Illinois K–12 · Alyssa’s Law
Illinois Alyssa’s Law: what it says, and what it doesn’t.
Illinois became the thirteenth state to enact Alyssa’s Law when Governor Pritzker signed House Bill 5107 on August 7, 2026. If a vendor has told you your district is already out of compliance, read this first.
- Statute
- Public Act 104-0789
- Bill
- HB 5107 (104th GA)
- Signed
- August 7, 2026
- Effective
- January 1, 2027
Read this before you sign anything
The Illinois statute directs school districts and private schools to consider the use of a mobile panic alert system as part of their emergency response planning. It is not worded as a blanket purchase mandate with a 2026 deadline. Earlier Illinois bills — including HB 1705 and SB 2728, which did carry mandate language and a July 1, 2026 date — did not pass. Any compliance page still citing those bills is describing a law that does not exist.
Sequence
The dates that actually govern your decision
- 2026 · AUG 7
Signed into law
HB 5107 becomes Public Act 104-0789. Senate sponsor Michael E. Hastings (D–Frankfort); Illinois is the thirteenth state to adopt Alyssa’s Law.
- 2027 · JAN 1
Effective date
The Act takes effect. Districts should be planning; the qualifying criteria are still pending.
- 2027 · MAR 1
Illinois State Police rules due
By this date the ISP must develop and publish the rules a system has to meet to qualify as an “Alyssa’s Alert.” ISBE publishes them as well. This is the spec.
- 2028–29
School year target
Consideration of a mobile panic alert system is to be reflected in emergency response planning no later than the start of the 2028–29 school year.
Obligations
What the Act puts on the district
- CONSIDERDistricts and private schools must consider the use of a mobile panic alert system in their emergency response plans.
- COORDINATEYou must coordinate with your local 9-1-1 authority on integration requirements prior to purchase and implementation. Not after. This is the step most districts skip.
- PAYAny cost to the PSAP for connectivity is borne by the district or private school. Budget it now; it is not included in most vendor quotes.
- TESTA qualifying system is tested with the PSAP and first responders at least annually, with the results documented.
Criteria the ISP rules will address
Scalability · reliability · ease of integration with existing systems · efficiency of alert delivery · testing and training · interoperability between agencies.
Our advice
Four things we’d tell your board
We sell these systems. We would still rather you buy the right one in 2027 than the wrong one this quarter.
- 01Talk to your ETSB or 9-1-1 authority before you shortlist. Their integration requirements will eliminate vendors for you, and the statute requires the conversation anyway.
- 02Don’t sign past March 1, 2027 without an out. If you must move early, get a written clause covering remediation at vendor cost should the ISP rules land somewhere the product doesn’t reach.
- 03Budget the PSAP connectivity cost separately. It is yours by statute and it is rarely in the proposal.
- 04Inventory what you already own. Intercom, PA, access control, and cameras you already paid for may cover part of this. Replacing them wholesale is the expensive answer, not the only one.
How we help
Readiness work we do for districts
Readiness review
A written assessment of your buildings, your existing systems, and the gap between them and the criteria the ISP rules are expected to address.
9-1-1 coordination
We sit in the meeting with your ETSB and translate. You get the integration requirements in writing before anyone quotes.
Integration
Tying alerting to the cameras, access control, intercom, and PA you already own, so responders get context and not just a notification.
Annual test documentation
We run the yearly test with your PSAP and first responders and hand you the record your board will be asked for.
This page summarizes Public Act 104-0789 for planning purposes and is not legal advice. Confirm your district’s obligations with your board attorney and your Regional Office of Education, and check the Illinois State Police and ISBE websites for the qualifying rules once published.