HB4274eng 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB4274 Engrossed LRB103 35300 CES 65342 b

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by adding Section 2310-666 as follows:

(20 ILCS 2310/2310-666 new)

Sec. 2310-666. Tick removal guidelines and form.

(a) The Department shall do all of the following no later than July 1, 2025:

(1) Issue guidelines on how to remove and safely store a tick.

(2) Publish the guidelines issued under paragraph (1) and the model form issued under paragraph (4) on the Department's website.

(3) Provide public testing lab information to schools. The lab must have the capability to provide test results to the parents or guardians of students.

(4) Issue a model form as provided in subsection (b) that schools shall send to the parents or guardians of students who have been identified as having been bitten by a tick.

(5) Make available to schools, upon request and free of charge, tick removal kits consisting of tweezers, bandages, a sealable plastic bag, an alcohol wipe, repellent wipes, an information card, and a tick identification card.

(b) The initial form issued by the Department under paragraph (4) of subsection (a) shall be in substantially the following form and may be updated by the Department based on recommendations from the Lyme Disease Task Force as necessary:

"This letter is to inform you that a tick was found and removed from (student's name) (location on body) on (date).

Due to the high incidences of tick-borne diseases discovered in Illinois through tick surveillance, the school will, at your request as the parent or guardian, preserve the tick for up to 3 school days so that you may send the tick to a lab for testing. At your request, a handout will be given to you providing information on how you may submit the tick to a lab for testing. However, you may give the school permission to dispose of the tick before the 3 school-day period has expired. After 3 school days, the school may dispose of the tick.

Ticks found in Illinois and other nearby states carry germs that can transmit disease and make people sick. When ticks bite and attach, the likelihood of exposure to Lyme disease increases with the length of time the tick is attached. Symptoms of Lyme disease include a bullseye rash or atypical rash, chills, fever, headache, tiredness, stiff neck, joint pain or swelling, and swollen lymph nodes. A bullseye rash occurs only in 70% to 80% of infected persons.

The most common illnesses caused by ticks that bite and attach for less than 24 hours include spotted fever group rickettsiosis, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis. Symptoms of these illnesses may be similar to Lyme disease but may also include spotted rash, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.

It is recommended that you call your child's health care provider if you notice any signs or symptoms of illness, such as a skin rash, fever, or flu-like symptoms for up to one month following the tick bite. Most tickborne diseases can be treated with antibiotics if recognized and diagnosed promptly.

For more information about ticks and how to prevent bites visit: (the Department of Public Health's website on tickborne illnesses). If you have any questions regarding your child's health, call your child's health care provider.

Sincerely,

(Signature)

(Title)"

Section 10. The School Code is amended by adding Sections 10-20.87 and 34-18.87 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/10-20.87 new)

Sec. 10-20.87. Tick removal.

(a) Before the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, each school board shall establish procedures on tick removal consistent with guidelines developed by the Department of Public Health under Section 2310-666 of the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.

(b) If a tick is removed at a school, the school shall, at the request of a parent or guardian, preserve the tick for up to 3 school days so that the parent or guardian may send the tick to a lab for testing and shall, at the request of a parent or guardian, provide information to the parent or guardian on how to send the tick to a lab for testing. However, the parent or guardian may give the school permission to dispose of the tick before the 3 school-day period has expired.

(c) A school district and its employees and agents may not be held liable, except for willful or wanton conduct, as a result of any injury arising from the removal of a tick if the removal of the tick was conducted following the guidelines issued by the Department of Public Health under Section 2310-666 of the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.87 new)

Sec. 34-18.87. Tick removal.

(a) Before the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, the board shall establish procedures on tick removal consistent with guidelines developed by the Department of Public Health under Section 2310-666 of the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.

(b) If a tick is removed at a school, the school shall, at the request of a parent or guardian, preserve the tick for up to 3 school days so that the parent or guardian may send the tick to a lab for testing and shall, at the request of a parent or guardian, provide information to the parent or guardian on how to send the tick to a lab for testing. However, the parent or guardian may give the school permission to dispose of the tick before the 3 school-day period has expired.

(c) The school district and its employees and agents may not be held liable, except for willful or wanton conduct, as a result of any injury arising from the removal of a tick if the removal of the tick was conducted following the guidelines issued by the Department of Public Health under Section 2310-666 of the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.