Bill Text: IL HB4274 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Engrossed

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Bill Title: Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Public Health to do all of the following no later than July 1, 2025: (1) issue guidelines on how to remove and safely store a tick; (2) publish the guidelines issued and a model form on the Department's website; (3) provide public testing lab information to schools; (4) issue a model form that schools shall send to the parents or guardians of students who have been identified as having been bitten by a tick; and (5) make available to schools, upon request and free of charge, tick removal kits consisting of tweezers, bandages, a sealable plastic bag, an alcohol wipe, repellent wipes, an information card, and a tick identification card. Specifies requirements for the form. Amends the School Code. Requires, before the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, a school board to establish procedures on tick removal consistent with the guidelines developed by the Department of Public Health. Includes provisions relating to preserving the tick for possible testing by the parent or guardian and school district immunity for tick removal.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-19 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB4274 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB4274-Engrossed.html

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AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Department of Public Health Powers and
Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is
amended by adding Section 2310-666 as follows:
(20 ILCS 2310/2310-666 new)
Sec. 2310-666. Tick removal guidelines and form.
(a) The Department shall do all of the following no later
than July 1, 2025:
(1) Issue guidelines on how to remove and safely store
a tick.
(2) Publish the guidelines issued under paragraph (1)
and the model form issued under paragraph (4) on the
Department's website.
(3) Provide public testing lab information to schools.
The lab must have the capability to provide test results
to the parents or guardians of students.
(4) Issue a model form as provided in subsection (b)
that schools shall send to the parents or guardians of
students who have been identified as having been bitten by
a tick.
(5) Make available to schools, upon request and free

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of charge, tick removal kits consisting of tweezers,
bandages, a sealable plastic bag, an alcohol wipe,
repellent wipes, an information card, and a tick
identification card.
(b) The initial form issued by the Department under
paragraph (4) of subsection (a) shall be in substantially the
following form and may be updated by the Department based on
recommendations from the Lyme Disease Task Force as necessary:
"This letter is to inform you that a tick was found and
removed from (student's name) (location on body) on
(date).
Due to the high incidences of tick-borne diseases
discovered in Illinois through tick surveillance, the
school will, at your request as the parent or guardian,
preserve the tick for up to 3 school days so that you may
send the tick to a lab for testing. At your request, a
handout will be given to you providing information on how
you may submit the tick to a lab for testing. However, you
may give the school permission to dispose of the tick
before the 3 school-day period has expired. After 3 school
days, the school may dispose of the tick.
Ticks found in Illinois and other nearby states carry
germs that can transmit disease and make people sick. When
ticks bite and attach, the likelihood of exposure to Lyme
disease increases with the length of time the tick is
attached. Symptoms of Lyme disease include a bullseye rash

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or atypical rash, chills, fever, headache, tiredness,
stiff neck, joint pain or swelling, and swollen lymph
nodes. A bullseye rash occurs only in 70% to 80% of
infected persons.
The most common illnesses caused by ticks that bite
and attach for less than 24 hours include spotted fever
group rickettsiosis, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis.
Symptoms of these illnesses may be similar to Lyme disease
but may also include spotted rash, nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea, and loss of appetite.
It is recommended that you call your child's health
care provider if you notice any signs or symptoms of
illness, such as a skin rash, fever, or flu-like symptoms
for up to one month following the tick bite. Most
tickborne diseases can be treated with antibiotics if
recognized and diagnosed promptly.
For more information about ticks and how to prevent
bites visit: (the Department of Public Health's website on
tickborne illnesses). If you have any questions regarding
your child's health, call your child's health care
provider.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
(Title)"
Section 10. The School Code is amended by adding Sections

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10-20.87 and 34-18.87 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/10-20.87 new)
Sec. 10-20.87. Tick removal.
(a) Before the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year,
each school board shall establish procedures on tick removal
consistent with guidelines developed by the Department of
Public Health under Section 2310-666 of the Department of
Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil
Administrative Code of Illinois.
(b) If a tick is removed at a school, the school shall, at
the request of a parent or guardian, preserve the tick for up
to 3 school days so that the parent or guardian may send the
tick to a lab for testing and shall, at the request of a parent
or guardian, provide information to the parent or guardian on
how to send the tick to a lab for testing. However, the parent
or guardian may give the school permission to dispose of the
tick before the 3 school-day period has expired.
(c) A school district and its employees and agents may not
be held liable, except for willful or wanton conduct, as a
result of any injury arising from the removal of a tick if the
removal of the tick was conducted following the guidelines
issued by the Department of Public Health under Section
2310-666 of the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties
Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.

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