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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,
3
represented in the General Assembly:

4

Section 5.
The School Code is amended by adding Section
5
34-21.11 as follows:

6

(105 ILCS 5/34-21.11 new)
7

Sec. 34-21.11.
Electronic communication between district
8
employees and students.

9

(a) As used in this Section:
10

"District employee or volunteer" means a school
11
administrator, classified or licensed employee of the
12
district, school volunteer, nonfaculty coach or assistant
13
coach, student teacher, or sponsor of an extracurricular
14
program or activity.
15

"Family member" means a parent, brother, sister, son,
16
daughter, aunt, uncle, or grandparent.
17

"Parent" means a parent, legal guardian, or other person
18
or agency responsible for a student.
19

"Traceable communication system" means one or more
20
electronic school notification and communication programs or
21
applications that:
22

(1) are designated by the board;
23

(2) trace all communications sent to or by a student;

HB4337
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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
5
electronic communication with a student by a district employee
6
or volunteer who is not the student's family member that
7
occurs outside of a designated traceable communication system
8
and without prior written parental consent and includes any
9
personal email account, text messaging, social media, or other
10
electronic notification and communication programs outside of
11
the traceable communication system.
12

(b) The board shall designate a traceable communication
13
system to be the exclusive means for a district employee or
14
volunteer to communicate electronically with students. The
15
principal of each public school shall provide parents written
16
or electronic notification within the first 10 days of the
17
school year of each electronic school notification and
18
communication program designated within the traceable
19
communication system. The notification shall include
20
instructions for parents to access and review communications
21
sent through each electronic school notification and
22
communication program.
23

Every district employee or volunteer shall sign an
24
acknowledgment of the board's policy regarding the traceable
25
communication system designated under this subsection.
26

(c) Except as provided in subsections (e) and (f), a

HB4337
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LRB104 17078 LNS 30495 b
1
district employee or volunteer may not communicate
2
electronically 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
8
subject 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
21
prohibited from participating in future school volunteer
22
opportunities.
23

(e) A parent may submit written consent to authorize a
24
designated district employee or volunteer who is not a family
25
member to communicate electronically with his or her child
26
outside of the traceable communication system. The written

HB4337
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LRB104 17078 LNS 30495 b
1
consent:
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.
23
Any electronic communication with a student outside of the
24
traceable communication system shall comply with all terms of
25
the written consent under paragraph (4).

26

(f) Notwithstanding subsections (b) and (c), this Section

HB4337
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LRB104 17078 LNS 30495 b
1
does not restrict any electronic communications between a
2
student and his or her family member who is a district employee
3
or volunteer.
4

(g) A district employee or volunteer who receives a report
5
alleging that another district employee or volunteer
6
participated in an unauthorized electronic communication shall
7
immediately notify the supervising principal. If the subject
8
of the report is the principal, the district employee or
9
volunteer shall immediately notify the general superintendent
10
of schools. If the subject of the report is the general
11
superintendent of schools, the district employee or volunteer
12
shall immediately notify the State Superintendent of Education
13
and the chairperson of the board.
14

A district employee who violates this subsection is
15
subject 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
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LRB104 17078 LNS 30495 b
1

(h) Upon receipt of a report alleging that a district
2
employee or volunteer participated in an unauthorized
3
electronic communication, the State Superintendent of
4
Education, a principal, or the general superintendent of
5
schools 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
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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
12
violates this subsection, he or she is subject to disciplinary
13
action, including the revocation or suspension of or refusal
14
to issue or renew a license, the imposition of probationary or
15
supervisory conditions upon a license, the issuance of a
16
written reprimand or admonishment, any combination of those
17
actions regarding a license, or termination of employment.
18

(i) The State Board of Education shall develop a complaint
19
form for parents to submit to the board, the district, or the
20
State Board of Education if a district employee or volunteer
21
violates this Section.

22

If a complaint alleges an unauthorized electronic
23
communication, sexual contact, or other sexual misconduct, the
24
identity of a complainant who is not the general
25
superintendent of schools and any identifying information of a
26
minor involved in the complaint shall remain confidential.

HB4337
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LRB104 17078 LNS 30495 b
1

If a complaint alleges an unauthorized electronic
2
communication, sexual contact, or other sexual misconduct, the
3
board, the district, or the State Board of Education shall
4
have 120 days after the complaint is filed to conduct an
5
initial review.

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