Illinois school tip line law

What does the Illinois law require?

The Illinois State Police, consulting other state agencies, must set up a program to take public reports of possible self-harm, or possible harm or criminal acts aimed at students, school employees or schools, to the extent funds are appropriated. The law is the Student Confidential Reporting Act, enacted through SB3936 (Public Act 102-752), and it took effect January 1, 2023. The Illinois State Police Law also directs the State Police to set up this school helpline program. Safe2Help Illinois is defined as a school helpline using a statewide toll-free number, social media, a website or other means of communication. The helpline carries voice, text, photo and other messages to Safe2Help Illinois operators. The helpline must be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Department of Innovation and Technology must run a dedicated website with mental health information and information promoting the program. A state emergency-management release lists the phone and text lines: call 1-844-4SAFEIL (723345) or text SAFE2 (72332).

Which schools are covered?

Under the Act, "school" means a public or nonpublic school offering any grade from kindergarten through 12. The state's 2021 launch release describes Safe2Help as a free, voluntary program for public and private K-12 schools, available at no cost to all school districts.

What must schools do?

Since January 1, 2026, every district serving grades 6-12 that issues student ID cards to those grades must print the Safe2Help Illinois helpline on them, alongside 988 and the Crisis Text Line. The same contact information must go in the school's student handbook and in any custom-printed student planner for grades 6-12. Districts serving grades 6-12 that issue ID cards to staff serving those grades must print the same helpline information on staff ID cards. Chicago Public Schools has the same duty: if it issues ID cards to grades 6-12, it must print the Safe2Help helpline on them. Before 2026, districts could print either Safe2Help or a local suicide prevention hotline; the current law names Safe2Help with no alternative. That change came from HB3000, which became Public Act 104-264 on August 15, 2025.

How are tips routed and handled?

The State Police have ongoing oversight of how the program runs. The program must review every report and send it, with any threat analysis, to local law enforcement and school officials. Tips where mental health services are needed must be referred to the right centralized reporting system. A tip counts as a report to a law enforcement agency, and the State Police must keep it for at least 5 years. The State Police must make sure program or call center staff are properly trained in the areas the law lists. The State Police may contract out work to carry out the Act. Per the 2021 launch release, Safe2Help staff vet every tip and forward it to the right local contact whether or not the district has enrolled, and calls about immediate threats would be routed to 9-1-1. Existing state or locally run school violence help lines must work with Safe2Help as needed.

What about Chicago Public Schools?

Safe2Help must pass information about incidents in Chicago public schools to the CPS Violence Prevention Hotline. The Chicago Board of Education must set up a hotline, with the Chicago Police Department, for anonymous calls that may prevent violence. The hotline number, and the fact that calls are anonymous, must be posted in all Chicago Public Schools.

Are reports confidential?

Reports to the program are confidential and exempt from the Freedom of Information Act (the state's public-records law). Agencies that may share tip information in their work still may not reveal who made the report, except for an imminent threat posing a clear and present danger to the person. Intentionally disclosing confidential tip information unlawfully is a Class C misdemeanor. Helpline employees and law enforcement acting in good faith are immune from civil and criminal liability for handling tips, except for willful or wanton misconduct.

What happens with false reports?

If the State's Attorney believes a tip was made falsely, they may ask a court to disclose the report, including who made it. Separately, Illinois's general disorderly-conduct law makes it a crime to knowingly send a public employee or officer a baseless report that an offense will be, is being, or has been committed. That offense is a Class 4 felony.

Does the state report tip data?

An annual report is due no later than 90 days after the calendar year ends. It must include the number of reports forwarded to local law enforcement and school officials.

How is Safe2Help funded?

For FY2026, the enacted budget gave the State Police $1,300,000 from the General Revenue Fund for the Safe2Help Program. For FY2027, starting July 1, 2026, the enacted budget gives $1,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund for the program. Money deposited under the Act into the State Police Operations Assistance Fund may be used, subject to appropriation, only for listed purposes. One permitted use is promoting public awareness of Safe2Help Illinois and its website.

Are there pending bills?

HB4704 would extend Safe2Help's confidentiality and FOIA exemption to similar independent school helplines. It has not passed; on March 27, 2026 it was re-referred to the House Rules Committee. HB4992 would add Safe2Help or a local hotline to the state's model child abuse notice, with no school duty. It has not passed; on February 6, 2026 it was referred to the House Rules Committee. SB0564 would make a technical change to the Act's short-title section only. It has not passed; on June 1, 2026 it was re-referred to Senate Assignments.