Education (Student Health)

The Student Cardiac Safety Act requires qualified health care professionals to include a cardiovascular prescreening in physical examinations for student athletes in grades kindergarten through 12 starting in the 2027-2028 school year. This requirement will expand to all students during their annual well-child visits beginning in the 2028-2029 school year. The prescreening involves collecting personal and family medical history data along with a focused physical exam, and any positive findings must result in a referral to a cardiologist for further evaluation. Additionally, the bill mandates that the Department of Public Health publish annual reports on screening outcomes and distribute educational materials about heart disease risks to families and schools.

Amends the School Code. Provides that school districts shall regulate and restrict access to public restrooms, locker rooms, dressing rooms, and other similar places on the basis of biological sex and shall also adopt a policy that provides for gender neutral or alternative facilities for students, staff, and members of the public, as the school district deems appropriate. Provides that school districts are not required to: (1) limit access by a minor accompanied by an adult guardian of the opposite sex into a specified facility appropriate for the adult guardian; (2) prohibit a person with disabilities from using a specified facility appropriate to the biological sex of either the person with disabilities or of an adult caretaker providing assistance; or (3) prohibit access to these facilities by custodial staff, school staff, or other persons in an emergency situation.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Changes the name of the School and Municipal Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program to the Social Worker and School Counselor Shortage Loan Repayment Program. Allows a school counselor to apply for the Program. Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall award a grant of up to $8,000 (rather than $6,500) per year for a maximum of 4 years to each qualified applicant. Provides that a grant shall be used for repayment of the recipient's educational loan instead of the Commission encouraging the recipient to use the grant to repay the recipient's educational loan. Makes other and conforming changes. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Children's Mental Health Act. Requires each school district to ensure that every student in grades K-12 receives direct instruction in social and emotional learning no fewer than 4 times each academic year, approximately once per academic quarter. Requires social and emotional learning instruction to be delivered by a trained professional, provided during a class period, and address age-appropriate competencies as outlined in the Illinois Learning Standards for Social/Emotional Learning. Requires classroom teachers to reinforce social and emotional learning concepts through integrated academic curriculum and classroom practices. Requires each school district to provide professional development to assist educators in aligning instructional practices with social and emotional learning principles. Effective January 1, 2028.

Amends the State Board of Education Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, the State Board of Education shall award competitive grants on an annual basis to school districts and other educational units that have school social work interns to assist those school districts and other educational units in the funding of school social work internships approved by the interns' educator preparation programs by providing stipends. Sets forth the stipend amount. Provides that the State Board of Education shall annually disseminate to school districts and other educational units that have school social work interns a request for applications for grants. Provides that grant applications shall be accepted on an annual basis. Provides that the State Board of Education shall establish procedures for submitting requests for stipends and issuing funds to approved applicants. Provides for prioritizing grants if an appropriation is insufficient to fund all applications for grants. Provides that for any school year in which grants are awarded, the State Board of Education shall produce a report on the awarding of grants, in cooperation with the school districts and educational units that are awarded grants. Sets forth requirements for the report. Provides that the report shall be posted on the State Board of Education's Internet website each school year in which grants are awarded. Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that the Board of Higher Education shall establish and administer a grant program to support the field placement of social workers. Provides that the Board shall distribute the funds appropriated for this purpose in the form of grants to public or nonpublic institutions of higher education to expand opportunities for students who are intending to become social workers and to assist students in pursuing social-work related field placements, internships, and other work opportunities. Sets forth other requirements concerning the operation of the grant program. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Sets forth measures to be taken when an offense of bullying occurs and is reported to a public school, including a charter school, depending on the severity of the bullying offense, including hearing requirements, compulsory, school-based, restorative-justice requirements, community service requirements, and counseling requirements for minor offenders; hearing requirements, administrative fee requirements, and education session requirements for parents or guardians of minor offenders; and victim support. Requires the State Board of Education to annually report to the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey of the National Center for Education Statistics any incidents of bullying, the number of hearings relating to incidents of bullying, restorative-justice program outcomes, disciplinary actions, and follow-up metrics by demographics. Requires the State Board to conduct an annual audit of schools that participate in the restorative measures to determine anti-bullying metrics for the report. Makes other changes.

Amends the Public Higher Education Act. Requires a public institution of higher education to make fentanyl testing strips available free of charge through the student health center, a student wellness office, wellness kiosks, and resident assistant programs. Provides that fentanyl testing strips shall be provided in confidentiality to any enrolled student upon request. Allows a public institution of higher education to offer educational materials addressing drug overdose prevention. Effective July 1, 2026.

Creates the Food Reform to Ensure Student Health Act. Requires each school district in the State to begin to eliminate ultraprocessed foods of concern and restricted school foods by July 1, 2029. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2032, a vendor may not offer to a school either an ultraprocessed food of concern or a restricted school food. Requires food vendors to report to the Department of Public Health certain information about ultraprocessed foods of concern and restricted school foods that they have sold to schools. Requires the Department, in consultation with the State Board of Education, to submit to the General Assembly and Governor annual summary reports of the data submitted to it by food vendors. Directs the Department to post these reports on its website. Requires the Department of Public Health to adopt rules establishing definitions of the terms "ultraprocessed foods of concern" and "restricted school foods" for purposes of these requirements. Requires the Department to review those rules and, if needed, update them every 5 years. Requires the Department to consult with the State Board of Education and to provide compliance training for school food service and procurement staff. Describes the topics to be covered by the Department in the training. Provides for the repeal of the Act on January 1, 2034. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that instruction in safety education shall include the risks of firearm ownership and usage for students enrolled in grades 6 through 12. Sets forth what information this instruction must include, provides that the instruction may be taught by a licensed educator, school nurse, or school counselor, provides for student evaluation, and requires the State Board of Education to develop an age-appropriate, trauma-informed curriculum. Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Requires schools to provide, after a lockdown drill has been completed, a forum for trauma-informed discussion with students, parents, and staff regarding any mental health concerns that the impact of the lockdown drill has had on students. Amends the Firearm Dealer License Certification Act. Makes changes to require a certified firearm dealer to provide, at the time of application for a firearm purchase, specified information to increase awareness about the risks posed by firearms in the home and State laws regarding firearm ownership.

Amends the School Code. Provides that a school district, other than the Chicago school district, shall employ a sufficient number of school counselors to maintain a student-counselor ratio of 150 to 1 (rather than allowing the school district to employ a sufficient number of school counselors to maintain the national and State recommended student-counselor ratio of 250 to 1). Requires the Chicago Board of Education to employ a sufficient number of licensed school counselors to maintain a student-counselor ratio of 100 to 1 (rather than encouraging the board to employ a sufficient number of licensed school counselors to maintain a student/counselor ratio of 250 to 1).