Illinois § 10-27.1A

§ 10-27.1A.

Firearms in schools. (a) All school officials, including teachers, school counselors, and support staff, shall immediately notify the office of the principal in the event that they: (1) observe any person in possession of a firearm on school grounds; (2) become aware of any person in possession of a firearm on school grounds; or (3) become aware of any threat of gun violence on school grounds; provided that taking such immediate action to notify the office of the principal would not immediately endanger the health, safety, or welfare of students who are under the direct supervision of the school official or the school official. If the health, safety, or welfare of students under the direct supervision of the school official or of the school official is immediately endangered, the school official shall notify the office of the principal as soon as the students under his or her supervision and he or she are no longer under immediate danger. A report is not required by this Section when the school official knows that the person in possession of the firearm is a law enforcement official engaged in the conduct of his or her official duties. Any school official acting in good faith who makes such a report under this Section shall have immunity from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred as a result of making the report. The identity of the school official making such report shall not be disclosed except as expressly and specifically authorized by law. Knowingly and willfully failing to comply with this Section is a petty offense. A second or subsequent offense is a Class C misdemeanor. (b) Upon receiving a report from any school official pursuant to this Section, or from any other person, the principal or his or her designee shall immediately notify a local law enforcement agency. If the person found to be in possession of a firearm on school grounds is a student, the principal or his or her designee shall also immediately notify that student's parent or guardian. If the report pertains to a threat of firearm violence made by a student, the principal or the principal's designee shall attempt to notify that student's parent or guardian as soon as possible. The principal or principal's designee shall further attempt to contact the student's parent or guardian so that the parent or guardian may ensure that the student does not have access to a firearm. Any principal or his or her designee acting in good faith who makes such reports under this Section shall have immunity from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed as a result of making the reports. Knowingly and willfully failing to comply with this Section is a petty offense. A second or subsequent offense is a Class C misdemeanor. If the person found to be in possession of the firearm on school grounds is a minor, the law enforcement agency shall detain that minor until such time as the agency makes a determination pursuant to clause (a) of subsection (1) of Section 5-401 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, as to whether the agency reasonably believes that the minor is delinquent. If the law enforcement agency determines that probable cause exists to believe that the minor committed a violation of item (4) of subsection (a) of Section 24-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012 while on school grounds, the agency shall detain the minor for processing pursuant to Section 5-407 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. (c) Upon receipt of any written, electronic, or verbal report from any school personnel regarding a verified incident involving a firearm in a school or on school owned or leased property, including any conveyance owned, leased, or used by the school for the transport of students or school personnel, the superintendent or his or her designee shall report all such firearm-related incidents occurring in a school or on school property to the local law enforcement authorities immediately. (c-5) Schools shall report any written, electronic, or verbal report of a verified incident involving a firearm made under subsection (c) to the State Board of Education through existing school incident reporting systems as they occur during the year by no later than August 1 of each year. The State Board of Education shall report data by school district, as collected from school districts, and make it available to the public via its website. The local law enforcement authority shall, by March 1 of each year, report the required data from the previous year to the Illinois State Police's Illinois Uniform Crime Reporting Program, which shall be included in its annual Crime in Illinois report. (d) As used in this Section, the term "firearm" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 1.1 of the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. As used in this Section, the term "school" means any public or private elementary or secondary school. As used in this Section, the term "school grounds" includes the real property comprising any school, any conveyance owned, leased, or contracted by a school to transport students to or from school or a school-related activity, or any public way within 1,000 feet of the real property comprising any school. (Source: P.A. 102-197, eff. 7-30-21; 102-538, eff. 8-20-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-34, eff. 6-9-23; 103-609, eff. 7-1-24; 104-174, eff. 8-15-25.) (Text of Section from P.A. 103-780 and 104-174) Sec. 10-27.1A. Firearms in schools. (a) All school officials, including teachers, school counselors, and support staff, shall immediately notify the office of the principal in the event that they: (1) observe any person in possession of a firearm on school grounds; (2) become aware of any person in possession of a firearm on school grounds; or (3) become aware of any threat of gun violence on school grounds; provided that taking such immediate action to notify the office of the principal would not immediately endanger the health, safety, or welfare of students who are under the direct supervision of the school official or the school official. If the health, safety, or welfare of students under the direct supervision of the school official or of the school official is immediately endangered, the school official shall notify the office of the principal as soon as the students under his or her supervision and he or she are no longer under immediate danger. A report is not required by this Section when the school official knows that the person in possession of the firearm is a law enforcement official engaged in the conduct of his or her official duties. Any school official acting in good faith who makes such a report under this Section shall have immunity from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred as a result of making the report. The identity of the school official making such report shall not be disclosed except as expressly and specifically authorized by law. Knowingly and willfully failing to comply with this Section is a petty offense. A second or subsequent offense is a Class C misdemeanor. (b) Upon receiving a report from any school official pursuant to this Section, or from any other person, the principal or his or her designee shall immediately notify a local law enforcement agency. If the person found to be in possession of a firearm on school grounds is a student, the principal or his or her designee shall also immediately notify that student's parent or guardian. If the report pertains to a threat of firearm violence made by a student, the principal or the principal's designee shall attempt to notify that student's parent or guardian as soon as possible. The principal or principal's designee shall further attempt to contact the student's parent or guardian so that the parent or guardian may ensure that the student does not have access to a firearm. Any principal or his or her designee acting in good faith who makes such reports under this Section shall have immunity from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed as a result of making the reports. Knowingly and willfully failing to comply with this Section is a petty offense. A second or subsequent offense is a Class C misdemeanor. If the person found to be in possession of the firearm on school grounds is a minor, the law enforcement agency shall detain that minor until such time as the agency makes a determination pursuant to clause (a) of subsection (1) of Section 5-401 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, as to whether the agency reasonably believes that the minor is delinquent. If the law enforcement agency determines that probable cause exists to believe that the minor committed a violation of item (4) of subsection (a) of Section 24-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012 while on school grounds, the agency shall detain the minor for processing pursuant to Section 5-407 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. (c) Upon receipt of any written, electronic, or verbal report from any school personnel regarding a verified incident involving a firearm in a school or on school owned or leased property, including any conveyance owned, leased, or used by the school for the transport of students or school personnel, the superintendent or his or her designee shall report all such firearm-related incidents occurring in a school or on school property to the local law enforcement authorities immediately. (c-5) Schools shall report any written, electronic, or verbal report of a verified incident involving a firearm made under subsection (c) to the State Board of Education through existing school incident reporting systems as they occur during the year by no later than July 31 for the previous school year. The State Board of Education shall report data by school district, as collected from school districts, and make it available to the public via its website. The local law enforcement authority shall, by March 1 of each year, report the required data from the previous year to the Illinois State Police's Illinois Uniform Crime Reporting Program, which shall be included in its annual Crime in Illinois report. (d) As used in this Section, the term "firearm" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 1.1 of the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. As used in this Section, the term "school" means any public or private elementary or secondary school. As used in this Section, the term "school grounds" includes the real property comprising any school, any conveyance owned, leased, or contracted by a school to transport students to or from school or a school-related activity, or any public way within 1,000 feet of the real property comprising any school. (Source: P.A. 103-34, eff. 6-9-23; 103-780, eff. 8-2-24.; 104-174, eff. 8-15-25.)