HB 223

Abstract

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to establish a hotline for the purpose of receiving reports on instances of sexual abuse or sexual assault by a licensed educator or any other school employee or volunteer. Provides that the number of the hotline and its anonymous nature must be posted in every school in this State. Requires each school report card to include the most current data possessed by the State Board on the number of allegations of sexual assault or sexual abuse by a licensed educator or any other school district employee or volunteer reported at a school and any pertinent information related to an allegation. Provides that if an employee of a school district or a regional office of education fails to perform a criminal history records check or a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database or Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database as required under the Code for an applicant seeking employment with the school district or ignores the results of any of those checks, he or she must be suspended from employment. Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. With regard to the requirement to report to the Department of Children and Family Services a child who may be an abused child or a neglected child, increases the penalty for a person who knowingly and willfully violates the requirement to a Class 4 felony (rather than a Class A misdemeanor) for a first violation and a Class 3 felony (rather than a Class 4 felony) for a second or subsequent violation.