HB4674 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB096 15406 MJR 30569 b

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
HB4674

Introduced , by Rep. Roger L. Eddy

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

See Index

Amends the School Code. Provides that if a student that is a child of active duty military personnel is (i) placed with a non-custodial parent and (ii) as a result of placement, must attend a different school district, then the student must not be charged the tuition of the school that student attends as a result of placement with the non-custodial parent. Creates the Military Children School Transfer Law to require the State Board of Education to review the initial rulemakings of the Interstate Commission on the Educational Opportunity for Military Children and the Interstate Commission on the Educational Opportunity for Military Children each year thereafter and recommend changes, if necessary, to Illinois law that shall support the removal of barriers to educational success for children of military families in the State. Contains provisions concerning a special power of attorney for children of active duty military personnel. Contains provisions concerning immunization requirements for out-of-State transfer students. With respect to all transfer students, adds provisions to the Code concerning (1) transfer of required courses, (2) pre-requisite courses required for current courses, (3) the transfer of credits, and (4) graduation requirements and accommodations to ensure graduation of a student. Amends the Illinois School Student Records Act to permit all out-of-State transfer students, including children of military personnel that transfer into this State, to use unofficial transcripts for admission to a school until official transcripts are obtained from his or her last school district. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 27-8.1 and by adding Sections 10-20.12c, 22-33, and 27-22.4 and Article 14D as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/10-20.12c new)

Sec. 10-20.12c. Tuition for transfer students; children of active duty members of the military.

(a) For purposes of this Section, "active duty military personnel" means active duty members of the uniformed military services, including any of the following:

(1) members of the National Guard and Reserve that are on active duty pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 1209 and 10 U.S.C. 1211;

(2) members or veterans of the uniformed services who are severely injured and medically discharged or retired for a period of one year after medical discharge or retirement; and

(3) members of the unformed services who die on active duty for a period of one year after death.

(b) If a student that is a child of active duty military personnel is (i) placed with a non-custodial parent and (ii) as a result of placement, must attend a non-resident school district, then the student must not be charged the tuition of the school that the student attends as a result of placement with the non-custodial parent.

(c) For purposes of this Section "non-custodial parent" means a person that has temporary custody of the child of active duty military personnel that is responsible for making decisions for that child.

(105 ILCS 5/Art. 14D heading new)

ARTICLE 14D. MILITARY CHILDREN SCHOOL TRANSFER LAW

(105 ILCS 5/14D-1 new)

Sec. 14D-1. Short title. This Article may be cited as the Educational Opportunity for Military Children School Transfer Law.

(105 ILCS 5/14D-5 new)

Sec. 14D-5. Purpose. It is the purpose of this Article to remove barriers to educational success imposed on children of military families because of frequent moves and deployment of their parents by:

(1) facilitating the timely enrollment of children of military families and ensuring that they are not placed at a disadvantage due to difficulty in the transfer of education records from the previous school district;

(2) facilitating the student placement process through which children of military families are not disadvantaged by variations in attendance requirements, scheduling, sequencing, grading course content, or assessment;

(3) facilitating the qualification and eligibility for enrollment and educational programs;

(4) facilitating the on-time graduation of children of military families; and

(5) promoting flexibility and cooperation between the educational system, parents, and the student in order to achieve educational success for the student.

(105 ILCS 5/14D-10 new)

Sec. 14D-10. Findings. The General Assembly finds and declares that Illinois recognizes that there is created an Interstate Commission on the Educational Opportunity for Military Children through the Council of State Governments in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Personnel and Readiness for addressing the needs of students in transition. The Interstate Commission on the Educational Opportunity for Military Children is a group of member states who have joined to create identical laws easing the transition of children of military families.

(105 ILCS 5/14D-15 new)

Sec. 14D-15. Removal of barriers to education; recommendations by the Board. The State Board of Education shall review the initial rulemakings of the Interstate Commission on the Educational Opportunity for Military Children and recommend changes, if necessary, to Illinois law that shall support the removal of barriers to educational success for children of military families in this State. The State Board of Education shall also review the laws and rulemakings of the Interstate Commission on the Educational Opportunity for Military Children each year thereafter and recommend changes, if necessary, to Illinois law that shall support the removal of barriers to educational success for children of military families in Illinois.

(105 ILCS 5/22-33 new)

Sec. 22-33. Power of attorney for children of active duty military personnel.

(a) For purposes of this Section, "active duty military personnel" means active duty members of the uniformed military services, including any of the following:

(1) members of the National Guard and Reserve that are on active duty pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 1209 and 10 U.S.C. 1211;

(2) members or veterans of the uniformed services who are severely injured and medically discharged or retired for a period of one year after medical discharge or retirement; and

(3) members of the unformed services who die on active duty for a period of one year after death.

(b) A student that has a parent that is active duty military personnel that must place the student with a non-custodial parent may submit a special power of attorney to the school district that authorizes the student (i) to enroll in the district of the non-custodial parent and (ii) have decisions made by the non-custodial parent. If a special power of attorney created pursuant to this Section is filed with the school district, then the school district must follow the direction of the special power of attorney.

(105 ILCS 5/27-8.1) (from Ch. 122, par. 27-8.1)

Sec. 27-8.1. Health examinations and immunizations.

(1) In compliance with rules and regulations which the Department of Public Health shall promulgate, and except as hereinafter provided, all children in Illinois shall have a health examination as follows: within one year prior to entering kindergarten or the first grade of any public, private, or parochial elementary school; upon entering the sixth and ninth grades of any public, private, or parochial school; prior to entrance into any public, private, or parochial nursery school; and, irrespective of grade, immediately prior to or upon entrance into any public, private, or parochial school or nursery school, each child shall present proof of having been examined in accordance with this Section and the rules and regulations promulgated hereunder. Any child who received a health examination within one year prior to entering the fifth grade for the 2007-2008 school year is not required to receive an additional health examination in order to comply with the provisions of Public Act 95-422 when he or she attends school for the 2008-2009 school year, unless the child is attending school for the first time as provided in this paragraph.

A tuberculosis skin test screening shall be included as a required part of each health examination included under this Section if the child resides in an area designated by the Department of Public Health as having a high incidence of tuberculosis. Additional health examinations of pupils, including eye examinations, may be required when deemed necessary by school authorities. Parents are encouraged to have their children undergo eye examinations at the same points in time required for health examinations.

(1.5) In compliance with rules adopted by the Department of Public Health and except as otherwise provided in this Section, all children in kindergarten and the second and sixth grades of any public, private, or parochial school shall have a dental examination. Each of these children shall present proof of having been examined by a dentist in accordance with this Section and rules adopted under this Section before May 15th of the school year. If a child in the second or sixth grade fails to present proof by May 15th, the school may hold the child's report card until one of the following occurs: (i) the child presents proof of a completed dental examination or (ii) the child presents proof that a dental examination will take place within 60 days after May 15th. The Department of Public Health shall establish, by rule, a waiver for children who show an undue burden or a lack of access to a dentist. Each public, private, and parochial school must give notice of this dental examination requirement to the parents and guardians of students at least 60 days before May 15th of each school year.

(1.10) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, all children enrolling in kindergarten in a public, private, or parochial school on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly and any student enrolling for the first time in a public, private, or parochial school on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly shall have an eye examination. Each of these children shall present proof of having been examined by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches or a licensed optometrist within the previous year, in accordance with this Section and rules adopted under this Section, before October 15th of the school year. If the child fails to present proof by October 15th, the school may hold the child's report card until one of the following occurs: (i) the child presents proof of a completed eye examination or (ii) the child presents proof that an eye examination will take place within 60 days after October 15th. The Department of Public Health shall establish, by rule, a waiver for children who show an undue burden or a lack of access to a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches who provides eye examinations or to a licensed optometrist. Each public, private, and parochial school must give notice of this eye examination requirement to the parents and guardians of students in compliance with rules of the Department of Public Health. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to allow a school to exclude a child from attending because of a parent's or guardian's failure to obtain an eye examination for the child.

(2) The Department of Public Health shall promulgate rules and regulations specifying the examinations and procedures that constitute a health examination, which shall include the collection of data relating to obesity (including at a minimum, date of birth, gender, height, weight, blood pressure, and date of exam), and a dental examination and may recommend by rule that certain additional examinations be performed. The rules and regulations of the Department of Public Health shall specify that a tuberculosis skin test screening shall be included as a required part of each health examination included under this Section if the child resides in an area designated by the Department of Public Health as having a high incidence of tuberculosis. The Department of Public Health shall specify that a diabetes screening as defined by rule shall be included as a required part of each health examination. Diabetes testing is not required.

Physicians licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches, advanced practice nurses who have a written collaborative agreement with a collaborating physician which authorizes them to perform health examinations, or physician assistants who have been delegated the performance of health examinations by their supervising physician shall be responsible for the performance of the health examinations, other than dental examinations, eye examinations, and vision and hearing screening, and shall sign all report forms required by subsection (4) of this Section that pertain to those portions of the health examination for which the physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant is responsible. If a registered nurse performs any part of a health examination, then a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches must review and sign all required report forms. Licensed dentists shall perform all dental examinations and shall sign all report forms required by subsection (4) of this Section that pertain to the dental examinations. Physicians licensed to practice medicine in all its branches or licensed optometrists shall perform all eye examinations required by this Section and shall sign all report forms required by subsection (4) of this Section that pertain to the eye examination. For purposes of this Section, an eye examination shall at a minimum include history, visual acuity, subjective refraction to best visual acuity near and far, internal and external examination, and a glaucoma evaluation, as well as any other tests or observations that in the professional judgment of the doctor are necessary. Vision and hearing screening tests, which shall not be considered examinations as that term is used in this Section, shall be conducted in accordance with rules and regulations of the Department of Public Health, and by individuals whom the Department of Public Health has certified. In these rules and regulations, the Department of Public Health shall require that individuals conducting vision screening tests give a child's parent or guardian written notification, before the vision screening is conducted, that states, "Vision screening is not a substitute for a complete eye and vision evaluation by an eye doctor. Your child is not required to undergo this vision screening if an optometrist or ophthalmologist has completed and signed a report form indicating that an examination has been administered within the previous 12 months."

(3) Every child shall, at or about the same time as he or she receives a health examination required by subsection (1) of this Section, present to the local school proof of having received such immunizations against preventable communicable diseases as the Department of Public Health shall require by rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this Section and the Communicable Disease Prevention Act.

(4) The individuals conducting the health examination, dental examination, or eye examination shall record the fact of having conducted the examination, and such additional information as required, including for a health examination data relating to obesity (including at a minimum, date of birth, gender, height, weight, blood pressure, and date of exam), on uniform forms which the Department of Public Health and the State Board of Education shall prescribe for statewide use. The examiner shall summarize on the report form any condition that he or she suspects indicates a need for special services, including for a health examination factors relating to obesity. The individuals confirming the administration of required immunizations shall record as indicated on the form that the immunizations were administered.

(5) If a child does not submit proof of having had either the health examination or the immunization as required, then the child shall be examined or receive the immunization, as the case may be, and present proof by October 15 of the current school year, or by an earlier date of the current school year established by a school district. To establish a date before October 15 of the current school year for the health examination or immunization as required, a school district must give notice of the requirements of this Section 60 days prior to the earlier established date. If for medical reasons one or more of the required immunizations must be given after October 15 of the current school year, or after an earlier established date of the current school year, then the child shall present, by October 15, or by the earlier established date, a schedule for the administration of the immunizations and a statement of the medical reasons causing the delay, both the schedule and the statement being issued by the physician, advanced practice nurse, physician assistant, registered nurse, or local health department that will be responsible for administration of the remaining required immunizations. If a child does not comply by October 15, or by the earlier established date of the current school year, with the requirements of this subsection, then the local school authority shall exclude that child from school until such time as the child presents proof of having had the health examination as required and presents proof of having received those required immunizations which are medically possible to receive immediately. During a child's exclusion from school for noncompliance with this subsection, the child's parents or legal guardian shall be considered in violation of Section 26-1 and subject to any penalty imposed by Section 26-10. This subsection (5) does not apply to dental examinations and eye examinations. If the student is an out-of-State transfer student and does not have the proof required under this subsection (5) before October 15 of the current year, then he or she may only attend classes (i) if he or she has proof that an appointment for the required vaccinations has been scheduled with a party authorized to submit proof of the required vaccinations. If the proof of vaccination required under this subsection (5) is not submitted within 30 days after the student is permitted to attend classes, then the student is not be permitted to attend classes until proof of the vaccinations has been properly submitted. No school district or employee of a school district shall be held liable for any injury or illness to another person that results from admitting an out-of-State transfer student to class that has an appointment scheduled pursuant to this subsection (5).

(6) Every school shall report to the State Board of Education by November 15, in the manner which that agency shall require, the number of children who have received the necessary immunizations and the health examination (other than a dental examination or eye examination) as required, indicating, of those who have not received the immunizations and examination as required, the number of children who are exempt from health examination and immunization requirements on religious or medical grounds as provided in subsection (8). Every school shall report to the State Board of Education by June 30, in the manner that the State Board requires, the number of children who have received the required dental examination, indicating, of those who have not received the required dental examination, the number of children who are exempt from the dental examination on religious grounds as provided in subsection (8) of this Section and the number of children who have received a waiver under subsection (1.5) of this Section. Every school shall report to the State Board of Education by June 30, in the manner that the State Board requires, the number of children who have received the required eye examination, indicating, of those who have not received the required eye examination, the number of children who are exempt from the eye examination as provided in subsection (8) of this Section, the number of children who have received a waiver under subsection (1.10) of this Section, and the total number of children in noncompliance with the eye examination requirement. This reported information shall be provided to the Department of Public Health by the State Board of Education.

(7) Upon determining that the number of pupils who are required to be in compliance with subsection (5) of this Section is below 90% of the number of pupils enrolled in the school district, 10% of each State aid payment made pursuant to Section 18-8.05 to the school district for such year may be withheld by the State Board of Education until the number of students in compliance with subsection (5) is the applicable specified percentage or higher.

(8) Parents or legal guardians who object to health, dental, or eye examinations or any part thereof, or to immunizations, on religious grounds shall not be required to submit their children or wards to the examinations or immunizations to which they so object if such parents or legal guardians present to the appropriate local school authority a signed statement of objection, detailing the grounds for the objection. If the physical condition of the child is such that any one or more of the immunizing agents should not be administered, the examining physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant responsible for the performance of the health examination shall endorse that fact upon the health examination form. Exempting a child from the health, dental, or eye examination does not exempt the child from participation in the program of physical education training provided in Sections 27-5 through 27-7 of this Code.

(9) For the purposes of this Section, "nursery schools" means those nursery schools operated by elementary school systems or secondary level school units or institutions of higher learning.

(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07; 95-422, eff. 8-24-07; 95-496, eff. 8-28-07; 95-671, eff. 1-1-08; 95-737, eff. 7-16-08; 95-876, eff. 8-21-08.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-22.4 new)

Sec. 27-22.4. Required courses for transfer students; pre-requisites; credit transfer; graduation.

(a) A student that transfers to a new school district may transfer into a course to continue credit work for a course from which the student transferred out of only if the new school district offers the course and space is available. This subsection (a) includes courses offered for gifted and talented children pursuant to Article 14A of this Act and courses for the English as a Second Language program.

(b) The school district of a school may determine if courses taken by a transfer student at his or her old school satisfy the pre-requisite course requirements for any courses that the transfer student wishes to take at his or her current school. The school district may determine a current and future schedule that is appropriate for the student that satisfies any pre-requisite course requirements in order for that student to take any courses that he or she wishes to attend.

(c) The school district of a school may work with a transfer student to determine an appropriate schedule that assures that the student will graduate, provided that the possible failure of a student to graduate is not due to academic failure or failing to schedule classes properly in order to meet graduation requirements.

(d) If a student transfers to a new school district during his or her senior year and the receiving school district cannot make reasonable adjustments under this Section to ensure graduation, then the school district shall make every reasonable effort to ensure that the school district from where the student transfers issues the student a diploma.

Section 10. The Illinois School Student Records Act is amended by changing Section 8.1 as follows:

(105 ILCS 10/8.1) (from Ch. 122, par. 50-8.1)

Sec. 8.1. (a) No school may refuse to admit or enroll a student because of that student's failure to present his student permanent or temporary record from a school previously attended.

(b) When a new student applies for admission to a school and does not present his school student record, such school may notify the school or school district last attended by such student, requesting that the student's school student record be copied and sent to it; such request shall be honored within 10 days after it is received. Within 10 days after receiving a request from the Department of Children and Family Services, the school district last attended by the student shall send the student's school student record to the receiving school district.

(c) In the case of a transfer between school districts of a student who is eligible for special education and related services, when the parent or guardian of the student presents a copy of the student's then current individualized education program (IEP) to the new school, the student shall be placed in a special education program in accordance with that described in the student's IEP.

(d) Out-of-State transfer students, including children of military personnel that transfer into this State, may use unofficial transcripts for admission to a school until official transcripts are obtained from his or her last school district.

(Source: P.A. 87-372.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.