State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Engrossed ][ House Amendment 001 ]

90_HB0788

      105 ILCS 5/27-8.1         from Ch. 122, par. 27-8.1
          Amends  the  School  Code.   Eliminates  provisions  that
      require a Tuberculosis skin test screening to be included  as
      a  required  part  of  school  health examinations if a child
      resides in an area designated by  the  Department  of  Public
      Health as having a high incidence of Tuberculosis.
                                                     LRB9000265THpk
                                               LRB9000265THpk
 1        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  School  Code by changing Section
 2    27-8.1.
 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section  5.   The  School  Code  is  amended  by changing
 6    Section 27-8.1 as follows:
 7        (105 ILCS 5/27-8.1) (from Ch. 122, par. 27-8.1)
 8        Sec. 27-8.1.  Health examinations and immunizations.
 9        (1)  In compliance with rules and regulations  which  the
10    Department  of  Public Health shall promulgate, and except as
11    hereinafter provided, all children in Illinois shall  have  a
12    health  examination  as  follows:  within  one  year prior to
13    entering kindergarten or  the  first  grade  of  any  public,
14    private,  or  parochial  elementary school; upon entering the
15    fifth and ninth grades of any public, private,  or  parochial
16    school;  prior  to  entrance  into  any  public,  private, or
17    parochial  nursery  school;  and,  irrespective   of   grade,
18    immediately  prior  to  or  upon  entrance  into  any public,
19    private, or parochial school or nursery  school,  each  child
20    shall  present  proof  of  having been examined in accordance
21    with this Section and the rules and  regulations  promulgated
22    hereunder.
23        A tuberculosis skin test screening shall be included as a
24    required  part of each health examination included under this
25    Section if the child resides in an  area  designated  by  the
26    Department  of  Public  Health  as having a high incidence of
27    tuberculosis.   Additional  health  examinations  of  pupils,
28    including dental and vision  examinations,  may  be  required
29    when  deemed  necessary  by  school authorities.  Parents are
30    encouraged to have their children undergo dental examinations
31    at the same points in time required for health examinations.
                            -2-                LRB9000265THpk
 1        (2)  The Department of  Public  Health  shall  promulgate
 2    rules   and   regulations  specifying  the  examinations  and
 3    procedures that  constitute  a  health  examination  and  may
 4    recommend  by  rule  that  certain additional examinations be
 5    performed.  The rules and regulations of  the  Department  of
 6    Public  Health  shall  specify  that a tuberculosis skin test
 7    screening shall be included as a required part of each health
 8    examination included under this Section if the child  resides
 9    in  an  area designated by the Department of Public Health as
10    having a high incidence of tuberculosis.
11        Physicians licensed to practice medicine in  all  of  its
12    branches  shall  be  responsible  for  the performance of the
13    health  examinations,  other  than  dental  examinations  and
14    vision and hearing screening, and shall sign all report forms
15    required by subsection (4) of this Section  that  pertain  to
16    those  portions  of  the  health  examination  for  which the
17    physician is responsible.  If a registered nurse performs any
18    part of a health examination, then a  physician  licensed  to
19    practice medicine in all of its branches must review and sign
20    all  required  report forms.  Licensed dentists shall perform
21    all dental examinations  and  shall  sign  all  report  forms
22    required  by  subsection  (4) of this Section that pertain to
23    the dental examinations.   Physicians  licensed  to  practice
24    medicine in all its branches, or licensed optometrists, shall
25    perform  all  vision exams required by school authorities and
26    shall sign all report forms required  by  subsection  (4)  of
27    this  Section  that  pertain  to the vision exam.  Vision and
28    hearing  screening  tests,  which  shall  not  be  considered
29    examinations as that term is used in this Section,  shall  be
30    conducted  in  accordance  with  rules and regulations of the
31    Department of Public Health,  and  by  individuals  whom  the
32    Department of Public Health has certified.
33        (3)  Every  child  shall, at or about the same time as he
34    or she receives a health examination required  by  subsection
                            -3-                LRB9000265THpk
 1    (1)  of  this  Section, present to the local school, proof of
 2    having  received  such  immunizations   against   preventable
 3    communicable  diseases  as  the  Department  of Public Health
 4    shall require by rules and regulations  promulgated  pursuant
 5    to this Section and the Communicable Disease Prevention Act.
 6        (4)  The  individuals  conducting  the health examination
 7    shall record the fact of having  conducted  the  examination,
 8    and such additional information as required, on uniform forms
 9    which  the Department of Public Health and the State Board of
10    Education shall prescribe for statewide  use.   The  examiner
11    shall  summarize  on the report form any condition that he or
12    she suspects indicates a  need  for  special  services.   The
13    individuals   confirming   the   administration  of  required
14    immunizations shall record as indicated on the form that  the
15    immunizations were administered.
16        (5)  If  a  child  does  not  submit  proof of having had
17    either  the  health  examination  or  the   immunization   as
18    required,  then  the  child  shall be examined or receive the
19    immunization, as the  case  may  be,  and  present  proof  by
20    October  15 of the current school year, or by an earlier date
21    of the current school year established by a school  district.
22    To  establish  a date before October 15 of the current school
23    year for the health examination or immunization as  required,
24    a  school  district  must  give notice of the requirements of
25    this Section 60 days prior to the earlier  established  date.
26    If   for   medical  reasons  one  or  more  of  the  required
27    immunizations must be given after October 15 of  the  current
28    school  year,  or  after  an  earlier established date of the
29    current school year, then the child shall present, by October
30    15, or by the earlier established date, a  schedule  for  the
31    administration  of  the  immunizations and a statement of the
32    medical reasons causing the delay, both the schedule and  the
33    statement being issued by the physician, registered nurse, or
34    local   health   department  that  will  be  responsible  for
                            -4-                LRB9000265THpk
 1    administration of the remaining required immunizations.  If a
 2    child does not comply  by  October  15,  or  by  the  earlier
 3    established  date  of  the  current  school  year,  with  the
 4    requirements  of  this  subsection,  then  the  local  school
 5    authority  shall  exclude  that  child from school until such
 6    time as the child presents proof of  having  had  the  health
 7    examination as required and presents proof of having received
 8    those  required immunizations which are medically possible to
 9    receive immediately.  During a child's exclusion from  school
10    for  noncompliance  with this subsection, the child's parents
11    or legal guardian shall be considered in violation of Section
12    26-1 and subject to any penalty imposed by Section 26-10.
13        (6)  Every school shall report  to  the  State  Board  of
14    Education  by  November  15,  in the manner which that agency
15    shall require, the number of children who have  received  the
16    necessary   immunizations   and  the  health  examination  as
17    required, indicating, of those  who  have  not  received  the
18    immunizations  and  examination  as  required,  the number of
19    children  who  are  exempt  from   health   examination   and
20    immunization  requirements on religious or medical grounds as
21    provided in subsection (8).  This reported information  shall
22    be  provided  to the Department of Public Health by the State
23    Board of Education.
24        (7)  Upon determining that the number of pupils  who  are
25    required  to  be  in  compliance  with subsection (5) of this
26    Section is below 90% of the number of pupils enrolled in  the
27    school  district, 10% of each State aid payment made pursuant
28    to Section 18-8 to the school district for such year shall be
29    withheld by the regional superintendent until the  number  of
30    students  in compliance with subsection (5) is the applicable
31    specified percentage or higher.
32        (8)  Children whose parents or legal guardians object  to
33    health examinations or any part thereof, or to immunizations,
34    on  religious  grounds  shall not be required to submit their
                            -5-                LRB9000265THpk
 1    children or wards to the  examinations  or  immunizations  to
 2    which  they  so  object  if  such  parents or legal guardians
 3    present to the appropriate local school  authority  a  signed
 4    statement   of  objection,  detailing  the  grounds  for  the
 5    objection.  If the physical condition of the  child  is  such
 6    that  any  one or more of the immunizing agents should not be
 7    administered, the examining  physician  responsible  for  the
 8    performance of the health examination shall endorse that fact
 9    upon the health examination form.  Exempting a child from the
10    health   examination   does   not   exempt   the  child  from
11    participation in the program of physical  education  training
12    provided in Sections 27-5 through 27-7 of this Code.
13        (9)  For  the purposes of this Section, "nursery schools"
14    means those nursery schools  operated  by  elementary  school
15    systems  or  secondary  level school units or institutions of
16    higher learning.
17    (Source: P.A.  88-149;  89-618,  eff.  8-9-96;  89-626,  eff.
18    8-9-96.)

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