HB5602 Summary

• School principals must be notified by courts and law enforcement when students are detained under the Juvenile Court Act or for criminal offenses, with reports updated on case status and disposition.

• Information shared with schools must be kept separate from official school records and not be public; it may only be used by designated school officials with a legitimate educational or safety interest to aid rehabilitation and protect school safety.

• School officials may access law enforcement records only for students arrested or detained for specific offenses including weapons violations, drug offenses, forcible felonies, hazing, harassment/obscene communications, and certain assault crimes under Article 12 and 25 of the Criminal Code.

• Law enforcement may share oral information (not written records) about minors under current police investigation directly related to school safety with designated school officials, which must remain confidential and separate from school records.

• Minors arrested before age 17 for serious felonies (Class X, Class 1, weapons, forcible felonies, drug trafficking) require fingerprints and descriptions to be transmitted to the Department of State Police; general fingerprinting of other minors remains restricted.