SB3201 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 38101 AWJ 68233 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB3201

Introduced 2/6/2024, by Sen. Natalie Toro

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

50 ILCS 705/10.25 new

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall conduct or approve training programs in autism-informed responses, procedures, and techniques, including specified examples of training program subjects. Requires the Board to conduct or approve the autism-informed training program no later than 2 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Requires all permanent and part-time law enforcement officers and permanent and part-time corrections officers to complete the autism-informed training program within 12 months after it was first offered or approved by the Board and every 24 months thereafter as part of the officer's in-service training. Provides that the Board shall adopt rules, in consultation with the Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Police, specifying training requirements for the programs.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Police Training Act is amended by adding Section 10.25 as follows:

(50 ILCS 705/10.25 new)

Sec. 10.25. Training; autism-informed response training.

(a) The Board shall conduct or approve in-service training programs in autism-informed responses, procedures, and techniques, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) the nature of autism spectrum disorders, including, but not limited to, recognizing the signs, symptoms, and manifestations of autism spectrum disorders;

(2) understanding cultural perceptions and common myths about autism spectrum disorders;

(3) the impact that interacting with an officer may have on an individual with autism spectrum disorder;

(4) responding to the needs and concerns of a victim with autism spectrum disorder and delivering services in a compassionate, sensitive, and nonjudgmental manner to the victim with autism spectrum disorder, including techniques for recognizing the agency of an individual with autism spectrum disorder while identifying potentially abusive or coercive situations;

(5) procedures for deescalating a potentially dangerous situation to maximize the safety of both the officer and the individual with autism spectrum disorder;

(6) appropriate interviewing and interrogation techniques for an individual with autism spectrum disorder, including, but not limited to, techniques to ensure the legality of statements made and techniques used to protect the rights of the individual;

(7) techniques for locating an individual with autism spectrum disorder who runs away and is in danger and returning the individual while causing as little stress as possible to the individual;

(8) procedures and techniques to identify and address challenges related to the safety and well-being of an individual with autism spectrum disorder in a correctional facility; and

(9) techniques for differentiating an individual with autism spectrum disorder from an individual who is belligerent, uncooperative, or otherwise displaying traits similar to the characteristics of an individual with autism spectrum disorder.

(b) The Board shall conduct or approve the autism-informed training program no later than 2 years after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly.

(c) All permanent and part-time law enforcement officers and permanent and part-time corrections officers must complete an autism-informed training program conducted or approved under this Section within 12 months after it was first offered or approved by the Board and every 24 months thereafter as part of the officer's in-service training.

(d) The Board shall adopt rules, in consultation with the Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Police, specifying training requirements for the autism-informed training programs, which must include, but are not limited to, evidence-based curriculum standards for:

(1) responding to victims with autism spectrum disorders, including trauma-informed, victim-centered, and age-sensitive interview techniques that have been demonstrated to minimize traumatization;

(2) interviewing and interrogating individuals with autism spectrum disorders, including trauma-informed, victim-centered, and age-sensitive interview techniques that have been demonstrated to minimize traumatization; and

(3) writing reports relating to individuals with autism spectrum disorder.