Bill
HB 3797
HB 3797 requires ISBE to create an automated system to suspend educator licenses immediately after conviction for sex offenses or crimes requiring sex-offender registration.
Status and procedural history
- Bill number: HB 3797 (introduced 2/18/2025 by Rep. Curtis J. Tarver, II). Companion: SB 1418.
- Current status (as of May 2025): Rule 19(a) / Re‑referred to Rules Committee.
- Key recent steps: Referred to Public Education (3/26/2025); hearings and committee consideration in April 2025 (reported favorably without amendment); placed on the General State Calendar in early May and later laid on the table subject to call (5/9/2025).
Purpose and intent
- Require the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to create an automated system to suspend educator licenses when a license holder is convicted of certain sex‑related crimes. The policy aims to ensure timely suspension of educator licenses upon relevant criminal convictions.
What the bill does (key provisions)
- Amends Section 21B‑80 of the School Code (Educator Licensure Article).
- Adds a requirement that the State Board of Education create a system for the automatic suspension of any license issued under the Educator Licensure Article if the license holder has been:
- convicted of a crime under Article 11 of the Criminal Code of 2012 (sex offenses), or
- convicted of a crime that requires registration under the Sex Offender Registration Act.
- Leaves intact existing statutory provisions in Section 21B‑80 that:
- Define “sex or other offense” and “drug offense” and list covered criminal statutes;
- Require license suspension or denial while certain charges are pending (subsection b‑5);
- Require immediate suspension and eventual revocation when convictions are final for certain serious offenses (subsection c);
- Provide for termination of suspension/reinstatement if convictions are reversed, acquitted, or charges dismissed.
Who is affected
- Educator license holders and applicants under Illinois’ Educator Licensure Article (teachers, school administrators, other licensed school personnel).
- Local school districts and employers (responsibility to respond to license suspensions).
- Illinois State Board of Education (implementation, system development, coordination with criminal records and registries).
- Students, families and communities (public safety and notification implications).
Operational and timeline implications
- ISBE will need to design, implement and maintain an automated notification/suspension system, likely requiring data exchange with courts, the Illinois State Police, or the Sex Offender Registry.
- The bill does not change existing due‑process language: suspensions are terminated if convictions are reversed/charges dismissed; when a conviction becomes final, license revocation procedures apply per current law.
Bottom line
- HB 3797 mandates an automated administrative mechanism at the State Board of Education to promptly suspend educator licenses upon convictions for sex offenses or offenses requiring sex‑offender registration, strengthening the statutory framework that already authorizes suspension, denial, and revocation for serious criminal conduct.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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