Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of Public Act 099-0667
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Public Act 099-0667


 

Public Act 0667 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  
  
  

 


 
Public Act 099-0667
 
HB4360 EnrolledLRB099 15498 NHT 39787 b

    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 Sections
10-21.9, 21B-15, 21B-80, and 34-18.5 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/10-21.9)  (from Ch. 122, par. 10-21.9)
    Sec. 10-21.9. Criminal history records checks and checks of
the Statewide Sex Offender Database and Statewide Murderer and
Violent Offender Against Youth Database.
    (a) Certified and noncertified applicants for employment
with a school district, except school bus driver applicants,
are required as a condition of employment to authorize a
fingerprint-based criminal history records check to determine
if such applicants have been convicted of any of the enumerated
criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) of this Section or
have been convicted, within 7 years of the application for
employment with the school district, of any other felony under
the laws of this 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 this State, would have been
punishable as a felony under the laws of this State.
Authorization for the check shall be furnished by the applicant
to the school district, except that if the applicant is a
substitute teacher seeking employment in more than one school
district, a teacher seeking concurrent part-time employment
positions with more than one school district (as a reading
specialist, special education teacher or otherwise), or an
educational support personnel employee seeking employment
positions with more than one district, any such district may
require the applicant to furnish authorization for the check to
the regional superintendent of the educational service region
in which are located the school districts in which the
applicant is seeking employment as a substitute or concurrent
part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel
employee. Upon receipt of this authorization, the school
district or the appropriate regional superintendent, as the
case may be, shall submit the applicant's name, sex, race, date
of birth, social security number, fingerprint images, and other
identifiers, as prescribed by the Department of State Police,
to the Department. The regional superintendent submitting the
requisite information to the Department of State Police shall
promptly notify the school districts in which the applicant is
seeking employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time
teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee
that the check of the applicant has been requested. The
Department of State Police and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a fingerprint-based
criminal history records check, records of convictions,
forever and hereinafter, until expunged, to the president of
the school board for the school district that requested the
check, or to the regional superintendent who requested the
check. The Department shall charge the school district or the
appropriate regional superintendent a fee for conducting such
check, which fee shall be deposited in the State Police
Services Fund and shall not exceed the cost of the inquiry; and
the applicant shall not be charged a fee for such check by the
school district or by the regional superintendent, except that
those applicants seeking employment as a substitute teacher
with a school district may be charged a fee not to exceed the
cost of the inquiry. Subject to appropriations for these
purposes, the State Superintendent of Education shall
reimburse school districts and regional superintendents for
fees paid to obtain criminal history records checks under this
Section.
    (a-5) The school district or regional superintendent shall
further perform a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database,
as authorized by the Sex Offender Community Notification Law,
for each applicant.
    (a-6) The school district or regional superintendent shall
further perform a check of the Statewide Murderer and Violent
Offender Against Youth Database, as authorized by the Murderer
and Violent Offender Against Youth Community Notification Law,
for each applicant.
    (b) Any information concerning the record of convictions
obtained by the president of the school board or the regional
superintendent shall be confidential and may only be
transmitted to the superintendent of the school district or his
designee, the appropriate regional superintendent if the check
was requested by the school district, the presidents of the
appropriate school boards if the check was requested from the
Department of State Police by the regional superintendent, the
State Superintendent of Education, the State Teacher
Certification Board, any other person necessary to the decision
of hiring the applicant for employment, or for clarification
purposes the Department of State Police or Statewide Sex
Offender Database, or both. A copy of the record of convictions
obtained from the Department of State Police shall be provided
to the applicant for employment. Upon the check of the
Statewide Sex Offender Database, the school district or
regional superintendent shall notify an applicant as to whether
or not the applicant has been identified in the Database as a
sex offender. If a check of an applicant for employment as a
substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent
educational support personnel employee in more than one school
district was requested by the regional superintendent, and the
Department of State Police upon a check ascertains that the
applicant has not been convicted of any of the enumerated
criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) of this Section or
has not been convicted, within 7 years of the application for
employment with the school district, of any other felony under
the laws of this 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 this State, would have been
punishable as a felony under the laws of this State and so
notifies the regional superintendent and if the regional
superintendent upon a check ascertains that the applicant has
not been identified in the Sex Offender Database as a sex
offender, then the regional superintendent shall issue to the
applicant a certificate evidencing that as of the date
specified by the Department of State Police the applicant has
not been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug
offenses in subsection (c) of this Section or has not been
convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment
with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of
this 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 this State, would have been
punishable as a felony under the laws of this State and
evidencing that as of the date that the regional superintendent
conducted a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database, the
applicant has not been identified in the Database as a sex
offender. The school board of any school district may rely on
the certificate issued by any regional superintendent to that
substitute teacher, concurrent part-time teacher, or
concurrent educational support personnel employee or may
initiate its own criminal history records check of the
applicant through the Department of State Police and its own
check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database as provided in
subsection (a). Any unauthorized release of confidential
information may be a violation of Section 7 of the Criminal
Identification Act.
    (c) No school board shall knowingly employ a person who has
been convicted of any offense that would subject him or her to
license suspension or revocation pursuant to Section 21B-80 of
this Code. Further, no school board shall knowingly employ a
person who has been found to be the perpetrator of sexual or
physical abuse of any minor under 18 years of age pursuant to
proceedings under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
    (d) No school board shall knowingly employ a person for
whom a criminal history records check and a Statewide Sex
Offender Database check has not been initiated.
    (e) Upon receipt of the record of a conviction of or a
finding of child abuse by a holder of any certificate issued
pursuant to Article 21 or Section 34-8.1 or 34-83 of the School
Code, the State Superintendent of Education may initiate
certificate suspension and revocation proceedings as
authorized by law.
    (e-5) The superintendent of the employing school board
shall, in writing, notify the State Superintendent of Education
and the applicable regional superintendent of schools of any
certificate holder whom he or she has reasonable cause to
believe has committed an intentional act of abuse or neglect
with the result of making a child an abused child or a
neglected child, as defined in Section 3 of the Abused and
Neglected Child Reporting Act, and that act resulted in the
certificate holder's dismissal or resignation from the school
district. This notification must be submitted within 30 days
after the dismissal or resignation. The certificate holder must
also be contemporaneously sent a copy of the notice by the
superintendent. All correspondence, documentation, and other
information so received by the regional superintendent of
schools, the State Superintendent of Education, the State Board
of Education, or the State Teacher Certification Board under
this subsection (e-5) is confidential and must not be disclosed
to third parties, except (i) as necessary for the State
Superintendent of Education or his or her designee to
investigate and prosecute pursuant to Article 21 of this Code,
(ii) pursuant to a court order, (iii) for disclosure to the
certificate holder or his or her representative, or (iv) as
otherwise provided in this Article and provided that any such
information admitted into evidence in a hearing is exempt from
this confidentiality and non-disclosure requirement. Except
for an act of willful or wanton misconduct, any superintendent
who provides notification as required in this subsection (e-5)
shall have immunity from any liability, whether civil or
criminal or that otherwise might result by reason of such
action.
    (f) After January 1, 1990 the provisions of this Section
shall apply to all employees of persons or firms holding
contracts with any school district including, but not limited
to, food service workers, school bus drivers and other
transportation employees, who have direct, daily contact with
the pupils of any school in such district. For purposes of
criminal history records checks and checks of the Statewide Sex
Offender Database on employees of persons or firms holding
contracts with more than one school district and assigned to
more than one school district, the regional superintendent of
the educational service region in which the contracting school
districts are located may, at the request of any such school
district, be responsible for receiving the authorization for a
criminal history records check prepared by each such employee
and submitting the same to the Department of State Police and
for conducting a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database
for each employee. Any information concerning the record of
conviction and identification as a sex offender of any such
employee obtained by the regional superintendent shall be
promptly reported to the president of the appropriate school
board or school boards.
    (f-5) Upon request of a school or school district, any
information obtained by a school district pursuant to
subsection (f) of this Section within the last year must be
made available to the requesting school or school district.
    (g) Prior to the commencement of any student teaching
experience or required internship (which is referred to as
student teaching in this Section) in the public schools, a
student teacher is required to authorize a fingerprint-based
criminal history records check. Authorization for and payment
of the costs of the check must be furnished by the student
teacher to the school district where the student teaching is to
be completed. Upon receipt of this authorization and payment,
the school district shall submit the student teacher's name,
sex, race, date of birth, social security number, fingerprint
images, and other identifiers, as prescribed by the Department
of State Police, to the Department of State Police. The
Department of State Police and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a fingerprint-based
criminal history records check, records of convictions,
forever and hereinafter, until expunged, to the president of
the school board for the school district that requested the
check. The Department shall charge the school district a fee
for conducting the check, which fee must not exceed the cost of
the inquiry and must be deposited into the State Police
Services Fund. The school district shall further perform a
check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database, as authorized by
the Sex Offender Community Notification Law, and of the
Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth
Database, as authorized by the Murderer and Violent Offender
Against Youth Registration Act, for each student teacher. No
school board may knowingly allow a person to student teach for
whom a criminal history records check, a Statewide Sex Offender
Database check, and a Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender
Against Youth Database check have not been completed and
reviewed by the district.
    A copy of the record of convictions obtained from the
Department of State Police must be provided to the student
teacher. Any information concerning the record of convictions
obtained by the president of the school board is confidential
and may only be transmitted to the superintendent of the school
district or his or her designee, the State Superintendent of
Education, the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board,
or, for clarification purposes, the Department of State Police
or the Statewide Sex Offender Database or Statewide Murderer
and Violent Offender Against Youth Database. Any unauthorized
release of confidential information may be a violation of
Section 7 of the Criminal Identification Act.
    No school board may knowingly allow a person to student
teach who has been convicted of any offense that would subject
him or her to license suspension or revocation pursuant to
Section 21B-80 of this Code or who has been found to be the
perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse of a minor under 18
years of age pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the
Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
    (h) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 99-21, eff. 1-1-16.)
 
    (105 ILCS 5/21B-15)
    Sec. 21B-15. Qualifications of educators.
    (a) No one may be licensed to teach or supervise or be
otherwise employed in the public schools of this State who is
not of good character and at least 20 years of age.
    In determining good character under this Section, the State
Superintendent of Education shall take into consideration the
disciplinary actions of other states or national entities
against certificates or licenses issued by those states and
held by individuals from those states. In addition, any felony
conviction of the applicant may be taken into consideration;
however, no one may be licensed to teach or supervise in the
public schools of this State who has been convicted of (i) an
offense set forth in subsection (b) of Section 21B-80 of this
Code until 7 years following the end of the sentence for the
criminal offense or (ii) an offense set forth in subsection (c)
of Section 21B-80 of this Code. Unless the conviction is for an
offense set forth in Section 21B-80 of this Code, an applicant
must be permitted to submit character references or other
written material before such a conviction or other information
regarding the applicant's character may be used by the State
Superintendent of Education as a basis for denying the
application.
    (b) No person otherwise qualified shall be denied the right
to be licensed or to receive training for the purpose of
becoming an educator because of a physical disability,
including, but not limited to, visual and hearing disabilities;
nor shall any school district refuse to employ a teacher on
such grounds, provided that the person is able to carry out the
duties of the position for which he or she applies.
    (c) No person may be granted or continue to hold an
educator license who has knowingly altered or misrepresented
his or her qualifications, in this State or any other state, in
order to acquire or renew the license. Any other license issued
under this Article held by the person may be suspended or
revoked by the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board,
depending upon the severity of the alteration or
misrepresentation.
    (d) No one may teach or supervise in the public schools nor
receive for teaching or supervising any part of any public
school fund who does not hold an educator license granted by
the State Superintendent of Education as provided in this
Article. However, the provisions of this Article do not apply
to a member of the armed forces who is employed as a teacher of
subjects in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps of any school,
nor to an individual teaching a dual credit course as provided
for in the Dual Credit Quality Act.
    (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, the
school board of a school district may grant to a teacher of the
district a leave of absence with full pay for a period of not
more than one year to permit the teacher to teach in a foreign
state under the provisions of the Exchange Teacher Program
established under Public Law 584, 79th Congress, and Public Law
402, 80th Congress, as amended. The school board granting the
leave of absence may employ, with or without pay, a national of
the foreign state wherein the teacher on the leave of absence
is to teach if the national is qualified to teach in that
foreign state and if that national is to teach in a grade level
similar to the one that was taught in the foreign state. The
State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt rules as
may be necessary to implement this subsection (e).
(Source: P.A. 97-607, eff. 8-26-11.)
 
    (105 ILCS 5/21B-80)
    Sec. 21B-80. Conviction of certain offenses as grounds for
disqualification for licensure or suspension or revocation of a
license.
    (a) As used in this Section:
    "Drug Narcotics offense" means any one or more of the
following offenses:
        (1) Any offense defined in the Cannabis Control Act,
    except those defined in subdivisions (a), and (b), and (c)
    of Section 4 and subdivisions subdivision (a) and (b) of
    Section 5 of the Cannabis Control Act and any offense for
    which the holder of a license is placed on probation under
    the provisions of Section 10 of the Cannabis Control Act,
    provided that if the terms and conditions of probation
    required by the court are not fulfilled, the offense is not
    eligible for this exception.
        (2) Any offense defined in the Illinois Controlled
    Substances Act, except any offense for which the holder of
    a license is placed on probation under the provisions of
    Section 410 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act,
    provided that if the terms and conditions of probation
    required by the court are not fulfilled, the offense is not
    eligible for this exception.
        (3) Any offense defined in the Methamphetamine Control
    and Community Protection Act, except any offense for which
    the holder of a license is placed on probation under the
    provision of Section 70 of that Act, provided that if the
    terms and conditions of probation required by the court are
    not fulfilled, the offense is not eligible for this
    exception.
        (4) Any attempt to commit any of the offenses listed in
    items (1) through (3) of this definition.
        (5) Any offense committed or attempted in any other
    state or against the laws of the United States that, if
    committed or attempted in this State, would have been
    punishable as one or more of the offenses listed in items
    (1) through (4) of this definition.
The changes made by Public Act 96-431 to this the definition of
"narcotics offense" are declaratory of existing law.
    "Sentence" includes any period of supervision or probation
that was imposed either alone or in combination with a period
of incarceration.
    "Sex offense" means any one or more of the following
offenses:
        (A) Any offense defined in Sections 11-6, 11-9 through
    11-9.5, inclusive, and 11-30 (if punished as a Class 4
    felony) , of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code
    of 2012; Sections 11-14.1 11-14 through 11-21, inclusive,
    of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012;
    Sections 11-23 (if punished as a Class 3 felony), 11-24,
    11-25, and 11-26 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the
    Criminal Code of 2012; and Sections 11-1.20, 11-1.30,
    11-1.40, 11-1.50, 11-1.60, 12-4.9, 12-13, 12-14, 12-14.1,
    12-15, 12-16, 12-32, 12-33, 12C-45, and 26-4 (if punished
    pursuant to subdivision (4) or (5) of subsection (d) of
    Section 26-4) of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal
    Code of 2012.
        (B) Any attempt to commit any of the offenses listed in
    item (A) of this definition.
        (C) Any offense committed or attempted in any other
    state that, if committed or attempted in this State, would
    have been punishable as one or more of the offenses listed
    in items (A) and (B) of this definition.
    (b) Whenever the holder of any license issued pursuant to
this Article or applicant for a license to be issued pursuant
to this Article has been convicted of any drug sex offense or
narcotics offense, other than as provided in subsection (c) of
this Section, the State Superintendent of Education shall
forthwith suspend the license or deny the application,
whichever is applicable, until 7 years following the end of the
sentence for the criminal offense. If the conviction is
reversed and the holder is acquitted of the offense in a new
trial or the charges against him or her are dismissed, the
State Superintendent of Education shall forthwith terminate
the suspension of the license. When the conviction becomes
final, the State Superintendent of Education shall forthwith
revoke the license.
    (c) Whenever the holder of a license issued pursuant to
this Article or applicant for a license to be issued pursuant
to this Article has been convicted of attempting to commit,
conspiring to commit, soliciting, or committing any sex
offense, first degree murder, or a Class X felony or any
offense committed or attempted in any other state or against
the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted
in this State, would have been punishable as one or more of the
foregoing offenses, the State Superintendent of Education
shall forthwith suspend the license or deny the application,
whichever is applicable. If the conviction is reversed and the
holder is acquitted of that offense in a new trial or the
charges that he or she committed that offense are dismissed,
the State Superintendent of Education shall forthwith
terminate the suspension of the license. When the conviction
becomes final, the State Superintendent of Education shall
forthwith revoke the license.
(Source: P.A. 99-58, eff. 7-16-15.)
 
    (105 ILCS 5/34-18.5)  (from Ch. 122, par. 34-18.5)
    Sec. 34-18.5. Criminal history records checks and checks of
the Statewide Sex Offender Database and Statewide Murderer and
Violent Offender Against Youth Database.
    (a) Certified and noncertified applicants for employment
with the school district are required as a condition of
employment to authorize a fingerprint-based criminal history
records check to determine if such applicants have been
convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in
subsection (c) of this Section or have been convicted, within 7
years of the application for employment with the school
district, of any other felony under the laws of this 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 this State, would have been punishable as a felony
under the laws of this State. Authorization for the check shall
be furnished by the applicant to the school district, except
that if the applicant is a substitute teacher seeking
employment in more than one school district, or a teacher
seeking concurrent part-time employment positions with more
than one school district (as a reading specialist, special
education teacher or otherwise), or an educational support
personnel employee seeking employment positions with more than
one district, any such district may require the applicant to
furnish authorization for the check to the regional
superintendent of the educational service region in which are
located the school districts in which the applicant is seeking
employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or
concurrent educational support personnel employee. Upon
receipt of this authorization, the school district or the
appropriate regional superintendent, as the case may be, shall
submit the applicant's name, sex, race, date of birth, social
security number, fingerprint images, and other identifiers, as
prescribed by the Department of State Police, to the
Department. The regional superintendent submitting the
requisite information to the Department of State Police shall
promptly notify the school districts in which the applicant is
seeking employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time
teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee
that the check of the applicant has been requested. The
Department of State Police and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a fingerprint-based
criminal history records check, records of convictions,
forever and hereinafter, until expunged, to the president of
the school board for the school district that requested the
check, or to the regional superintendent who requested the
check. The Department shall charge the school district or the
appropriate regional superintendent a fee for conducting such
check, which fee shall be deposited in the State Police
Services Fund and shall not exceed the cost of the inquiry; and
the applicant shall not be charged a fee for such check by the
school district or by the regional superintendent. Subject to
appropriations for these purposes, the State Superintendent of
Education shall reimburse the school district and regional
superintendent for fees paid to obtain criminal history records
checks under this Section.
    (a-5) The school district or regional superintendent shall
further perform a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database,
as authorized by the Sex Offender Community Notification Law,
for each applicant.
    (a-6) The school district or regional superintendent shall
further perform a check of the Statewide Murderer and Violent
Offender Against Youth Database, as authorized by the Murderer
and Violent Offender Against Youth Community Notification Law,
for each applicant.
    (b) Any information concerning the record of convictions
obtained by the president of the board of education or the
regional superintendent shall be confidential and may only be
transmitted to the general superintendent of the school
district or his designee, the appropriate regional
superintendent if the check was requested by the board of
education for the school district, the presidents of the
appropriate board of education or school boards if the check
was requested from the Department of State Police by the
regional superintendent, the State Superintendent of
Education, the State Teacher Certification Board or any other
person necessary to the decision of hiring the applicant for
employment. A copy of the record of convictions obtained from
the Department of State Police shall be provided to the
applicant for employment. Upon the check of the Statewide Sex
Offender Database, the school district or regional
superintendent shall notify an applicant as to whether or not
the applicant has been identified in the Database as a sex
offender. If a check of an applicant for employment as a
substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent
educational support personnel employee in more than one school
district was requested by the regional superintendent, and the
Department of State Police upon a check ascertains that the
applicant has not been convicted of any of the enumerated
criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) of this Section or
has not been convicted, within 7 years of the application for
employment with the school district, of any other felony under
the laws of this 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 this State, would have been
punishable as a felony under the laws of this State and so
notifies the regional superintendent and if the regional
superintendent upon a check ascertains that the applicant has
not been identified in the Sex Offender Database as a sex
offender, then the regional superintendent shall issue to the
applicant a certificate evidencing that as of the date
specified by the Department of State Police the applicant has
not been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug
offenses in subsection (c) of this Section or has not been
convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment
with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of
this 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 this State, would have been
punishable as a felony under the laws of this State and
evidencing that as of the date that the regional superintendent
conducted a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database, the
applicant has not been identified in the Database as a sex
offender. The school board of any school district may rely on
the certificate issued by any regional superintendent to that
substitute teacher, concurrent part-time teacher, or
concurrent educational support personnel employee or may
initiate its own criminal history records check of the
applicant through the Department of State Police and its own
check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database as provided in
subsection (a). Any unauthorized release of confidential
information may be a violation of Section 7 of the Criminal
Identification Act.
    (c) The board of education shall not knowingly employ a
person who has been convicted of any offense that would subject
him or her to license suspension or revocation pursuant to
Section 21B-80 of this Code. Further, the board of education
shall not knowingly employ a person who has been found to be
the perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse of any minor under
18 years of age pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the
Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
    (d) The board of education shall not knowingly employ a
person for whom a criminal history records check and a
Statewide Sex Offender Database check has not been initiated.
    (e) Upon receipt of the record of a conviction of or a
finding of child abuse by a holder of any certificate issued
pursuant to Article 21 or Section 34-8.1 or 34-83 of the School
Code, the State Superintendent of Education may initiate
certificate suspension and revocation proceedings as
authorized by law.
    (e-5) The general superintendent of schools shall, in
writing, notify the State Superintendent of Education of any
certificate holder whom he or she has reasonable cause to
believe has committed an intentional act of abuse or neglect
with the result of making a child an abused child or a
neglected child, as defined in Section 3 of the Abused and
Neglected Child Reporting Act, and that act resulted in the
certificate holder's dismissal or resignation from the school
district. This notification must be submitted within 30 days
after the dismissal or resignation. The certificate holder must
also be contemporaneously sent a copy of the notice by the
superintendent. All correspondence, documentation, and other
information so received by the State Superintendent of
Education, the State Board of Education, or the State Teacher
Certification Board under this subsection (e-5) is
confidential and must not be disclosed to third parties, except
(i) as necessary for the State Superintendent of Education or
his or her designee to investigate and prosecute pursuant to
Article 21 of this Code, (ii) pursuant to a court order, (iii)
for disclosure to the certificate holder or his or her
representative, or (iv) as otherwise provided in this Article
and provided that any such information admitted into evidence
in a hearing is exempt from this confidentiality and
non-disclosure requirement. Except for an act of willful or
wanton misconduct, any superintendent who provides
notification as required in this subsection (e-5) shall have
immunity from any liability, whether civil or criminal or that
otherwise might result by reason of such action.
    (f) After March 19, 1990, the provisions of this Section
shall apply to all employees of persons or firms holding
contracts with any school district including, but not limited
to, food service workers, school bus drivers and other
transportation employees, who have direct, daily contact with
the pupils of any school in such district. For purposes of
criminal history records checks and checks of the Statewide Sex
Offender Database on employees of persons or firms holding
contracts with more than one school district and assigned to
more than one school district, the regional superintendent of
the educational service region in which the contracting school
districts are located may, at the request of any such school
district, be responsible for receiving the authorization for a
criminal history records check prepared by each such employee
and submitting the same to the Department of State Police and
for conducting a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database
for each employee. Any information concerning the record of
conviction and identification as a sex offender of any such
employee obtained by the regional superintendent shall be
promptly reported to the president of the appropriate school
board or school boards.
    (f-5) Upon request of a school or school district, any
information obtained by the school district pursuant to
subsection (f) of this Section within the last year must be
made available to the requesting school or school district.
    (g) Prior to the commencement of any student teaching
experience or required internship (which is referred to as
student teaching in this Section) in the public schools, a
student teacher is required to authorize a fingerprint-based
criminal history records check. Authorization for and payment
of the costs of the check must be furnished by the student
teacher to the school district. Upon receipt of this
authorization and payment, the school district shall submit the
student teacher's name, sex, race, date of birth, social
security number, fingerprint images, and other identifiers, as
prescribed by the Department of State Police, to the Department
of State Police. The Department of State Police and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a
fingerprint-based criminal history records check, records of
convictions, forever and hereinafter, until expunged, to the
president of the board. The Department shall charge the school
district a fee for conducting the check, which fee must not
exceed the cost of the inquiry and must be deposited into the
State Police Services Fund. The school district shall further
perform a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database, as
authorized by the Sex Offender Community Notification Law, and
of the Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth
Database, as authorized by the Murderer and Violent Offender
Against Youth Registration Act, for each student teacher. The
board may not knowingly allow a person to student teach for
whom a criminal history records check, a Statewide Sex Offender
Database check, and a Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender
Against Youth Database check have not been completed and
reviewed by the district.
    A copy of the record of convictions obtained from the
Department of State Police must be provided to the student
teacher. Any information concerning the record of convictions
obtained by the president of the board is confidential and may
only be transmitted to the general superintendent of schools or
his or her designee, the State Superintendent of Education, the
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, or, for
clarification purposes, the Department of State Police or the
Statewide Sex Offender Database or Statewide Murderer and
Violent Offender Against Youth Database. Any unauthorized
release of confidential information may be a violation of
Section 7 of the Criminal Identification Act.
    The board may not knowingly allow a person to student teach
who has been convicted of any offense that would subject him or
her to license suspension or revocation pursuant to Section
21B-80 of this Code or who has been found to be the perpetrator
of sexual or physical abuse of a minor under 18 years of age
pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the Juvenile Court
Act of 1987.
    (h) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 99-21, eff. 1-1-16.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.

Effective Date: 7/29/2016