99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
HB2787

 

Introduced , by Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 2405/10  from Ch. 23, par. 3441

    Amends the Disabled Persons Rehabilitation Act. Provides that in consultation with the Department of Human Services, licensed physicians, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists shall notify a parent or guardian of a patient diagnosed with a hearing disability of the educational opportunities available for children with hearing disabilities at the Illinois School for the Deaf. Provides that in consultation with the Department of Human Services, licensed physicians and optometrists shall notify a parent or guardian of a patient diagnosed with a visual disability of the educational opportunities available for children with visual disabilities at the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired. Requires the Department to adopt any rules necessary to implement this provision.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Disabled Persons Rehabilitation Act is
5amended by changing Section 10 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 2405/10)  (from Ch. 23, par. 3441)
7    Sec. 10. Residential schools; visual and hearing
8handicaps.
9    (a) The Department of Human Services shall operate
10residential schools for the education of children with visual
11and hearing handicaps who are unable to take advantage of the
12regular educational facilities provided in the community, and
13shall provide in connection therewith such academic,
14vocational, and related services as may be required. Children
15shall be eligible for admission to these schools only after
16proper diagnosis and evaluation, in accordance with procedures
17prescribed by the Department.
18    (a-5) The Superintendent of the Illinois School for the
19Deaf shall be the chief executive officer of, and shall be
20responsible for the day to day operations of, the School, and
21shall obtain educational and professional employees who are
22certified by the Illinois State Board of Education or licensed
23by the appropriate agency or entity to which licensing

 

 

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1authority has been delegated, as well as all other employees of
2the School, subject to the provisions of the Personnel Code and
3any applicable collective bargaining agreement. The
4Superintendent shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with
5the advice and consent of the Senate. In the case of a vacancy
6in the office of Superintendent during the recess of the
7Senate, the Governor shall make a temporary appointment until
8the next meeting of the Senate, when the Governor shall
9nominate some person to fill the office, and any person so
10nominated who is confirmed by the Senate shall hold office
11during the remainder of the term and until his or her successor
12is appointed and qualified. The Superintendent shall hold
13office (i) for a term expiring on June 30 of 2015, and every 4
14years thereafter and (ii) until the Superintendent's successor
15is appointed and qualified. The Superintendent shall devote his
16or her full time to the duties of the office, shall not serve
17in any other capacity during his or her term of office, and
18shall receive such compensation as the Governor shall
19determine. The Superintendent shall have an administrative
20certificate with a superintendent endorsement as provided for
21under Section 21-7.1 of the School Code, and shall have degrees
22in both educational administration and deaf education,
23together with at least 15 years of experience in either deaf
24education, the administration of deaf education, or a
25combination of the 2.
26    (a-10) The Superintendent of the Illinois School for the

 

 

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1Visually Impaired shall be the chief executive officer of, and
2shall be responsible for the day to day operations of, the
3School, and shall obtain educational and professional
4employees who are certified by the Illinois State Board of
5Education or licensed by the appropriate agency or entity to
6which licensing authority has been delegated, as well as all
7other employees of the School, subject to the provisions of the
8Personnel Code and any applicable collective bargaining
9agreement. The Superintendent shall be appointed by the
10Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. In
11the case of a vacancy in the office of Superintendent during
12the recess of the Senate, the Governor shall make a temporary
13appointment until the next meeting of the Senate, when the
14Governor shall nominate some person to fill the office, and any
15person so nominated who is confirmed by the Senate shall hold
16office during the remainder of the term and until his or her
17successor is appointed and qualified. The Superintendent shall
18hold office (i) for a term expiring on June 30 of 2015, and
19every 4 years thereafter and (ii) until the Superintendent's
20successor is appointed and qualified. The Superintendent shall
21devote his or her full time to the duties of the office, shall
22not serve in any other capacity during his or her term of
23office, and shall receive such compensation as the Governor
24shall determine. The Superintendent shall have an
25administrative certificate with a superintendent endorsement
26as provided for under Section 21-7.1 of the School Code, and

 

 

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1shall have degrees in both educational administration and blind
2or visually impaired education, together with at least 15 years
3of experience in either blind or visually impaired education,
4the administration of blind or visually impaired education, or
5a combination of the 2.
6    (b) In administering the Illinois School for the Deaf, the
7Department shall adopt an admission policy which permits day or
8residential enrollment, when resources are sufficient, of
9children with hearing handicaps who are able to take advantage
10of the regular educational facilities provided in the community
11and thus unqualified for admission under subsection (a). In
12doing so, the Department shall establish an annual deadline by
13which shall be completed the enrollment of children qualified
14under subsection (a) for admission to the Illinois School for
15the Deaf. After the deadline, the Illinois School for the Deaf
16may enroll other children with hearing handicaps at the request
17of their parents or guardians if the Department determines
18there are sufficient resources to meet their needs as well as
19the needs of children enrolled before the deadline and children
20qualified under subsection (a) who may be enrolled after the
21deadline on an emergency basis. The Department shall adopt any
22rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of this
23subsection.
24    In consultation with the Department, physicians licensed
25under the Medical Practice Act of 1987 and speech-language
26pathologists and audiologists licensed under the Illinois

 

 

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1Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act shall
2notify a parent or guardian of a patient diagnosed with a
3hearing disability of the educational opportunities available
4for children with hearing disabilities at the Illinois School
5for the Deaf. The Department shall adopt any rules necessary to
6implement this provision.
7    (c) In administering the Illinois School for the Visually
8Impaired, the Department shall adopt an admission policy that
9permits day or residential enrollment, when resources are
10sufficient, of children with visual handicaps who are able to
11take advantage of the regular educational facilities provided
12in the community and thus unqualified for admission under
13subsection (a). In doing so, the Department shall establish an
14annual deadline by which the enrollment of children qualified
15under subsection (a) for admission to the Illinois School for
16the Visually Impaired shall be completed. After the deadline,
17the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired may enroll other
18children with visual handicaps at the request of their parents
19or guardians if the Department determines there are sufficient
20resources to meet their needs as well as the needs of children
21enrolled before the deadline and children qualified under
22subsection (a) who may be enrolled after the deadline on an
23emergency basis. The Department shall adopt any rules and
24regulations necessary for the implementation of this
25subsection.
26    In consultation with the Department, physicians licensed

 

 

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1under the Medical Practice Act of 1987 and optometrists
2licensed under the Illinois Optometric Practice Act of 1987
3shall notify a parent or guardian of a patient diagnosed with a
4visual disability of the educational opportunities available
5for children with visual disabilities at the Illinois School
6for the Visually Impaired. The Department shall adopt any rules
7necessary to implement this provision.
8(Source: P.A. 97-625, eff. 11-28-11.)