Bill Text: IL SB0071 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Reinserts the contents of the bill as engrossed and as amended by House Amendment No. 1, but provides that a school district is not required to develop procedures until the school year following when the publication of guidance is made available (instead of until guidance is made available) on the website of the State Board of Education.

Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-7)

Status: (Passed) 2025-08-15 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0344 [SB0071 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-SB0071-Enrolled.html

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AN ACT concerning safety.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The School Safety Drill Act is amended by
changing Sections 5, 10, 15, and 25 and by adding Section 65 as
follows:
(105 ILCS 128/5)
Sec. 5. Definitions. In this Act:
"Emergency services and disaster agency" means an agency
by the name "emergency services and disaster agency", by the
name "emergency management agency", or by any other name that
is established by ordinance within a political subdivision to
coordinate the emergency management program within that
political subdivision with private organizations, other
political subdivisions, and the State and federal governments.
"First responder" means and includes all fire departments
and districts, law enforcement agencies and officials,
emergency medical responders, emergency medical dispatchers,
and emergency management officials involved in the execution
and documentation of the drills administered under this Act.
"Hazardous substance" has the meaning given to that term
in Section 3.215 of the Environmental Protection Act, except
that, as used in this Act, "hazardous substance" also includes

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radioactive materials, hydrocarbons, petroleum, gasoline, and
crude oil or any products, by-products, or fractions thereof.
"Local emergency planning committee" means the committee
that is appointed for an emergency planning district under
Section 301 of the federal Emergency Planning and Community
Right-to-Know Act of 1986.
"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 district" means any public school district
established under the School Code, any program of a special
education joint agreement established under Section 3-15.14,
10-22.31, or 10-22.31a of the School Code, or any charter
school authorized by the State Board of Education in
accordance with Section 27A-7.5 of the School Code.
"School safety drill" means a pre-planned exercise

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conducted by a school in accordance with the drills and
requirements set forth in this Act.
(Source: P.A. 102-894, eff. 5-20-22; 102-1006, eff. 1-1-23;
103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-175, eff. 6-30-23.)
(105 ILCS 128/10)
Sec. 10. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is (i) to
establish minimum requirements and standards for schools to
follow when conducting school safety drills and reviewing
school emergency and crisis response plans and, beginning July
1, 2027, hazardous substance release procedures and (ii) 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:

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(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; and .
(E) incidents involving the release or explosion
of hazardous substances.
(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; and .
(D) incidents involving the release or explosion
of hazardous substances.
(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

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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; and .
(D) incidents involving the release or explosion
of hazardous materials.
(Source: P.A. 100-443, eff. 8-25-17.)
(105 ILCS 128/25)

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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 school district's
hazardous substance release procedures, procedures regarding
the school district's cardiac emergency response plan, 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

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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; and .
(E) the applicable emergency services and disaster
agency or the applicable local emergency planning
committee.
(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

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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

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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, including procedures regarding the school's
cardiac emergency response plan, 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

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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. 102-395, eff. 8-16-21; 103-608, eff. 1-1-25.)
(105 ILCS 128/65 new)
Sec. 65. Hazardous substance release guidance and
procedures.
(a) By January 1, 2027, the Illinois Emergency Management
Agency and Office of Homeland Security, in consultation with
the State Board of Education, shall develop and provide
guidance for all local emergency planning committees,
emergency services and disaster agencies, and school districts
in the State specifically related to the potential impact to
school districts of a release or explosion of a hazardous
substance. This guidance shall be posted on the Internet
website of the State Board of Education.
(b) The guidance developed under subsection (a) shall
include:
(1) a description of the methods and procedures to be
followed by school personnel in response to a release or
explosion of a hazardous substance;

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(2) a description of the federal, State, or local
agencies, including first responders, responsible for
identifying whether the release or explosion of a
hazardous substance has occurred and how that information
will be communicated to school personnel, including any
appropriate precautions school districts should take to
protect their students and staff and how the wind
direction may impact their evacuation plans;
(3) recommendations for school evacuation plans,
including recommendations for an alternative plan if
advised by federal, State, or local agencies, including
first responders, that one is needed due to the wind
direction;
(4) a list of available training programs;
(5) a description of recommended communication
protocols for school districts with first responders,
local law enforcement agencies, and other local, State, or
federal emergency management agencies; and
(6) a list of instructions for school districts on how
to identify their applicable local emergency planning
committee or emergency services and disaster agency.
(c) By July 1, 2027, each school district shall, in
consultation with the applicable local emergency planning
committee or emergency services and disaster agency, develop
procedures for each of its schools to address the release or
explosion of a hazardous substance based on the guidance

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developed under subsection (a). However, a school district is
not required to develop procedures until the school year
following when the publication of the guidance provided in
subsection (a) is made available on the website of the State
Board of Education.
(d) Each school district shall make available to all
school personnel relevant and appropriate information related
to the procedures in subsection (c), including identified
evacuation plans, as well as alternative evacuation plans,
safe locations where student and staff can seek shelter, and a
description of how that information will be communicated to
school personnel in such an emergency.