103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB1624

 

Introduced 2/1/2023, by Rep. Ryan Spain

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
50 ILCS 705/10.22
105 ILCS 5/10-20.68

     Amends the Illinois Police Training Act to provide that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board may offer a school resource officer course to a qualified retired law enforcement officer. Provides that nothing in the school resource officer course provision prohibits a school resource officer or qualified retired law enforcement officer from carrying a firearm. Amends the School Code. Provides that beginning January 1, 2024, a school or school district may employ a qualified retired law enforcement officer 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. Makes a conforming change. Effective immediately.


LRB103 05111 RJT 50125 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB1624LRB103 05111 RJT 50125 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 Illinois Police Training Act is amended by
5changing Section 10.22 as follows:
 
6    (50 ILCS 705/10.22)
7    Sec. 10.22. School resource officers.
8    (a) The Board shall develop or approve a course for school
9resource officers as defined in Section 10-20.68 of the School
10Code.
11    (b) The school resource officer course shall be developed
12within one year after January 1, 2019 (the effective date of
13Public Act 100-984) and shall be created in consultation with
14organizations demonstrating expertise and or experience in the
15areas of youth and adolescent developmental issues,
16educational administrative issues, prevention of child abuse
17and exploitation, youth mental health treatment, and juvenile
18advocacy.
19    (c) The Board shall develop a process allowing law
20enforcement agencies to request a waiver of this training
21requirement for any specific individual assigned as a school
22resource officer. Applications for these waivers may be
23submitted by a local law enforcement agency chief

 

 

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1administrator for any officer whose prior training and
2experience may qualify for a waiver of the training
3requirement of this subsection (c). The Board may issue a
4waiver at its discretion, based solely on the prior training
5and experience of an officer.
6    (d) Upon completion, the employing agency shall be issued
7a certificate attesting to a specific officer's completion of
8the school resource officer training. Additionally, a letter
9of approval shall be issued to the employing agency for any
10officer who is approved for a training waiver under this
11subsection (d).
12    (e) The Board may offer the school resource officer course
13developed under this Section to a qualified retired law
14enforcement officer, as defined under the federal Law
15Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004, for the purpose of
16employment at a school or school district and may issue, for
17such purpose, a certificate or waiver in the same manner as
18provided under this Section for any other officer.
19    (f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
20contrary, nothing in this Section prohibits a school resource
21officer or qualified retired law enforcement officer from
22carrying a firearm.
23(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-652, eff. 1-1-22;
24102-694, eff. 1-7-22.)
 
25    Section 10. The School Code is amended by changing

 

 

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1Section 10-20.68 as follows:
 
2    (105 ILCS 5/10-20.68)
3    Sec. 10-20.68. School resource officer.
4    (a) In this Section, "school resource officer" means a law
5enforcement officer who has been primarily assigned to a
6school or school district under an agreement with a local law
7enforcement agency.
8    (b) Beginning January 1, 2021, any law enforcement agency
9that provides a school resource officer under this Section
10shall provide to the school district a certificate of
11completion, or approved waiver, issued by the Illinois Law
12Enforcement Training Standards Board under Section 10.22 of
13the Illinois Police Training Act indicating that the subject
14officer has completed the requisite course of instruction in
15the applicable subject areas within one year of assignment, or
16has prior experience and training which satisfies this
17requirement.
18    (c) In an effort to defray the related costs, any law
19enforcement agency that provides a school resource officer
20should apply for grant funding through the federal Community
21Oriented Policing Services grant program.
22    (d) Beginning January 1, 2024, a school or school district
23may employ a qualified retired law enforcement officer, as
24defined under the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act
25of 2004, who obtains a certificate of completion or approved

 

 

HB1624- 4 -LRB103 05111 RJT 50125 b

1waiver under Section 10.22 of the Illinois Police Training Act
2to carry out the duties of a school resource officer.
3    (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
4contrary, nothing in this Section prohibits a school resource
5officer or qualified retired law enforcement officer from
6carrying a firearm.
7(Source: P.A. 100-984, eff. 1-1-19; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)
 
8    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
9becoming law.