Peoria Standard

Illinois state Sen. Thomas Bennett (R-Gibson City) wants to make sure school districts and first responders are better prepared should an emergency occur at a school building.

Bennett shared information about a bipartisan proposal he's cosponsoring on his website.

“This will help our schools be better prepared when the unthinkable happens, whether it’s a weather emergency or violence against students," Bennett said on his website. "The ability of first responders to move and act quickly can save lives when tragedy strikes. This is a commonsense step we can take to make our schools safer.” 

The proposal, known as Senate Bill 2577, would provide schools with funding in the form of grants to help districts create precise maps to be used for crisis response, which would be provided to law enforcement and first responders in case of an emergency. 

The legislation would make changes to the School Safety Drill Act, known as Public Act 094-0600, which took effect almost 18 years ago. The law created minimum requirements and standards for all schools in Illinois when it came to safety drills and reviews of emergency response plans. It also determined how many and what kind of drills schools would be required to do each year and allowed first responders to participate. 

Under the new proposal, the new crisis response maps would be stored digitally, so it's easier for first responders to get access to it in response to an emergency at schools. The funding for the maps would be provided through the Illinois Board of Education. The law would take effect right away once it was passed.

Bennett, who was appointed to represent the 53rd Senate District in January, previously served as a state representative for the 106th District, a position he held from 2015 to 2023. Prior to his time in the Legislature, he taught junior and senior high school science and worked as an IT professional at State Farm Insurance, according to his website biography.