HB2739 amends the Illinois School Code’s student discipline provisions to require a minimum one-year expulsion for a student determined to have committed sexual violence, sexual assault, or sexual activity without consent at school, at a school-sponsored event, or at another activity with a reasonable relationship to school. The bill places this new mandatory expulsion standard alongside existing mandatory expulsion rules for firearms and certain weapons, and it applies the same discipline framework to elementary and secondary schools, charter schools, special charter districts, and Article 34 school districts.
The bill also preserves the existing procedural protections and discipline structure in Section 10-22.6, including notice, hearings, written findings, alternative placement options, and consistency with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It retains provisions limiting suspensions and expulsions to cases where other interventions have been exhausted and where the student’s presence poses a safety threat or substantial disruption, while adding the new sexual-violence expulsion category as a specific mandatory consequence. The bill is effective immediately and may implicate the State Mandates Act because it could require school districts to implement new procedures and potentially incur reimbursable costs.
Impact
HB2739 would change Section 10-22.6 of the School Code by adding sexual violence, sexual assault, and nonconsensual sexual activity to the list of offenses requiring at least a one-year expulsion when committed in school-related settings. It would not eliminate existing disciplinary process requirements, but it would narrow school discretion by creating a mandatory minimum expulsion for this category of misconduct. The bill could affect school districts, administrators, students subject to discipline, and alternative education programs, while also interacting with existing protections for students with disabilities and re-engagement/alternative placement policies.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes, the available record shows the sponsor’s intent to impose a stronger disciplinary response to sexual violence in schools. The overall framing is punitive and safety-focused, with the bill presented as a school discipline measure rather than a broader education policy change. Because there are no transcripts or vote tallies provided, no broader bipartisan or opposition sentiment can be confirmed from the available materials.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely the bill’s mandatory minimum one-year expulsion for sexual violence-related conduct, which reduces case-by-case discretion for school officials and could raise concerns about due process, proportionality, and how schools handle allegations involving minors. Another possible area of concern is how the new mandate would interact with existing discipline reforms that generally discourage zero-tolerance policies and encourage non-exclusionary interventions. The bill also raises practical questions about implementation, alternative placements, and compliance with disability law, which could be of concern to school districts and administrators.