Bill Text: IL HB4643 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Engrossed

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Bill Title: Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. In a provision requiring the Department of Human Service' Division of Mental Health to implement a direct support professional credential pilot program, delays the pilot program's start date to Fiscal Year 2025 (rather than Fiscal Year 2024). Amends the School Code. Provides that beginning with the 2026-2027 school year (rather than the 2025-2026 school year) and continuing for not less than 2 years, the State Board of Education shall make available a model program of study that incorporates the training and experience necessary to serve as a direct support professional. Provides that by July 1, 2025 (rather than by July 1, 2023) the Department of Human Service must submit recommendations to the State Board of Education for the training that would be required in order to complete the model program of study. Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides that by July 1, 2026 (rather than by July 1, 2025), the Illinois Community College Board shall submit recommendations for a model program of study, for credit, that incorporates the training and experience necessary to serve as a direct support professional to the Department of Human Services. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-19 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB4643 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB4643-Engrossed.html

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AN ACT concerning State government.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Mental Health and Developmental
Disabilities Administrative Act is amended by changing Section
4.4 as follows:
(20 ILCS 1705/4.4)
Sec. 4.4. Direct support professional credential pilot
program.
(a) In this Section, "direct support person credential"
means a document issued to an individual by a recognized
accrediting body attesting that the individual has met the
professional requirements of the credentialing program by the
Division of Developmental Disabilities of the Department of
Human Services.
(b) The Division or a Division partner shall initiate a
program to continue to gain the expertise and knowledge of the
developmental disabilities workforce and of the developmental
disabilities workforce recruitment and retention needs
throughout the developmental disabilities field. The Division
shall implement a direct support professional credential pilot
program to assist and attract persons into the field of direct
support, advance direct support as a career, and

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professionalize the field to promote workforce recruitment and
retention efforts, advanced skills and competencies, and
further ensure the health, safety, and well-being of persons
being served.
(c) The direct support professional credential pilot
program is created within the Division to assist persons in
the field of developmental disabilities in obtaining a
credential in their fields of expertise.
(d) The pilot program shall be administered by the
Division for 3 years, beginning in Fiscal Year 2025 2024. The
pilot program shall include providers licensed and certified
by the Division or by the Department of Public Health. The
purpose of the pilot program is to assess how the
establishment of a State-administered direct support
professional credential:
(1) promotes recruitment and retention efforts in the
developmental disabilities field, notably the direct
support professional position;
(2) enhances competence in the developmental
disabilities field;
(3) yields quality supports and services to persons
with developmental disabilities; and
(4) advances the health and safety requirements set
forth by the State.
(e) The Division or a Division partner, in administering
the pilot program, shall consider, but not be limited to, the

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following:
(1) best practices learning initiatives, including the
University of Minnesota's college of direct support and
all Illinois Department of Human Services-approved direct
support professional competencies;
(2) national direct support professional competencies
or credentialing-based standards and trainings;
(3) facilitating direct support professional's
portfolio development;
(4) the role and value of skill mentors; and
(5) creating a career ladder.
(f) The Division shall produce a report detailing the
progress of the pilot program, including, but not limited to:
(1) the rate of recruitment and retention for direct
support professionals of providers participating in the
pilot program compared to the rate for non-participating
providers;
(2) the number of direct support professional
credentialed; and
(3) the enhancement of quality supports and services
to persons with developmental disabilities.
(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 102-830, eff. 1-1-23.)
Section 10. The School Code is amended by changing Section
2-3.195 as follows:

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(105 ILCS 5/2-3.195)
Sec. 2-3.195. Direct support professional training
program. Beginning with the 2026-2027 2025-2026 school year
and continuing for not less than 2 years, the State Board of
Education shall make available a model program of study that
incorporates the training and experience necessary to serve as
a direct support professional. By July 1, 2025 2023, the
Department of Human Services shall submit recommendations
developed in consultation with stakeholders, including, but
not limited to, organizations representing community-based
providers serving children and adults with intellectual or
developmental disabilities, and education practitioners,
including, but not limited to, teachers, administrators,
special education directors, and regional superintendents of
schools, to the State Board for the training that would be
required in order to complete the model program of study.
(Source: P.A. 102-874, eff. 1-1-23; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23;
103-175, eff. 6-30-23.)
Section 15. The Public Community College Act is amended by
changing Section 2-27 as follows:
(110 ILCS 805/2-27)
Sec. 2-27. Direct support professional training program.
By July 1, 2026 2025, the State Board shall submit
recommendations for a model program of study, for credit, that

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incorporates the training and experience necessary to serve as
a direct support professional to the Department of Human
Services. The model program of study shall be developed in
consultation with stakeholders, including, but not limited to,
organizations representing community-based providers serving
children and adults with intellectual or developmental
disabilities, and elementary and secondary education
practitioners, including, but not limited to, teachers,
administrators, special education directors, and regional
superintendents of schools. Beginning with the 2026-2027
academic year and continuing for not less than 2 academic
years, the State Board shall make available to community
colleges the model program of study developed under this
Section.
(Source: P.A. 103-92, eff. 1-1-24.)