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School Safety Drill Act.

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(105 ILCS 128/1)

Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the School Safety Drill Act.

(Source: P.A. 94-600, eff. 8-16-05.)

(105 ILCS 128/5)

Sec. 5. Definitions. In this Act:

"First responder" means and includes all fire departments and districts, law enforcement agencies and officials, emergency medical responders, and emergency management officials involved in the execution and documentation of the drills administered under this Act.

"School" means a public or private facility that offers elementary or secondary education to students under the age of 21. As used in this definition, "public facility" means a facility operated by the State or by a unit of local government. As used in this definition, "private facility" means any non-profit, non-home-based, non-public elementary or secondary school that is in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and attendance at which satisfies the requirements of Section 26-1 of the School Code. While more than one school may be housed in a facility, for purposes of this Act, the facility shall be considered a school. When a school has more than one location, for purposes of this Act, each different location shall be considered its own school.

"School safety drill" means a pre-planned exercise conducted by a school in accordance with the drills and requirements set forth in this Act.

(Source: P.A. 94-600, eff. 8-16-05.)

(105 ILCS 128/10)

Sec. 10. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to establish minimum requirements and standards for schools to follow when conducting school safety drills and reviewing school emergency and crisis response plans and to encourage schools and first responders to work together for the safety of children. Communities and schools may exceed these requirements and standards.

(Source: P.A. 94-600, eff. 8-16-05.)

(105 ILCS 128/15)

Sec. 15. Types of drills. Under this Act, the following school safety drills shall be instituted by all schools in this State:

(1) School evacuation drills, which shall address and prepare students and school personnel for situations that occur when conditions outside of a school building are safer than inside a school building. Evacuation incidents are based on the needs of particular communities and may include without limitation the following:

(A) fire;
(B) suspicious items or persons;
(C) incidents involving hazardous materials, including, but not limited to, chemical, incendiary, and explosives; and
(D) bomb threats.

(2) Except as limited by subsection (b-5) of Section 20 of this Act, bus evacuation drills, which shall address and prepare students and school personnel for situations that occur when conditions outside of a bus are safer than inside the bus. Evacuation incidents are based on the needs of particular communities and may include without limitation the following:

(A) fire;
(B) suspicious items; and
(C) incidents involving hazardous materials, including, but not limited to, chemical, incendiary, and explosives.

(3) Law enforcement drills, which shall address and prepare school personnel for situations calling for the involvement of law enforcement when conditions inside a school building are safer than outside of a school building and it is necessary to protect building occupants from potential dangers in a school building. Law enforcement drills may involve situations that call for the reverse-evacuation or the lock-down of a school building. Evacuation or reverse-evacuation incidents shall include a shooting incident.
(4) Severe weather and shelter-in-place drills, which shall address and prepare students for situations involving severe weather emergencies or the release of external gas or chemicals. Severe weather and shelter-in-place incidents shall be based on the needs and environment of particular communities and may include without limitation the following:

(A) severe weather, including, but not limited to, shear winds, lightning, and earthquakes;
(B) incidents involving hazardous materials, including, but not limited to, chemical, incendiary, and explosives; and
(C) incidents involving weapons of mass destruction, including, but not limited to, biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons.

(Source: P.A. 100-443, eff. 8-25-17.)

(105 ILCS 128/20)

Sec. 20. Number of drills; incidents covered; local authority participation.

(a) During each academic year, schools must conduct a minimum of 3 school evacuation drills to address and prepare students and school personnel for fire incidents. These drills must meet all of the following criteria:

(1) One of the 3 school evacuation drills shall require the participation of the appropriate local fire department or district.

(A) Each local fire department or fire district must contact the appropriate school administrator or his or her designee no later than September 1 of each year in order to arrange for the participation of the department or district in the school evacuation drill.
(B) Each school administrator or his or her designee must contact the responding local fire official no later than September 15 of each year and propose to the local fire official 4 dates within the month of October, during at least 2 different weeks of October, on which the drill shall occur. The fire official may choose any of the 4 available dates, and if he or she does so, the drill shall occur on that date.
(C) The school administrator or his or her designee and the local fire official may also, by mutual agreement, set any other date for the drill, including a date outside of the month of October.
(D) If the fire official does not select one of the 4 offered dates in October or set another date by mutual agreement, the requirement that the school include the local fire service in one of its mandatory school evacuation drills shall be waived. Schools, however, shall continue to be strongly encouraged to include the fire service in a school evacuation drill at a mutually agreed-upon time.
(E) Upon the participation of the local fire service, the appropriate local fire official shall certify that the school evacuation drill was conducted.
(F) When scheduling the school evacuation drill, the school administrator or his or her designee and the local fire department or fire district may, by mutual agreement on or before September 14, choose to waive the provisions of subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D) of this paragraph (1).

Additional school evacuation drills for fire incidents may involve the participation of the appropriate local fire department or district.
(2) Schools may conduct additional school evacuation drills to account for other evacuation incidents, including without limitation suspicious items or bomb threats.
(3) All drills shall be conducted at each school building that houses school children.

(b) During each academic year, schools must conduct a minimum of one bus evacuation drill. This drill shall be accounted for in the curriculum in all public schools and in all other educational institutions in this State that are supported or maintained, in whole or in part, by public funds and that provide instruction in any of the grades kindergarten through 12. This curriculum shall include instruction in safe bus riding practices for all students. Schools may conduct additional bus evacuation drills. All drills shall be conducted at each school building that houses school children.

(b-5) Notwithstanding the minimum requirements established by this Act, private schools that do not utilize a bus to transport students for any purpose are exempt from subsection (b) of this Section, provided that the chief school administrator of the private school provides written assurance to the State Board of Education that the private school does not plan to utilize a bus to transport students for any purpose during the current academic year. The assurance must be made on a form supplied by the State Board of Education and filed no later than October 15. If a private school utilizes a bus to transport students for any purpose during an academic year when an assurance pursuant to this subsection (b-5) has been filed with the State Board of Education, the private school shall immediately notify the State Board of Education and comply with subsection (b) of this Section no later than 30 calendar days after utilization of the bus to transport students, except that, at the discretion of the private school, students chosen for participation in the bus evacuation drill need include only the subgroup of students that are utilizing bus transportation.

(c) During each academic year, schools must conduct a law enforcement lockdown drill to address a school shooting incident. No later than 90 days after the first day of each school year, schools must conduct at least one law enforcement lockdown drill that addresses an active threat or an active shooter within a school building. Such drills must be conducted according to the school district's or private school's emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and procedures to evaluate the preparedness of school personnel and students. Law enforcement lockdown drills must be conducted on days and times when students are normally present in the school building and must involve participation from all school personnel and students present at school at the time of the lockdown drill, except that administrators or school support personnel in their discretion may exempt students from the lockdown drill. The appropriate local law enforcement agency shall observe the administration of the lockdown drill. All drills must be conducted at each school building that houses school children.

(1) A law enforcement lockdown drill must meet all of the following criteria:

(A) During each calendar year, the appropriate local law enforcement agency shall contact the appropriate school administrator to request to participate in a law enforcement lockdown drill. The school administrator and local law enforcement agency shall set, by mutual agreement, a date for the lockdown drill.
(A-5) The lockdown drill shall require the on-site participation of the local law enforcement agency. If a mutually agreeable date cannot be reached between the school administrator and the appropriate local law enforcement agency, then the school shall still hold the lockdown drill without participation from the agency.
(B) Upon the participation of a local law enforcement agency in a law enforcement lockdown drill, the appropriate local law enforcement official shall certify that the law enforcement lockdown drill was conducted and notify the school in a timely manner of any deficiencies noted during the drill.
(C) The lockdown drill must not include simulations that mimic an actual school shooting incident or active shooter event.
(D) All lockdown drills must be announced in advance to all school personnel and students prior to the commencement of the drill.
(E) Lockdown drill content must be age appropriate and developmentally appropriate.
(F) Lockdown drills must include and involve school personnel, including school-based mental health professionals.
(G) Lockdown drills must include trauma-informed approaches to address the concerns and well-being of students and school personnel.

(2) Schools may conduct additional law enforcement drills at their discretion.
(3) (Blank).
(4) School administrators and school support personnel may, in their discretion, exempt a student or students from participating in a walk-through lockdown drill.
(5) Schools must provide sufficient information and notification to parents and guardians in advance of any walk-through lockdown drill that involves the participation of students. Schools must also provide to parents and guardians an opportunity to exempt their child for any reason from participating in the walk-through lockdown drill.
(6) Schools must provide alternative safety education and instruction related to an active threat or active shooter event to students who do not participate in a walk-through lockdown drill to provide them with essential information, training, and instruction through less sensorial safety training methods.
(7) During the drill, students must be allowed to ask questions related to the drill.
(8) Law enforcement may choose to run an active shooter simulation, including simulated gun fire drills, but only on school days when students are not present. Parental notification is not required for drills conducted pursuant to this paragraph (8) if students are not required to be present.

(d) During each academic year, schools must conduct a minimum of one severe weather and shelter-in-place drill to address and prepare students and school personnel for possible tornado incidents and may conduct additional severe weather and shelter-in-place drills to account for other incidents, including without limitation earthquakes or hazardous materials. All drills shall be conducted at each school building that houses school children.

(Source: P.A. 102-395, eff. 8-16-21.)

(105 ILCS 128/25)

Sec. 25. Annual review.

(a) Each public school district, through its school board or the board's designee, shall conduct a minimum of one annual meeting at which it will review each school building's emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and procedures, including procedures regarding the school district's threat assessment team, the efficacy and effects of law enforcement drills, and each building's compliance with the school safety drill programs. The purpose of this annual review shall be to review and update the emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and procedures and the school safety drill programs of the district and each of its school buildings. This review must be at no cost to the school district. In updating a school building's emergency and crisis response plans, consideration may be given to making the emergency and crisis response plans available to first responders, administrators, and teachers for implementation and utilization through the use of electronic applications on electronic devices, including, but not limited to, smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers.

(b) Each school board or the board's designee is required to participate in the annual review and to invite each of the following parties to the annual review and provide each party with a minimum of 30 days' notice before the date of the annual review:

(1) The principal of each school within the school district or his or her official designee.
(2) Representatives from any other education-related organization or association deemed appropriate by the school district.
(3) Representatives from all local first responder organizations to participate, advise, and consult in the review process, including, but not limited to:

(A) the appropriate local fire department or district;
(B) the appropriate local law enforcement agency;
(C) the appropriate local emergency medical services agency if the agency is a separate, local first responder unit; and
(D) any other member of the first responder or emergency management community that has contacted the district superintendent or his or her designee during the past year to request involvement in a school's emergency planning or drill process.

(4) The school board or its designee may also choose to invite to the annual review any other persons whom it believes will aid in the review process, including, but not limited to, any members of any other education-related organization or the first responder or emergency management community.

(c) Upon the conclusion of the annual review, the school board or the board's designee shall sign a one page report, which may be in either a check-off format or a narrative format, that does the following:

(1) summarizes the review's recommended changes to the existing school safety plans and drill plans;
(2) lists the parties that participated in the annual review, and includes the annual review's attendance record;
(3) certifies that an effective review of the emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and procedures and the school safety drill programs of the district and each of its school buildings has occurred;
(4) states that the school district will implement those plans, protocols, procedures, and programs, during the academic year; and
(5) includes the authorization of the school board or the board's designee.

(d) The school board or its designee shall send a copy of the report to each party that participates in the annual review process and to the appropriate regional superintendent of schools. If any of the participating parties have comments on the certification document, those parties shall submit their comments in writing to the appropriate regional superintendent. The regional superintendent shall maintain a record of these comments. The certification document may be in a check-off format or narrative format, at the discretion of the district superintendent.

(e) The review must occur at least once during the fiscal year, at a specific time chosen at the school district superintendent's discretion.

(f) A private school shall conduct a minimum of one annual meeting at which the school must review each school building's emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and procedures and each building's compliance with the school safety drill programs of the school. The purpose of this annual review shall be to review and update the emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and procedures and the school safety drill programs of the school. This review must be at no cost to the private school.

The private school shall invite representatives from all local first responder organizations to participate, advise, and consult in the review process, including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) the appropriate local fire department or fire protection district;
(2) the appropriate local law enforcement agency;
(3) the appropriate local emergency medical services agency if the agency is a separate, local first responder unit; and
(4) any other member of the first responder or emergency management community that has contacted the school's chief administrative officer or his or her designee during the past year to request involvement in the school's emergency planning or drill process. (Source: P.A. 101-455, eff. 8-23-19; 102-395, eff. 8-16-21.)

(105 ILCS 128/30)

Sec. 30. Reporting; duties of the State Fire Marshal, regional superintendents, and the State Board of Education.

(a) The Office of the State Fire Marshal shall accept, directly, one-page annual review compliance reports from private schools. The Office of the State Fire Marshal shall create a mechanism for the reporting and filing of these reports and give notice to the private schools as to how this reporting shall be made. The Office of the State Fire Marshal shall make these records available directly to the State Board of Education.

(b) Each regional superintendent of schools shall provide an annual school safety review compliance report to the State Board of Education as a part of its regular annual report to the State Board, which shall set forth those school districts that have successfully completed their annual review and those school districts that have failed to complete their annual review. These reports shall be delivered to the State Board of Education on or before October 1 of each year.

(c) The State Board of Education shall file and maintain records of the annual school safety review compliance reports received from each of the regional superintendents of schools. The State Board shall be responsible for ensuring access to the records by the Office of the State Fire Marshal and other State agencies. The State Board shall provide an annual report to the Office of the Governor and the Office of the State Fire Marshal concerning the compliance of school districts with the annual school safety review requirement.

(Source: P.A. 94-600, eff. 8-16-05.)

(105 ILCS 128/35)

Sec. 35. Reporting and recording mechanism for fires. The Office of the State Fire Marshal, in conjunction with the State Board of Education, shall create a reporting and recording mechanism concerning fires that occur in schools located in this State. The recording system shall be based in the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

(Source: P.A. 94-600, eff. 8-16-05.)

(105 ILCS 128/40)

Sec. 40. Common rules. The State Board of Education and the Office of the State Fire Marshal shall cooperate together and coordinate with all appropriate education, first responder, and emergency management officials to (i) develop and implement one common set of rules to be administered under this Act and (ii) develop clear and definitive guidelines to school districts, private schools, and first responders as to how to develop school emergency and crisis response plans, how to develop school emergency and crisis response plans, how to exercise and drill based on such plans, and how to incorporate lessons learned from these exercises and drills into school emergency and crisis response plans.

(Source: P.A. 94-600, eff. 8-16-05.)

(105 ILCS 128/45)

Sec. 45. Threat assessment procedure.

(a) Each school district must implement a threat assessment procedure that may be part of a school board policy on targeted school violence prevention. The procedure must include the creation of a threat assessment team. The team must include all of the following members:

(1) An administrator employed by the school district or a special education cooperative that serves the school district and is available to serve.
(2) A teacher employed by the school district or a special education cooperative that serves the school district and is available to serve.
(3) A school counselor employed by the school district or a special education cooperative that serves the school district and is available to serve.
(4) A school psychologist employed by the school district or a special education cooperative that serves the school district and is available to serve.
(5) A school social worker employed by the school district or a special education cooperative that serves the school district and is available to serve.
(6) At least one law enforcement official.

If a school district is unable to establish a threat assessment team with school district staff and resources, it may utilize a regional behavioral threat assessment and intervention team that includes mental health professionals and representatives from the State, county, and local law enforcement agencies.

(b) A school district shall establish the threat assessment team under this Section no later than 180 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly and must implement an initial threat assessment procedure no later than 120 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly.

(c) Any sharing of student information under this Section must comply with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and the Illinois School Student Records Act.

(Source: P.A. 101-455, eff. 8-23-19.)

(105 ILCS 128/910)

Sec. 910. The School Code is amended by repealing Sections 2-3.129, 10-20.22, 10-20.23, 10-20.32, 27-26, and 34-18.19.

(Source: P.A. 94-600, eff. 8-16-05.)

(105 ILCS 128/915)

Sec. 915. The Fire Drill Act is repealed.

(Source: P.A. 94-600, eff. 8-16-05.)

(105 ILCS 128/990)

Sec. 990. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted).

(Source: P.A. 94-600, eff. 8-16-05; text omitted.)

(105 ILCS 128/999)

(This Act was approved by the Governor on August 16, 2005, so the actual effective date of this Act is August 16, 2005)

Sec. 999. Effective date. This Act takes effect June 1, 2005.

(Source: P.A. 94-600, eff. 8-16-05.)

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