SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law Wednesday to ban police from giving tickets and citations to students who violate school rules. Lawmakers and advocates argue these fines unfairly impact students of color.
Democrats filed the legislation after ProPublica found 11,590 tickets were handed to students from 2019 to 2021.
Illinois already had a law on the books banning schools from issuing fines to students, but kids across the state continue to receive citations from law enforcement.Â
Senate Bill 1519 will ensure no person is allowed to issue a fine or fee to a student as a disciplinary consequence for behavior during school hours.
"The goal of the bill is to basically say that if it is minor enough to be a municipal violation like vaping or minor fights, keep it in the school," said Aimee Galvin with Stand For Children Illinois. "School is a unique environment for discipline, unlike a business. If something happens at Walgreens, they don't have an after-school detention or say you can't come to the dance."
The Illinois State Board of Education will require school districts to report how frequently they refer students to law enforcement starting with the 2027-28 school year. That data must be broken down by race and ethnicity, gender, grade level, whether a student is an English language learner and if they have a disability.
The law also requires police officers to be trained on how to handle students with disabilities if they enforce the law on school grounds.
"It also requires any district utilizing a school resource officer to create an MOU with their local law enforcement that would establish the role and responsibilities of SROs," said Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago).
Students could still be penalized for any serious crimes committed on school grounds. Yet, Republicans and some moderate Democrats argue police should still have the option to issue tickets for minor violations.
"When students are repeatedly treated like criminals, they start to internalize that identity," said Breonna Roberts, chair of the Springfield Education Task Force. "A child should not have to fight to prove that they are worthy of a future simply because they come from a lower-income background or a particular zip code."
The measure passed out of the House on a 69-44 vote and received a 37-17 vote in the Senate.
"When we treat student behavior with fines and tickets, we fail to address the real issues and risk derailing a young person's future," said Sen. Karina Villa (D-West Chicago). "This law is a critical step in replacing punitive discipline with supportive solutions that help students thrive."
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