Bill Text: IL HB2609 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the School Code to create the Office of School Safety within the State Board of Education. Provides for the Office's duties. Requires the Office to create a grant program for expenditures related to improving school safety. Provides that grant funds must be used for school security improvements, including training and safety-related upgrades to school buildings, equipment (including metal detectors and x-ray machines), and facilities. Specifies the grant application requirements. Effective January 1, 2020.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-12 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB2609 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-HB2609-Introduced.html

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101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2019 and 2020 HB2609 Introduced , by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/2-3.176 new
Amends the School Code to create the Office of School Safety within the State Board of Education. Provides for the Office's duties. Requires the Office to create a grant program for expenditures related to improving school safety. Provides that grant funds must be used for school security improvements, including training and safety-related upgrades to school buildings, equipment (including metal detectors and x-ray machines), and facilities. Specifies the grant application requirements. Effective January 1, 2020.
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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section
2-3.176 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.176 new)
Sec. 2-3.176. Office of School Safety.
(a) There is created an Office of School Safety within the
State Board of Education. The Director of the Office shall be
appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
(b) The Office has all of the following duties:
(1) Create model practices for school safety. The State
Board must provide any necessary resources or staff
requested by the Office to create the model practices under
this paragraph.
(2) Coordinate with school districts and nonpublic
schools to compile blueprints and geographic information
system maps for all schools. The Office must keep all
blueprints and maps confidential unless a law enforcement
agency requests access to the blueprints or maps.
(3) Offer, or contract with another party to offer,
training for school employees on school safety. Training
subjects may include trauma-informed care and how adverse

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childhood experiences have an impact on a child's
development and may increase a child's need for counseling
or support. If a school district or nonpublic school
receives a grant for the training under this paragraph, the
Office may charge a fee for the training.
(4) Seek and apply for federal funds related to school
safety improvements.
(c) The Office shall create a grant program for
expenditures related to improving school safety. The Office
must accept grant applications under this subsection from
public school boards and the governing bodies of charter
schools and nonpublic schools. Grant funds must be used for
school security improvements, including training and
safety-related upgrades to school buildings, equipment
(including metal detectors and x-ray machines), and
facilities. An application submitted under this subsection
must include all of the following:
(1) A school safety plan.
(2) Blueprints of each school building and facility or,
if a school has already submitted to the Office blueprints
under paragraph (2) of subsection (b), a certification that
the blueprints submitted are current.
(3) A proposed plan of expenditure of the grant moneys.
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
1, 2020.