Bill Text: IL HB1783 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Enrolled
Bill Title: Creates the Language Equality Acquisition for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind Children Act. Provides that the Act applies to children from birth to 5 years of age and is subject to appropriation. Provides that the Department of Human Services, in consultation with various State agencies, shall establish a language needs and monitoring program for deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind children. Provides that an advisory committee on language needs and monitoring shall be established. Provides that the Department, in consultation with various State agencies, shall publish a joint action plan that considers the recommendations of the advisory committee and may propose legislation and rules necessary to implement the Act. Provides for reporting, information sharing, and rulemaking. Effective immediately.
Sponsorship: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-1)
Status: (Enrolled) 2026-06-18 - Sent to the Governor [HB1783 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2025-HB1783-Enrolled.html
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| 1 | AN ACT concerning education. | ||||||
| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||||
| 3 | represented in the General Assembly: | ||||||
| 4 | Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | ||||||
| 5 | Language Equality Acquisition for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or | ||||||
| 6 | DeafBlind Children Act. | ||||||
| 7 | Section 5. Findings and goal. | ||||||
| 8 | (a) The General Assembly finds that there is an urgent and | ||||||
| 9 | substantial need to do all of the following: | ||||||
| 10 | (1) Develop a State-recognized language needs and | ||||||
| 11 | monitoring program for deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind | ||||||
| 12 | children with language and communication developmental | ||||||
| 13 | milestones to assist parents, guardians, and educators in | ||||||
| 14 | determining the language and communication needs and goals | ||||||
| 15 | of deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind children. | ||||||
| 16 | (2) End language deprivation in children who are deaf, | ||||||
| 17 | hard of hearing, or DeafBlind through proper assessment, | ||||||
| 18 | monitoring, and tracking of language and communication | ||||||
| 19 | developmental milestones. | ||||||
| 20 | (3) Provide access to primary languages to be used at | ||||||
| 21 | home, including, but not limited to, American Sign | ||||||
| 22 | Language, English, or Protactile, all of which are | ||||||
| 23 | essential in the development of cognition, communication, | ||||||
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| 1 | literacy, and language in deaf, hard of hearing, or | ||||||
| 2 | DeafBlind children and in enhancing preschool and | ||||||
| 3 | kindergarten readiness. | ||||||
| 4 | (4) Maximize resources associated with early | ||||||
| 5 | intervention services by ensuring deaf, hard of hearing, | ||||||
| 6 | and DeafBlind children have the necessary language | ||||||
| 7 | foundation to communicate, learn, and achieve their | ||||||
| 8 | maximum potential. | ||||||
| 9 | (5) Enhance deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind, | ||||||
| 10 | children's independence, linguistic proficiency, | ||||||
| 11 | productivity, and socialization with peers, family, and | ||||||
| 12 | the community, as well as maximize the potential for these | ||||||
| 13 | children to thrive in childhood, adolescence, and | ||||||
| 14 | adulthood. | ||||||
| 15 | (b) The General Assembly declares that the goal of this | ||||||
| 16 | State is for deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind children to | ||||||
| 17 | enter public and nonpublic schools in this State prepared for | ||||||
| 18 | learning, able to communicate with peers and staff, and with | ||||||
| 19 | access to resources to help these children succeed. | ||||||
| 20 | Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act: | ||||||
| 21 | "Advisory committee" means the advisory committee | ||||||
| 22 | established under Section 25. | ||||||
| 23 | "American Sign Language" means a complete, visual, and | ||||||
| 24 | manual sign language with its own grammar and syntax that is | ||||||
| 25 | used by many deaf or hard of hearing individuals. | ||||||
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| 1 | "Communication" means the process of exchanging | ||||||
| 2 | information between individuals or groups that involves the | ||||||
| 3 | transmission of ideas, feelings, or facts from one person, the | ||||||
| 4 | sender, to another, the receiver, and may be verbal or | ||||||
| 5 | nonverbal and plays a crucial role in human interaction. | ||||||
| 6 | "DeafBlind" means concomitant hearing and vision | ||||||
| 7 | impairments, the combination of which causes such significant | ||||||
| 8 | communication, developmental, or educational needs that they | ||||||
| 9 | cannot be accommodated solely for children with deafness or | ||||||
| 10 | low-vision blindness. | ||||||
| 11 | "English" means a method of human communication consisting | ||||||
| 12 | of the use of English words in a structured and conventional | ||||||
| 13 | way, including spoken English, written English, and English | ||||||
| 14 | with or without the use of visual or tactile supplements or | ||||||
| 15 | dual language services. | ||||||
| 16 | "English literacy" means the ability to read and write in | ||||||
| 17 | English. | ||||||
| 18 | "Kindergarten readiness" means language, communication, | ||||||
| 19 | early reading and math literacy, and social skills development | ||||||
| 20 | for each language of the home that is consistent with | ||||||
| 21 | age-related peers by kindergarten. | ||||||
| 22 | "Language" means the age-appropriate development of human | ||||||
| 23 | communication, spoken, written, or signed, consisting of the | ||||||
| 24 | use of words and signs in a structured and conventional way. | ||||||
| 25 | "Language and communication developmental milestones" | ||||||
| 26 | means milestones of development measured by validated | ||||||
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| 1 | instruments used to meet the requirements of federal law for | ||||||
| 2 | the assessment of children from birth to 5 years of age. | ||||||
| 3 | "Protactile" means the value of touch-based interactions | ||||||
| 4 | for the purposes of communication for individuals who are | ||||||
| 5 | DeafBlind that has its own grammar and syntax and that allows | ||||||
| 6 | for individuals to connect with the world around them and | ||||||
| 7 | fosters greater independence for those with multisensory | ||||||
| 8 | impairments. | ||||||
| 9 | Section 15. Applicability. | ||||||
| 10 | (a) This Act applies to children from birth to 5 years of | ||||||
| 11 | age. | ||||||
| 12 | (b) This Act is subject to appropriation. | ||||||
| 13 | Section 20. Language needs and monitoring program for | ||||||
| 14 | deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind children. | ||||||
| 15 | (a) The Department of Human Services, in consultation with | ||||||
| 16 | the Illinois School for the Deaf, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing | ||||||
| 17 | Commission, the Department of Early Childhood, the State Board | ||||||
| 18 | of Education, and the Department of Public Health, shall | ||||||
| 19 | establish a language needs and monitoring program for deaf, | ||||||
| 20 | hard of hearing, or DeafBlind children. The scope of the | ||||||
| 21 | program shall include language and communication developmental | ||||||
| 22 | milestones in American Sign Language, English, Protactile, or | ||||||
| 23 | the primary language used in the home. The purpose of the | ||||||
| 24 | program is to assess, monitor, and track the language and | ||||||
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| 1 | communication developmental milestones of children who are | ||||||
| 2 | deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind and develop a resource for | ||||||
| 3 | use by parents and guardians to monitor and support deaf, hard | ||||||
| 4 | of hearing, or DeafBlind children's expressive and receptive | ||||||
| 5 | language acquisition and developmental stages toward English | ||||||
| 6 | literacy and kindergarten readiness. | ||||||
| 7 | (b) The resource developed under subsection (a) shall: | ||||||
| 8 | (1) consider the language and communication | ||||||
| 9 | developmental milestones recommended by the advisory | ||||||
| 10 | committee; | ||||||
| 11 | (2) be appropriate for use, in both content and | ||||||
| 12 | administration, with deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind | ||||||
| 13 | children who use American Sign Language, English, | ||||||
| 14 | Protactile, or the primary language used in the home; | ||||||
| 15 | (3) include and present evidence-based language and | ||||||
| 16 | communication developmental milestones for typically | ||||||
| 17 | developing children, by age range; language and | ||||||
| 18 | communication development milestones shall be aligned with | ||||||
| 19 | this State's infant, toddler, preschool-age, and | ||||||
| 20 | school-age guidelines, as well as federal laws and State | ||||||
| 21 | standards in English language arts and related programs; | ||||||
| 22 | (4) be provided in English, American Sign Language, | ||||||
| 23 | Protactile, and the primary language used in the home for | ||||||
| 24 | clarity and ease of use by parents, guardians, health care | ||||||
| 25 | professionals, interventionists, and educators; | ||||||
| 26 | (5) be consistent with State and federal guidelines on | ||||||
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| 1 | early intervention, identification, diagnosis, and early | ||||||
| 2 | childhood education; | ||||||
| 3 | (6) inform parents and guardians of their right to | ||||||
| 4 | choose their preferred language that will be used to | ||||||
| 5 | communicate and provide a language-rich learning | ||||||
| 6 | environment for their child, including English, American | ||||||
| 7 | Sign Language, Protactile, or the primary language used in | ||||||
| 8 | the home; | ||||||
| 9 | (7) inform parents and guardians that they may bring | ||||||
| 10 | the resource to an individualized family service plan, | ||||||
| 11 | individualized education program, or federal Section 504 | ||||||
| 12 | plan meeting for purposes of supporting their choices and | ||||||
| 13 | observations regarding their child's language and | ||||||
| 14 | communication development; the resource shall include | ||||||
| 15 | evidence-based and comprehensive information about | ||||||
| 16 | American Sign Language, English, Protactile, or the | ||||||
| 17 | primary language used in the home, as well as available | ||||||
| 18 | services and programs; and | ||||||
| 19 | (8) make clear that the resource is a checklist of | ||||||
| 20 | language and communication developmental milestones that | ||||||
| 21 | has been created from evidence-based resources and | ||||||
| 22 | completed by a parent or guardian and professionals | ||||||
| 23 | together and may have similarities and differences from | ||||||
| 24 | standardized testing presented at an individualized family | ||||||
| 25 | service plan, individualized education program, or federal | ||||||
| 26 | Section 504 plan meeting; the parent or guardian shall be | ||||||
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| 1 | made aware that the school district is not required to use | ||||||
| 2 | the resources, language and communication developmental | ||||||
| 3 | milestones, or specific assessments in this subsection and | ||||||
| 4 | subsection (a) that are recommended by the advisory | ||||||
| 5 | committee for the purpose of developing the individualized | ||||||
| 6 | family service plan, individualized education program, or | ||||||
| 7 | federal Section 504 plan. | ||||||
| 8 | (c) The Department of Human Services, in consultation with | ||||||
| 9 | the Illinois School for the Deaf, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing | ||||||
| 10 | Commission, the Department of Early Childhood, the State Board | ||||||
| 11 | of Education, and the Department of Public Health, shall | ||||||
| 12 | consult with subject matter experts on the advisory committee | ||||||
| 13 | in selecting from lists of validated tools or assessments for | ||||||
| 14 | interventionists and educators to be used in the assessment of | ||||||
| 15 | language, communication, and preliteracy development for deaf, | ||||||
| 16 | hard of hearing, or DeafBlind children, in accordance with | ||||||
| 17 | assessment requirements under the federal Individuals with | ||||||
| 18 | Disabilities Education Act and Section 10-65 of the Department | ||||||
| 19 | of Early Childhood Act. The selection of the tools or | ||||||
| 20 | assessments shall: | ||||||
| 21 | (1) be in a format that shows language and | ||||||
| 22 | communication developmental milestones; | ||||||
| 23 | (2) take into consideration the recommendations of the | ||||||
| 24 | advisory committee to measure the development of deaf, | ||||||
| 25 | hard of hearing, or DeafBlind children's expressive and | ||||||
| 26 | receptive language acquisition and language and | ||||||
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| 1 | communication developmental milestones toward literacy; | ||||||
| 2 | (3) be selected from a list of tools or assessments | ||||||
| 3 | used to assess the development of all children; and | ||||||
| 4 | (4) be appropriate, in both content and | ||||||
| 5 | administration, for use with deaf, hard of hearing, or | ||||||
| 6 | DeafBlind children. | ||||||
| 7 | The tools or assessments may be used, in addition to the | ||||||
| 8 | assessments required by federal law, by a child's | ||||||
| 9 | individualized family service plan or individualized education | ||||||
| 10 | program, as applicable, to track a deaf, hard of hearing, or | ||||||
| 11 | DeafBlind child's progress and to establish or modify an | ||||||
| 12 | individualized family service plan or individualized education | ||||||
| 13 | program. Children with federal Section 504 plans shall be | ||||||
| 14 | assessed to ensure appropriate services are provided. The | ||||||
| 15 | tools or assessments may reflect the recommendations of the | ||||||
| 16 | advisory committee. | ||||||
| 17 | (d) The Department of Human Services, in consultation with | ||||||
| 18 | the Illinois School for the Deaf, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing | ||||||
| 19 | Commission, the Department of Early Childhood, the State Board | ||||||
| 20 | of Education, and the Department of Public Health, shall | ||||||
| 21 | disseminate the resource developed under subsection (a) to the | ||||||
| 22 | parents or guardians of deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind | ||||||
| 23 | children and, pursuant to federal law, the Department of Human | ||||||
| 24 | Services shall disseminate the tools and assessments selected | ||||||
| 25 | under subsection (c) to early intervention entities and school | ||||||
| 26 | districts for consideration in the development and | ||||||
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| 1 | modification of individualized family service plans, | ||||||
| 2 | individualized education programs, and federal Section 504 | ||||||
| 3 | plans. | ||||||
| 4 | (e) The Department of Human Services shall make available | ||||||
| 5 | to parents and guardians materials and training on the tools, | ||||||
| 6 | assessments, and resources for deaf, hard of hearing, or | ||||||
| 7 | DeafBlind children. | ||||||
| 8 | (f) Beginning on July 1, 2028, an annual language | ||||||
| 9 | assessment shall be offered to the parent or guardian of each | ||||||
| 10 | child who is deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind, in | ||||||
| 11 | accordance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities | ||||||
| 12 | Education Act and Section 10-65 of the Department of Early | ||||||
| 13 | Childhood Act. The language assessment shall be administered | ||||||
| 14 | by a credentialed or licensed professional who meets the | ||||||
| 15 | qualifications established by the test developer and | ||||||
| 16 | demonstrates proficiency in the language being assessed. | ||||||
| 17 | A deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind newborn child shall | ||||||
| 18 | be screened by the time the child turns one month old, | ||||||
| 19 | diagnosed no later than 3 months of age, and referred to an | ||||||
| 20 | early intervention program by the time the child turns 6 | ||||||
| 21 | months old. Following the referral to an early intervention | ||||||
| 22 | program, the initial evaluation, assessment, and | ||||||
| 23 | individualized family service plan meeting shall occur within | ||||||
| 24 | 45 days. Services shall begin no later than 30 days after the | ||||||
| 25 | consent of the parent or guardian is obtained as required by | ||||||
| 26 | the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and | ||||||
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| 1 | Section 10-65 of the Department of Early Childhood Act. | ||||||
| 2 | A deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind child with late | ||||||
| 3 | onset hearing loss shall be diagnosed no later than 3 months | ||||||
| 4 | after a suspected hearing loss and immediately referred to | ||||||
| 5 | services after diagnosis. | ||||||
| 6 | If a deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind child is referred | ||||||
| 7 | to an early intervention program, a formal assessment shall be | ||||||
| 8 | offered, in person or virtually, by a developmental | ||||||
| 9 | therapist-hearing or discipline-specific credentialed | ||||||
| 10 | provider upon program entry and at yearly intervals, in | ||||||
| 11 | accordance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities | ||||||
| 12 | Education Act and Section 10-65 of the Department of Early | ||||||
| 13 | Childhood Act. Developmental therapists-hearing and | ||||||
| 14 | discipline-specific credentialed providers shall be expected | ||||||
| 15 | to refer out as appropriate for children whose primary | ||||||
| 16 | language is American Sign Language or Protactile to ensure | ||||||
| 17 | assessments of children are completed by individuals with the | ||||||
| 18 | ability to accurately conduct such assessments. | ||||||
| 19 | A deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind child entering | ||||||
| 20 | school with an individualized education program or federal | ||||||
| 21 | Section 504 plan shall receive a formal assessment implemented | ||||||
| 22 | by a licensed teacher of the deaf or discipline-specific | ||||||
| 23 | licensed teacher. Licensed teachers of the deaf or | ||||||
| 24 | discipline-specific licensed teachers shall be expected to | ||||||
| 25 | refer out as appropriate for children whose primary language | ||||||
| 26 | is American Sign Language or Protactile to ensure assessments | ||||||
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| 1 | of children are completed by those individuals with the | ||||||
| 2 | ability to accurately conduct such assessments. | ||||||
| 3 | The advisory committee shall recommend the criteria that | ||||||
| 4 | may be used to identify those individuals who are qualified to | ||||||
| 5 | conduct accurate American Sign Language or Protactile | ||||||
| 6 | assessments. | ||||||
| 7 | In accordance with the federal Individuals with | ||||||
| 8 | Disabilities Education Act and Section 10-65 of the Department | ||||||
| 9 | of Early Childhood Act, if a deaf, hard of hearing, or | ||||||
| 10 | DeafBlind child does not demonstrate progress in expressive | ||||||
| 11 | and receptive language skills, the child's individualized | ||||||
| 12 | family service plan, individualized education program, or | ||||||
| 13 | federal Section 504 plan team shall be responsible for | ||||||
| 14 | identifying areas not meeting or progressing toward the | ||||||
| 15 | language and communication developmental milestones. Data | ||||||
| 16 | collected on children with disabilities in addition to hearing | ||||||
| 17 | loss, nonnative English speakers, and children with unilateral | ||||||
| 18 | or bilateral hearing loss shall be extrapolated and analyzed | ||||||
| 19 | independently to ensure data efficacy is not compromised. The | ||||||
| 20 | individualized family service plan, individualized education | ||||||
| 21 | program, or federal Section 504 plan team, including the | ||||||
| 22 | parents or guardians, shall consider specific strategies, | ||||||
| 23 | services, and programs to assist the child's success toward | ||||||
| 24 | learning the child's parent's or guardian's preferred | ||||||
| 25 | language. A follow-up meeting shall be scheduled within 30 to | ||||||
| 26 | 60 days or as deemed appropriate by the individualized family | ||||||
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| 1 | service plan, individualized education program, or federal | ||||||
| 2 | Section 504 plan team to determine the effects of the | ||||||
| 3 | recommendations. | ||||||
| 4 | (g) All activities in implementing this Section shall be | ||||||
| 5 | consistent with federal and State law regarding the education | ||||||
| 6 | of children with disabilities and the privacy of pupil | ||||||
| 7 | information. | ||||||
| 8 | Section 25. Advisory committee. | ||||||
| 9 | (a) An advisory committee on language needs and monitoring | ||||||
| 10 | shall be established. The advisory committee shall be composed | ||||||
| 11 | of subject matter experts, consumers, and parents or guardians | ||||||
| 12 | supporting deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind children. | ||||||
| 13 | (b) The advisory committee shall consist of all of the | ||||||
| 14 | following voting members, each appointed by the Secretary of | ||||||
| 15 | Human Services, in consultation with the Illinois School for | ||||||
| 16 | the Deaf and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission: | ||||||
| 17 | (1) One parent or guardian of a child who (i) is 18 | ||||||
| 18 | years of age or younger at the time of the appointment, | ||||||
| 19 | (ii) is deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind, and (iii) | ||||||
| 20 | uses the dual languages of American Sign Language and | ||||||
| 21 | English. | ||||||
| 22 | (2) One parent or guardian of a child who (i) is 18 | ||||||
| 23 | years of age or younger at the time of the appointment, | ||||||
| 24 | (ii) is deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind, and (iii) | ||||||
| 25 | uses primarily spoken English, without sign support. | ||||||
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| 1 | (3) One expert on language outcomes for deaf and hard | ||||||
| 2 | of hearing children who use American Sign Language and the | ||||||
| 3 | English language. | ||||||
| 4 | (4) One licensed teacher of deaf and hard of hearing | ||||||
| 5 | children from a spoken English-only school or one expert | ||||||
| 6 | on language outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing children | ||||||
| 7 | using spoken English, with or without visual supplements. | ||||||
| 8 | (5) One licensed teacher of deaf and hard of hearing | ||||||
| 9 | children whose expertise is in curriculum and instruction | ||||||
| 10 | in American Sign Language and English, with or without | ||||||
| 11 | visual supplements, or one licensed teacher of deaf and | ||||||
| 12 | hard of hearing children whose expertise is in American | ||||||
| 13 | Sign Language and English language assessments, with or | ||||||
| 14 | without visual supplements. | ||||||
| 15 | (6) A psychologist with expertise in assessing deaf | ||||||
| 16 | and hard of hearing children who use or are fluent in | ||||||
| 17 | American Sign Language and English. | ||||||
| 18 | (7) One developmental therapist-hearing who works with | ||||||
| 19 | deaf and hard of hearing infants and toddlers who use the | ||||||
| 20 | dual languages of American Sign Language and the English | ||||||
| 21 | language. | ||||||
| 22 | (8) One licensed speech-language pathologist who has | ||||||
| 23 | expertise in working with children and who uses listening | ||||||
| 24 | and spoken language methodologies. | ||||||
| 25 | (9) One licensed speech-language pathologist who has | ||||||
| 26 | expertise in working with children who use American Sign | ||||||
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| 1 | Language. | ||||||
| 2 | (10) One deaf person who represents the deaf | ||||||
| 3 | community. | ||||||
| 4 | (11) One DeafBlind individual, specialist, or educator | ||||||
| 5 | whose expertise is in DeafBlind advocacy or education. | ||||||
| 6 | (12) One licensed teacher of deaf and hard of hearing | ||||||
| 7 | children who also has significant experience in working | ||||||
| 8 | with deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind children with | ||||||
| 9 | other educational disabilities. | ||||||
| 10 | (13) One licensed pediatric audiologist with working | ||||||
| 11 | knowledge of American Sign Language and English. | ||||||
| 12 | (c) The advisory committee shall consist of all of the | ||||||
| 13 | following ex officio, nonvoting members: | ||||||
| 14 | (1) The State Superintendent of Education or the State | ||||||
| 15 | Superintendent's designee. | ||||||
| 16 | (2) The Director of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing | ||||||
| 17 | Commission or the Director's designee. | ||||||
| 18 | (3) The Secretary of Early Childhood or the | ||||||
| 19 | Secretary's designee. | ||||||
| 20 | (4) The Director of Public Health or the Director's | ||||||
| 21 | designee. | ||||||
| 22 | (5) The Superintendent of the Illinois School for the | ||||||
| 23 | Deaf or the Superintendent's designee. | ||||||
| 24 | (6) The Secretary of Human Services or the Secretary's | ||||||
| 25 | designee. | ||||||
| 26 | The ex officio, nonvoting members shall provide support to | ||||||
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| 1 | the advisory committee. | ||||||
| 2 | (d) The Secretary of Human Services, in consultation with | ||||||
| 3 | the Illinois School for the Deaf and the Deaf and Hard of | ||||||
| 4 | Hearing Commission, shall select a chairperson from among the | ||||||
| 5 | voting appointed members. The Department of Human Services | ||||||
| 6 | shall call an inaugural meeting of the advisory committee | ||||||
| 7 | within 120 days of the effective date of this Act. The advisory | ||||||
| 8 | committee may meet at any time in person or virtually at the | ||||||
| 9 | call of the chairperson. | ||||||
| 10 | (e) Members of the advisory committee shall serve without | ||||||
| 11 | compensation or travel reimbursement. Communication access | ||||||
| 12 | accommodations, such as interpreters and captioning, must be | ||||||
| 13 | provided at all meetings to ensure full participation. | ||||||
| 14 | (f) A quorum of the advisory committee shall consist of a | ||||||
| 15 | simple majority of the members of the advisory committee, | ||||||
| 16 | voting and nonvoting. All actions and recommendations of the | ||||||
| 17 | advisory committee must be approved by an advisory committee | ||||||
| 18 | vote of the members appointed. | ||||||
| 19 | (g) Any vacancy in the advisory committee shall be filled | ||||||
| 20 | in the same manner as the original appointment. | ||||||
| 21 | (h) The Department of Human Services shall provide the | ||||||
| 22 | advisory committee with administrative support. | ||||||
| 23 | (i) On or before December 31, 2027, the advisory committee | ||||||
| 24 | shall submit to the Department of Human Services specific, | ||||||
| 25 | recommended action plans, timelines, anticipated costs, and | ||||||
| 26 | proposed rules necessary to fully implement language and | ||||||
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| 1 | communication tools, assessments, and resources. The advisory | ||||||
| 2 | committee may: | ||||||
| 3 | (1) solicit input from experts on the selection of | ||||||
| 4 | language and communication developmental milestones | ||||||
| 5 | related to the resources, tools, and assessments; | ||||||
| 6 | (2) review and monitor the use of language and | ||||||
| 7 | communication assessments for children who are deaf, hard | ||||||
| 8 | of hearing, or DeafBlind; | ||||||
| 9 | (3) recommend criteria for qualified American Sign | ||||||
| 10 | Language and English experts who can support the initial | ||||||
| 11 | and periodic individualized family service plan, | ||||||
| 12 | individualized education program, or federal Section 504 | ||||||
| 13 | plan team meetings; and | ||||||
| 14 | (4) recommend methods for documenting, monitoring, and | ||||||
| 15 | submitting to all State agencies, child-specific | ||||||
| 16 | information on language and communication assessment | ||||||
| 17 | results, language and communication developmental | ||||||
| 18 | milestones, assessment tools, and the progress of a child. | ||||||
| 19 | The periodic assessment results and longitudinal progress | ||||||
| 20 | ultimately implemented by the Department of Human Services, | ||||||
| 21 | considering the recommendations of the advisory committee and | ||||||
| 22 | in consultation with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, | ||||||
| 23 | the Department of Early Childhood, the State Board of | ||||||
| 24 | Education, and the Department of Public Health, shall be made | ||||||
| 25 | available on the child-specific level to each State agency and | ||||||
| 26 | to the parent or guardian of the child, teachers, and other | ||||||
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| 1 | professionals involved in the early intervention and education | ||||||
| 2 | of the child. | ||||||
| 3 | (j) The specific recommended action plans and proposed | ||||||
| 4 | rules developed by the advisory committee shall include, but | ||||||
| 5 | are not limited to, all of the following: | ||||||
| 6 | (1) Language and communication assessments that | ||||||
| 7 | include child-specific data collection and timely tracking | ||||||
| 8 | in a statewide data system of a child's development to | ||||||
| 9 | provide information about the child's receptive and | ||||||
| 10 | expressive language compared to the child's typically | ||||||
| 11 | developing, age-related peers who are not deaf, hard of | ||||||
| 12 | hearing, or DeafBlind. | ||||||
| 13 | (2) Language and communication assessments conducted | ||||||
| 14 | in accordance with the federal Individuals with | ||||||
| 15 | Disabilities Education Act and Section 10-65 of the | ||||||
| 16 | Department of Early Childhood Act, as well as standardized | ||||||
| 17 | procedures and timelines to monitor and track language and | ||||||
| 18 | communication developmental milestones in both receptive | ||||||
| 19 | and expressive language acquisition by language and | ||||||
| 20 | communication developmental milestones toward | ||||||
| 21 | kindergarten readiness for all children who are deaf, hard | ||||||
| 22 | of hearing, or DeafBlind. | ||||||
| 23 | (3) Language and communication assessments delivered | ||||||
| 24 | in American Sign Language, English, Protactile, or the | ||||||
| 25 | primary language used in the home that have been validated | ||||||
| 26 | for the specific purposes for which each assessment is | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | used and appropriately normed. | ||||||
| 2 | Language and communication assessments shall be | ||||||
| 3 | administered by individuals who are proficient and have | ||||||
| 4 | expertise in the language and communication developmental | ||||||
| 5 | stages of American Sign Language, English, Protactile, or the | ||||||
| 6 | primary language used in the home. | ||||||
| 7 | Language and communication assessment results may be used | ||||||
| 8 | to guide individualized family service plan, individualized | ||||||
| 9 | education program, or federal Section 504 plan teams for the | ||||||
| 10 | purpose of reviewing a child's progress in language and | ||||||
| 11 | communication development. | ||||||
| 12 | Language and communication assessment results shall be | ||||||
| 13 | reported to the parent or guardian of a child. Child-specific | ||||||
| 14 | data, in accordance with federal and State laws, shall be | ||||||
| 15 | reported to the Department of Human Services, which shall | ||||||
| 16 | ensure it is available to appropriate staff at the Deaf and | ||||||
| 17 | Hard of Hearing Commission, the Department of Early Childhood, | ||||||
| 18 | the State Board of Education, and the Department of Public | ||||||
| 19 | Health. One designated State agency shall publish annual | ||||||
| 20 | reports related to this Act. | ||||||
| 21 | Language and communication assessment results shall be | ||||||
| 22 | reported annually to the child's individualized family service | ||||||
| 23 | plan, individualized education program, or federal Section 504 | ||||||
| 24 | plan team to assist the individualized family service plan, | ||||||
| 25 | individualized education program, or federal Section 504 plan | ||||||
| 26 | team in ensuring that appropriate language and communication | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | development remains a priority and continues to be monitored. | ||||||
| 2 | (k) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2028. | ||||||
| 3 | Section 30. Joint action plan on deaf, hard of hearing, or | ||||||
| 4 | DeafBlind children. On or before July 1, 2028, the Department | ||||||
| 5 | of Human Services, in consultation with the Illinois School | ||||||
| 6 | for the Deaf, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, the | ||||||
| 7 | Department of Early Childhood, the State Board of Education, | ||||||
| 8 | and the Department of Public Health, shall publish a joint | ||||||
| 9 | action plan that considers the recommendations of the advisory | ||||||
| 10 | committee and may propose legislation and rules necessary to | ||||||
| 11 | implement this Act. The joint action plan may include | ||||||
| 12 | recommendations on all of the following: | ||||||
| 13 | (1) Evidence-based and research-supported tools to | ||||||
| 14 | help identify deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind | ||||||
| 15 | children. | ||||||
| 16 | (2) The development of evidence-based resources and | ||||||
| 17 | training for parents, guardians, health care providers, | ||||||
| 18 | interventionists, and educators about State resources | ||||||
| 19 | available to deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind children | ||||||
| 20 | of school age. | ||||||
| 21 | (3) Ways to connect deaf, hard of hearing, or | ||||||
| 22 | DeafBlind adults with families supporting children in need | ||||||
| 23 | of support. | ||||||
| 24 | (4) Training and resources for physicians and other | ||||||
| 25 | health care providers on how to connect deaf, hard of | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | hearing, or DeafBlind children and their parents or | ||||||
| 2 | guardians to resources and support. | ||||||
| 3 | Section 35. Reporting. On or before January 1, 2030 or 2 | ||||||
| 4 | years after the tools and assessments under Section 20 are | ||||||
| 5 | implemented, whichever is later, the Department of Human | ||||||
| 6 | Services, in consultation with the Illinois School for the | ||||||
| 7 | Deaf, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, the Department | ||||||
| 8 | of Early Childhood, the State Board of Education, and the | ||||||
| 9 | Department of Public Health, shall publish aggregate | ||||||
| 10 | deidentified data on (i) the number of children from birth to 3 | ||||||
| 11 | years of age who have been diagnosed as deaf, hard of hearing, | ||||||
| 12 | or DeafBlind, (ii) the number and scope of individualized | ||||||
| 13 | education programs written for children aged 3 to 5 years who | ||||||
| 14 | are enrolled in public preschool programs and who are deaf, | ||||||
| 15 | hard of hearing, or DeafBlind, and (iii) the number and scope | ||||||
| 16 | of individualized education programs for children in | ||||||
| 17 | kindergarten and first grade who are deaf, hard of hearing, or | ||||||
| 18 | DeafBlind. The Department of Human Services, in consultation | ||||||
| 19 | with the Illinois School for the Deaf, the Deaf and Hard of | ||||||
| 20 | Hearing Commission, the Department of Early Childhood, the | ||||||
| 21 | State Board of Education, and the Department of Public Health, | ||||||
| 22 | may add additional data reporting recommendations. The data | ||||||
| 23 | must be shared within the requirements of the federal Family | ||||||
| 24 | Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, the Illinois | ||||||
| 25 | School Student Records Act, and the Personal Information | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | Protection Act. | ||||||
| 2 | Section 40. Information sharing. | ||||||
| 3 | (a) For the purposes of documentation and the coordination | ||||||
| 4 | of medical care, intervention, or educational services, the | ||||||
| 5 | Department of Human Services, the Illinois School for the | ||||||
| 6 | Deaf, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, the Department | ||||||
| 7 | of Early Childhood, the State Board of Education, and the | ||||||
| 8 | Department of Public Health may, after obtaining consent, | ||||||
| 9 | share screening, diagnosis, intervention, education, | ||||||
| 10 | assessment, and monitoring information with other State | ||||||
| 11 | agencies or a child's parent or guardian. | ||||||
| 12 | (b) For the purposes of documentation and the coordination | ||||||
| 13 | of medical care, intervention, or educational services, the | ||||||
| 14 | Department of Human Services, the Illinois School for the | ||||||
| 15 | Deaf, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, the Department | ||||||
| 16 | of Early Childhood, the State Board of Education, and the | ||||||
| 17 | Department of Public Health may, after obtaining consent, | ||||||
| 18 | share screening, diagnosis, intervention, education, | ||||||
| 19 | assessment, and monitoring information in accordance with | ||||||
| 20 | applicable State and federal laws. Medical care facilities, | ||||||
| 21 | health care providers, early interventionists, local health | ||||||
| 22 | departments, and the University of Illinois at Chicago | ||||||
| 23 | Division of Specialized Care for Children may submit relevant | ||||||
| 24 | information or reports about newborn, infant, and child | ||||||
| 25 | screening, diagnosis, intervention, education, assessment, or | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | follow-up services for those services provided. To the extent | ||||||
| 2 | practicable, reporting shall be done as soon as possible after | ||||||
| 3 | the date of service or an inquiry from a State agency. Reports | ||||||
| 4 | shall be in a format determined by the reporting State agency. | ||||||
| 5 | (c) The Department of Human Services, in consultation with | ||||||
| 6 | the Illinois School for the Deaf, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing | ||||||
| 7 | Commission, the Department of Early Childhood, the State Board | ||||||
| 8 | of Education, and the Department of Public Health, may | ||||||
| 9 | exchange, in adherence with confidentiality and nondisclosure | ||||||
| 10 | requirements, child-specific data for children who are deaf, | ||||||
| 11 | hard of hearing, or DeafBlind only in order to support | ||||||
| 12 | children and their families and assist in the transition and | ||||||
| 13 | continuity of care and for the purposes of this Act. | ||||||
| 14 | (d) Except in cases of willful or wanton misconduct, no | ||||||
| 15 | health care provider, hospital, or medical facility acting in | ||||||
| 16 | compliance with this Section is civilly or criminally liable | ||||||
| 17 | for any act performed in compliance with this Section, | ||||||
| 18 | including furnishing information required under this Section. | ||||||
| 19 | Section 90. Rulemaking. The Department of Human Services, | ||||||
| 20 | in consultation with the Illinois School for the Deaf, the | ||||||
| 21 | Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, the Department of Early | ||||||
| 22 | Childhood, the State Board of Education, and the Department of | ||||||
| 23 | Public Health, may adopt any rules necessary to implement this | ||||||
| 24 | Act. | ||||||
| 25 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | becoming law. | ||||||
