SJ0030 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0030 LRB096 11168 DRJ 21551 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court in Olmstead v. L.C. Ex Rel. Zimring, 119 S.Ct. 2176 (1999), held that the unjustifiable institutionalization of a person with a disability who could live in the community with appropriate supports and services, and wishes to do so, is unlawful discrimination in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); and

WHEREAS, Many individuals with developmental disabilities in Illinois who desire home or community-based residential services are unable to obtain them due to the unavailability of such options; and

WHEREAS, As a result of insufficient home and community-based service options for individuals with developmental disabilities in Illinois, many individuals and their families must choose between living with their parents or other family members without the supports and services they need, or living in a State-operated development center or another institution, even if they could live successfully in a less restrictive setting with appropriate supports and services; and

WHEREAS, There are now over 15,000 individuals with developmental disabilities in Illinois with documented emergency, critical or future service needs who are on the Department of Human Services' PUNS waiting list for services and supports, and the need is probably greater because this number only represents those individuals who have actually signed up for the PUNS database; and

WHEREAS, Almost 10 years after the Olmstead decision, a recent report titled "The State of the States in Disabilities 2008" by the Department of Psychiatry and Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities of the University of Colorado ranks the State of Illinois 51st in the nation in terms of making small community living arrangements (6 residents or fewer) available to individuals with developmental disabilities; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois ranks near the very bottom both nationally and among other Midwest states in per capita spending for home and community-based supports and services for individuals with developmental disabilities; and

WHEREAS, The level of need for individuals with developmental disabilities in Illinois will grow each year as the number of aging caregivers increases; and

WHEREAS, Numerous legislative measures and lawsuits over the last decade have attempted to address the shortcomings of Illinois' fragmented and inadequate system of services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Until the State breaks the cycle of underfunding and lack of significant growth of home and community-based services and supports for people with developmental disabilities and their families which perpetuates short-term measures to address crises in the system and which, in the long term, has maintained and fostered the competition among many for scarce public resources; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Department of Human Services, Division of Developmental Disabilities, shall develop a 7-year Plan with yearly benchmarks to enhance and expand access to quality community services and supports as described in the recommendations of the "Blueprint for System Redesign" (January 2008) and other reports that have been done, by December 1, 2009; and be it further

RESOLVED, That any increase in the resources available to the Department shall be appropriated to services and supports consistent with the action steps in the Plan considering, but not limited to, funding incentives, maximizing current revenue sources, creating opportunities for capacity building and new rate methodologies that enhance quality service and quality assurance, crisis intervention and workforce development; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Human Services shall provide an annual report on the implementation of the Plan to the Governor and to each member of the General Assembly by not later than July 1 of each year and interim progress reports to the Governor and to the members of the General Assembly not later than December 31 of each year until the Plan is fully implemented; and be it further

RESOLVED, That appropriate committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate shall convene at least one hearing not later than July 1 of each year on the subject of the Plan; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution be sent to the Governor, the Secretary of Human Services, the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget, and all members of the General Assembly.