Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0316

HR0316 LRB104 13476 ECR 25909 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Community integrated living arrangements (CILAs), also known as group homes, are living situations, such as a house or an apartment, in communities throughout Illinois where unrelated adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) reside; and

WHEREAS, CILAs provide community-based housing and essential support for nearly 9,823 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Illinois, many of whom require extensive supervision and care; and

WHEREAS, Over 200 licensed CILA providers employ thousands of direct support professionals (DSPs) who are vital to delivering daily care and maintaining residents' health, safety, and independence; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is under the Ligas Consent Decree, which requires expanded access to community-based services for individuals with I/DD, yet the State has repeatedly been found out of compliance; and

WHEREAS, In 2020, the State published the Guidehouse Rate Study, which outlined several I/DD rate changes based on approved recommendations by the Ligas Rates Oversight Committee with the Pritzker Administration committing to fully funding the rate study; and

WHEREAS, From 2021 to 2025, the Department of Human Services (DHS) has implemented portions of the Guidehouse Rate study, and the General Assembly has made significant investments into the I/DD community system; however, some crucial priorities still remain partially or fully unfunded; and

WHEREAS, Despite that progress, Governor Pritzker's FY26 introduced budget proposes eliminating one million funded DSP hours, reducing services for all 24-hour CILA residents by approximately 90 hours per year and threatening care quality, community stability, and compliance with federal home and community-based services regulations; and

WHEREAS, These proposed cuts contradict prior agreements and risk undermining both the State's legal obligations and its commitment to individuals with I/DD; and

WHEREAS, The General Assembly must remain committed to ensuring high-quality services and supports for adults with I/DD residing in CILA group homes and to utilizing state budgets intended to invest in improving the service array to do so; and

WHEREAS, Funding adequate DSP hours in FY26 is vital in ensuring a healthy community system that meets federal and State guidelines and ensuring that individuals with I/DD in Illinois receive the quality services and supports they deserve; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge full restoration of all eliminated direct support professionals (DSP) hours in the final FY26 State budget to protect the services upon which individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) depend; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor, the Illinois Senate President, the Illinois Speaker of the House, and the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Developmental Disabilities (IDHS/DDD).