IL HB4896

Establishes employee code of professional conduct policies in school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools to prevent sexual misconduct, incorporating the Code of Ethics for Illinois Educators and defining sexual misconduct to include romantic or sexual invitations, dating solicitation, sexualized dialog, suggestive comments, and sexual contact.

Requires schools to post employee codes of professional conduct, boundary guidelines for transporting students, taking photos/videos, and meeting students outside professional roles on websites and in staff, student, and parent handbooks.

Mandates employment history reviews prior to hiring anyone with direct contact with students, requiring applicants to disclose current and former employers, authorize record release, and report any sexual misconduct allegations, employment separations, or license suspensions related to sexual misconduct.

Prohibits schools from entering into agreements that suppress sexual misconduct investigation information, prevent reporting to authorities, or require expungement of substantiated sexual misconduct allegations unless investigations found allegations false, unfounded, or unsubstantiated.

Provides immunity from liability for employers disclosing sexual misconduct information in good faith and establishes that violations of the professional conduct policy may result in disciplinary action up to dismissal, with failure to report violations also subject to similar discipline.