New Illinois Law’s Impact on a School Resource Officer’s Role on School Grounds
Oct 21, 2025
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SRO’s Ability to Ticket Students on School Grounds
In its most recent session, the Illinois Legislature brought full circle the changes it initiated in 2015 for school-based fines for students. In 2015, the Illinois Legislature passed a law that prevented districts from using fines to discipline students, but still permitted a School Resource Officer (“SRO”) to issue tickets with monetary fines for student as part of school-based discipline. On August 20, 2025, Governor Pritzker signed SB 1519 into law to restrict a SRO’s ability to engage in this practice. SB 1519 immediately prohibits SROs from issuing monetary fines, fees, tickets, or citations to students as a disciplinary measure for municipal code violations on school grounds during school hours or while taking school transportation.
This new law also prohibits school personnel (rather than a district) from referring a truant student to any other local public entity or SRO to issue the student a fine or fee as punishment for truancy. This law does carve out a limited exception for SROs to issue monetary fines, fees, tickets, or citations for traffic, boating, and fish/game law violations. For example, while a SRO would be prohibited from issuing a ticket for possession of cannabis, a tobacco vape, littering, or fights on school grounds, a SRO could issue a ticket for a speeding violation within the school parking lot.
SB 1519 does not impact a SRO’s ability to intervene to maintain security and safety on school grounds and on transportation, to assist with and/or provide behavior interventions, or the ability of school personnel to request support from the SRO in particular instances of school violence, criminal activities, or threats to safety. However, this law does limit the SRO in the manner in which they are able to respond in those circumstances, specifically in that they will be prohibited from issuing monetary fines, fees, tickets, or citations for such conduct under the municipal code.
Additional District Obligations
In addition to establishing stricter parameters around ticketing students on school grounds, SB 1519 requires that beginning July 1, 2026, districts with a SRO must create a formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the District and the local law enforcement agency, which outlines the role of the SRO and training and evaluation procedures. The MOU must also reflect the prohibition of ticketing as a disciplinary measure for municipal code violations in accordance with SB 1519.
Additionally, starting with the 2027-2028 school year, all Districts must report to ISBE all K-12 referrals to law enforcement, along with student demographic information. ISBE will prepare a report on statewide referral to law enforcement data beginning in 2029.
Finally, Illinois School Code has long required a parent-teacher advisory committee to develop policy guideline procedures to establish and maintain a reciprocal reporting system between the school district and local law enforcement agencies regarding criminal offenses committed by students. SB 1519 now requires a parent-teacher advisory committee to develop policy guideline procedures to establish and maintain a reciprocal reporting system between the school district and local law enforcement agencies regarding both criminal and civil offenses committed by students. It also requires the student discipline policy to include provisions to address students who have demonstrated behaviors that put them at risk for aggressive behavior, including without limitation bullying, as defined in the policy. These provisions must include procedures for notifying parents/legal guardians and intervention procedures. A copy of the discipline policy must be provided to the parents or guardian of each student within 15 days after the beginning of the school year, or within 15 days after starting classes for a student who transfers into the district during the school year. We note that a large portion of the parent teacher advisory requirements described here were already in place and SB 1519 expanded the reciprocal reporting system to cover both criminal and civil offenses, rather than just criminal as was the prior requirement.
Robbins Schwartz will continue to monitor the application of this law. Please contact your Robbins Schwartz attorney with questions about preparing for or responding to these new requirements under SB 1519.
