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92_HB2114
LRB9207953DHmb
1 AN ACT concerning schools.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing
5 Section 27-8.1 as follows:
6 (105 ILCS 5/27-8.1) (from Ch. 122, par. 27-8.1)
7 Sec. 27-8.1. Health examinations and immunizations.
8 (1) In compliance with rules and regulations which the
9 Department of Public Health shall promulgate, and except as
10 hereinafter provided, all children in Illinois shall have a
11 health examination as follows: within one year prior to
12 entering kindergarten or the first grade of any public,
13 private, or parochial elementary school; upon entering the
14 fifth and ninth grades of any public, private, or parochial
15 school; prior to entrance into any public, private, or
16 parochial nursery school; and, irrespective of grade,
17 immediately prior to or upon entrance into any public,
18 private, or parochial school or nursery school, each child
19 shall present proof of having been examined in accordance
20 with this Section and the rules and regulations promulgated
21 hereunder.
22 A tuberculosis skin test screening shall be included as a
23 required part of each health examination included under this
24 Section if the child resides in an area designated by the
25 Department of Public Health as having a high incidence of
26 tuberculosis. Additional health examinations of pupils,
27 including dental and vision examinations, may be required
28 when deemed necessary by school authorities. Parents are
29 encouraged to have their children undergo dental examinations
30 at the same points in time required for health examinations.
31 (2) The Department of Public Health shall promulgate
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1 rules and regulations specifying the examinations and
2 procedures that constitute a health examination and may
3 recommend by rule that certain additional examinations be
4 performed. The rules and regulations of the Department of
5 Public Health shall specify that a tuberculosis skin test
6 screening shall be included as a required part of each health
7 examination included under this Section if the child resides
8 in an area designated by the Department of Public Health as
9 having a high incidence of tuberculosis.
10 Physicians licensed to practice medicine in all of its
11 branches shall be responsible for the performance of the
12 health examinations, other than dental examinations and
13 vision and hearing screening, and shall sign all report forms
14 required by subsection (4) of this Section that pertain to
15 those portions of the health examination for which the
16 physician is responsible. If a physician assistant, an
17 advanced practice nurse, or 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
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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
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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) Parents or legal guardians who object to health
33 examinations or any part thereof, or to immunizations, on
34 religious grounds shall not be required to submit their
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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. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)