102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB5214

 

Introduced 1/31/2022, by Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/14-8.02  from Ch. 122, par. 14-8.02

    Amends the School Code. Adds a provision that any parent who is deaf, or does not normally communicate using spoken English, 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, a 504 mediation session, or a due process hearing (instead of just a meeting with a representative of a local educational agency for the purposes of developing an individualized educational program) shall be entitled to the services of an interpreter. Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules to implement the provisions. Effective immediately.


LRB102 23868 CMG 33061 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5214LRB102 23868 CMG 33061 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
514-8.02 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/14-8.02)  (from Ch. 122, par. 14-8.02)
7    (Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 102-199)
8    Sec. 14-8.02. Identification, evaluation, and placement of
9children.
10    (a) The State Board of Education shall make rules under
11which local school boards shall determine the eligibility of
12children to receive special education. Such rules shall ensure
13that a free appropriate public education be available to all
14children with disabilities as defined in Section 14-1.02. The
15State Board of Education shall require local school districts
16to administer non-discriminatory procedures or tests to
17English learners coming from homes in which a language other
18than English is used to determine their eligibility to receive
19special education. The placement of low English proficiency
20students in special education programs and facilities shall be
21made in accordance with the test results reflecting the
22student's linguistic, cultural and special education needs.
23For purposes of determining the eligibility of children the

 

 

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1State Board of Education shall include in the rules
2definitions of "case study", "staff conference",
3"individualized educational program", and "qualified
4specialist" appropriate to each category of children with
5disabilities as defined in this Article. For purposes of
6determining the eligibility of children from homes in which a
7language other than English is used, the State Board of
8Education shall include in the rules definitions for
9"qualified bilingual specialists" and "linguistically and
10culturally appropriate individualized educational programs".
11For purposes of this Section, as well as Sections 14-8.02a,
1214-8.02b, and 14-8.02c of this Code, "parent" means a parent
13as defined in the federal Individuals with Disabilities
14Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401(23)).
15    (b) No child shall be eligible for special education
16facilities except with a carefully completed case study fully
17reviewed by professional personnel in a multidisciplinary
18staff conference and only upon the recommendation of qualified
19specialists or a qualified bilingual specialist, if available.
20At the conclusion of the multidisciplinary staff conference,
21the parent of the child shall be given a copy of the
22multidisciplinary conference summary report and
23recommendations, which includes options considered, and be
24informed of his or her right to obtain an independent
25educational evaluation if he or she disagrees with the
26evaluation findings conducted or obtained by the school

 

 

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1district. If the school district's evaluation is shown to be
2inappropriate, the school district shall reimburse the parent
3for the cost of the independent evaluation. The State Board of
4Education shall, with advice from the State Advisory Council
5on Education of Children with Disabilities on the inclusion of
6specific independent educational evaluators, prepare a list of
7suggested independent educational evaluators. The State Board
8of Education shall include on the list clinical psychologists
9licensed pursuant to the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act.
10Such psychologists shall not be paid fees in excess of the
11amount that would be received by a school psychologist for
12performing the same services. The State Board of Education
13shall supply school districts with such list and make the list
14available to parents at their request. School districts shall
15make the list available to parents at the time they are
16informed of their right to obtain an independent educational
17evaluation. However, the school district may initiate an
18impartial due process hearing under this Section within 5 days
19of any written parent request for an independent educational
20evaluation to show that its evaluation is appropriate. If the
21final decision is that the evaluation is appropriate, the
22parent still has a right to an independent educational
23evaluation, but not at public expense. An independent
24educational evaluation at public expense must be completed
25within 30 days of a parent written request unless the school
26district initiates an impartial due process hearing or the

 

 

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1parent or school district offers reasonable grounds to show
2that such 30-day time period should be extended. If the due
3process hearing decision indicates that the parent is entitled
4to an independent educational evaluation, it must be completed
5within 30 days of the decision unless the parent or the school
6district offers reasonable grounds to show that such 30-day
7period should be extended. If a parent disagrees with the
8summary report or recommendations of the multidisciplinary
9conference or the findings of any educational evaluation which
10results therefrom, the school district shall not proceed with
11a placement based upon such evaluation and the child shall
12remain in his or her regular classroom setting. No child shall
13be eligible for admission to a special class for children with
14a mental disability who are educable or for children with a
15mental disability who are trainable except with a
16psychological evaluation and recommendation by a school
17psychologist. Consent shall be obtained from the parent of a
18child before any evaluation is conducted. If consent is not
19given by the parent or if the parent disagrees with the
20findings of the evaluation, then the school district may
21initiate an impartial due process hearing under this Section.
22The school district may evaluate the child if that is the
23decision resulting from the impartial due process hearing and
24the decision is not appealed or if the decision is affirmed on
25appeal. The determination of eligibility shall be made and the
26IEP meeting shall be completed within 60 school days from the

 

 

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1date of written parental consent. In those instances when
2written parental consent is obtained with fewer than 60 pupil
3attendance days left in the school year, the eligibility
4determination shall be made and the IEP meeting shall be
5completed prior to the first day of the following school year.
6Special education and related services must be provided in
7accordance with the student's IEP no later than 10 school
8attendance days after notice is provided to the parents
9pursuant to Section 300.503 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal
10Regulations and implementing rules adopted by the State Board
11of Education. The appropriate program pursuant to the
12individualized educational program of students whose native
13tongue is a language other than English shall reflect the
14special education, cultural and linguistic needs. No later
15than September 1, 1993, the State Board of Education shall
16establish standards for the development, implementation and
17monitoring of appropriate bilingual special individualized
18educational programs. The State Board of Education shall
19further incorporate appropriate monitoring procedures to
20verify implementation of these standards. The district shall
21indicate to the parent and the State Board of Education the
22nature of the services the child will receive for the regular
23school term while awaiting waiting placement in the
24appropriate special education class. At the child's initial
25IEP meeting and at each annual review meeting, the child's IEP
26team shall provide the child's parent or guardian with a

 

 

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1written notification that informs the parent or guardian that
2the IEP team is required to consider whether the child
3requires assistive technology in order to receive free,
4appropriate public education. The notification must also
5include a toll-free telephone number and internet address for
6the State's assistive technology program.
7    If the child is deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or visually
8impaired or has an orthopedic impairment or physical
9disability and he or she might be eligible to receive services
10from the Illinois School for the Deaf, the Illinois School for
11the Visually Impaired, or the Illinois Center for
12Rehabilitation and Education-Roosevelt, the school district
13shall notify the parents, in writing, of the existence of
14these schools and the services they provide and shall make a
15reasonable effort to inform the parents of the existence of
16other, local schools that provide similar services and the
17services that these other schools provide. This notification
18shall include without limitation information on school
19services, school admissions criteria, and school contact
20information.
21    In the development of the individualized education program
22for a student who has a disability on the autism spectrum
23(which includes autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder,
24pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified,
25childhood disintegrative disorder, and Rett Syndrome, as
26defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental

 

 

HB5214- 7 -LRB102 23868 CMG 33061 b

1Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV, 2000)), the IEP team shall
2consider all of the following factors:
3        (1) The verbal and nonverbal communication needs of
4    the child.
5        (2) The need to develop social interaction skills and
6    proficiencies.
7        (3) The needs resulting from the child's unusual
8    responses to sensory experiences.
9        (4) The needs resulting from resistance to
10    environmental change or change in daily routines.
11        (5) The needs resulting from engagement in repetitive
12    activities and stereotyped movements.
13        (6) The need for any positive behavioral
14    interventions, strategies, and supports to address any
15    behavioral difficulties resulting from autism spectrum
16    disorder.
17        (7) Other needs resulting from the child's disability
18    that impact progress in the general curriculum, including
19    social and emotional development.
20Public Act 95-257 does not create any new entitlement to a
21service, program, or benefit, but must not affect any
22entitlement to a service, program, or benefit created by any
23other law.
24    If the student may be eligible to participate in the
25Home-Based Support Services Program for Adults with Mental
26Disabilities authorized under the Developmental Disability and

 

 

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1Mental Disability Services Act upon becoming an adult, the
2student's individualized education program shall include plans
3for (i) determining the student's eligibility for those
4home-based services, (ii) enrolling the student in the program
5of home-based services, and (iii) developing a plan for the
6student's most effective use of the home-based services after
7the student becomes an adult and no longer receives special
8educational services under this Article. The plans developed
9under this paragraph shall include specific actions to be
10taken by specified individuals, agencies, or officials.
11    (c) In the development of the individualized education
12program for a student who is functionally blind, it shall be
13presumed that proficiency in Braille reading and writing is
14essential for the student's satisfactory educational progress.
15For purposes of this subsection, the State Board of Education
16shall determine the criteria for a student to be classified as
17functionally blind. Students who are not currently identified
18as functionally blind who are also entitled to Braille
19instruction include: (i) those whose vision loss is so severe
20that they are unable to read and write at a level comparable to
21their peers solely through the use of vision, and (ii) those
22who show evidence of progressive vision loss that may result
23in functional blindness. Each student who is functionally
24blind shall be entitled to Braille reading and writing
25instruction that is sufficient to enable the student to
26communicate with the same level of proficiency as other

 

 

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1students of comparable ability. Instruction should be provided
2to the extent that the student is physically and cognitively
3able to use Braille. Braille instruction may be used in
4combination with other special education services appropriate
5to the student's educational needs. The assessment of each
6student who is functionally blind for the purpose of
7developing the student's individualized education program
8shall include documentation of the student's strengths and
9weaknesses in Braille skills. Each person assisting in the
10development of the individualized education program for a
11student who is functionally blind shall receive information
12describing the benefits of Braille instruction. The
13individualized education program for each student who is
14functionally blind shall specify the appropriate learning
15medium or media based on the assessment report.
16    (d) To the maximum extent appropriate, the placement shall
17provide the child with the opportunity to be educated with
18children who do not have a disability; provided that children
19with disabilities who are recommended to be placed into
20regular education classrooms are provided with supplementary
21services to assist the children with disabilities to benefit
22from the regular classroom instruction and are included on the
23teacher's regular education class register. Subject to the
24limitation of the preceding sentence, placement in special
25classes, separate schools or other removal of the child with a
26disability from the regular educational environment shall

 

 

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1occur only when the nature of the severity of the disability is
2such that education in the regular classes with the use of
3supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved
4satisfactorily. The placement of English learners with
5disabilities shall be in non-restrictive environments which
6provide for integration with peers who do not have
7disabilities in bilingual classrooms. Annually, each January,
8school districts shall report data on students from
9non-English speaking backgrounds receiving special education
10and related services in public and private facilities as
11prescribed in Section 2-3.30. If there is a disagreement
12between parties involved regarding the special education
13placement of any child, either in-state or out-of-state, the
14placement is subject to impartial due process procedures
15described in Article 10 of the Rules and Regulations to Govern
16the Administration and Operation of Special Education.
17    (e) No child who comes from a home in which a language
18other than English is the principal language used may be
19assigned to any class or program under this Article until he
20has been given, in the principal language used by the child and
21used in his home, tests reasonably related to his cultural
22environment. All testing and evaluation materials and
23procedures utilized for evaluation and placement shall not be
24linguistically, racially or culturally discriminatory.
25    (f) Nothing in this Article shall be construed to require
26any child to undergo any physical examination or medical

 

 

HB5214- 11 -LRB102 23868 CMG 33061 b

1treatment whose parents object thereto on the grounds that
2such examination or treatment conflicts with his religious
3beliefs.
4    (g) School boards or their designee shall provide to the
5parents of a child prior written notice of any decision (a)
6proposing to initiate or change, or (b) refusing to initiate
7or change, the identification, evaluation, or educational
8placement of the child or the provision of a free appropriate
9public education to their child, and the reasons therefor.
10Such written notification shall also inform the parent of the
11opportunity to present complaints with respect to any matter
12relating to the educational placement of the student, or the
13provision of a free appropriate public education and to have
14an impartial due process hearing on the complaint. The notice
15shall inform the parents in the parents' native language,
16unless it is clearly not feasible to do so, of their rights and
17all procedures available pursuant to this Act and the federal
18Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of
192004 (Public Law 108-446); it shall be the responsibility of
20the State Superintendent to develop uniform notices setting
21forth the procedures available under this Act and the federal
22Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of
232004 (Public Law 108-446) to be used by all school boards. The
24notice shall also inform the parents of the availability upon
25request of a list of free or low-cost legal and other relevant
26services available locally to assist parents in initiating an

 

 

HB5214- 12 -LRB102 23868 CMG 33061 b

1impartial due process hearing. The State Superintendent shall
2revise the uniform notices required by this subsection (g) to
3reflect current law and procedures at least once every 2
4years. Any parent who is deaf, or does not normally
5communicate using spoken English, who participates in a
6meeting with a representative of a local educational agency
7for the purposes of developing an individualized educational
8program, or attends a multidisciplinary conference, a 504
9mediation session, or a due process hearing, shall be entitled
10to the services of an interpreter. The State Board of
11Education must adopt rules to establish the criteria,
12standards, and competencies for a bilingual language
13interpreter who attends an individualized education program
14meeting, a multidisciplinary conference, a 504 mediation
15session, or a due process hearing under this subsection to
16assist a parent who has limited English proficiency.
17    (g-5) For purposes of this subsection (g-5), "qualified
18professional" means an individual who holds credentials to
19evaluate the child in the domain or domains for which an
20evaluation is sought or an intern working under the direct
21supervision of a qualified professional, including a master's
22or doctoral degree candidate.
23    To ensure that a parent can participate fully and
24effectively with school personnel in the development of
25appropriate educational and related services for his or her
26child, the parent, an independent educational evaluator, or a

 

 

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1qualified professional retained by or on behalf of a parent or
2child must be afforded reasonable access to educational
3facilities, personnel, classrooms, and buildings and to the
4child as provided in this subsection (g-5). The requirements
5of this subsection (g-5) apply to any public school facility,
6building, or program and to any facility, building, or program
7supported in whole or in part by public funds. Prior to
8visiting a school, school building, or school facility, the
9parent, independent educational evaluator, or qualified
10professional may be required by the school district to inform
11the building principal or supervisor in writing of the
12proposed visit, the purpose of the visit, and the approximate
13duration of the visit. The visitor and the school district
14shall arrange the visit or visits at times that are mutually
15agreeable. Visitors shall comply with school safety, security,
16and visitation policies at all times. School district
17visitation policies must not conflict with this subsection
18(g-5). Visitors shall be required to comply with the
19requirements of applicable privacy laws, including those laws
20protecting the confidentiality of education records such as
21the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the
22Illinois School Student Records Act. The visitor shall not
23disrupt the educational process.
24        (1) A parent must be afforded reasonable access of
25    sufficient duration and scope for the purpose of observing
26    his or her child in the child's current educational

 

 

HB5214- 14 -LRB102 23868 CMG 33061 b

1    placement, services, or program or for the purpose of
2    visiting an educational placement or program proposed for
3    the child.
4        (2) An independent educational evaluator or a
5    qualified professional retained by or on behalf of a
6    parent or child must be afforded reasonable access of
7    sufficient duration and scope for the purpose of
8    conducting an evaluation of the child, the child's
9    performance, the child's current educational program,
10    placement, services, or environment, or any educational
11    program, placement, services, or environment proposed for
12    the child, including interviews of educational personnel,
13    child observations, assessments, tests or assessments of
14    the child's educational program, services, or placement or
15    of any proposed educational program, services, or
16    placement. If one or more interviews of school personnel
17    are part of the evaluation, the interviews must be
18    conducted at a mutually agreed upon time, date, and place
19    that do not interfere with the school employee's school
20    duties. The school district may limit interviews to
21    personnel having information relevant to the child's
22    current educational services, program, or placement or to
23    a proposed educational service, program, or placement.
24(Source: P.A. 101-124, eff. 1-1-20; 102-264, eff. 8-6-21;
25102-558, eff. 8-20-21.)
 

 

 

HB5214- 15 -LRB102 23868 CMG 33061 b

1    (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 102-199)
2    Sec. 14-8.02. Identification, evaluation, and placement of
3children.
4    (a) The State Board of Education shall make rules under
5which local school boards shall determine the eligibility of
6children to receive special education. Such rules shall ensure
7that a free appropriate public education be available to all
8children with disabilities as defined in Section 14-1.02. The
9State Board of Education shall require local school districts
10to administer non-discriminatory procedures or tests to
11English learners coming from homes in which a language other
12than English is used to determine their eligibility to receive
13special education. The placement of low English proficiency
14students in special education programs and facilities shall be
15made in accordance with the test results reflecting the
16student's linguistic, cultural and special education needs.
17For purposes of determining the eligibility of children the
18State Board of Education shall include in the rules
19definitions of "case study", "staff conference",
20"individualized educational program", and "qualified
21specialist" appropriate to each category of children with
22disabilities as defined in this Article. For purposes of
23determining the eligibility of children from homes in which a
24language other than English is used, the State Board of
25Education shall include in the rules definitions for
26"qualified bilingual specialists" and "linguistically and

 

 

HB5214- 16 -LRB102 23868 CMG 33061 b

1culturally appropriate individualized educational programs".
2For purposes of this Section, as well as Sections 14-8.02a,
314-8.02b, and 14-8.02c of this Code, "parent" means a parent
4as defined in the federal Individuals with Disabilities
5Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401(23)).
6    (b) No child shall be eligible for special education
7facilities except with a carefully completed case study fully
8reviewed by professional personnel in a multidisciplinary
9staff conference and only upon the recommendation of qualified
10specialists or a qualified bilingual specialist, if available.
11At the conclusion of the multidisciplinary staff conference,
12the parent of the child and, if the child is in the legal
13custody of the Department of Children and Family Services, the
14Department's Office of Education and Transition Services shall
15be given a copy of the multidisciplinary conference summary
16report and recommendations, which includes options considered,
17and, in the case of the parent, be informed of his or her right
18to obtain an independent educational evaluation if he or she
19disagrees with the evaluation findings conducted or obtained
20by the school district. If the school district's evaluation is
21shown to be inappropriate, the school district shall reimburse
22the parent for the cost of the independent evaluation. The
23State Board of Education shall, with advice from the State
24Advisory Council on Education of Children with Disabilities on
25the inclusion of specific independent educational evaluators,
26prepare a list of suggested independent educational

 

 

HB5214- 17 -LRB102 23868 CMG 33061 b

1evaluators. The State Board of Education shall include on the
2list clinical psychologists licensed pursuant to the Clinical
3Psychologist Licensing Act. Such psychologists shall not be
4paid fees in excess of the amount that would be received by a
5school psychologist for performing the same services. The
6State Board of Education shall supply school districts with
7such list and make the list available to parents at their
8request. School districts shall make the list available to
9parents at the time they are informed of their right to obtain
10an independent educational evaluation. However, the school
11district may initiate an impartial due process hearing under
12this Section within 5 days of any written parent request for an
13independent educational evaluation to show that its evaluation
14is appropriate. If the final decision is that the evaluation
15is appropriate, the parent still has a right to an independent
16educational evaluation, but not at public expense. An
17independent educational evaluation at public expense must be
18completed within 30 days of a parent written request unless
19the school district initiates an impartial due process hearing
20or the parent or school district offers reasonable grounds to
21show that such 30-day time period should be extended. If the
22due process hearing decision indicates that the parent is
23entitled to an independent educational evaluation, it must be
24completed within 30 days of the decision unless the parent or
25the school district offers reasonable grounds to show that
26such 30-day period should be extended. If a parent disagrees

 

 

HB5214- 18 -LRB102 23868 CMG 33061 b

1with the summary report or recommendations of the
2multidisciplinary conference or the findings of any
3educational evaluation which results therefrom, the school
4district shall not proceed with a placement based upon such
5evaluation and the child shall remain in his or her regular
6classroom setting. No child shall be eligible for admission to
7a special class for children with a mental disability who are
8educable or for children with a mental disability who are
9trainable except with a psychological evaluation and
10recommendation by a school psychologist. Consent shall be
11obtained from the parent of a child before any evaluation is
12conducted. If consent is not given by the parent or if the
13parent disagrees with the findings of the evaluation, then the
14school district may initiate an impartial due process hearing
15under this Section. The school district may evaluate the child
16if that is the decision resulting from the impartial due
17process hearing and the decision is not appealed or if the
18decision is affirmed on appeal. The determination of
19eligibility shall be made and the IEP meeting shall be
20completed within 60 school days from the date of written
21parental consent. In those instances when written parental
22consent is obtained with fewer than 60 pupil attendance days
23left in the school year, the eligibility determination shall
24be made and the IEP meeting shall be completed prior to the
25first day of the following school year. Special education and
26related services must be provided in accordance with the

 

 

HB5214- 19 -LRB102 23868 CMG 33061 b

1student's IEP no later than 10 school attendance days after
2notice is provided to the parents pursuant to Section 300.503
3of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations and
4implementing rules adopted by the State Board of Education.
5The appropriate program pursuant to the individualized
6educational program of students whose native tongue is a
7language other than English shall reflect the special
8education, cultural and linguistic needs. No later than
9September 1, 1993, the State Board of Education shall
10establish standards for the development, implementation and
11monitoring of appropriate bilingual special individualized
12educational programs. The State Board of Education shall
13further incorporate appropriate monitoring procedures to
14verify implementation of these standards. The district shall
15indicate to the parent, the State Board of Education, and, if
16applicable, the Department's Office of Education and
17Transition Services the nature of the services the child will
18receive for the regular school term while awaiting waiting
19placement in the appropriate special education class. At the
20child's initial IEP meeting and at each annual review meeting,
21the child's IEP team shall provide the child's parent or
22guardian and, if applicable, the Department's Office of
23Education and Transition Services with a written notification
24that informs the parent or guardian or the Department's Office
25of Education and Transition Services that the IEP team is
26required to consider whether the child requires assistive

 

 

HB5214- 20 -LRB102 23868 CMG 33061 b

1technology in order to receive free, appropriate public
2education. The notification must also include a toll-free
3telephone number and internet address for the State's
4assistive technology program.
5    If the child is deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or visually
6impaired or has an orthopedic impairment or physical
7disability and he or she might be eligible to receive services
8from the Illinois School for the Deaf, the Illinois School for
9the Visually Impaired, or the Illinois Center for
10Rehabilitation and Education-Roosevelt, the school district
11shall notify the parents, in writing, of the existence of
12these schools and the services they provide and shall make a
13reasonable effort to inform the parents of the existence of
14other, local schools that provide similar services and the
15services that these other schools provide. This notification
16shall include without limitation information on school
17services, school admissions criteria, and school contact
18information.
19    In the development of the individualized education program
20for a student who has a disability on the autism spectrum
21(which includes autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder,
22pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified,
23childhood disintegrative disorder, and Rett Syndrome, as
24defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
25Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV, 2000)), the IEP team shall
26consider all of the following factors:

 

 

HB5214- 21 -LRB102 23868 CMG 33061 b

1        (1) The verbal and nonverbal communication needs of
2    the child.
3        (2) The need to develop social interaction skills and
4    proficiencies.
5        (3) The needs resulting from the child's unusual
6    responses to sensory experiences.
7        (4) The needs resulting from resistance to
8    environmental change or change in daily routines.
9        (5) The needs resulting from engagement in repetitive
10    activities and stereotyped movements.
11        (6) The need for any positive behavioral
12    interventions, strategies, and supports to address any
13    behavioral difficulties resulting from autism spectrum
14    disorder.
15        (7) Other needs resulting from the child's disability
16    that impact progress in the general curriculum, including
17    social and emotional development.
18Public Act 95-257 does not create any new entitlement to a
19service, program, or benefit, but must not affect any
20entitlement to a service, program, or benefit created by any
21other law.
22    If the student may be eligible to participate in the
23Home-Based Support Services Program for Adults with Mental
24Disabilities authorized under the Developmental Disability and
25Mental Disability Services Act upon becoming an adult, the
26student's individualized education program shall include plans

 

 

HB5214- 22 -LRB102 23868 CMG 33061 b

1for (i) determining the student's eligibility for those
2home-based services, (ii) enrolling the student in the program
3of home-based services, and (iii) developing a plan for the
4student's most effective use of the home-based services after
5the student becomes an adult and no longer receives special
6educational services under this Article. The plans developed
7under this paragraph shall include specific actions to be
8taken by specified individuals, agencies, or officials.
9    (c) In the development of the individualized education
10program for a student who is functionally blind, it shall be
11presumed that proficiency in Braille reading and writing is
12essential for the student's satisfactory educational progress.
13For purposes of this subsection, the State Board of Education
14shall determine the criteria for a student to be classified as
15functionally blind. Students who are not currently identified
16as functionally blind who are also entitled to Braille
17instruction include: (i) those whose vision loss is so severe
18that they are unable to read and write at a level comparable to
19their peers solely through the use of vision, and (ii) those
20who show evidence of progressive vision loss that may result
21in functional blindness. Each student who is functionally
22blind shall be entitled to Braille reading and writing
23instruction that is sufficient to enable the student to
24communicate with the same level of proficiency as other
25students of comparable ability. Instruction should be provided
26to the extent that the student is physically and cognitively

 

 

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1able to use Braille. Braille instruction may be used in
2combination with other special education services appropriate
3to the student's educational needs. The assessment of each
4student who is functionally blind for the purpose of
5developing the student's individualized education program
6shall include documentation of the student's strengths and
7weaknesses in Braille skills. Each person assisting in the
8development of the individualized education program for a
9student who is functionally blind shall receive information
10describing the benefits of Braille instruction. The
11individualized education program for each student who is
12functionally blind shall specify the appropriate learning
13medium or media based on the assessment report.
14    (d) To the maximum extent appropriate, the placement shall
15provide the child with the opportunity to be educated with
16children who do not have a disability; provided that children
17with disabilities who are recommended to be placed into
18regular education classrooms are provided with supplementary
19services to assist the children with disabilities to benefit
20from the regular classroom instruction and are included on the
21teacher's regular education class register. Subject to the
22limitation of the preceding sentence, placement in special
23classes, separate schools or other removal of the child with a
24disability from the regular educational environment shall
25occur only when the nature of the severity of the disability is
26such that education in the regular classes with the use of

 

 

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1supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved
2satisfactorily. The placement of English learners with
3disabilities shall be in non-restrictive environments which
4provide for integration with peers who do not have
5disabilities in bilingual classrooms. Annually, each January,
6school districts shall report data on students from
7non-English speaking backgrounds receiving special education
8and related services in public and private facilities as
9prescribed in Section 2-3.30. If there is a disagreement
10between parties involved regarding the special education
11placement of any child, either in-state or out-of-state, the
12placement is subject to impartial due process procedures
13described in Article 10 of the Rules and Regulations to Govern
14the Administration and Operation of Special Education.
15    (e) No child who comes from a home in which a language
16other than English is the principal language used may be
17assigned to any class or program under this Article until he
18has been given, in the principal language used by the child and
19used in his home, tests reasonably related to his cultural
20environment. All testing and evaluation materials and
21procedures utilized for evaluation and placement shall not be
22linguistically, racially or culturally discriminatory.
23    (f) Nothing in this Article shall be construed to require
24any child to undergo any physical examination or medical
25treatment whose parents object thereto on the grounds that
26such examination or treatment conflicts with his religious

 

 

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1beliefs.
2    (g) School boards or their designee shall provide to the
3parents of a child or, if applicable, the Department of
4Children and Family Services' Office of Education and
5Transition Services prior written notice of any decision (a)
6proposing to initiate or change, or (b) refusing to initiate
7or change, the identification, evaluation, or educational
8placement of the child or the provision of a free appropriate
9public education to their child, and the reasons therefor. For
10a parent, such written notification shall also inform the
11parent of the opportunity to present complaints with respect
12to any matter relating to the educational placement of the
13student, or the provision of a free appropriate public
14education and to have an impartial due process hearing on the
15complaint. The notice shall inform the parents in the parents'
16native language, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so, of
17their rights and all procedures available pursuant to this Act
18and the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education
19Improvement Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-446); it shall be the
20responsibility of the State Superintendent to develop uniform
21notices setting forth the procedures available under this Act
22and the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education
23Improvement Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-446) to be used by all
24school boards. The notice shall also inform the parents of the
25availability upon request of a list of free or low-cost legal
26and other relevant services available locally to assist

 

 

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1parents in initiating an impartial due process hearing. The
2State Superintendent shall revise the uniform notices required
3by this subsection (g) to reflect current law and procedures
4at least once every 2 years. Any parent who is deaf, or does
5not normally communicate using spoken English, who
6participates in a meeting with a representative of a local
7educational agency for the purposes of developing an
8individualized educational program, or attends a
9multidisciplinary conference, a 504 mediation session, or a
10due process hearing, shall be entitled to the services of an
11interpreter. The State Board of Education must adopt rules to
12establish the criteria, standards, and competencies for a
13bilingual language interpreter who attends an individualized
14education program meeting, multidisciplinary conference, 504
15mediation session, or a due process hearing under this
16subsection to assist a parent who has limited English
17proficiency.
18    (g-5) For purposes of this subsection (g-5), "qualified
19professional" means an individual who holds credentials to
20evaluate the child in the domain or domains for which an
21evaluation is sought or an intern working under the direct
22supervision of a qualified professional, including a master's
23or doctoral degree candidate.
24    To ensure that a parent can participate fully and
25effectively with school personnel in the development of
26appropriate educational and related services for his or her

 

 

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1child, the parent, an independent educational evaluator, or a
2qualified professional retained by or on behalf of a parent or
3child must be afforded reasonable access to educational
4facilities, personnel, classrooms, and buildings and to the
5child as provided in this subsection (g-5). The requirements
6of this subsection (g-5) apply to any public school facility,
7building, or program and to any facility, building, or program
8supported in whole or in part by public funds. Prior to
9visiting a school, school building, or school facility, the
10parent, independent educational evaluator, or qualified
11professional may be required by the school district to inform
12the building principal or supervisor in writing of the
13proposed visit, the purpose of the visit, and the approximate
14duration of the visit. The visitor and the school district
15shall arrange the visit or visits at times that are mutually
16agreeable. Visitors shall comply with school safety, security,
17and visitation policies at all times. School district
18visitation policies must not conflict with this subsection
19(g-5). Visitors shall be required to comply with the
20requirements of applicable privacy laws, including those laws
21protecting the confidentiality of education records such as
22the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the
23Illinois School Student Records Act. The visitor shall not
24disrupt the educational process.
25        (1) A parent must be afforded reasonable access of
26    sufficient duration and scope for the purpose of observing

 

 

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1    his or her child in the child's current educational
2    placement, services, or program or for the purpose of
3    visiting an educational placement or program proposed for
4    the child.
5        (2) An independent educational evaluator or a
6    qualified professional retained by or on behalf of a
7    parent or child must be afforded reasonable access of
8    sufficient duration and scope for the purpose of
9    conducting an evaluation of the child, the child's
10    performance, the child's current educational program,
11    placement, services, or environment, or any educational
12    program, placement, services, or environment proposed for
13    the child, including interviews of educational personnel,
14    child observations, assessments, tests or assessments of
15    the child's educational program, services, or placement or
16    of any proposed educational program, services, or
17    placement. If one or more interviews of school personnel
18    are part of the evaluation, the interviews must be
19    conducted at a mutually agreed upon time, date, and place
20    that do not interfere with the school employee's school
21    duties. The school district may limit interviews to
22    personnel having information relevant to the child's
23    current educational services, program, or placement or to
24    a proposed educational service, program, or placement.
25(Source: P.A. 101-124, eff. 1-1-20; 102-199, eff. 7-1-22;
26102-264, eff. 8-6-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; revised

 

 

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110-14-21.)
 
2    Section 95. No acceleration or delay. Where this Act makes
3changes in a statute that is represented in this Act by text
4that is not yet or no longer in effect (for example, a Section
5represented by multiple versions), the use of that text does
6not accelerate or delay the taking effect of (i) the changes
7made by this Act or (ii) provisions derived from any other
8Public Act.
 
9    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
10becoming law.