HB4249

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POLICE OFFICER TRAUMA TRAINING

What this bill does

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall develop or approve a standard curriculum for certified training programs in the recognition of trauma-informed responses to traumatic events, adverse childhood experiences, and toxic stress among law enforcement. Provides that the training shall include (1) teaching officers how to define and distinguish between acute trauma, chronic trauma, cumulative occupational stress, adverse childhood experiences, and toxic stress; (2) teaching officers to recognize trauma-related responses in themselves and others through behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and physiological indicators of traumatic stress, including how these indicators may present during calls for service and during officer-public interaction; (3) teaching officers the impact of trauma and how occupational trauma exposure, moral injury, burnout, toxic work environments, and cumulative stress affect decision making, communication, performance, and well-being; (4) education on the effects of psychological safety on organizational culture of law enforcement and the immediate work environment; (5) ways to improve psychological safety through trauma-informed communication and interaction skills, such as reducing escalation and engaging peers and other officers in a compassionate, culturally responsive, and nonjudgmental manner; (6) techniques for compassionate, sensitive, and nonjudgmental service delivery, including trauma-responsive communication and de-escalation; (7) procedures for recognizing and responding to traumatically triggering situations and emphasize tools and techniques for achieving situationally optimal outcomes; and (8) comprehensive strategies and tools to manage the impact of trauma, cumulative occupational stress, adverse childhood experiences and toxic stress. Provides that the training must be presented in all full and part-time basic law enforcement academies on or before July 1, 2027. Provides that law enforcement agencies must present the training to all law enforcement officers within 3 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that the Board shall evaluate training effectiveness through post-training assessments, ongoing officer feedback, wellness and safety metrics, and annual public reporting.

Sponsor: Maurice A. West, II Chamber: House Introduced: 2025-12-18
Stuck
P(Advance)
26.8%
Chance it ever reaches a milestone (committee, floor, etc.). Not “next step.”
P(Law)
0.0%
Chance it becomes law given where it is now (stage, momentum).
Confidence: 73%

Calculating prediction drivers...

Pipeline Progress

Current stage: In Committee · Last action 144 days ago · SLOW

How does a bill become law in Illinois?
  1. Introduction of Bill

    A member of the Senate or the House introduces a bill, which is assigned a unique identifying number (e.g., "H.B. ___" for House bills and "S.B. ___" for Senate bills). If not enacted, it must be reintroduced in the next General Assembly with a new number.

  2. Committee Work — Hearings

    The bill goes to the appropriate committee, which holds hearings to gather expert opinions and determine the need for the legislation.

  3. Committee Work — Markup, Amendments, Report

    The committee may make amendments to the bill. If approved, a committee report endorsing the bill is issued.

  4. Floor Debate

    The bill is debated and can be further amended. The debate transcripts are accessible online for public viewing.

  5. Passage and Consideration in Second Chamber

    If the bill passes in the first chamber, it moves to the second chamber for a similar review process. If both chambers approve, it goes to the governor.

  6. Gubernatorial Action

    The governor can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action (resulting in an automatic law after 60 days). The type of veto can be total or amendatory. Once signed, the bill becomes a Public Act and is assigned a Public Act number.

Sponsor Context

Hearings

This bill has not been scheduled for a committee hearing.

Action History

4 actions recorded. Last action: 2026-02-17 — Assigned toPolice & Fire Committee. Each action's meaning and outcome signal are classified automatically.

2025-12-18 Introduction & Filing
Filed with the Clerk byRep. Maurice A. West, II House Rule 6(b)
Bill officially submitted to the House Clerk during the session.
2026-01-14 Introduction & Filing
First Reading Senate Rule 5-1(d)/5-2; House Rule 37(d)/38
Formal introduction — title read into the official record. Required procedural step; bill now exists in the system.
2026-01-14 Committee Assignment
Referred toRules Committee Senate Rule 3-8(a); House Rule 18(a)
Sent to a committee (usually Rules in the House, Assignments in the Senate). The gatekeeping step — Rules/Assignments decides which substantive committee hears the bill.
2026-02-17 Committee Assignment
Assigned toPolice & Fire Committee Senate Rule 3-8(a); House Rule 18(b)
Sent to a substantive committee (e.g., Transportation, Revenue). This is where the bill gets a real hearing and evaluation.

All actions (table)

Date Chamber Action Category Signal
2025-12-18 House Filed with the Clerk byRep. Maurice A. West, II House Rule 6(b) Introduction & Filing
2026-01-14 House First Reading Senate Rule 5-1(d)/5-2; House Rule 37(d)/38 Introduction & Filing
2026-01-14 House Referred toRules Committee Senate Rule 3-8(a); House Rule 18(a) Committee Assignment
2026-02-17 House Assigned toPolice & Fire Committee Senate Rule 3-8(a); House Rule 18(b) Committee Assignment