Illinois General Assembly - 105 ILCS 5/ School Code.

(105 ILCS 5/prec. Sec. 27-205 heading)

HEALTH AND SCIENCE EDUCATION (Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-205) (was 105 ILCS 110/1)

Sec. 27-205. Short title. This Section and the following Sections preceding Section 27-235 shall be known and may be cited as the Critical Health Problems and Comprehensive Health Education Act.

(Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-210) (was 105 ILCS 110/2)

Sec. 27-210. Definition of term. The following term has the following meaning, except as the context otherwise requires:

"Comprehensive health education program" means a systematic and extensive educational program designed to provide a variety of learning experiences based upon scientific knowledge of the human organism as it functions within its environment, which will favorably influence the knowledge, attitudes, values, and practices of Illinois school youth and which will aid them in making wise personal decisions in matters of health.

(Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-215)

Sec. 27-215. Comprehensive health education program.

(a) In this subsection (a):

"Age and developmentally appropriate" means suitable to particular ages or age groups of children or adolescents, based on the developing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capacity typical for the age or age group.

"Consent" means an affirmative, knowing, conscious, ongoing, and voluntary agreement to engage in interpersonal, physical, or sexual activity, which can be revoked at any point, including during the course of interpersonal, physical, or sexual activity.

The program established under this Act shall include, but not be limited to, the following major educational areas as a basis for curricula in all elementary and secondary schools in this State, with applicable Illinois Learning Standards adopted by the State Board of Education guiding the instruction in the program:

(1) human ecology, health, growth, development,

personal health habits, and nutrition, consistent with the Illinois Learning Standards adopted by the State Board of Education;

(2) the emotional, psychological, physiological,

hygienic, and social responsibilities of family life, including evidence-based and medically accurate information regarding sexual abstinence;

(3) the prevention and control of disease, including

instruction in grades 6 through 12 on the prevention, transmission, and spread of AIDS;

(4) age and developmentally appropriate sexual abuse,

consistent with Section 10-23.13 of this Code, abuse during pregnancy, and assault awareness and prevention education in grades prekindergarten through 12;

(5) public health, environmental health, disaster

preparedness education, and safety education;

(6) mental health and illness;

(7) dental health;

(8) cancer education that includes the types of

cancer, signs and symptoms, risk factors, the importance of early prevention and detection, and information on where to get help and treatment for cancer; and

(9) age and developmentally appropriate consent

education.

The instruction on mental health and illness must evaluate the multiple dimensions of health by reviewing the relationship between physical and mental health to enhance student understanding, attitudes, and behaviors that promote health, well-being, and human dignity and must include how and where to find mental health resources and specialized treatment in the State. The program shall also provide course material and instruction to advise pupils of the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act.

Consent education must be age and developmentally appropriate, and the instruction on age and developmentally appropriate consent shall require only instruction aligning with consent as defined in this Section.

(b) Notwithstanding the educational areas under subsection (a), the following areas may also be included as a basis for curricula in all elementary and secondary schools in this State: basic first aid (including, but not limited to, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the Heimlich maneuver), heart disease, diabetes, stroke, the prevention of child abuse, neglect, and suicide, and teen dating violence in grades 7 through 12.

(c) The State Superintendent of Education, in cooperation with the Department of Children and Family Services, shall prepare and disseminate to all public schools and nonpublic schools information on instructional materials and programs about child sexual abuse, which may be used by such schools for their own or community programs. Such information may also be disseminated by such schools to parents.

(d) No pupil shall be required to take or participate in any class or course on AIDS or family life instruction or to receive training on how to properly administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation or how to use an automated external defibrillator if his or her parent or guardian submits written objection thereto, and refusal to take or participate in the course or program or the training shall not be reason for suspension or expulsion of the pupil.

(Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-220) (was 105 ILCS 110/4)

Sec. 27-220. Powers of the State Board of Education. In order to carry out the purposes of this Act, the State Board of Education is empowered to do all of the following:

(1) Establish the minimum amount of instruction time

to be devoted to comprehensive health education at all elementary and secondary grade levels.

(2) Establish guidelines to aid local school

districts in developing comprehensive health education programs at all grade levels.

(3) Establish special in-service programs to provide

professional preparation in the field of health education for teachers and administrators throughout the schools of the State.

(4) Develop cooperative health training programs

between school districts and institutions of higher education whereby qualified health education personnel of such institutions will be available to guide the continuing professional preparation of teachers in health education.

(5) Encourage institutions of higher education to

develop and extend curricula in health education for professional preparation in both in-service and pre-service programs.

(6) Assist in the development of evaluative

techniques that will ensure that a comprehensive program in health education is being conducted throughout the State that meets the needs of Illinois youth.

(7) Make sure there are additions to the staff of the

State Board of Education to ensure a sufficient number of health education personnel to effectuate the purposes of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-225) (was 105 ILCS 110/5)

Sec. 27-225. Advisory committee. An advisory committee consisting of 11 members is hereby established as follows: the Director of Public Health or his or her designee, the Secretary of Human Services or his or her designee and an additional person representing the Department of Human Services designated by the Secretary, the Director of Children and Family Services or his or her designee, and 7 members to be appointed by the State Board of Education and to be chosen, insofar as is possible, from the following groups: colleges and universities, voluntary health agencies, medicine, dentistry, professional health associations, teachers, administrators, members of local boards of education, and lay citizens.

The original public members shall, upon their appointment, serve until July 1, 1973, and, thereafter, new appointments of public members shall be made in like manner and such members shall serve for 4-year terms commencing on July 1, 1973 and until their successors are appointed and qualified. Vacancies in the terms of public members shall be filled in a like manner as original appointments for the balance of the unexpired terms. The members of the advisory committee shall receive no compensation but shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. Such committee shall select a chairperson and establish rules and procedures for its proceedings not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act.

Such committee shall advise the State Board of Education on all matters relating to the implementation of the provisions of this Act. The committee shall assist in presenting advice and interpretation concerning a comprehensive health education program to the Illinois public, especially as related to critical health problems. The committee shall also assist in establishing a sound understanding and sympathetic relationship between such comprehensive health education program and the public health, welfare, and educational programs of other agencies in the community.

(Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-230) (was 105 ILCS 110/6)

Sec. 27-230. Rules and regulations. In carrying out the powers and duties of the State Board of Education and the advisory committee established by this Act, the State Board and such committee are authorized to promulgate rules and regulations in order to implement the provisions of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-235) (was 105 ILCS 110/3.5)

Sec. 27-235. Nutrition and physical activity best practices database.

(a) The State Board of Education shall develop and maintain a nutrition and physical activity best practices database. The database shall contain the results of any wellness-related fitness testing done by local school districts, as well as information on successful programs and policies implemented by local school districts designed to improve nutrition and physical activity in the public and charter schools. This information may include (i) a description of the program or policy, (ii) advice on implementation, (iii) any assessment of the program or policy, (iv) a contact person from the local school district, and (v) any other information the State Board of Education deems appropriate. The database shall be readily accessible to all local school districts statewide. The State Board of Education shall encourage local school districts to submit information to the database; however, no school district shall be required to submit information.

(b) The State Board of Education may adopt rules necessary for administration of this Section.

(c) The requirements of the State Board of Education to establish this database shall become effective once the State Board of Education has secured all of the funding necessary to implement it.

(Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-240) (was 105 ILCS 110/3.10)

Sec. 27-240. Policy on teen dating violence.

(a) As used in this Section:

"Dating" or "dating relationship" means an ongoing social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature between 2 persons. "Dating" or "dating relationship" does not include a casual relationship or ordinary fraternization between 2 persons in a business or social context.

"Teen dating violence" means either of the following:

(1) A pattern of behavior in which a person uses or

threatens to use physical, mental, or emotional abuse to control another person who is in a dating relationship with the person, where one or both persons are 13 to 19 years of age.

(2) Behavior by which a person uses or threatens to

use sexual violence against another person who is in a dating relationship with the person, where one or both persons are 13 to 19 years of age.

(b) The school board of each public school district in this State shall adopt a policy that does all of the following:

(1) States that teen dating violence is unacceptable

and is prohibited and that each student has the right to a safe learning environment.

(2) Incorporates age-appropriate education about teen

dating violence into new or existing training programs for students in grades 7 through 12 and school employees as outlined in Sections 3-11 and 10-22.39 of this Code.

(3) Establishes procedures for the manner in which

employees of a school are to respond to incidents of teen dating violence that take place at the school, on school grounds, at school-sponsored activities, or in vehicles used for school-provided transportation.

(4) Identifies by job title the school officials who

are responsible for receiving reports related to teen dating violence.

(5) Notifies students and parents of the teen dating

violence policy adopted by the board.

(Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-245) (was 105 ILCS 110/3 in part)

Sec. 27-245. Allergy education. The curriculum in grades 9 through 12 shall include instruction, study, and discussion on the dangers of allergies. Information for the instruction, study, and discussion shall come from information provided by the Department of Public Health and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This instruction, study, and discussion shall include, at a minimum:

(1) recognizing the signs and symptoms of an allergic

reaction, including anaphylaxis;

(2) the steps to take to prevent exposure to

allergens; and

(3) safe emergency epinephrine administration.

(Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-250)

Sec. 27-250. High school CPR and AED training for pupils. All secondary schools in this State shall include training on how to properly administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation and how to use an automated external defibrillator in their curriculum. This training must be in accordance with standards of the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, or another nationally recognized certifying organization.

No pupil is required to receive training on how to properly administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation or how to use an automated external defibrillator if his or her parent or guardian submits written objection thereto, and refusal to take or participate in the training must not be a reason for suspension or expulsion of the pupil.

(Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-255)

Sec. 27-255. Drug, alcohol, and anabolic steroid abuse prevention education.

(a) Every public school maintaining any of grades kindergarten through 4 shall include in its curriculum age and developmentally appropriate instruction, study, and discussion of effective methods for the prevention and avoidance of drugs and the dangers of opioid and substance abuse. School boards may include such required instruction, study, and discussion in the courses of study regularly taught in the public schools of their respective districts; however, such instruction shall be given each year to all pupils in grades kindergarten through 4.

The State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make available to all public and nonpublic schools instructional materials that may be used by such schools as guidelines for the development of a program of instruction under this subsection (a); however, each school board shall itself determine the minimum amount of instruction time that shall qualify as a program of instruction that will satisfy the requirements of this subsection (a).

(b) School districts shall provide age and developmentally appropriate classroom instruction on alcohol and drug use and abuse for students in grades 5 through 12. This instruction may include the information contained in the Substance Use Prevention and Recovery Instruction Resource Guide under Section 22-81 of this Code, as applicable. The instruction, which shall include matters relating to both the physical and legal effects and ramifications of drug and substance abuse, shall be integrated into existing curricula; and the State Board of Education shall determine how to develop and make available to all elementary and secondary schools in this State instructional materials and guidelines that will assist the schools in incorporating the instruction into their existing curricula.

In addition, school districts may offer, as part of existing curricula during the school day or as part of an after-school program, support services and instruction for pupils or pupils whose parent, parents, or guardians are chemically dependent.

(c) The curriculum in grades 6 through 12 shall include instruction, study, and discussion on the dangers of fentanyl. Information for the instruction, study, and discussion on the dangers of fentanyl shall be age and developmentally appropriate and may include information contained in the Substance Use Prevention and Recovery Instruction Resource Guide under Section 22-81 of this Code, as applicable. The instruction, study, and discussion on the dangers of fentanyl in grades 9 through 12 shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:

(1) Information on fentanyl itself, including an

explanation of the differences between synthetic and nonsynthetic opioids and illicit drugs, the variations of fentanyl itself, and the differences between the legal and illegal uses of fentanyl.

(2) The side effects and the risk factors of using

fentanyl, along with information comparing the lethal amounts of fentanyl to other drugs. Information on the risk factors may include, but is not limited to:

(A) the lethal dose of fentanyl;

(B) how often fentanyl is placed in drugs without

a person's knowledge;

(C) an explanation of what fentanyl does to a

person's body and the severity of fentanyl's addictive properties; and

(D) how the consumption of fentanyl can lead to

hypoxia, as well as an explanation of what hypoxia precisely does to a person's body.

(3) Details about the process of lacing fentanyl in

other drugs and why drugs get laced with fentanyl.

(4) Details about how to detect fentanyl in drugs and

how to save someone from an overdose of fentanyl, which shall include:

(A) how to buy and use fentanyl test strips;

(B) how to buy and use naloxone, either through a

nasal spray or an injection; and

(C) how to detect if someone is overdosing on

fentanyl.

Students in grades 9 through 12 shall be assessed on the instruction, study, and discussion on the dangers of fentanyl. The assessment may include, but is not limited to:

(i) the differences between synthetic and

nonsynthetic drugs;

(ii) hypoxia;

(iii) the effects of fentanyl on a person's body;

(iv) the lethal dose of fentanyl; and

(v) how to detect and prevent overdoses.

The instruction, study, and discussion on the dangers of fentanyl may be taught by a licensed educator, school nurse, school social worker, law enforcement officer, or school counselor.

(d) School districts shall provide instruction in relation to the prevention of abuse of anabolic steroids in grades 7 through 12 and shall include such instruction in science, health, drug abuse, physical education, or other appropriate courses of study. School districts shall also provide this instruction to students who participate in interscholastic athletic programs. The instruction shall emphasize that the use of anabolic steroids presents a serious health hazard to persons who use steroids to enhance athletic performance or physical development.

The State Board of Education may assist in the development of instructional materials and teacher training in relation to steroid abuse prevention.

(Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-260) (was 105 ILCS 5/27-13.1)

Sec. 27-260. Environmental education.

(a) In every public school there shall be instruction, study and discussion of current problems and needs in the conservation of natural resources, including but not limited to air pollution, water pollution, waste reduction and recycling, the effects of excessive use of pesticides, preservation of wilderness areas, forest management, protection of wildlife and humane care of domestic animals.

(b) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public school shall provide instruction on climate change, which shall include, but not be limited to, identifying the environmental and ecological impacts of climate change on individuals and communities and evaluating solutions for addressing and mitigating the impact of climate change and shall be in alignment with State learning standards, as appropriate.

The State Board of Education shall, subject to appropriation, prepare and make available multi-disciplinary instructional resources and professional learning opportunities for educators that may be used to meet the requirements of this subsection (b).

(Source: P.A. 103-837, eff. 7-1-25; 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-265) (was 105 ILCS 5/27-14)

Sec. 27-265. Experiments upon animals. No experiment upon any living animal for the purpose of demonstration in any study shall be made in any public school. No animal provided by, or killed in the presence of any pupil of a public school shall be used for dissection in such school, and in no case shall dogs or cats be killed for such purposes. Dissection of dead animals, or parts thereof, shall be confined to the classroom and shall not be practiced in the presence of any pupil not engaged in the study to be illustrated thereby.

(Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)