SB3224 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 17718 KTG 31149 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB3224

Introduced 2/2/2026, by Sen. Doris Turner

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 415/4d	from Ch. 127, par. 63b104d
20 ILCS 2405/10	from Ch. 23, par. 3441
20 ILCS 2405/10a
20 ILCS 2405/13	from Ch. 23, par. 3444
20 ILCS 2405/17	from Ch. 23, par. 3448
105 ILCS 5/14-8.02
105 ILCS 128/50
115 ILCS 5/2	from Ch. 48, par. 1702
410 ILCS 120/5

Amends the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act. Changes the name of the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired to the Illinois School for the Blind. Makes conforming changes to the Personnel Code, the School Code, the School Safety Drill Act, the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, and the MRSA Prevention, Control, and Reporting Act.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Personnel Code is amended by changing Section 4d as follows:

(20 ILCS 415/4d) (from Ch. 127, par. 63b104d)

Sec. 4d. Partial exemptions. The following positions in State service are exempt from jurisdictions A, B, and C to the extent stated for each, unless those jurisdictions are extended as provided in this Act:

(1) In each department, board or commission that now maintains or may hereafter maintain a major administrative division, service or office in both Sangamon County and Cook County, 2 private secretaries for the director or chairman thereof, one located in the Cook County office and the other located in the Sangamon County office, shall be exempt from jurisdiction B; in all other departments, boards and commissions one private secretary for the director or chairman thereof shall be exempt from jurisdiction B. In all departments, boards and commissions one confidential assistant for the director or chairman thereof shall be exempt from jurisdiction B. This paragraph is subject to such modifications or waiver of the exemptions as may be necessary to assure the continuity of federal contributions in those agencies supported in whole or in part by federal funds.

(2) The resident administrative head of each State charitable, penal and correctional institution, the chaplains thereof, and all member, patient and inmate employees are exempt from jurisdiction B.

(3) The Civil Service Commission, upon written recommendation of the Director of Central Management Services, shall exempt from jurisdiction B other positions which, in the judgment of the Commission, involve either principal administrative responsibility for the determination of policy or principal administrative responsibility for the way in which policies are carried out, except positions in agencies which receive federal funds if such exemption is inconsistent with federal requirements, and except positions in agencies supported in whole by federal funds.

(4) All individuals in positions paid in accordance with prevailing wage laws, as well as beauticians and teachers of beauty culture and teachers of barbering.

(5) Licensed attorneys in positions as legal or technical advisors; positions in the Department of Natural Resources requiring incumbents to be either a registered professional engineer or to hold a bachelor's degree in engineering from a recognized college or university; licensed physicians in positions of medical administrator or physician or physician specialist (including psychiatrists); all positions within the Department of Juvenile Justice requiring licensure by the State Board of Education under Article 21B of the School Code; all positions within the Illinois School for the Deaf and the Illinois School for the Blind Visually Impaired requiring licensure by the State Board of Education under Article 21B of the School Code and all rehabilitation/mobility instructors and rehabilitation/mobility instructor trainees at the Illinois School for the Blind Visually Impaired; and registered nurses (except those registered nurses employed by the Department of Public Health); except those in positions in agencies which receive federal funds if such exemption is inconsistent with federal requirements and except those in positions in agencies supported in whole by federal funds, are exempt from jurisdiction B only to the extent that the requirements of Section 8b.1, 8b.3 and 8b.5 of this Code need not be met.

(6) All positions established outside the geographical limits of the State of Illinois to which appointments of other than Illinois citizens may be made are exempt from jurisdiction B.

(7) Staff attorneys reporting directly to individual Commissioners of the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission are exempt from jurisdiction B.

(8) (Blank).

(Source: P.A. 103-108, eff. 6-27-23.)

Section 10. The Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act is amended by changing Sections 10, 10a, 13, and 17 as follows:

(20 ILCS 2405/10) (from Ch. 23, par. 3441)

Sec. 10. Residential schools; visual and hearing disabilities.

(a) The Department of Human Services shall operate residential schools for the education of children with visual and hearing disabilities who are unable to take advantage of the regular educational facilities provided in the community, and shall provide in connection therewith such academic, vocational, and related services as may be required. Children shall be eligible for admission to these schools only after proper diagnosis and evaluation, in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Department.

(a-5) The Superintendent of the Illinois School for the Deaf shall be the chief executive officer of, and shall be responsible for the day to day operations of, the School, and shall obtain educational and professional employees who are certified by the Illinois State Board of Education or licensed by the appropriate agency or entity to which licensing authority has been delegated, as well as all other employees of the School, subject to the provisions of the Personnel Code and any applicable collective bargaining agreement. The Superintendent shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. In the case of a vacancy in the office of Superintendent during the recess of the Senate, the Governor shall make a temporary appointment until the next meeting of the Senate, when the Governor shall nominate some person to fill the office, and any person so nominated who is confirmed by the Senate shall hold office during the remainder of the term and until his or her successor is appointed and qualified. The Superintendent shall hold office (i) for a term expiring on June 30 of 2015, and every 4 years thereafter and (ii) until the Superintendent's successor is appointed and qualified. The Superintendent shall devote his or her full time to the duties of the office, shall not serve in any other capacity during his or her term of office, and shall receive such compensation as the Governor shall determine. The Superintendent shall have an administrative certificate with a superintendent endorsement as provided for under Section 21-7.1 of the School Code, and shall have a degree in educational administration, together with at least 10 years of experience in either deaf or hard of hearing education, the administration of deaf or hard of hearing education, or a combination of the 2. Preference shall be given to candidates with a degree in deaf education. The Superintendent must be fluent in American Sign Language.

(a-10) The Superintendent of the Illinois School for the Blind Visually Impaired shall be the chief executive officer of, and shall be responsible for the day to day operations of, the School, and shall obtain educational and professional employees who are certified by the Illinois State Board of Education or licensed by the appropriate agency or entity to which licensing authority has been delegated, as well as all other employees of the School, subject to the provisions of the Personnel Code and any applicable collective bargaining agreement. The Superintendent shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. In the case of a vacancy in the office of Superintendent during the recess of the Senate, the Governor shall make a temporary appointment until the next meeting of the Senate, when the Governor shall nominate some person to fill the office, and any person so nominated who is confirmed by the Senate shall hold office during the remainder of the term and until his or her successor is appointed and qualified. The Superintendent shall hold office (i) for a term expiring on June 30 of 2015, and every 4 years thereafter and (ii) until the Superintendent's successor is appointed and qualified. The Superintendent shall devote his or her full time to the duties of the office, shall not serve in any other capacity during his or her term of office, and shall receive such compensation as the Governor shall determine. The Superintendent shall have an administrative certificate with a superintendent endorsement as provided for under Section 21-7.1 of the School Code, and shall have a degree in educational administration, together with at least 10 years of experience in either blind or visually impaired education, the administration of blind or visually impaired education, or a combination of the 2. Preference shall be given to candidates with a degree in blind or visually impaired education.

(b) In administering the Illinois School for the Deaf, the Department shall adopt an admission policy which permits day or residential enrollment, when resources are sufficient, of children with hearing disabilities who are able to take advantage of the regular educational facilities provided in the community and thus unqualified for admission under subsection (a). In doing so, the Department shall establish an annual deadline by which shall be completed the enrollment of children qualified under subsection (a) for admission to the Illinois School for the Deaf. After the deadline, the Illinois School for the Deaf may enroll other children with hearing disabilities at the request of their parents or guardians if the Department determines there are sufficient resources to meet their needs as well as the needs of children enrolled before the deadline and children qualified under subsection (a) who may be enrolled after the deadline on an emergency basis. The Department shall adopt any rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of this subsection.

(c) In administering the Illinois School for the Blind Visually Impaired, the Department shall adopt an admission policy that permits day or residential enrollment, when resources are sufficient, of children with visual disabilities who are able to take advantage of the regular educational facilities provided in the community and thus unqualified for admission under subsection (a). In doing so, the Department shall establish an annual deadline by which the enrollment of children qualified under subsection (a) for admission to the Illinois School for the Blind Visually Impaired shall be completed. After the deadline, the Illinois School for the Blind Visually Impaired may enroll other children with visual disabilities at the request of their parents or guardians if the Department determines there are sufficient resources to meet their needs as well as the needs of children enrolled before the deadline and children qualified under subsection (a) who may be enrolled after the deadline on an emergency basis. The Department shall adopt any rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of this subsection.

(Source: P.A. 102-196, eff. 7-30-21; 102-264, eff. 8-6-21.)

(20 ILCS 2405/10a)

Sec. 10a. Financial Participation of Students Attending the Illinois School for the Deaf and the Illinois School for the Blind Visually Impaired.

(a) General. The Illinois School for the Deaf and the Illinois School for the Blind Visually Impaired are required to provide eligible students with disabilities with a free and appropriate public education as required by Article 14 of the Illinois School Code.

(b) Financial Participation. The Department shall promulgate rules concerning fees for activities or services at the schools with input from (i) the superintendent of each school and (ii) Directors of Special Education from selected Local Education Agencies who place students at the schools. Parents or guardians of students attending the Illinois School for the Deaf or the Illinois School for the Blind Visually Impaired may be asked to financially participate in the following fees for services or activities provided at the schools:

(1) Registration.

(2) Books, labs, and supplies (fees may vary depending on the classes in which a student participates).

(3) Athletic or extracurricular activities (students participating in multiple activities will not be required to pay for more than 2 activities).

(4) Driver's education (if applicable).

(5) Graduation.

(6) Yearbook (optional).

(7) Activities (trips or leisure activities not associated with classroom curriculum).

(8) Other activities or services identified by the Department, pursuant to rule.

Exceptions may be granted to parents or guardians who are unable to meet the financial participation obligations. The Department shall promulgate rules concerning requests for exception to the financial participation at the schools.

Any fees collected for activities or services identified in (1) through (8) under this subsection (b) shall be held locally by the school and used exclusively for the purpose for which the fee was assessed. A separate locally held fund shall be established by the Illinois School for the Deaf and the Illinois School for the Blind Visually Impaired for this purpose.

(c) (Blank).

(Source: P.A. 97-74, eff. 6-30-11; 97-664, eff. 1-13-12.)

(20 ILCS 2405/13) (from Ch. 23, par. 3444)

Sec. 13. The Department shall have all powers reasonable and necessary for the administration of institutions for persons with one or more disabilities under subsection (f) of Section 3 of this Act, including, but not limited to, the authority to do the following:

(a) Appoint and remove the superintendents of the institutions operated by the Department, except for those superintendents whose appointment and removal is provided for under Section 10 of this Act; obtain all other employees subject to the provisions of the Personnel Code, except for educational and professional employees of the Illinois School for the Deaf and the Illinois School for the Blind Visually Impaired who are certified by the Illinois State Board of Education or licensed by the appropriate agency or entity to which licensing authority has been delegated, and all other employees of the Schools who are obtained by the superintendents as provided under Section 10 of this Act, subject to the provisions of the Personnel Code and any applicable collective bargaining agreement; and conduct staff training programs for the development and improvement of services.

(b) Provide supervision, housing accommodations, board or the payment of boarding costs, tuition, and treatment free of charge, except as otherwise specified in this Act, for residents of this State who are cared for in any institution, or for persons receiving services under any program under the jurisdiction of the Department. Residents of other states may be admitted upon payment of the costs of board, tuition, and treatment as determined by the Department; provided, that no resident of another state shall be received or retained to the exclusion of any resident of this State. The Department shall accept any donation for the board, tuition, and treatment of any person receiving service or care.

(c) Cooperate with the State Board of Education and the Department of Children and Family Services in a program to provide for the placement, supervision, and foster care of children with disabilities who must leave their home community in order to attend schools offering programs in special education.

(d) Assess and collect (i) student activity fees and (ii) charges to school districts for transportation of students required under the School Code and provided by the Department. The Department shall direct the expenditure of all money that has been or may be received by any officer of the several State institutions under the direction and supervision of the Department as profit on sales from commissary stores, student activity fees, or charges for student transportation. The money shall be deposited into a locally held fund and expended under the direction of the Department for the special comfort, pleasure, and amusement of residents and employees and the transportation of residents, provided that amounts expended for comfort, pleasure, and amusement of employees shall not exceed the amount of profits derived from sales made to employees by the commissaries, as determined by the Department.

Funds deposited with State institutions under the direction and supervision of the Department by or for residents of those State institutions shall be deposited into interest-bearing accounts, and money received as interest and income on those funds shall be deposited into a "needy student fund" to be held and administered by the institution. Money in the "needy student fund" shall be expended for the special comfort, pleasure, and amusement of the residents of the particular institution where the money is paid or received.

Any money belonging to residents separated by death, discharge, or unauthorized absence from institutions described under this Section, in custody of officers of the institutions, may, if unclaimed by the resident or the legal representatives of the resident for a period of 2 years, be expended at the direction of the Department for the purposes and in the manner specified in this subsection (d). Articles of personal property, with the exception of clothing left in the custody of those officers, shall, if unclaimed for the period of 2 years, be sold and the money disposed of in the same manner.

Clothing left at the institution by residents at the time of separation may be used as determined by the institution if unclaimed by the resident or legal representatives of the resident within 30 days after notification.

(e) Keep, for each institution under the jurisdiction of the Department, a register of the number of officers, employees, and residents present each day in the year, in a form that will permit a calculation of the average number present each month.

(f) (Blank).

(g) (Blank).

(h) (Blank).

(i) Accept and hold in behalf of the State, if for the public interest, a grant, gift, or legacy of money or property to the State of Illinois, to the Department, or to any institution or program of the Department made in trust for the maintenance or support of a resident of an institution of the Department, or for any other legitimate purpose connected with any such institution or program. The Department shall cause each gift, grant, or legacy to be kept as a distinct fund, and shall invest the gift, grant, or legacy in the manner provided by the laws of this State as those laws now exist or shall hereafter be enacted relating to securities in which the deposits in savings banks may be invested. The Department may, however, in its discretion, deposit in a proper trust company or savings bank, during the continuance of the trust, any fund so left in trust for the life of a person and shall adopt rules and regulations governing the deposit, transfer, or withdrawal of the fund. The Department shall, on the expiration of any trust as provided in any instrument creating the trust, dispose of the fund thereby created in the manner provided in the instrument. The Department shall include in its required reports a statement showing what funds are so held by it and the condition of the funds. Monies found on residents at the time of their admission, or accruing to them during their period of institutional care, and monies deposited with the superintendents by relatives, guardians, or friends of residents for the special comfort and pleasure of a resident, shall remain in the possession of the superintendents, who shall act as trustees for disbursement to, in behalf of, or for the benefit of the resident. All types of retirement and pension benefits from private and public sources may be paid directly to the superintendent of the institution where the person is a resident, for deposit to the resident's trust fund account.

(j) Appoint, subject to the Personnel Code, persons to be members of a police and security force. Members of the police and security force shall be peace officers and as such have all powers possessed by policemen in cities and sheriffs, including the power to make arrests on view or warrants of violations of State statutes or city or county ordinances. These powers may, however, be exercised only in counties of more than 500,000 population when required for the protection of Department properties, interests, and personnel, or specifically requested by appropriate State or local law enforcement officials. Members of the police and security force may not serve and execute civil processes.

(k) Maintain, and deposit receipts from the sale of tickets to athletic, musical, and other events, fees for participation in school sponsored tournaments and events, and revenue from student activities relating to charges for art and woodworking projects, charges for automobile repairs, and other revenue generated from student projects into, locally held accounts not to exceed $20,000 per account for the purposes of (i) providing immediate payment to officials, judges, and athletic referees for their services rendered and for other related expenses at school sponsored contests, tournaments, or events, (ii) providing payment for expenses related to student revenue producing activities such as art and woodworking projects, automotive repair work, and other student activities or projects that generate revenue and incur expenses, and (iii) providing students who are enrolled in an independent living program with cash so that they may fulfill course objectives by purchasing commodities and other required supplies.

(l) Advance moneys from its appropriations to be maintained in locally held accounts at the schools to establish (i) a "Student Compensation Account" to pay students for work performed under the student work program, and (ii) a "Student Activity Travel Account" to pay transportation, meals, and lodging costs of students, coaches, and activity sponsors while traveling off campus for sporting events, lessons, and other activities directly associated with the representation of the school. Funds in the "Student Compensation Account" shall not exceed $20,000, and funds in the "Student Activity Travel Account" shall not exceed $200,000.

(l-5) Establish a locally held account (referred to as the Account) to hold, maintain and administer the Therkelsen/Hansen College Loan Fund (referred to as the Fund). All cash represented by the Fund shall be transferred from the State Treasury to the Account. The Department shall promulgate rules regarding the maintenance and use of the Fund and all interest earned thereon; the eligibility of potential borrowers from the Fund; and the awarding and repayment of loans from the Fund; and other rules as applicable regarding the Fund. The administration of the Fund and the promulgation of rules regarding the Fund shall be consistent with the will of Petrea Therkelsen, which establishes the Fund.

(m) Promulgate rules of conduct applicable to the residents of institutions for persons with one or more disabilities. The rules shall include specific standards to be used by the Department to determine (i) whether financial restitution shall be required in the event of losses or damages resulting from a resident's action and (ii) the ability of the resident and the resident's parents to pay restitution.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)

(20 ILCS 2405/17) (from Ch. 23, par. 3448)

Sec. 17. Child Abuse and Neglect Reports.

(a) All applicants for employment at the Illinois School for the Blind Visually Impaired, the Illinois School for the Deaf, the Illinois Center for the Rehabilitation and Education-Roosevelt, and the Illinois Center for the Rehabilitation and Education-Wood shall as a condition of employment authorize, in writing on a form prescribed by the Department of Children and Family Services, an investigation of the Central Register, as defined in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, to ascertain if the applicant has been determined to be a perpetrator in an indicated report of child abuse or neglect.

(b) The information concerning a prospective employee obtained by the Department shall be confidential and exempt from public inspection and copying, as provided under Section 7 of The Freedom of Information Act, and the information shall not be transmitted outside the Department, except as provided in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, and shall not be transmitted to anyone within the Department except as needed for the purposes of evaluation of an application for employment.

(Source: P.A. 104-270, eff. 8-15-25.)

Section 15. The School Code is amended by changing Section 14-8.02 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/14-8.02)

Sec. 14-8.02. Identification, evaluation, and placement of children.

(a) The State Board of Education shall make rules under which local school boards shall determine the eligibility of children to receive special education. Such rules shall ensure that a free appropriate public education be available to all children with disabilities as defined in Section 14-1.02. The State Board of Education shall require local school districts to administer non-discriminatory procedures or tests to English learners coming from homes in which a language other than English is used to determine their eligibility to receive special education. The placement of low English proficiency students in special education programs and facilities shall be made in accordance with the test results reflecting the student's linguistic, cultural and special education needs. For purposes of determining the eligibility of children the State Board of Education shall include in the rules definitions of "case study", "staff conference", "individualized educational program", and "qualified specialist" appropriate to each category of children with disabilities as defined in this Article. For purposes of determining the eligibility of children from homes in which a language other than English is used, the State Board of Education shall include in the rules definitions for "qualified bilingual specialists" and "linguistically and culturally appropriate individualized educational programs". For purposes of this Section, as well as Sections 14-8.02a, 14-8.02b, and 14-8.02c of this Code, "parent" means a parent as defined in the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401(23)).

(b) No child shall be eligible for special education facilities except with a carefully completed case study fully reviewed by professional personnel in a multidisciplinary staff conference and only upon the recommendation of qualified specialists or a qualified bilingual specialist, if available. At the conclusion of the multidisciplinary staff conference, the parent of the child and, if the child is in the legal custody of the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department's Office of Education and Transition Services shall be given a copy of the multidisciplinary conference summary report and recommendations, which includes options considered, and, in the case of the parent, be informed of his or her right to obtain an independent educational evaluation if he or she disagrees with the evaluation findings conducted or obtained by the school district. If the school district's evaluation is shown to be inappropriate, the school district shall reimburse the parent for the cost of the independent evaluation. The State Board of Education shall, with advice from the State Advisory Council on Education of Children with Disabilities on the inclusion of specific independent educational evaluators, prepare a list of suggested independent educational evaluators. The State Board of Education shall include on the list clinical psychologists licensed pursuant to the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act. Such psychologists shall not be paid fees in excess of the amount that would be received by a school psychologist for performing the same services. The State Board of Education shall supply school districts with such list and make the list available to parents at their request. School districts shall make the list available to parents at the time they are informed of their right to obtain an independent educational evaluation. However, the school district may initiate an impartial due process hearing under this Section within 7 school days of any written parent request for an independent educational evaluation to show that its evaluation is appropriate. If the final decision is that the evaluation is appropriate, the parent still has a right to an independent educational evaluation, but not at public expense. An independent educational evaluation at public expense must be completed within 60 school days of a parent's written request unless the school district initiates an impartial due process hearing or the parent or school district offers reasonable grounds to show that such time period should be extended. If the due process hearing decision indicates that the parent is entitled to an independent educational evaluation, it must be completed within 60 school days of the decision unless the parent or the school district offers reasonable grounds to show that such period should be extended. If a parent disagrees with the summary report or recommendations of the multidisciplinary conference or the findings of any educational evaluation which results therefrom, the school district shall not proceed with a placement based upon such evaluation and the child shall remain in his or her regular classroom setting. No child shall be eligible for admission to a special class for children with a mental disability who are educable or for children with a mental disability who are trainable except with a psychological evaluation and recommendation by a school psychologist. Consent shall be obtained from the parent of a child before any evaluation is conducted. If consent is not given by the parent or if the parent disagrees with the findings of the evaluation, then the school district may initiate an impartial due process hearing under this Section. The school district may evaluate the child if that is the decision resulting from the impartial due process hearing and the decision is not appealed or if the decision is affirmed on appeal. The determination of eligibility shall be made and the IEP meeting shall be completed within 60 school days from the date of written parental consent. In those instances when written parental consent is obtained with fewer than 60 pupil attendance days left in the school year, the eligibility determination shall be made and the IEP meeting shall be completed prior to the first day of the following school year. Special education and related services must be provided in accordance with the student's IEP no later than 10 school attendance days after notice is provided to the parents pursuant to Section 300.503 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations and implementing rules adopted by the State Board of Education. The appropriate program pursuant to the individualized educational program of students whose native tongue is a language other than English shall reflect the special education, cultural and linguistic needs. No later than September 1, 1993, the State Board of Education shall establish standards for the development, implementation and monitoring of appropriate bilingual special individualized educational programs. The State Board of Education shall further incorporate appropriate monitoring procedures to verify implementation of these standards. The district shall indicate to the parent, the State Board of Education, and, if applicable, the Department's Office of Education and Transition Services the nature of the services the child will receive for the regular school term while awaiting placement in the appropriate special education class. At the child's initial IEP meeting and at each annual review meeting, the child's IEP team shall provide the child's parent or guardian and, if applicable, the Department's Office of Education and Transition Services with a written notification that informs the parent or guardian or the Department's Office of Education and Transition Services that the IEP team is required to consider whether the child requires assistive technology in order to receive free, appropriate public education. The notification must also include a toll-free telephone number and internet address for the State's assistive technology program.

If the child is deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or visually impaired or has an orthopedic impairment or physical disability and he or she might be eligible to receive services from the Illinois School for the Deaf, the Illinois School for the Blind Visually Impaired, the Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education-Wood, or the Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education-Roosevelt, the school district shall notify the parents, in writing, of the existence of these schools and the services they provide and shall make a reasonable effort to inform the parents of the existence of other, local schools that provide similar services and the services that these other schools provide. This notification shall include, without limitation, information on school services, school admissions criteria, and school contact information.

In the development of the individualized education program for a student who has a disability on the autism spectrum (which includes autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Rett Syndrome, as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV, 2000)), the IEP team shall consider all of the following factors:

(1) The verbal and nonverbal communication needs of the child.

(2) The need to develop social interaction skills and proficiencies.

(3) The needs resulting from the child's unusual responses to sensory experiences.

(4) The needs resulting from resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines.

(5) The needs resulting from engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements.

(6) The need for any positive behavioral interventions, strategies, and supports to address any behavioral difficulties resulting from autism spectrum disorder.

(7) Other needs resulting from the child's disability that impact progress in the general curriculum, including social and emotional development. Public Act 95-257 does not create any new entitlement to a service, program, or benefit, but must not affect any entitlement to a service, program, or benefit created by any other law.

If the student may be eligible to participate in the Home-Based Support Services Program for Adults with Mental Disabilities authorized under the Developmental Disability and Mental Disability Services Act upon becoming an adult, the student's individualized education program shall include plans for (i) determining the student's eligibility for those home-based services, (ii) enrolling the student in the program of home-based services, and (iii) developing a plan for the student's most effective use of the home-based services after the student becomes an adult and no longer receives special educational services under this Article. The plans developed under this paragraph shall include specific actions to be taken by specified individuals, agencies, or officials.

(c) In the development of the individualized education program for a student who is functionally blind, it shall be presumed that proficiency in Braille reading and writing is essential for the student's satisfactory educational progress. For purposes of this subsection, the State Board of Education shall determine the criteria for a student to be classified as functionally blind. Students who are not currently identified as functionally blind who are also entitled to Braille instruction include: (i) those whose vision loss is so severe that they are unable to read and write at a level comparable to their peers solely through the use of vision, and (ii) those who show evidence of progressive vision loss that may result in functional blindness. Each student who is functionally blind shall be entitled to Braille reading and writing instruction that is sufficient to enable the student to communicate with the same level of proficiency as other students of comparable ability. Instruction should be provided to the extent that the student is physically and cognitively able to use Braille. Braille instruction may be used in combination with other special education services appropriate to the student's educational needs. The assessment of each student who is functionally blind for the purpose of developing the student's individualized education program shall include documentation of the student's strengths and weaknesses in Braille skills. Each person assisting in the development of the individualized education program for a student who is functionally blind shall receive information describing the benefits of Braille instruction. The individualized education program for each student who is functionally blind shall specify the appropriate learning medium or media based on the assessment report.

(d) To the maximum extent appropriate, the placement shall provide the child with the opportunity to be educated with children who do not have a disability; provided that children with disabilities who are recommended to be placed into regular education classrooms are provided with supplementary services to assist the children with disabilities to benefit from the regular classroom instruction and are included on the teacher's regular education class register. Subject to the limitation of the preceding sentence, placement in special classes, separate schools or other removal of the child with a disability from the regular educational environment shall occur only when the nature of the severity of the disability is such that education in the regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. The placement of English learners with disabilities shall be in non-restrictive environments which provide for integration with peers who do not have disabilities in bilingual classrooms. Annually, each January, school districts shall report data on students from non-English speaking backgrounds receiving special education and related services in public and private facilities as prescribed in Section 2-3.30. If there is a disagreement between parties involved regarding the special education placement of any child, either in-state or out-of-state, the placement is subject to impartial due process procedures described in Article 10 of the Rules and Regulations to Govern the Administration and Operation of Special Education.

(e) No child who comes from a home in which a language other than English is the principal language used may be assigned to any class or program under this Article until he has been given, in the principal language used by the child and used in his home, tests reasonably related to his cultural environment. All testing and evaluation materials and procedures utilized for evaluation and placement shall not be linguistically, racially or culturally discriminatory.

(f) Nothing in this Article shall be construed to require any child to undergo any physical examination or medical treatment whose parents object thereto on the grounds that such examination or treatment conflicts with his religious beliefs.

(g) School boards or their designee shall provide to the parents of a child or, if applicable, the Department of Children and Family Services' Office of Education and Transition Services prior written notice of any decision (a) proposing to initiate or change, or (b) refusing to initiate or change, the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of the child or the provision of a free appropriate public education to their child, and the reasons therefor. For a parent, such written notification shall also inform the parent of the opportunity to present complaints with respect to any matter relating to the educational placement of the student, or the provision of a free appropriate public education and to have an impartial due process hearing on the complaint. The notice shall inform the parents in the parents' native language, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so, of their rights and all procedures available pursuant to this Act and the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-446); it shall be the responsibility of the State Superintendent to develop uniform notices setting forth the procedures available under this Act and the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-446) to be used by all school boards. The notice shall also inform the parents of the availability upon request of a list of free or low-cost legal and other relevant services available locally to assist parents in initiating an impartial due process hearing. The State Superintendent shall revise the uniform notices required by this subsection (g) to reflect current law and procedures at least once every 2 years. Any parent who is deaf or does not normally communicate using spoken English and who participates in a meeting with a representative of a local educational agency for the purposes of developing an individualized educational program or attends a multidisciplinary conference shall be entitled to the services of an interpreter. The State Board of Education must adopt rules to establish the criteria, standards, and competencies for a bilingual language interpreter who attends an individualized education program meeting under this subsection to assist a parent who has limited English proficiency.

(g-5) For purposes of this subsection (g-5), "qualified professional" means an individual who holds credentials to evaluate the child in the domain or domains for which an evaluation is sought or an intern working under the direct supervision of a qualified professional, including a master's or doctoral degree candidate.

To ensure that a parent can participate fully and effectively with school personnel in the development of appropriate educational and related services for his or her child, the parent, an independent educational evaluator, or a qualified professional retained by or on behalf of a parent or child must be afforded reasonable access to educational facilities, personnel, classrooms, and buildings and to the child as provided in this subsection (g-5). The requirements of this subsection (g-5) apply to any public school facility, building, or program and to any facility, building, or program supported in whole or in part by public funds. Prior to visiting a school, school building, or school facility, the parent, independent educational evaluator, or qualified professional may be required by the school district to inform the building principal or supervisor in writing of the proposed visit, the purpose of the visit, and the approximate duration of the visit. The visitor and the school district shall arrange the visit or visits at times that are mutually agreeable. Visitors shall comply with school safety, security, and visitation policies at all times. School district visitation policies must not conflict with this subsection (g-5). Visitors shall be required to comply with the requirements of applicable privacy laws, including those laws protecting the confidentiality of education records such as the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Illinois School Student Records Act. The visitor shall not disrupt the educational process.

(1) A parent must be afforded reasonable access of sufficient duration and scope for the purpose of observing his or her child in the child's current educational placement, services, or program or for the purpose of visiting an educational placement or program proposed for the child.

(2) An independent educational evaluator or a qualified professional retained by or on behalf of a parent or child must be afforded reasonable access of sufficient duration and scope for the purpose of conducting an evaluation of the child, the child's performance, the child's current educational program, placement, services, or environment, or any educational program, placement, services, or environment proposed for the child, including interviews of educational personnel, child observations, assessments, tests or assessments of the child's educational program, services, or placement or of any proposed educational program, services, or placement. If one or more interviews of school personnel are part of the evaluation, the interviews must be conducted at a mutually agreed-upon time, date, and place that do not interfere with the school employee's school duties. The school district may limit interviews to personnel having information relevant to the child's current educational services, program, or placement or to a proposed educational service, program, or placement.

(h) In the development of the individualized education program or federal Section 504 plan for a student, if the student needs extra accommodation during emergencies, including natural disasters or an active shooter situation, then that accommodation shall be taken into account when developing the student's individualized education program or federal Section 504 plan.

(Source: P.A. 103-197, eff. 1-1-24; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24; 104-270, eff. 8-15-25; 104-368, eff. 1-1-26; revised 9-12-25.)

Section 20. The School Safety Drill Act is amended by changing Section 50 as follows:

(105 ILCS 128/50)

Sec. 50. Crisis response mapping data grants.

(a) Subject to appropriation, a public school district, a charter school, a special education cooperative or district, an education for employment system, a State-approved area career center, a public university laboratory school, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, the Department of Juvenile Justice School District, a regional office of education, the Illinois School for the Deaf, the Illinois School for the Blind Visually Impaired, the Philip J. Rock Center and School, an early childhood or preschool program supported by the Early Childhood Block Grant, or any other public school entity designated by the State Board of Education by rule, may apply to the State Board of Education or the State Board's designee for a grant to obtain crisis response mapping data and to provide copies of the crisis response mapping data to appropriate local, county, State, and federal first responders for use in response to emergencies. The crisis response mapping data shall be stored and provided in an electronic or digital format to assist first responders in responding to emergencies at the school.

(b) Subject to appropriation, including funding for any administrative costs reasonably incurred by the State Board of Education or the State Board's designee in the administration of the grant program described by this Section, the State Board shall provide grants to any entity in subsection (a) upon approval of an application submitted by the entity to cover the costs incurred in obtaining crisis response mapping data under this Section. The grant application must include crisis response mapping data for all schools under the jurisdiction of the entity submitting the application, including, in the case of a public school district, any charter schools authorized by the school board for the school district.

(c) To be eligible for a grant under this Section, the crisis response mapping data must, at a minimum:

(1) be compatible and integrate into security software platforms in use by the specific school for which the data is provided without requiring local law enforcement agencies or the school district to purchase additional software or requiring the integration of third-party software to view the data;

(2) be compatible with security software platforms in use by the specific school for which the data is provided without requiring local public safety agencies or the school district to purchase additional software or requiring the integration of third-party software to view the data;

(3) be capable of being provided in a printable format;

(4) be verified for accuracy by an on-site walk-through of the school building and grounds;

(5) be oriented to true north;

(6) be overlaid on current aerial imagery or plans of the school building;

(7) contain site-specific labeling that matches the structure of the school building, including room labels, hallway names, and external door or stairwell numbers and the location of hazards, critical utilities, key boxes, automated external defibrillators, and trauma kits, and that matches the school grounds, including parking areas, athletic fields, surrounding roads, and neighboring properties; and

(8) be overlaid with gridded x/y coordinates.

(d) Subject to appropriation, the crisis response mapping data may be reviewed annually to update the data as necessary.

(e) Crisis response mapping data obtained pursuant to this Section are confidential and exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.

(f) The State Board may adopt rules to implement the provisions of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 103-8, eff. 6-7-23; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24; 103-780, eff. 8-2-24.)

Section 25. The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act is amended by changing Section 2 as follows:

(115 ILCS 5/2) (from Ch. 48, par. 1702)

Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this Act:

(a) "Educational employer" or "employer" means the governing body of a public school district, including the governing body of a charter school established under Article 27A of the School Code or of a contract school or contract turnaround school established under paragraph 30 of Section 34-18 of the School Code, combination of public school districts, including the governing body of joint agreements of any type formed by 2 or more school districts, public community college district or State college or university, a subcontractor of instructional services of a school district (other than a school district organized under Article 34 of the School Code), combination of school districts, charter school established under Article 27A of the School Code, or contract school or contract turnaround school established under paragraph 30 of Section 34-18 of the School Code, an Independent Authority created under Section 2-3.25f-5 of the School Code, and any State agency whose major function is providing educational services. "Educational employer" or "employer" does not include (1) a Financial Oversight Panel created pursuant to Section 1A-8 of the School Code due to a district violating a financial plan or (2) an approved nonpublic special education facility that contracts with a school district or combination of school districts to provide special education services pursuant to Section 14-7.02 of the School Code, but does include a School Finance Authority created under Article 1E of the School Code and a Financial Oversight Panel created under Article 1B or 1H of the School Code. The change made by Public Act 96-104 to this paragraph (a) to make clear that the governing body of a charter school is an educational employer is declaratory of existing law.

(b) "Educational employee" or "employee" means any individual, excluding supervisors, managerial, confidential, short term employees, student, and part-time academic employees of community colleges employed full or part time by an educational employer, but shall not include elected officials and appointees of the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, firefighters as defined by subsection (g-1) of Section 3 of the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act, and peace officers employed by a State university. However, with respect to an educational employer of a school district organized under Article 34 of the School Code, a supervisor shall be considered an educational employee under this definition unless the supervisor is also a managerial employee. For the purposes of this Act, part-time academic employees of community colleges shall be defined as those employees who provide less than 3 credit hours of instruction per academic semester. In this subsection (b), the term "student" does not include graduate students who are research assistants primarily performing duties that involve research, graduate assistants primarily performing duties that are pre-professional, graduate students who are teaching assistants primarily performing duties that involve the delivery and support of instruction, or any other graduate assistants.

(c) "Employee organization" or "labor organization" means an organization of any kind in which membership includes educational employees, and which exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with employers concerning grievances, employee-employer disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of employment, or conditions of work, but shall not include any organization which practices discrimination in membership because of race, color, creed, age, gender, national origin or political affiliation.

(d) "Exclusive representative" means the labor organization which has been designated by the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board as the representative of the majority of educational employees in an appropriate unit, or recognized by an educational employer prior to January 1, 1984 as the exclusive representative of the employees in an appropriate unit or, after January 1, 1984, recognized by an employer upon evidence that the employee organization has been designated as the exclusive representative by a majority of the employees in an appropriate unit.

(e) "Board" means the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board.

(f) "Regional Superintendent" means the regional superintendent of schools provided for in Articles 3 and 3A of The School Code.

(g) "Supervisor" means any individual having authority in the interests of the employer to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, reward or discipline other employees within the appropriate bargaining unit and adjust their grievances, or to effectively recommend such action if the exercise of such authority is not of a merely routine or clerical nature but requires the use of independent judgment. The term "supervisor" includes only those individuals who devote a preponderance of their employment time to such exercising authority.

(h) "Unfair labor practice" or "unfair practice" means any practice prohibited by Section 14 of this Act.

(i) "Person" includes an individual, educational employee, educational employer, legal representative, or employee organization.

(j) "Wages" means salaries or other forms of compensation for services rendered.

(k) "Professional employee" means, in the case of a public community college, State college or university, State agency whose major function is providing educational services, the Illinois School for the Deaf, and the Illinois School for the Blind Visually Impaired, (1) any employee engaged in work (i) predominantly intellectual and varied in character as opposed to routine mental, manual, mechanical, or physical work; (ii) involving the consistent exercise of discretion and judgment in its performance; (iii) of such character that the output produced or the result accomplished cannot be standardized in relation to a given period of time; and (iv) requiring knowledge of an advanced type in a field of science or learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction and study in an institution of higher learning or a hospital, as distinguished from a general academic education or from an apprenticeship or from training in the performance of routine mental, manual, or physical processes; or (2) any employee, who (i) has completed the courses of specialized intellectual instruction and study described in clause (iv) of paragraph (1) of this subsection, and (ii) is performing related work under the supervision of a professional person to qualify himself or herself to become a professional as defined in paragraph (l).

(l) "Professional employee" means, in the case of any public school district, or combination of school districts pursuant to joint agreement, any employee who has a license issued under Article 21B of the School Code.

(m) "Unit" or "bargaining unit" means any group of employees for which an exclusive representative is selected.

(n) "Confidential employee" means an employee, who (i) in the regular course of his or her duties, assists and acts in a confidential capacity to persons who formulate, determine and effectuate management policies with regard to labor relations or who (ii) in the regular course of his or her duties has access to information relating to the effectuation or review of the employer's collective bargaining policies.

(o) "Managerial employee" means, with respect to an educational employer other than an educational employer of a school district organized under Article 34 of the School Code, an individual who is engaged predominantly in executive and management functions and is charged with the responsibility of directing the effectuation of such management policies and practices or, with respect to an educational employer of a school district organized under Article 34 of the School Code, an individual who has a significant role in the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements or who formulates and determines employer-wide management policies and practices. "Managerial employee" includes a general superintendent of schools provided for under Section 34-6 of the School Code.

(p) "Craft employee" means a skilled journeyman, craft person, and his or her apprentice or helper.

(q) "Short-term employee" is an employee who is employed for less than 2 consecutive calendar quarters during a calendar year and who does not have a reasonable expectation that he or she will be rehired by the same employer for the same service in a subsequent calendar year. Nothing in this subsection shall affect the employee status of individuals who were covered by a collective bargaining agreement on January 1, 1992 (the effective date of Public Act 87-736).

The changes made to this Section by Public Act 102-1138 may not be construed to void or change the powers and duties given to local school councils under Section 34-2.3 of the School Code.

(Source: P.A. 102-894, eff. 5-20-22; 102-1071, eff. 6-10-22; 102-1138, eff. 2-10-23; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24.)

Section 30. The MRSA Prevention, Control, and Reporting Act is amended by changing Section 5 as follows:

(410 ILCS 120/5)

Sec. 5. Definition. In this Act, "State residential facility" or "facility" means: any Department of Human Services operated residential facility, including any State mental health hospital, State developmental center, or State residential school for the deaf and blind visually impaired; any Department of Corrections operated correctional center, work camp or boot camp; and any Department of Juvenile Justice operated juvenile center or boot camp.

(Source: P.A. 96-438, eff. 8-14-09.)