HB3412 Summary

• Adds definition of "school personnel" to Illinois School Code to include employees, contractors, and volunteers in schools, covering administrators, teachers, social workers, counselors, nurses, custodians, bus drivers, school resource officers, and security guards.

• Prohibits school personnel from referring students to local public entities, school resource officers, or peace officers for the purpose of issuing fines or fees for incidents or behaviors that can be addressed through the school district's own disciplinary interventions and consequences.

• Modifies Section 26-12 to clarify that school personnel (not just school districts) cannot refer truant students to other local public entities, school resource officers, or peace officers for fines or fees related to truancy.

• Adds new procedural protections in suspension and expulsion hearings including allowing students to disclose mitigating factors such as status as parent, expectant parent, or victim of domestic or sexual violence, and permitting representation and support persons.

• Establishes new provisions regarding sexual violence allegations in disciplinary proceedings, prohibiting direct questioning of alleged victims by students or their representatives, with questions instead suggested to and posed by school officials.