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 "Every student deserves the opportunity to learn in a school
environment that is free from the threat of harm," Blagojevich said.
"As leaders, educators and community members, it is our
responsibility to see that inside the classroom, our students are
safe."
Senate Bill 143, sponsored by state Sen. Jacqueline Collins,
D-Chicago, and state Rep. James Brosnahan, D-Oak Lawn, requires
nonpublic elementary and secondary schools seeking recognition from
the Illinois State Board of Education to conduct a fingerprint-based
criminal background check on all new employees. Nonpublic schools
already recognized by the State Board of Education must also conduct
the fingerprint-based check on all future employees.
If the check reveals that an applicant has been convicted of a
felony in the past seven years or has ever been convicted of sexual
or physical abuse of a minor, certain violent crimes or certain drug
offenses, then the school is prohibited from hiring the applicant if
it wants to retain its recognition status with the state board.
Schools seeking recognition are also prohibited from hiring anyone
registered on the sex offender database. All background requirements
also apply to contract employees, such as bus drivers and custodial
workers, who are not directly employed by schools but have daily
contact with students.
Senate Bill 143 goes into effect immediately.
[to top of second column]
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 "When it comes to safety and security for students, there should
be no difference between public and private schools," said Brosnahan,
House sponsor of the bill. "It only makes sense to even the playing
field for all of our students in Illinois, providing our kids with
the same protections from predators, regardless of what school they
attend."
House Bill 18, sponsored by state Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, and
state Sen. Kimberly Lightford, D-Westchester, requires each school
district to draft and maintain a policy on bullying. The law also
requires that the policy be updated every two years and must be on
file with the State Board of Education.
Bullying can take many forms, such as hitting or punching,
teasing or name-calling, intimidation through gestures or social
exclusion, and sending insulting messages by e-mail.
House Bill 18 becomes effective immediately.
Senate Bill 665, sponsored by state Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria,
and state Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria, allows schools to equip buses
with electronic audio recording devices to help prevent bullying.
Current law allows school districts to install video cameras but not
audio recording equipment.
"This law allows
schools and law enforcement to discipline students, conduct
investigations, bring civil proceedings or criminally prosecute
students by using the confidential recordings," said Schock, House
sponsor of the legislation.
Senate Bill 665 goes into effect immediately.
[Text from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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