State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ Enrolled ][ House Amendment 001 ]

90_HB0154eng

      105 ILCS 5/27-23.5 new
          Amends the School Code.  Gives public school students the
      right to exercise freedom of speech and freedom of the  press
      through   publication   and  distribution  of  expression  in
      publications that are school sponsored, whether  or  not  the
      publications  are supported financially by the school, by the
      use of school facilities, or are produced in conjunction with
      a  class.   Limits  certain  types  of  expression  such   as
      expression  that incites students to imminent lawless action.
      Makes  student  editors  of   school-sponsored   publications
      responsible  for  determining the content of the publications
      subject to prescribed limitations  and  standards.   Requires
      school  boards  to  adopt  a  freedom  of  expression policy.
      Protects  school  districts  and  officials  that  have   not
      interfered  with or altered the content of student expression
      from civil or criminal  liability  for  expressions  made  or
      published  by students.  Authorizes actions for injunctive or
      declaratory relief to enforce freedom of expression rights.
                                                     LRB9000672THpk
HB0154 Engrossed                               LRB9000672THpk
 1        AN ACT  to  amend  the  School  Code  by  adding  Section
 2    27-23.5.
 3        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section 5.  The School Code is amended by adding  Section
 6    27-23.5 as follows:
 7        (105 ILCS 5/27-23.5 new)
 8        Sec. 27-23.5.  Student publications.
 9        (a)  The  General  Assembly  declares  that  public  high
10    school  students  shall have the right to exercise freedom of
11    the press, and no  expression  contained  in  a  high  school
12    student  newspaper, whether or not such high school newspaper
13    is school-sponsored, is supported financially by  the  school
14    or  by  the  use  of  school  facilities,  or  is produced in
15    conjunction with a class, shall be subject to prior restraint
16    except for the types of expression  described  in  subsection
17    (c) of this Section.
18        (b)  Each  governing  board  of  a  school  district that
19    publishes a high school student newspaper shall  adopt  rules
20    and  regulations  in the form of a written student freedom of
21    expression policy in accordance with this Section that  shall
22    include reasonable provisions for the time, place, and manner
23    of student expression and that shall be made available to all
24    students.
25        (c)  Student   freedom   of   expression  policies  shall
26    recognize  that  truth,  fairness,  accuracy,  research,  and
27    responsibility are essential to the practice  of  journalism.
28    Nothing in this Section shall be interpreted to authorize the
29    publication by students of the following:
30             (1)  expression  which  is  libelous  as  defined by
31        State law;
HB0154 Engrossed            -2-                LRB9000672THpk
 1             (2)  expression  which  is  obscene  or  harmful  to
 2        minors;
 3             (3)  expression  which  constitutes  an  unwarranted
 4        invasion of privacy;
 5             (4)  expression which  so  incites  students  as  to
 6        cause imminent lawless action, including the violation of
 7        lawful  school  regulations  or  the  disruption  of  the
 8        orderly operation of the school.
 9        (d)  Student  editors  of  school-sponsored  high  school
10    student  newspapers  shall be responsible for determining the
11    news, opinion, and advertising content of their  publications
12    subject   to   the   limitations   of   this   Section.   The
13    responsibilities  of  a   journalism   advisor   of   student
14    publications  shall include but not be limited to supervising
15    the production of the school-sponsored  high  school  student
16    newspaper,  maintaining professional standards of English and
17    journalism, and maintaining the provisions of this Section.
18        (e)  Any student,  through  a  parent  or  guardian,  may
19    institute proceedings for injunctive or declaratory relief in
20    the  circuit  court  to  enforce  the rights provided in this
21    Section.
22        (f)  Nothing  in  this  Section  shall  be  construed  to
23    require a  school  district  to  have  a  student  newspaper.
24    Further,  the  provisions  of  this Section do not prohibit a
25    board of directors of a public school from adopting otherwise
26    valid rules relating to oral communications  or  distribution
27    of  leaflets or other materials by students upon the premises
28    of each school.
29        (g)  If any provision of this Section or the  application
30    thereof  to any person or circumstances is held invalid, such
31    invalidity shall not affect other provisions or  applications
32    of  the Section which can be given effect without the invalid
33    provision or application, and to this end the  provisions  of
34    this Section are declared to be severable.

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