as authorized by
16the Sex Offender Community Notification Law, and of the
17Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth
18Database, as authorized by the Murderer and Violent Offender
19Against Youth Registration Act, for each student teacher. No
20school board may knowingly allow a person to student teach for
21whom a criminal history records check, a Statewide Sex Offender
22Database check, and a Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender
23Against Youth Database check have not been completed and
24reviewed by the district. The requirements of this paragraph do
25not apply to a student teacher who is already employed by the
26school district as a non-licensed staff member and has already

 

 

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1undergone a criminal history records check, a Statewide Sex
2Offender Database check, and a Statewide Murderer and Violent
3Offender Against Youth Database check for that school district
4as required under this Section.
5    A copy of the record of convictions obtained from the
6Department of State Police must be provided to the student
7teacher. Any information concerning the record of convictions
8obtained by the president of the school board is confidential
9and may only be transmitted to the superintendent of the school
10district or his or her designee, the State Superintendent of
11Education, the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board,
12or, for clarification purposes, the Department of State Police
13or the Statewide Sex Offender Database or Statewide Murderer
14and Violent Offender Against Youth Database. Any unauthorized
15release of confidential information may be a violation of
16Section 7 of the Criminal Identification Act.
17    No school board may knowingly allow a person to student
18teach who has been convicted of any offense that would subject
19him or her to license suspension or revocation pursuant to
20Section 21B-80 of this Code or who has been found to be the
21perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse of a minor under 18
22years of age pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the
23Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
24    (h) (Blank).
25(Source: P.A. 99-21, eff. 1-1-16.)
 

 

 

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1    (105 ILCS 5/34-18.5)  (from Ch. 122, par. 34-18.5)
2    Sec. 34-18.5. Criminal history records checks and checks of
3the Statewide Sex Offender Database and Statewide Murderer and
4Violent Offender Against Youth Database.
5    (a) Certified and noncertified applicants for employment
6with the school district are required as a condition of
7employment to authorize a fingerprint-based criminal history
8records check to determine if such applicants have been
9convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in
10subsection (c) of this Section or have been convicted, within 7
11years of the application for employment with the school
12district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or
13of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or
14against the laws of the United States that, if committed or
15attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony
16under the laws of this State. Authorization for the check shall
17be furnished by the applicant to the school district, except
18that if the applicant is a substitute teacher seeking
19employment in more than one school district, or a teacher
20seeking concurrent part-time employment positions with more
21than one school district (as a reading specialist, special
22education teacher or otherwise), or an educational support
23personnel employee seeking employment positions with more than
24one district, any such district may require the applicant to
25furnish authorization for the check to the regional
26superintendent of the educational service region in which are

 

 

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1located the school districts in which the applicant is seeking
2employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or
3concurrent educational support personnel employee. Upon
4receipt of this authorization, the school district or the
5appropriate regional superintendent, as the case may be, shall
6submit the applicant's name, sex, race, date of birth, social
7security number, fingerprint images, and other identifiers, as
8prescribed by the Department of State Police, to the
9Department. The regional superintendent submitting the
10requisite information to the Department of State Police shall
11promptly notify the school districts in which the applicant is
12seeking employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time
13teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee
14that the check of the applicant has been requested. The
15Department of State Police and the Federal Bureau of
16Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a fingerprint-based
17criminal history records check, records of convictions,
18forever and hereinafter, until expunged, to the president of
19the school board for the school district that requested the
20check, or to the regional superintendent who requested the
21check. The Department shall charge the school district or the
22appropriate regional superintendent a fee for conducting such
23check, which fee shall be deposited in the State Police
24Services Fund and shall not exceed the cost of the inquiry; and
25the applicant shall not be charged a fee for such check by the
26school district or by the regional superintendent. Subject to

 

 

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1appropriations for these purposes, the State Superintendent of
2Education shall reimburse the school district and regional
3superintendent for fees paid to obtain criminal history records
4checks under this Section.
5    (a-5) The school district or regional superintendent shall
6further perform a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database,
7as authorized by the Sex Offender Community Notification Law,
8for each applicant.
9    (a-6) The school district or regional superintendent shall
10further perform a check of the Statewide Murderer and Violent
11Offender Against Youth Database, as authorized by the Murderer
12and Violent Offender Against Youth Community Notification Law,
13for each applicant.
14    (b) Any information concerning the record of convictions
15obtained by the president of the board of education or the
16regional superintendent shall be confidential and may only be
17transmitted to the general superintendent of the school
18district or his designee, the appropriate regional
19superintendent if the check was requested by the board of
20education for the school district, the presidents of the
21appropriate board of education or school boards if the check
22was requested from the Department of State Police by the
23regional superintendent, the State Superintendent of
24Education, the State Teacher Certification Board or any other
25person necessary to the decision of hiring the applicant for
26employment. A copy of the record of convictions obtained from

 

 

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1the Department of State Police shall be provided to the
2applicant for employment. Upon the check of the Statewide Sex
3Offender Database, the school district or regional
4superintendent shall notify an applicant as to whether or not
5the applicant has been identified in the Database as a sex
6offender. If a check of an applicant for employment as a
7substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent
8educational support personnel employee in more than one school
9district was requested by the regional superintendent, and the
10Department of State Police upon a check ascertains that the
11applicant has not been convicted of any of the enumerated
12criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or has not been
13convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment
14with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of
15this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any
16other state or against the laws of the United States that, if
17committed or attempted in this State, would have been
18punishable as a felony under the laws of this State and so
19notifies the regional superintendent and if the regional
20superintendent upon a check ascertains that the applicant has
21not been identified in the Sex Offender Database as a sex
22offender, then the regional superintendent shall issue to the
23applicant a certificate evidencing that as of the date
24specified by the Department of State Police the applicant has
25not been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug
26offenses in subsection (c) or has not been convicted, within 7

 

 

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1years of the application for employment with the school
2district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or
3of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or
4against the laws of the United States that, if committed or
5attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony
6under the laws of this State and evidencing that as of the date
7that the regional superintendent conducted a check of the
8Statewide Sex Offender Database, the applicant has not been
9identified in the Database as a sex offender. The school board
10of any school district may rely on the certificate issued by
11any regional superintendent to that substitute teacher,
12concurrent part-time teacher, or concurrent educational
13support personnel employee or may initiate its own criminal
14history records check of the applicant through the Department
15of State Police and its own check of the Statewide Sex Offender
16Database as provided in subsection (a). Any unauthorized
17release of confidential information may be a violation of
18Section 7 of the Criminal Identification Act.
19    (c) The board of education shall not knowingly employ a
20person who has been convicted of any offense that would subject
21him or her to license suspension or revocation pursuant to
22Section 21B-80 of this Code. Further, the board of education
23shall not knowingly employ a person who has been found to be
24the perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse of any minor under
2518 years of age pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the
26Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

 

 

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1    (d) The board of education shall not knowingly employ a
2person for whom a criminal history records check and a
3Statewide Sex Offender Database check has not been initiated.
4    (e) Upon receipt of the record of a conviction of or a
5finding of child abuse by a holder of any certificate issued
6pursuant to Article 21 or Section 34-8.1 or 34-83 of the School
7Code, the State Superintendent of Education may initiate
8certificate suspension and revocation proceedings as
9authorized by law.
10    (e-5) The general superintendent of schools shall, in
11writing, notify the State Superintendent of Education of any
12certificate holder whom he or she has reasonable cause to
13believe has committed an intentional act of abuse or neglect
14with the result of making a child an abused child or a
15neglected child, as defined in Section 3 of the Abused and
16Neglected Child Reporting Act, and that act resulted in the
17certificate holder's dismissal or resignation from the school
18district. This notification must be submitted within 30 days
19after the dismissal or resignation. The certificate holder must
20also be contemporaneously sent a copy of the notice by the
21superintendent. All correspondence, documentation, and other
22information so received by the State Superintendent of
23Education, the State Board of Education, or the State Teacher
24Certification Board under this subsection (e-5) is
25confidential and must not be disclosed to third parties, except
26(i) as necessary for the State Superintendent of Education or

 

 

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1his or her designee to investigate and prosecute pursuant to
2Article 21 of this Code, (ii) pursuant to a court order, (iii)
3for disclosure to the certificate holder or his or her
4representative, or (iv) as otherwise provided in this Article
5and provided that any such information admitted into evidence
6in a hearing is exempt from this confidentiality and
7non-disclosure requirement. Except for an act of willful or
8wanton misconduct, any superintendent who provides
9notification as required in this subsection (e-5) shall have
10immunity from any liability, whether civil or criminal or that
11otherwise might result by reason of such action.
12    (f) After March 19, 1990, the provisions of this Section
13shall apply to all employees of persons or firms holding
14contracts with any school district including, but not limited
15to, food service workers, school bus drivers and other
16transportation employees, who have direct, daily contact with
17the pupils of any school in such district. For purposes of
18criminal history records checks and checks of the Statewide Sex
19Offender Database on employees of persons or firms holding
20contracts with more than one school district and assigned to
21more than one school district, the regional superintendent of
22the educational service region in which the contracting school
23districts are located may, at the request of any such school
24district, be responsible for receiving the authorization for a
25criminal history records check prepared by each such employee
26and submitting the same to the Department of State Police and

 

 

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1for conducting a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database
2for each employee. Any information concerning the record of
3conviction and identification as a sex offender of any such
4employee obtained by the regional superintendent shall be
5promptly reported to the president of the appropriate school
6board or school boards.
7    (f-5) Upon request of a school or school district, any
8information obtained by the school district pursuant to
9subsection (f) of this Section within the last year must be
10made available to the requesting school or school district.
11    (g) Prior to the commencement of any student teaching
12experience or required internship (which is referred to as
13student teaching in this Section) in the public schools, a
14student teacher is required to authorize a fingerprint-based
15criminal history records check. Authorization for and payment
16of the costs of the check must be furnished by the student
17teacher to the school district. Upon receipt of this
18authorization and payment, the school district shall submit the
19student teacher's name, sex, race, date of birth, social
20security number, fingerprint images, and other identifiers, as
21prescribed by the Department of State Police, to the Department
22of State Police. The Department of State Police and the Federal
23Bureau of Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a
24fingerprint-based criminal history records check, records of
25convictions, forever and hereinafter, until expunged, to the
26president of the board. The Department shall charge the school

 

 

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1district a fee for conducting the check, which fee must not
2exceed the cost of the inquiry and must be deposited into the
3State Police Services Fund. The school district shall further
4perform a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database, as
5authorized by the Sex Offender Community Notification Law, and
6of the Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth
7Database, as authorized by the Murderer and Violent Offender
8Against Youth Registration Act, for each student teacher. The
9board may not knowingly allow a person to student teach for
10whom a criminal history records check, a Statewide Sex Offender
11Database check, and a Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender
12Against Youth Database check have not been completed and
13reviewed by the district. The requirements of this paragraph do
14not apply to a student teacher who is already employed by the
15school district as a non-licensed staff member and has already
16undergone a criminal history records check, a Statewide Sex
17Offender Database check, and a Statewide Murderer and Violent
18Offender Against Youth Database check for the school district
19as required under this Section.
20    A copy of the record of convictions obtained from the
21Department of State Police must be provided to the student
22teacher. Any information concerning the record of convictions
23obtained by the president of the board is confidential and may
24only be transmitted to the general superintendent of schools or
25his or her designee, the State Superintendent of Education, the
26State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, or, for

 

 

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1clarification purposes, the Department of State Police or the
2Statewide Sex Offender Database or Statewide Murderer and
3Violent Offender Against Youth Database. Any unauthorized
4release of confidential information may be a violation of
5Section 7 of the Criminal Identification Act.
6    The board may not knowingly allow a person to student teach
7who has been convicted of any offense that would subject him or
8her to license suspension or revocation pursuant to Section
921B-80 of this Code or who has been found to be the perpetrator
10of sexual or physical abuse of a minor under 18 years of age
11pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the Juvenile Court
12Act of 1987.
13    (h) (Blank).
14(Source: P.A. 99-21, eff. 1-1-16.)