Bill Amendment: IL HB1783 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly

NOTE: For additional amemendments please see the Bill Drafting List

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Bill Title: ST BD ED-LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT

Status: 2026-07-30 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0658 [HB1783 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB1783-House_Amendment_001.html

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Rep. Michelle Mussman

Filed: 3/17/2026

 

 

 

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AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1783
AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1783 by replacing
everything after the enacting clause with the following:
"Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
Language Equality Acquisition for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and
DeafBlind Children Act.
Section 5. Findings and goal.
(a) The General Assembly finds that there is an urgent and
substantial need to do all of the following:
(1) Develop a State-recognized, language needs and
monitoring program for deaf, hard of hearing, and
DeafBlind infants, toddlers, and children with language
milestones to assist parents, guardians, and educators in
determining the language and communication needs and goals
of deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind infants, toddlers,
and children.

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(2) End language deprivation in children who are deaf,
hard of hearing, and DeafBlind through proper assessment,
monitoring, and tracking of developmental language and
communication milestones.
(3) Provide access to language such as, but not
limited to, American Sign Language, English, the primary
language spoken in a child's home, and Protactile, all of
which have been established to be essential in the
development of cognition, communication, literacy, and
language in deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind infants,
toddlers, and children and in enhancing preschool and
kindergarten readiness.
(4) Maximize the resources associated with early
intervention services by ensuring that parents and
guardians of deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind infants,
toddlers, and children have access to the resources to
support language and communication foundation needs and to
the curriculum and resources in all intervention and
educational settings.
(5) Enhance deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind
children's independence, linguistic proficiency,
productivity, and socialization with peers, families, and
the community, as well as maximize the potential for these
children to lead quality lives, have adult independence,
receive postsecondary education, obtain gainful
employment, and build a network of critical relationships

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and support.
(b) The General Assembly declares that the goal of this
State is for deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind children to
enter public and nonpublic schools in this State prepared for
learning, able to communicate with peers and staff, and having
access to resources to help these children succeed.
Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
"American Sign Language" or "ASL" means a complete,
visual, and manual sign language with its own grammar and
syntax that is used by deaf or hard of hearing individuals and
that is the native language of the deaf community in the United
States and Canada.
"Communication" means the process of exchanging
information between individuals or groups that involves the
transmission of ideas, feelings, or facts from one person to
another, that can be verbal or nonverbal, and that plays a
crucial role in human interaction as it is how humans connect
and understand each other.
"DeafBlind" means concomitant hearing and vision
impairments, the combination of which causes significant
communication, developmental, or educational needs that cannot
be accommodated solely by accommodations for infants, toddlers
and children with deafness, low vision, or vision blindness.
"English" means a method of human communication consisting
of the use of English words in a structured and conventional

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way, including spoken English, written English, or English
with or without the use of visual or tactile supplements or
dual language services.
"English literacy" means the ability to read and write in
English.
"IEP" means an individualized education program.
"IFSP" means an individualized family service plan.
"Kindergarten readiness" means language, communication,
early reading and mathematics literacy, and social skills
development for each language spoken in a child's home that is
consistent with age-related peers by kindergarten.
"Language" means the age-appropriate development of human
communication, whether spoken, written, or signed, consisting
of the use of words and signs in a structured and conventional
way.
"Language developmental milestones" means milestones of
development that are measured by validated instruments used to
meet the requirements of federal law for the assessment of
children from birth to 5 years of age.
"Low vision" or "vision blindness" means a sensory
impairment in vision that, even after correction, adversely
affects a child's development and educational performance.
"Protactile" means a method of human communication
consisting of touch-based interactions for the purpose of
communication for individuals who are DeafBlind that has its
own grammar and syntax, that allows for individuals to connect

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with the world around them, and that fosters greater
independence for those with multisensory impairments.
Section 15. Language needs and monitoring program.
(a) This Section applies only to children from birth to 5
years of age and is subject to appropriation.
(b) The Department of Human Services, the Illinois School
for the Deaf, and the Illinois School for the Visually
Impaired, in cooperation with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Commission, the Department of Early Childhood, the State Board
of Education, and the Department of Public Health, shall
establish a language needs and monitoring program for deaf,
hard of hearing, and DeafBlind infants, toddlers, and
children. The scope of the program shall include language and
communication developmental milestones in American Sign
Language, English, the primary language spoken in a child's
home, Protactile, or more than one of such languages. The
purpose of the program is to assess, monitor, and track the
language and communication developmental milestones of all
infants, toddlers, and children who are deaf, hard of hearing,
and DeafBlind and develop a resource for use by parents and
guardians to monitor and support deaf, hard of hearing, and
DeafBlind infants', toddlers', and children's expressive and
receptive language acquisition and developmental stages toward
English literacy and kindergarten readiness.
(c) The resource developed under subsection (b) shall do

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all of the following:
(1) Include the language and communication
developmental milestones selected by the advisory
committee established pursuant to subsection (g).
(2) Be appropriate for use, in both content and
administration, with deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind
children from birth to 5 years of age who use American Sign
Language, English, the primary language spoken in a
child's home, Protactile, or more than one of such
languages.
(3) Include and present evidence-based, developmental
milestones in language and communication for typically
developing children, by age range.
(4) Be written for clarity and ease of use by parents,
guardians, health care professionals, interventionists,
and educators.
(5) Be aligned to any State guidelines on early
intervention, identification, diagnosis, and early
childhood education pursuant to federal law and to State
standards in English language arts.
(6) Inform parents and guardians of their right to
choose their preferred language that will be used to
communicate and provide a language-rich learning
environment for a parent's or guardian's infant, toddler,
or child, whether the preferred language is English, ASL,
the primary language spoken in the child's home,

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Protactile, or another language.
(7) Inform parents and guardians that they may bring
the resource to an IFSP, IEP, or federal Section 504 plan
meeting for purposes of supporting their choices and
observations regarding their infant's, toddler's, or
child's language and communication development. The
resource shall include evidence-based, comprehensive
information about ASL, English, the primary language
spoken in a child's home, Protactile, or more than one of
such languages, as well as available services and
programs.
(8) Make clear that the resource is a checklist of
developmental milestones that has been created from
evidence-based resources and completed by a parent or
guardian and relevant professionals together, that the
resource may have similarities and differences from the
standardized testing presented at an IFSP, IEP, or federal
Section 504 plan meeting, and that the parent or guardian
should be aware that a school district is not required to
use Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids
(LEAD-K) milestones or assessments specific to LEAD-K for
the purpose of developing an IEP or federal Section 504
plan.
(d) The Department of Human Services, the Illinois School
for the Deaf, and the Illinois School for the Visually
Impaired, in cooperation with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

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Commission, the Department of Early Childhood, the State Board
of Education, and the Department of Public Health, shall work
with subject matter experts from the advisory committee
established pursuant to subsection (g) to select from the
current lists of validated tools or assessments for
interventionists and educators what tools or assessments are
to be used in the assessment of language, communication, and
pre-literacy development for all deaf, hard of hearing, and
DeafBlind infants, toddlers, and children. The tools or
assessments shall do all of the following:
(1) Be in a format that shows language and
communication developmental milestones.
(2) Be selected for use by the advisory committee to
track the development of deaf, hard of hearing, and
DeafBlind infants', toddlers', and children's expressive
and receptive language acquisition and developmental
milestones toward literacy.
(3) Be selected from a list of tools or assessments
used to assess the development of all children from birth
to 5 years of age.
(4) Be appropriate, in both content and
administration, for use with deaf, hard of hearing, and
DeafBlind infants, toddlers, and children.
The tools or assessments may be used, in addition to the
assessments required by federal law, by a child's IFSP or IEP,
as applicable, to track a deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind

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infant's, toddler's, or child's progress and to establish or
modify an IFSP or IEP. A child with a federal Section 504 plan
shall be assessed to ensure appropriate services are provided.
The educator tools or assessments may reflect the
recommendations of the advisory committee.
(e) The Department of Human Services, the Illinois School
for the Deaf, and the Illinois School for the Visually
Impaired, in cooperation with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Commission, the Department of Early Childhood, the State Board
of Education, and the Department of Public Health, shall
disseminate the resource developed under subsection (b) to the
parents and guardians of deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind
infants, toddlers, and children and, pursuant to federal law,
the Department of Human Services, the Department of Early
Childhood, the State Board of Education, and the Department of
Public Health shall disseminate the tools and assessments
selected under subsection (d) to local educational agencies
for use in the development and modification of IEP, IFSP, and
federal Section 504 plans.
The applicable State agencies shall provide parents and
guardians with materials and training on the tools,
assessments, and resources for deaf, hard of hearing, and
DeafBlind infants, toddlers, and children.
(f) Beginning on July 1, 2027, language assessments shall
be given to each child who is deaf, hard of hearing, or
DeafBlind until the child is 5 years of age. The language

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assessments shall be administered by a credentialed or
licensed early interventionist, educator, speech-language
pathologist, or other professional in conjunction with the
child's parent or guardian. The assessments shall be provided
in accordance with this Section and any rules adopted pursuant
to this Act.
A deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind child shall be
identified by the time the child turns one month old, be
referred to early intervention services by the time the child
turns 3 months old, and receive early intervention services by
the time the child turns 6 months old, unless medically
contraindicated.
Deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind infants, toddlers,
and children who are not newborns and who have late onset
hearing loss shall be diagnosed not later than 3 months after
any suspected hearing loss and shall be immediately referred
to early intervention services after diagnosis.
If a deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind child is referred
to early intervention services, formal assessments shall be
implemented by a developmental therapist with an EI
Specialist: Developmental Therapist/Hearing credential or a
provider with discipline-specific credentials upon the child
entering an early intervention program and at yearly
intervals. Developmental therapists with an EI Specialist:
Developmental Therapist/Hearing credential and providers with
discipline-specific credentials shall refer, as appropriate,

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children whose primary language is ASL or Protactile to others
to ensure assessments of those children are completed by
individuals with the ability to accurately conduct such
assessments.
Deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind children entering
school with an IEP or federal Section 504 plan shall receive a
formal assessment implemented by a licensed teacher of the
deaf or a discipline-specific licensed teacher. Licensed
teachers of the deaf or discipline-specific licensed teachers
shall refer, as appropriate, children whose primary language
is ASL or Protactile to others to ensure assessments of those
children are completed by individuals with the ability to
accurately conduct such assessments.
The advisory committee established pursuant to subsection
(g) shall list the criteria used to identify individuals who
are qualified to conduct accurate ASL or Protactile
assessments in the resource developed under subsection (b).
If a deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind child does not
demonstrate progress in expressive and receptive language
skills, the child's IFSP, IEP, or federal Section 504 plan
team shall be responsible for identifying areas that are not
meeting the language developmental milestones or progressing
toward them. Data collected on children with disabilities in
addition to hearing loss, children that are non-native English
speakers, and children with unilateral or bilateral hearing
loss should be extrapolated and analyzed independently to

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ensure that data efficacy is not compromised. The IFSP, IEP,
or federal Section 504 plan team, including the child's parent
or guardian, shall recommend and implement specific
strategies, services, and programs that shall be provided to
assist the child's success toward learning American Sign
Language, English, the primary language spoken in the child's
home, Protactile, or more than one of such languages. A
follow-up meeting shall be scheduled within 30 to 60 days
after the recommendations are made to determine the effects of
the recommendations.
(g) An advisory committee on language assessment programs
shall be established.
The advisory committee shall consist of all of the
following voting members, each appointed by the Secretary of
Human Services, in consultation with the Illinois School for
the Deaf and the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired:
(1) One parent or guardian of a child who is no more
than 18 years of age, who is deaf, hard of hearing, or
DeafBlind, and who uses ASL and the English language.
(2) One parent or guardian of a child who is no more
than 18 years of age, who is deaf, hard of hearing, or
DeafBlind, and who primarily uses spoken English, without
visual supplements.
(3) One expert on language outcomes for deaf and hard
of hearing children using ASL and the English language.
(4) One licensed teacher of deaf and hard of hearing

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pupils from a spoken English-only school or one expert on
language outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing children
using spoken English, with or without visual supplements.
(5) One licensed teacher of deaf and hard of hearing
pupils whose expertise is in curriculum and instruction in
ASL and English, with or without visual supplements, or
one licensed teacher of deaf and hard of hearing pupils
whose expertise is in ASL and English language assessment,
with or without visual supplements.
(6) A psychologist with expertise in assessing deaf
and hard of hearing children who use or are fluent in ASL
and English.
(7) One developmental therapist with an EI Specialist:
Developmental Therapist/Hearing credential who works with
deaf and hard of hearing infants and toddlers using ASL
and the English language.
(8) One licensed speech-language pathologist who has
expertise in working with infants, toddlers, and children
who uses Listening and Spoken Language methodologies.
(9) One licensed speech-language pathologist who has
expertise in working with infants, toddlers, and children
who use ASL.
(10) One deaf person who represents the deaf
community.
(11) One DeafBlind specialist or DeafBlind educator
whose expertise is in DeafBlind advocacy or education.

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(12) One licensed teacher of deaf and hard of hearing
pupils who also has significant experience in working with
deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind students with other
educational disabilities who are no more than 5 years of
age.
(13) One licensed pediatric audiologist with working
knowledge of ASL and English.
The advisory committee shall also consist of the following
nonvoting members, who shall provide administrative and other
support to the advisory committee:
(A) The State Superintendent of Education or his or
her designee.
(B) The Director of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Commission or his or her designee.
(C) The Secretary of Early Childhood or his or her
designee.
(D) The Director of Public Health or his or her
designee.
(E) The Superintendent of the Illinois School for the
Deaf or his or her designee.
(F) The Secretary of Human Services or his or her
designee.
The Department of Human Services shall call an
organizational meeting of the advisory committee within 60
days after the effective date of this Act. At the
organizational meeting, the members of the advisory committee

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shall elect a chairperson from among the membership of the
advisory committee. The advisory committee may meet at any
time in person or via webinar within this State at the call of
the chairperson.
Members of the advisory committee shall serve without
compensation or travel reimbursement. Communication access
accommodations, such as interpreters and captioning, must be
provided at all meetings to ensure full participation.
A quorum of the advisory committee shall consist of a
two-thirds majority of the members appointed to the advisory
committee. All actions and recommendations of the advisory
committee must be approved by a vote of the appointed members.
Any vacancy in the advisory committee shall be filled in
the same manner as the original appointment.
The Department of Human Services, under the direction of
the Illinois School for the Deaf and the Illinois School for
the Visually Impaired, shall provide the advisory committee
with administrative support.
(h) Language developmental milestones selected by the
advisory committee shall be aligned with this State's infant,
toddler, preschool, and school-age guidelines, as well as
federal laws and State standards in English language arts and
related programs.
(i) On or before December 1, 2027, the advisory committee
shall develop specific action plans, timelines, and
anticipated costs and propose recommendations for rules that

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are necessary to fully implement language and communication
tools, assessments, and resources.
The advisory committee may do all of the following:
(1) Solicit input from experts on the selection of
language and communication developmental milestones
related to the resources, tools, and assessments.
(2) Review, select, and monitor the use of language
and communication assessments for infants, toddlers, and
children who are deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind.
(3) Identify criteria for qualified ASL and English
experts who can support initial and periodic IFSP, IEP, or
federal Section 504 plan team meetings.
(4) Identify methods for documenting, monitoring, and
submitting to all applicable State agencies child-specific
information on language and communication assessment
results, milestones, assessment tools, and the progress of
a child.
Child-specific periodic assessment results and
longitudinal progress information shall be made available to
each applicable State agency, the parent or guardian of a
child, teachers, and other professionals involved in the early
intervention and education of a child.
(j) The specific action plans and rule recommendations
developed by the advisory committee shall include, but are not
limited to, all of the following:
(1) Language and communication assessments, including

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child-specific data collection and timely tracking through
a statewide data system, of a child's development to
provide information about the child's receptive and
expressive language acquisition compared to the child's
typically developing, age-related peers who are not deaf,
hard of hearing, or DeafBlind.
(2) Language and communication assessments conducted
in accordance with standardized procedures and timelines
to monitor and track milestones in both receptive and
expressive language acquisition based on developmental
milestones toward kindergarten readiness for all children
who are deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind from birth to 5
years of age.
(3) Language assessments delivered in ASL, English, or
the primary language spoken in a child's home that have
been validated for the specific purposes for which each
assessment is used and appropriately normed.
(4) The reporting of assessment results to the parent
or guardian of a child and to the Department of Human
Services, the Illinois School for the Deaf, and the
Illinois School for the Visually Impaired, in cooperation
with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, the
Department of Early Childhood, the State Board of
Education, and the Department of Public Health, to ensure
accountability and provide information on how the
education of infants, toddlers, and children who are deaf,

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hard of hearing, or DeafBlind can be improved. The
Department of Human Services shall publish annual reports
related to this Act.
(5) The reporting of assessment results to a child's
IFSP, IEP, or federal Section 504 plan team, annually, to
assist the team in ensuring that appropriate language
development remains a priority and continues to be
monitored by the team.
Assessment results can be used to guide IFSP, IEP, and
federal Section 504 plan teams for the purpose of reviewing
the progress of a child's language and communication
development.
Language assessments shall be administered by individuals
who are proficient and have expertise in the language
developmental stages of ASL, English, or the primary language
spoken in a child's home.
(k) All activities in implementing this Section shall be
consistent with federal and State law regarding the education
of children with disabilities and the privacy of pupil
information.
(l) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2028.
Section 20. Joint action plan. On or before July 1, 2028,
the Department of Human Services, the Illinois School for the
Deaf, and the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired, in
cooperation with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, the

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Department of Early Childhood, the State Board of Education,
and the Department of Public Health, shall publish a joint
action plan and may propose legislation and rules necessary to
implement the recommendations of the advisory committee
established under Section 15. The joint action plan and
proposed legislation and rules may include all of the
following:
(1) Recommendations on evidence-based and
research-supported tools to help identify deaf, hard of
hearing, and DeafBlind children from birth to 5 years of
age.
(2) The development of resources and training for
parents, guardians, health care providers,
interventionists, and educators about State resources
available to deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind infants,
toddlers, and children of school age. The resources and
training shall include evidence-based information on
language and communication development for English and
American Sign Language.
(3) Strategies and suggestions on ways to connect
deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind adults with families
supporting children in need of support.
(4) Recommendations for training and educating
physicians and other health care providers on how to
connect deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind children and
their parents or guardians to resources and support.

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Section 25. Reporting. On or before July 1, 2029, the
Department of Human Services, the Illinois School for the
Deaf, and the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired, in
cooperation with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, the
Department of Early Childhood, and the Department of Public
Health, shall jointly publish aggregate, de-identified data on
the number of children from birth to 3 years of age in this
State who have been diagnosed as deaf, hard of hearing, or
DeafBlind. The Department of Human Services shall publish
de-identified, aggregate data on the number and scope of
individualized education programs written for students from 3
to 5 years of age who are enrolled in public preschool programs
and who are deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind and the number
and scope of individualized education programs for students in
kindergarten and first grade who are deaf, hard of hearing,
and DeafBlind. The Department of Human Services, the Illinois
School for the Deaf, and the Illinois School for the Visually
Impaired, in cooperation with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Commission, the Department of Early Childhood, and the
Department of Public Health, may add additional data reporting
recommendations. The data must be shared within the
requirements of the federal Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act of 1974, the Illinois School Student Records Act,
and the Personal Information Protection Act.

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Section 30. Information sharing.
(a) For the purposes of documentation and coordination of
medical care, intervention, or educational services, each
applicable State agency may share screening, diagnosis,
intervention, education, assessment, and monitoring
information with other State agencies and a child's parent or
guardian.
(b) If providing services to a newborn, infant, or child,
a medical care facility, health care provider, early
interventionist, local health department, or the University of
Illinois at Chicago Division of Specialized Care for Children
may submit information or reports to an applicable State
agency about the screening, diagnosis, intervention,
education, assessment, or follow-up services of the newborn,
infant, or child. Submission shall be done within 7 days after
the date of service or an inquiry from the State agency.
Reports shall be in a format determined by the State agency.
(c) The Department of Human Services, the Illinois School
for the Deaf, and the Illinois School for the Visually
Impaired, in cooperation with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Commission, the Department of Early Childhood, the State Board
of Education, and the Department of Public Health, may
exchange child-specific data for children who are deaf, hard
of hearing, and DeafBlind for the purpose of tracking,
monitoring, and quality assurance.
(d) Except in cases of willful or wanton misconduct, no

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person or entity acting in compliance with this Section is
civilly or criminally liable for any act performed in
compliance with this Section, including furnishing any
required information under this Section.
Section 40. Rulemaking. The Department of Human Services,
in cooperation with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission,
the Department of Early Childhood, the State Board of
Education, and the Department of Public Health, may adopt any
rules necessary to implement this Act.
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.".