Sec. 26A-20. Review and revision of policies and procedures.

453 words·~2 min read·/il/chapter-105/act-5/26a-20

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(a)No later than July 1, 2024 and every 2 years thereafter, each school district must review all existing policies and procedures and must revise any existing policies and procedures that may act as a barrier to the immediate enrollment and re-enrollment, attendance, graduation, and success in school of any student who is a student parent, expectant student parent, or victim of domestic or sexual violence or any policies or procedures that may compromise a criminal investigation relating to domestic or sexual violence or may re-victimize students. A school district must adopt new policies and procedures, as needed, to implement this Section and to ensure that immediate and effective steps are taken to respond to students who are student parents, expectant parents, or victims of domestic or sexual violence.

(b)A school district's policy must be consistent with the model policy and procedures adopted by the State Board of Education and under Public Act 101-531.

(c)A school district's policy on the procedures that a student or his or her parent or guardian may follow if he or she chooses to report an incident of alleged domestic or sexual violence must, at a minimum, include all of the following:

(1)The name and contact information for domestic or sexual violence and parenting

resource personnel, the Title IX coordinator, school and school district resource officers or security, and a community-based domestic or sexual violence organization.

(2)The name, title, and contact information for confidential resources and a

description of what confidential reporting means.

(3)An option for the student or the student's parent or guardian to electronically,

anonymously, and confidentially report the incident.

(4)An option for reports by third parties and bystanders.

(5)Information regarding the various individuals, departments, or organizations to whom

a student may report an incident of domestic or sexual violence, specifying for each individual or entity

(i)the extent of the individual's or entity's reporting obligation to the school's or school district's administration, Title IX coordinator, or other personnel or entity,

(ii)the individual's or entity's ability to protect the student's privacy, and

(iii)the extent of the individual's or entity's ability to have confidential communications with the student or his or her parent or guardian.

(6)The adoption of a complaint resolution procedure as provided in Section 26A-25.

(d)A school district must post its revised policies and procedures on its website, distribute them at the beginning of each school year to each student, and make copies available to each student and his or her parent or guardian for inspection and copying at no cost to the student or parent or guardian at each school within a school district.