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SB 1491

INTERVENTION TEAM-THERAPY DOG

104th Regular Session Introduced by Meg Loughran Cappel and 15 co-sponsors

Requires IL Training Board to create a 40-hour Crisis Intervention Team certification and a therapy-dog crisis response program to expand mental-health help by 1/1/2026.

Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0106
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Bill Summary · SB 1491

SB 1491 — Intervention Team — Therapy Dog (Public Act 104-0106)

Status: Enacted (Public Act 104-0106). Effective date: January 1, 2026.
Introduced: February 20, 2025. Introduced in Senate by Sen. Mary Edly-Allen. Companion: HB 1172.

Purpose / Intent

The Act amends Section 10.17 of the Illinois Police Training Act to (1) continue and clarify crisis intervention and mental-health awareness training requirements for law enforcement, and (2) require the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to develop a course and certification program specifically for law‑enforcement therapy dog teams used in crisis and emergency response. The goal is to expand non‑coercive, mental‑health‑focused response options and make Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officers and certified therapy dog teams regionally available for dispatch during crises.

Key provisions

  • Requires the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to:

    • Develop and approve a standard curriculum for certified Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programs, including a specialty certification course of at least 40 hours focused on policing responses to people with mental illness.
    • Offer CIT training that trains officers to recognize signs/symptoms of mental illness, perform verbal de‑escalation, role‑play scenarios, and connect persons in crisis to treatment. CIT programs must be collaborative with mental‑health providers, families, and consumer advocates.
    • Create an introductory mental health awareness course for officers (using adult learning models), covering history of the mental health system, types/signs/symptoms of mental illness, common treatments/medications, likely law enforcement interactions, and de‑escalation. This course may be made available electronically.
    • Develop a course and formal certification program for certified therapy dog teams — teams of officers who employ therapy dogs in crisis/emergency response — and promote availability of CIT officers and therapy dog teams across regions so they can be dispatched to crises.

  • Officers completing CIT training receive certificates of attendance/certification.

Who is affected

  • Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board (responsible for curriculum development and certification).
  • Illinois law enforcement agencies and officers (new/expanded training and certification opportunities).
  • Officers participating on therapy dog teams and certified therapy dogs.
  • Mental‑health providers, families, and consumer advocates (as collaborators in training).
  • Individuals experiencing mental‑health crises and communities benefiting from expanded non‑coercive crisis response resources.

Implementation & fiscal note

  • The Act specifies training and certification duties but does not appropriate new funding within the text. Agencies and the Training Board will bear development and delivery costs; local departments may incur training, staffing, and program implementation expenses.
  • Effective date is January 1, 2026, giving the Board time to develop curriculum and certification processes.

Legislative history highlights

  • Filed Feb 20, 2025; passed both chambers; enrolled to Governor May 2, 2025; approved and made Public Act 104-0106 (Governor approval recorded Aug 1, 2025).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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