VIOLENCE PREVENTION

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB5560

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB5560

Introduced 2/13/2026, by Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 1305/10-68 new
105 ILCS 5/27-23.19 new
105 ILCS 5/34-18.88 new
110 ILCS 947/65.140 new

Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Requires the Department
of Human Services to establish a Community Grief and Violence Prevention
Pilot Program to interrupt cycles of violence and address grief and trauma
in the City of Chicago and Southland region. Specifies that, under the
Pilot Program, funds shall be allocated to deploy Community Grief Response
Teams, which shall provide immediate, on-site trauma support to families
and neighborhoods within 24 hours of a violent incident; shall provide
long-term case management and grief counseling to survivors; and shall
facilitate restorative justice circles to resolve community conflicts
before they escalate to violence. Amends the School Code. Provides that,
beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public elementary school
shall incorporate grief literacy and restorative justice practices and
programs into its social-emotional learning standards. Requires the Board
of Trustees of the Chicago Public Schools to expand the Parent University
Program to include mandatory modules on violence prevention,
trauma-informed care, and recognizing signs of grief. Amends the Higher
Education Student Assistance Act. Requires the Illinois Student Assistance
Commission to establish a grant program to support the recruitment and
retention of mental health professionals in communities disproportionately
impacted by violence. Requires the State of Illinois to formally
recognizes the Master of Social Work (MSW) as a professional degree
essential to public health and safety. Effective immediately.
LRB104 18435 KTG 31877 b

A BILL FOR

HB5560
LRB104 18435 KTG 31877 b
1

AN ACT concerning violence prevention.

2

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3
represented in the General Assembly:

4

Section 5.
The Department of Human Services Act is amended
5
by adding Section 10-68 as follows:

6

(20 ILCS 1305/10-68 new)
7

Sec. 10-68.
Community Grief and Violence Prevention Pilot
8
Program.

9

(a) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall
10
establish a Community Grief and Violence Prevention Pilot
11
Program to interrupt cycles of violence and address grief and
12
trauma. The pilot program shall launch initially in the City
13
of Chicago and the Southland region, encompassing southern
14
Cook County and eastern Will County.
15

(b) The Department shall prioritize grant funding and
16
implementation partnerships with community-led organizations
17
with established track records in violence prevention and
18
grief support, specifically including the Save Our
19
Schoolchildren organization, to serve as lead community
20
partners. The Department shall partner with Governors State
21
University, specifically its College of Health and Human
22
Services and Social Work programs, to develop the training
23
curriculum, evaluate program efficacy, and certify the

HB5560
- 2 -
LRB104 18435 KTG 31877 b
1
workforce described in this Section.

2

(c) Under the pilot program, funds shall be allocated to
3
deploy Community Grief Response Teams. These teams shall:
4

(1) provide immediate, on-site trauma support to
5

families and neighborhoods within 24 hours of a violent
6

incident;
7

(2) provide long-term case management and grief
8

counseling to survivors; and
9

(3) facilitate restorative justice circles to resolve
10

community conflicts before they escalate to violence.

11

(d) In collaboration with Governors State University, the
12
Department shall administer a trauma and grief support
13
certification for educators, health care workers, law
14
enforcement officers, and community outreach staff. This
15
training must include cultural responsiveness, identifying
16
signs of childhood trauma, and de-escalation techniques.

17

Section 10.
The School Code is amended by adding Sections
18
27-23.19 and 34-18.88 as follows:

19

(105 ILCS 5/27-23.19 new)
20

Sec. 27-23.19.
Grief literacy and violence prevention.

21

(a) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public
22
elementary school shall incorporate grief literacy and
23
restorative justice practices and program into its
24
social-emotional learning standards.

HB5560
- 3 -
LRB104 18435 KTG 31877 b
1

(b) Instruction shall be age-appropriate and designed to
2
help students:
3

(1) identify and process complex emotions related to
4

loss and trauma;
5

(2) resolve conflicts using non-violent communication;
6

and
7

(3) access school-based healing programs and
8

counseling resources.

9

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.88 new)
10

Sec. 34-18.88.
Grief literacy and violence prevention.
The
11
Board shall expand the Parent University program to include
12
mandatory modules on violence prevention, trauma-informed
13
care, and recognizing signs of grief. If a student is subject
14
to disciplinary action involving violence or threats of
15
violence, the student's parent or guardian may be referred to
16
complete specific restorative justice and violence prevention
17
tracks within the Parent University program or a similar
18
community-based program. The goal of such referral is to equip
19
parents with tools to support their child's rehabilitation and
20
to foster a home environment conducive to healing.

21

Section 15.
The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
22
amended by adding Section 65.140 as follows:

23

(110 ILCS 947/65.140 new)

HB5560
- 4 -
LRB104 18435 KTG 31877 b
1

Sec. 65.140.
The Social Work Workforce Pipeline Grant.

2

(a) The Commission shall establish a grant program to
3
support the recruitment and retention of mental health
4
professionals in communities disproportionately impacted by
5
violence.
6

(b) The State of Illinois formally recognizes the Master
7
of Social Work (MSW) as a professional degree essential to
8
public health and safety.
9

(c) Subject to appropriation, the Commission shall award
10
grants to students enrolled in the Master of Social Work
11
program at Governors State University who commit to working in
12
the Pilot areas designated in Section 10-65 of the Department
13
of Human Services Act for a minimum of 3 years
14
post-graduation.
15

(d) The purpose of this grant is to maximize access to
16
federal and State financial aid and to eliminate financial
17
barriers for a culturally responsive workforce.

18

Section 99.
Effective date.
This Act takes effect upon
19
becoming law.

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