Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for HB5707

Amends the School Code in provisions concerning bullying prevention. Sets forth definitions for "policy on bullying" and "restorative measures". Makes changes concerning the creation, maintenance, and implementation of a policy on bullying. Deletes the requirement that each school district, charter school, and non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school must communicate its policy on bullying to its students and their parent or guardian on an annual basis. Provides that on an annual basis, school districts, charter schools, and non-public, non-sectarian schools are required to collect, maintain, analyze, and submit to the State Board of Education data relating to the prevalence of bullying within the school district or non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school, as well as the climate of the school district or non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school. Moves the provision concerning the right to exercise free expression or the free exercise of religion or religiously based views protected under the United States and Illinois Constitutions. Effective immediately.

Sets forth specific information regarding reports of bullying that each public elementary and secondary school, charter school, and non-public, non-sectarian elementary and secondary school must collect and maintain (rather than requiring each school district, charter school, and non-public, non-sectarian school to collect, maintain, analyze, and submit to the State Board of Education information relating to the prevalence of bullying within the school district or school, as well as the climate of the school district or school). Requires each public elementary and secondary school to report this information to the superintendent of the school district or his or her designee, and further requires the school district to maintain the aggregate data for all of its schools and make the information available upon request and on its Internet website. Provides that each charter school and non-public, non-sectarian elementary and secondary school shall make the information available upon request and on its Internet website. Provides that all identifying information of any student involved in a report or investigation of bullying shall be redacted from the information maintained. Provides that the State Board of Education may (rather than shall) adopt rules consistent with the bullying prevention provisions.

Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill as engrossed with the following changes. Removes a reference to the Freedom of Speech Article of the Illinois Constitution. In the definition of "policy on bullying", makes changes to the criteria that a bullying prevention policy must meet to qualify under the definition. Provides that every 2 years, each school district, charter school, and non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school shall conduct a review and re-evaluation of its policy on bullying and make any necessary and appropriate revisions (instead of requiring a re-evaluation, re-assessment, and review of the policy, making any necessary revisions and additions). Removes provisions concerning local control over a policy, collecting and maintaining certain information, and State Board of Education rules. Makes technical corrections. Effective immediately.

Requires the policy on bullying to contain a policy evaluation process (rather than contain an evaluation and reporting component) to assess the outcomes and effectiveness of the policy that include, but are not limited to, factors such as frequency of victimization; student, staff, and family observations of safety at a school; identification of areas of a school where bullying occurs; the types of bullying utilized; and bystander intervention or participation. Provides that the school district, charter school, or non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school may use relevant data and information it already collects for other purposes in the policy evaluation. Provides that this information shall be made available on the Internet website of the school district, charter school, or non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school (rather than providing that the information developed as a result of the policy evaluation must be made available on the Internet website of the school district, charter school, or non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school and shared with administrators, board members, school personnel, parents, guardians, and students). Further provides that if an Internet website is not available, the information must be provided to school administrators, school board members, school personnel, parents, guardians, and students.

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