HR0410 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0410 LRB101 12570 MST 60973 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, On June 22, 1999, in Olmstead v. L.C., the United States Supreme Court held that the unjustified segregation of persons with disabilities constitutes discrimination in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act; and

WHEREAS, The Olmstead ruling held that a person with a disability has the right to receive State-funded services and supports in the community rather than in an institution when the person's treatment professionals determine that the person is appropriate for community-based services, the person is not opposed to community-based services, and the provision of community-based services to the individual is a reasonable accommodation and not a fundamental alteration of the State's services; and

WHEREAS, In 2011, the State of Illinois entered into a consent decree in settlement of the Ligas class action lawsuit that was based upon the Olmstead decision and filed on behalf of a class of persons with developmental disabilities who were residing in private, State-funded facilities of nine or more persons or who were at risk of being placed in such facilities; and

WHEREAS, Illinois ranks 47th out of 50 states in annual spending for community-based services and supports; and

WHEREAS, Illinois has the second highest number of persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities living in institutions, exceeded only by Texas; and

WHEREAS, Almost 20,000 persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities are on the waiting list for developmental disabilities services in Illinois, including almost 7,500 who want services immediately; and

WHEREAS, The Going Home Coalition is a statewide Illinois network of self-advocates, family members, educators, advocates, and community leaders who support person-centered and responsive programs and systems that ensure persons with disabilities in Illinois the opportunity to live full and dignified lives in their own homes with full integration into their communities; and

WHEREAS, The Going Home Coalition commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Olmstead decision on June 22, 2019; and

WHEREAS, Twenty years after Olmstead, the State of Illinois continues to isolate and segregate persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities to a higher degree than most other states; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare June 22, 2019 as Olmstead 20th Anniversary Day in the State of Illinois, and we urge the citizens of Illinois to recognize that day and be aware of its significance to persons with disabilities in Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Going Home Coalition as a symbol of our respect and esteem.