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    AN ACT concerning health.

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


 
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    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the School 
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Health Center Act.
 
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    Section 5. Legislative findings. The General Assembly 
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finds as follows:
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        (1) Asthma and oral health problems are 2 of the 
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    leading causes of absenteeism among Illinois elementary 
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    and secondary school students.
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        (2) Illinois youth must deal with increasing obesity, 
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    poor nutrition, substance abuse, and mental health crises.
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        (3) Many Illinois families lack adequate health 
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    insurance or access to health care facilities.
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        (4) Improving the physical and mental health of 
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    Illinois' youth is vital to building an educated workforce 
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    for Illinois' future.
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        (5) School health centers provide quality health care 
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    services like immunizations, physical exams, asthma care, 
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    mental health counseling, and health in schools, and

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    national and local evaluations have found that school 
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    health centers increase access to health care, reduce 
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    absenteeism, reduce health care access disparities, and 
 


 






SB0715 Engrossed
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    reduce unhealthy behaviors that compromise health and 
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    education success.
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        (6) Illinois school health centers were found to save 
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    the State an estimated $2,500,000 each year by reducing 
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    emergency room visits, $2,720,000 a year by providing 
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    immunizations, and $233,000-$342,000 a year by reducing 
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    asthma-related hospitalizations.
 
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    Section 10. Department of Human Services to initiate school 
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health centers. Subject to appropriation, the Illinois 
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Department of Human Services shall initiate 20 new school 
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health centers over a 5-year period beginning July 1, 2007, and 
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shall build capacity with existing school health centers in the 
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State of Illinois.
 

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    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
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becoming law.