HB 4337

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Full Text of HB4337
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	HB4337 - 104th General Assembly
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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB4337
Introduced 1/14/2026, by Rep. Curtis J. Tarver, II
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/34-21.11 new
Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Provides that the Chicago Board of Education shall designate a traceable communication system to be the exclusive means for a district employee or volunteer to communicate electronically with students. Requires the principal of each public school to provide parents written or electronic notification within the first 10 days of the school year of each electronic school notification and communication program designated within the traceable communication system. Prohibits, with exceptions, a district employee or volunteer from communicating electronically with a student: (1) outside of the traceable communication system designated by the Board; or (2) through an unauthorized electronic communication program or application. Sets forth disciplinary actions that may be taken for violating the provisions. Allows a parent to submit written consent to authorize a designated district employee or volunteer who is not a family member to communicate electronically with his or her child outside of the traceable communication system. Includes an exception for family members who are district employees or volunteers. Sets forth reporting requirements. Requires the State Board of Education to develop a complaint form for parents to submit to the Board, the district, or the State Board of Education if a district employee or volunteer violates the provisions. Makes other changes.
LRB104 17078 LNS 30495 b
	STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT
MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
		HB4337		LRB104 17078 LNS 30495 b
1    AN ACT concerning education.
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section
534-21.11 as follows:
6    (105 ILCS 5/34-21.11 new)
7    Sec. 34-21.11. Electronic communication between district 
8employees and students.
9    (a) As used in this Section:
10    "District employee or volunteer" means a school 
11administrator, classified or licensed employee of the 
12district, school volunteer, nonfaculty coach or assistant 
13coach, student teacher, or sponsor of an extracurricular 
14program or activity.
15    "Family member" means a parent, brother, sister, son, 
16daughter, aunt, uncle, or grandparent.
17    "Parent" means a parent, legal guardian, or other person 
18or agency responsible for a student.
19    "Traceable communication system" means one or more 
20electronic school notification and communication programs or 
21applications that:
22        (1) are designated by the board;
23        (2) trace all communications sent to or by a student; 
		HB4337	- 2 -	LRB104 17078 LNS 30495 b
1    and
2        (3) provide parents an opportunity to access and 
3    review those communications.
4    "Unauthorized electronic communication" means an 
5electronic communication with a student by a district employee 
6or volunteer who is not the student's family member that 
7occurs outside of a designated traceable communication system 
8and without prior written parental consent and includes any 
9personal email account, text messaging, social media, or other 
10electronic notification and communication programs outside of 
11the traceable communication system.
12    (b) The board shall designate a traceable communication 
13system to be the exclusive means for a district employee or 
14volunteer to communicate electronically with students. The 
15principal of each public school shall provide parents written 
16or electronic notification within the first 10 days of the 
17school year of each electronic school notification and 
18communication program designated within the traceable 
19communication system. The notification shall include 
20instructions for parents to access and review communications 
21sent through each electronic school notification and 
22communication program.
23    Every district employee or volunteer shall sign an 
24acknowledgment of the board's policy regarding the traceable 
25communication system designated under this subsection.
26    (c) Except as provided in subsections (e) and (f), a 
		HB4337	- 3 -	LRB104 17078 LNS 30495 b
1district employee or volunteer may not communicate 
2electronically with a student:
3        (1) outside of the traceable communication system 
4    designated by the board; or
5        (2) through an unauthorized electronic communication 
6    program or application.
7    (d) A district employee who violates subsection (c) is 
8subject to disciplinary action as follows:
9        (1) For licensed employees, the district may note the 
10    incident in their personnel file, issue a warning, or, if 
11    appropriate, terminate employment or the State Board of 
12    Education may revoke, suspend, or refuse to issue or renew 
13    a license, impose probationary or supervisory conditions 
14    upon a license, issue a written reprimand or admonishment, 
15    or perform any combination of those actions regarding a 
16    license.
17        (2) For nonlicensed employees, the district may note 
18    the incident in their personnel file, issue a warning, or, 
19    if appropriate, terminate employment.
20    A school volunteer who violates subsection (c) shall be 
21prohibited from participating in future school volunteer 
22opportunities.
23    (e) A parent may submit written consent to authorize a 
24designated district employee or volunteer who is not a family 
25member to communicate electronically with his or her child 
26outside of the traceable communication system. The written 
		HB4337	- 4 -	LRB104 17078 LNS 30495 b
1consent:
2        (1) shall be filed in the administrative office of the 
3    student's school prior to any electronic communication 
4    being sent from a district employee or volunteer to a 
5    student outside of the traceable communication system;
6        (2) shall designate a single, specific district 
7    employee or volunteer, per each written consent, who may 
8    communicate with the student outside of the traceable 
9    communication system, which designation may not be 
10    transferred to any other district employee or volunteer;
11        (3) may be revoked by a parent at any time;
12        (4) may establish terms limiting electronic 
13    communication with a student, including a term requiring 
14    that a parent be included as a direct party to all 
15    electronic communications sent to the student outside of 
16    the traceable communication system or establishing an 
17    expiration for the term of the consent; and
18        (5) may not authorize a district employee or volunteer 
19    to engage in inappropriate or sexual electronic 
20    communication with a student or be used as the basis of a 
21    defense for a district employee or volunteer who engages 
22    in inappropriate or sexual electronic communication.
23Any electronic communication with a student outside of the 
24traceable communication system shall comply with all terms of 
25the written consent under paragraph (4).
26    (f) Notwithstanding subsections (b) and (c), this Section 
		HB4337	- 5 -	LRB104 17078 LNS 30495 b
1does not restrict any electronic communications between a 
2student and his or her family member who is a district employee 
3or volunteer.
4    (g) A district employee or volunteer who receives a report 
5alleging that another district employee or volunteer 
6participated in an unauthorized electronic communication shall 
7immediately notify the supervising principal. If the subject 
8of the report is the principal, the district employee or 
9volunteer shall immediately notify the general superintendent 
10of schools. If the subject of the report is the general 
11superintendent of schools, the district employee or volunteer 
12shall immediately notify the State Superintendent of Education 
13and the chairperson of the board.
14    A district employee who violates this subsection is 
15subject to disciplinary action as follows:
16        (1) For licensed employees, the district may note the 
17    incident in their personnel file, issue a warning, or, if 
18    appropriate, terminate employment or the State Board of 
19    Education may revoke, suspend, or refuse to issue or renew 
20    a license, impose probationary or supervisory conditions 
21    upon a license, issue a written reprimand or admonishment, 
22    or perform any combination of those actions regarding a 
23    license.
24        (2) For nonlicensed employees, the district may note 
25    the incident in the personnel file, issue a warning, or, 
26    if appropriate, terminate employment.
		HB4337	- 6 -	LRB104 17078 LNS 30495 b
1    (h) Upon receipt of a report alleging that a district 
2employee or volunteer participated in an unauthorized 
3electronic communication, the State Superintendent of 
4Education, a principal, or the general superintendent of 
5schools shall immediately:
6        (1) notify the parent of each student who is an 
7    alleged party to the unauthorized electronic 
8    communication;
9        (2) if the individual who is the subject of the report 
10    is a licensed employee:
11            (A) notify the State Board of Education, who shall 
12        promptly investigate all allegations received under 
13        this subsection and proceed with appropriate 
14        disciplinary actions, including noting the incident in 
15        the individual's personnel file, revoking, suspending, 
16        or refusing to issue or renew a license, imposing 
17        probationary or supervisory conditions upon a license, 
18        issuing a written reprimand or admonishment, or 
19        performing any combination of those actions regarding 
20        a license; and
21            (B) investigate the underlying allegations and 
22        proceed with appropriate disciplinary actions, 
23        including noting the incident in the individual's 
24        personnel file, issuing a warning, or terminating 
25        employment;
26        (3) if the individual who is the subject of the report 
		HB4337	- 7 -	LRB104 17078 LNS 30495 b
1    is a nonlicensed employee, investigate the underlying 
2    allegations and proceed with appropriate disciplinary 
3    actions, including noting the incident in the individual's 
4    personnel file, issuing a warning, or terminating 
5    employment; and
6        (4) if the individual who is the subject of the report 
7    is a school volunteer, investigate the underlying 
8    allegations and, if substantiated, prohibit the volunteer 
9    from participating in future school volunteer 
10    opportunities.
11    If a principal or the general superintendent of schools 
12violates this subsection, he or she is subject to disciplinary 
13action, including the revocation or suspension of or refusal 
14to issue or renew a license, the imposition of probationary or 
15supervisory conditions upon a license, the issuance of a 
16written reprimand or admonishment, any combination of those 
17actions regarding a license, or termination of employment.
18    (i) The State Board of Education shall develop a complaint 
19form for parents to submit to the board, the district, or the 
20State Board of Education if a district employee or volunteer 
21violates this Section.
22    If a complaint alleges an unauthorized electronic 
23communication, sexual contact, or other sexual misconduct, the 
24identity of a complainant who is not the general 
25superintendent of schools and any identifying information of a 
26minor involved in the complaint shall remain confidential.
		HB4337	- 8 -	LRB104 17078 LNS 30495 b
1    If a complaint alleges an unauthorized electronic 
2communication, sexual contact, or other sexual misconduct, the 
3board, the district, or the State Board of Education shall 
4have 120 days after the complaint is filed to conduct an 
5initial review.