A new Illinois law will require teachers to receive service animal training as part of their annual training, in a measure aimed at protecting service animals in schools and the students who rely on them, according to a news release from state Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, D-Ottawa.

Senate Bill 2761 requires annual training regarding protection and accommodations for students who rely on service animals in classrooms. That training is in addition to what is already included in required educator training, according to the release.

“The more teachers and instructional staff know about the critical role service animals play, the better they’ll be able to support the students who rely on them for success in the classroom,” Briel said in the release. “This measure ensures that students across Illinois will be able to bring their service animals to school without fear of causing their animals mental or physical distress.”

The law was proposed by State Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield.

“Service animals offer critical assistance for individuals – helping to enhance independence and safety – and when students are in need of this specific accommodation at school, a lack of well-defined policies can lead to disability discrimination,” Turner said in a news release from the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus. “No student should feel ostracized at school, and especially not because of a medical necessity like needing a service animal.”

The bill is in response to growing concerns from some who’ve said that students’ service animals were being taunted and disturbed in school settings, interfering with the animals’ role of caring for their student handler, according to the release.

“Service animals aren’t pets, they are essential medical equipment that can mean the difference between life and death for their users,” Briel said in the release. “Bullying and harassment have no place in our schools in general, and that’s especially true when that harassment puts students’ medical equipment in harm’s way.”

Students who need service animals in order to equally access public schools are protected under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Senate Bill 2761 will set the tone for school environments that value diversity and inclusion by adding training on the proper handling of service animals in the school setting to the ADA training teachers, administrators and school support personnel already receive.

Turner said she proposed the law after learning about an incident involving a Rochester High School student who uses a medical alert dog to manage her Type 1 diabetes – alerting the student when her blood sugar drops too low and helping her stay alive, according to a news release. The student spoke about her experiences at a Nov. 12, 2025, Rochester School District 3A school board meeting, according to a video of the meeting posted by the district.

In that meeting, the student reported harassment from other students at a school board meeting, claiming her peers would step on her Labrador’s legs – hurting his hips – pull his tail, throw food at him and bark at him in the hallways, according to the release. The Democratic Caucus’ release cited a video posted by the student on social media, during which the student spoke about the issues and alleged the school district has not taken action to protect her service animal.

“After meeting with the Rochester student, I knew we needed to take action on a long-overdue proposal so her teachers can access essential information about the protections she and other students are entitled to,” Turner said in the release. “Students and families who rely on accommodations need to be met with compassion – not discrimination.”

The measure passed both chambers with bipartisan support and was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker on July 24, according to the release. The legislation takes effect Jan. 1.