102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB2924

 

Introduced 10/13/2021, by Sen. Chapin Rose, Donald P. DeWitte and Terri Bryant

 

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 developed under this provision to a qualified retired law enforcement officer, as 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, for such purpose, a certificate or waiver in the same manner as provided for any other officer. Amends the School Code. Provides that beginning January 1, 2023, a school or school district may employ a qualified retired law enforcement officer, as defined under the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004, 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 to the contrary, nothing in these provisions prohibit a school resource officer or qualified retired law enforcement officer from carrying a firearm. Effective immediately.


LRB102 20123 RLC 28975 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB2924LRB102 20123 RLC 28975 b

1    AN ACT concerning schools.
 
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 10.22 as follows:
 
6    (50 ILCS 705/10.22)
7    (Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 101-652)
8    Sec. 10.22. School resource officers.
9    (a) The Board shall develop or approve a course for school
10resource officers as defined in Section 10-20.68 of the School
11Code.
12    (b) The school resource officer course shall be developed
13within one year after January 1, 2019 (the effective date of
14Public Act 100-984) and shall be created in consultation with
15organizations demonstrating expertise and or experience in the
16areas of youth and adolescent developmental issues,
17educational administrative issues, prevention of child abuse
18and exploitation, youth mental health treatment, and juvenile
19advocacy.
20    (c) The Board shall develop a process allowing law
21enforcement agencies to request a waiver of this training
22requirement for any specific individual assigned as a school
23resource officer. Applications for these waivers may be

 

 

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1submitted by a local law enforcement agency chief
2administrator for any officer whose prior training and
3experience may qualify for a waiver of the training
4requirement of this subsection (c). The Board may issue a
5waiver at its discretion, based solely on the prior training
6and experience of an officer.
7    (d) Upon completion, the employing agency shall be issued
8a certificate attesting to a specific officer's completion of
9the school resource officer training. Additionally, a letter
10of approval shall be issued to the employing agency for any
11officer who is approved for a training waiver under this
12subsection (d).
13    (e) The Board may offer the school resource officer course
14developed under this Section to a qualified retired law
15enforcement officer, as defined under the federal Law
16Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004, for the purpose of
17employment at a school or school district and may issue, for
18such purpose, a certificate or waiver in the same manner as
19provided under this Section for any other officer.
20    (f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
21contrary, nothing in this Section prohibits a school resource
22officer or qualified retired law enforcement officer from
23carrying a firearm.
24(Source: P.A. 100-984, eff. 1-1-19; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)
 
25    (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 101-652)

 

 

SB2924- 3 -LRB102 20123 RLC 28975 b

1    Sec. 10.22. School resource officers.
2    (a) The Board shall develop or approve a course for school
3resource officers as defined in Section 10-20.68 of the School
4Code.
5    (b) The school resource officer course shall be developed
6within one year after January 1, 2019 (the effective date of
7Public Act 100-984) and shall be created in consultation with
8organizations demonstrating expertise and or experience in the
9areas of youth and adolescent developmental issues,
10educational administrative issues, prevention of child abuse
11and exploitation, youth mental health treatment, and juvenile
12advocacy.
13    (c) The Board shall develop a process allowing law
14enforcement agencies to request a waiver of this training
15requirement for any specific individual assigned as a school
16resource officer. Applications for these waivers may be
17submitted by a local governmental agency chief administrator
18for any officer whose prior training and experience may
19qualify for a waiver of the training requirement of this
20subsection (c). The Board may issue a waiver at its
21discretion, based solely on the prior training and experience
22of an officer.
23    (d) Upon completion, the employing agency shall be issued
24a certificate attesting to a specific officer's completion of
25the school resource officer training. Additionally, a letter
26of approval shall be issued to the employing agency for any

 

 

SB2924- 4 -LRB102 20123 RLC 28975 b

1officer who is approved for a training waiver under this
2subsection (d).
3    (e) The Board may offer the school resource officer course
4developed under this Section to a qualified retired law
5enforcement officer, as defined under the federal Law
6Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004, for the purpose of
7employment at a school or school district and may issue, for
8such purpose, a certificate or waiver in the same manner as
9provided under this Section for any other officer.
10    (f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
11contrary, nothing in this Section prohibits a school resource
12officer or qualified retired law enforcement officer from
13carrying a firearm.
14(Source: P.A. 100-984, eff. 1-1-19; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19;
15101-652, eff. 1-1-22.)
 
16    Section 10. The School Code is amended by changing
17Section 10-20.68 as follows:
 
18    (105 ILCS 5/10-20.68)
19    Sec. 10-20.68. School resource officer.
20    (a) In this Section, "school resource officer" means a law
21enforcement officer who has been primarily assigned to a
22school or school district under an agreement with a local law
23enforcement agency.
24    (b) Beginning January 1, 2021, any law enforcement agency

 

 

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1that provides a school resource officer under this Section
2shall provide to the school district a certificate of
3completion, or approved waiver, issued by the Illinois Law
4Enforcement Training Standards Board under Section 10.22 of
5the Illinois Police Training Act indicating that the subject
6officer has completed the requisite course of instruction in
7the applicable subject areas within one year of assignment, or
8has prior experience and training which satisfies this
9requirement.
10    (c) In an effort to defray the related costs, any law
11enforcement agency that provides a school resource officer
12should apply for grant funding through the federal Community
13Oriented Policing Services grant program.
14    (d) Beginning January 1, 2023, a school or school district
15may employ a qualified retired law enforcement officer, as
16defined under the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act
17of 2004, who obtains a certificate of completion or approved
18waiver under Section 10.22 of the Illinois Police Training Act
19to carry out the duties of a school resource officer.
20    (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
21contrary, nothing in this Section prohibits a school resource
22officer or qualified retired law enforcement officer from
23carrying a firearm.
24(Source: P.A. 100-984, eff. 1-1-19; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)
 
25    Section 95. No acceleration or delay. Where this Act makes

 

 

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1changes in a statute that is represented in this Act by text
2that is not yet or no longer in effect (for example, a Section
3represented by multiple versions), the use of that text does
4not accelerate or delay the taking effect of (i) the changes
5made by this Act or (ii) provisions derived from any other
6Public Act.
 
7    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
8becoming law.