105 ILCS 5/14-8.02b

(105 ILCS 5/14-8.02b)

Sec. 14-8.02b. Expedited Hearings.

(a) The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly shall apply to all expedited hearings requested on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly.

(b) Unless otherwise provided by this Section, the provisions of Section 14-8.02a are applicable to this Section. The State Board of Education shall provide for the conduct of expedited hearings in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Public Law 108-446, 20 USC Sections 1400 et seq. (hereafter IDEA).

(c) An expedited hearing may be requested by:

(i) a parent or student if the student is at least 18 years of age or emancipated, if there is a disagreement with regard to a determination that the student's behavior was not a manifestation of the student's disability, or if there is a disagreement regarding the district's decision to move the student to an interim alternative educational setting for behavior at school, on school premises, or at a school function involving a weapon or drug or for behavior at school, on school premises, or at a school function involving the infliction of serious bodily injury by the student, as defined by IDEA pursuant to Section 615(k)(1)(G); and

(ii) a school district, if school personnel believe that maintaining the current placement of the student is substantially likely to result in injury to the student or others pursuant to Section 615(k)(3)(A) of IDEA.

(d) A school district shall make a request in writing to the State Board of Education and promptly mail a copy of the request to the parents or student (if at least 18 years of age or emancipated) at the parents' or student's last known address. A request made by the parent or student (if at least 18 years of age or emancipated) shall be made in writing to the superintendent of the school district in which the student resides, who shall forward the request to the State Board of Education within one business day of receipt of the request. Upon receipt of the request, the State Board of Education shall appoint a due process hearing officer using a rotating appointment system and shall notify the hearing officer of his or her appointment.

(e) A request for an expedited hearing initiated by a district for the sole purpose of moving a student from his or her current placement to an interim alternative educational setting because of dangerous misconduct must be accompanied by all documentation that substantiates the district's position that maintaining the student in his or her current placement is substantially likely to result in injury to the student or to others. Also, the documentation shall include written statements of (1) whether the district is represented by legal counsel or intends to retain legal counsel; (2) the matters the district believes to be in dispute in the case and the specific relief being sought; and (3) the names of all witnesses the district intends to call to testify at the hearing.

(f) An expedited hearing requested by the parent or student (if at least 18 years of age or emancipated) to challenge the removal of the student from his or her current placement to an interim alternative educational setting or a manifestation determination made by the district as described in IDEA shall include a written statement as to the reason the parent believes that the action taken by the district is not supported by substantial evidence and all relevant documentation in the parent's possession. Also, the documentation shall include written statements of (1) whether the parent is represented by legal counsel or intends to retain legal counsel; (2) the matters the parent believes to be in dispute in the case and the specific relief being sought; and (3) the names of all witnesses the parent intends to call to testify at the hearing.

(g) Except as otherwise described in this subsection (g), the school district shall be required to convene the resolution meeting described in subsection (g-20) of Section 14-8.02a of this Code unless the parties choose to utilize mediation in place of the resolution meeting or waive the resolution meeting in accordance with procedures described in subsection (g-30) of Section 14-8.02a of this Code. The resolution meeting shall be convened within 7 days after the date that the expedited hearing request is received by the district.

(h) The hearing officer shall not initiate or participate in any ex parte communications with the parties, except to arrange the date, time, and location of the expedited hearing. The hearing officer shall contact the parties within 5 days after appointment and set a hearing date which shall be no earlier than 15 calendar days following the school district's receipt of the expedited hearing request or upon completion of the resolution meeting, if earlier, and no later than 20 school days after receipt of the expedited hearing request. The hearing officer shall set a date no less than 2 business days prior to the date of the expedited hearing for the parties to exchange documentation and a list of witnesses. The non-requesting party shall not be required to submit a written response to the expedited hearing request. The parties may request mediation. The mediation shall not delay the timeline set by the hearing officer for conducting the expedited hearing. The length of the hearing shall not exceed 2 days unless good cause is shown. Good cause shall be determined by the hearing officer in his or her sole discretion and may include the unavailability of a party or witness to attend the scheduled hearing.

(i) Any party to the hearing shall have the right to (1) be represented by counsel and be accompanied and advised by individuals with special knowledge or training with respect to the problems of children with disabilities, at the party's own expense; (2) present evidence and confront and cross-examine witnesses; (3) move for the exclusion of witnesses from the hearing until they are called to testify, provided, however, that this provision may not be invoked to exclude the individual designated by a party to assist that party or its representative in the presentation of the case; (4) in accord with the provisions of subsection (g-55) of Section 14-8.02a, obtain a written or electronic verbatim record of the proceedings; and (5) obtain a written decision, including findings of fact and conclusions of law, within 10 school days after the conclusion of the hearing.

(j) The State Board of Education and the school district shall share equally the costs of providing a written or electronic verbatim record of the proceedings. Any party may request that the hearing officer issue a subpoena to compel the testimony of witnesses or the production of documents relevant to the resolution of the hearing. Whenever a person refuses to comply with any subpoena issued under this Section, the circuit court of the county in which that hearing is pending, on application of the impartial hearing officer or the party requesting the issuance of the subpoena, may compel compliance through the contempt powers of the court in the same manner as if the requirements of a subpoena issued by the court had been disobeyed.

(k) The impartial hearing officer shall issue a final written decision, including findings of fact and conclusions of law, within 10 school days after the conclusion of the hearing and mail a copy of the decision to the parents or student (if the student requests the hearing), the school district, the director of special education, legal representatives of the parties, and the State Board of Education.

(l) The hearing officer presiding over the expedited hearing shall hear only that issue or issues identified by IDEA as proper for expedited hearings, leaving all other issues to be heard under a separate request to be initiated and processed in accordance with the hearing procedures provided for in this Article and in accordance with the implementing regulations.

(Source: P.A. 94-1100, eff. 2-2-07.)