Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for HB0219

Amends the School Code. Makes changes concerning the adoption of rules by the State Board of Education governing time out and physical restraint in the public schools. Subject to appropriation, requires the State Board to create a grant program for school districts and special education cooperatives and charter schools to implement school-wide, culturally sensitive, and trauma-informed practices, positive behavioral interventions and supports, and restorative practices. Allows the State Board to contract with a third party to provide assistance with oversight and monitoring, and requires the State Board to establish reduction goals and a system of ongoing review, auditing, and monitoring. Makes changes in provisions concerning a school board's use of time out and physical restraint, including providing that isolated time out, time out, and physical restraint may be used only under certain circumstances, prohibiting the deprivation of necessities and prone, mechanical, and chemical restraint, and requiring a meeting with school personnel if requested by the parent or guardian, the provision of information to parents and guardians, and written procedures. Effective immediately.

Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill with the following changes. Provides that the State Board of Education shall adopt rules governing the use of isolated time, time out, and physical restraint in public schools and special education nonpublic facilities (rather than just in public schools). Provides that the State Board shall, by the adoption of emergency rules if it so chooses, create (rather than must create) a grant program for school districts, certain special education nonpublic facilities, and special education cooperatives (rather than for school districts and special education cooperatives and charter schools approved by the State Board). Makes changes concerning the prohibition against the use of prone restraint to allow prone restraint to be used when specified conditions are satisfied. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to make a related change. Corrects grammatical errors. Effective immediately.

With respect to the grant program, requires the State Board of Education to prioritize grant funding to those school districts, special education nonpublic facilities, and special education cooperatives that submit a plan to achieve a significant reduction or elimination in the use of isolated time out and physical restraint in less than 3 years. In provisions allowing the use of prone restraint if certain conditions are satisfied, allows the use of prone restraint if the use of prone restraint occurs within the 2021- 2022 school year (rather than within the schools years of 2021-2022 and 2022-2023).

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