SB0715 Engrossed LRB095 10971 DRJ 31276 b

1     AN ACT concerning health.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the School
5 Health Center Act.
 
6     Section 5. Legislative findings. The General Assembly
7 finds as follows:
8         (1) Asthma and oral health problems are 2 of the
9     leading causes of absenteeism among Illinois elementary
10     and secondary school students.
11         (2) Illinois youth must deal with increasing obesity,
12     poor nutrition, substance abuse, and mental health crises.
13         (3) Many Illinois families lack adequate health
14     insurance or access to health care facilities.
15         (4) Improving the physical and mental health of
16     Illinois' youth is vital to building an educated workforce
17     for Illinois' future.
18         (5) School health centers provide quality health care
19     services like immunizations, physical exams, asthma care,
20     mental health counseling, and health in schools, and
21     national and local evaluations have found that school
22     health centers increase access to health care, reduce
23     absenteeism, reduce health care access disparities, and

 

 

SB0715 Engrossed - 2 - LRB095 10971 DRJ 31276 b

1     reduce unhealthy behaviors that compromise health and
2     education success.
3         (6) Illinois school health centers were found to save
4     the State an estimated $2,500,000 each year by reducing
5     emergency room visits, $2,720,000 a year by providing
6     immunizations, and $233,000-$342,000 a year by reducing
7     asthma-related hospitalizations.
 
8     Section 10. Department of Human Services to initiate school
9 health centers. Subject to appropriation, the Illinois
10 Department of Human Services shall initiate 20 new school
11 health centers over a 5-year period beginning July 1, 2007, and
12 shall build capacity with existing school health centers in the
13 State of Illinois.
 
14     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
15 becoming law.