Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for HB2521

Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Interscholastic Athletic Organization Act. Provides that an association or other entity that has, as one of its purposes, promoting, sponsoring, regulating, or in any manner providing for interscholastic athletics or any form of athletic competition among schools and students within the State shall require applicants for licensure as an official to authorize a fingerprint-based criminal history records check to determine if such applicants have been convicted of any disqualifying, enumerated criminal or drug offenses or have been convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of the State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in the State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of the State. Requires the Illinois State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a fingerprint-based criminal history records check, records of convictions, forever and hereafter, until expunged, to the executive director for the association or entity that requested the check. Provides that the association executive shall further perform a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database and the Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database for each applicant once every 5 years that an applicant remains licensed by the association. Provides that pending full clearance of all background check requirements, the prospective official must be supervised at all times by an individual who received a qualifying result on all background check components. Effective July 1, 2026.

Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Interscholastic Athletic Organization Act. Provides that the Illinois High School Association shall be responsible for licensing all game officials. Provides that each applicant for licensure is required, as a condition of licensure, to authorize a fingerprint-based criminal history records check to determine if such applicant has been convicted of any disqualifying, specified criminal or drug offenses. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall charge applicants a fee for conducting the criminal history records check, which shall be deposited into the State Police Services Fund and shall not exceed the actual cost of the records check. Requires the Illinois High School Association to perform a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database and the Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database for each applicant once every 5 years that an applicant remains licensed by the Illinois High School Association. Provides that pending full check clearance, a prospective game official must be supervised at all times by an individual who has received full check clearance.

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