Illinois-2023-HB5276-Introduced

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB5276

Introduced , by Rep. Suzanne M. Ness

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/14-8.03 from Ch. 122, par. 14-8.03

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning transition services, provides that the transition planning process and the transition plan prepared for a student shall include consideration of the assistive technology needs of the student related to the student's transition goals while the student is participating in transition-related activities and in post-school activities, including assistive technology evaluations, devices, and services and the availability and accessibility of appropriate assistive technology devices and services for the student in post-school activities. Effective immediately.

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STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

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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 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section

5 14-8.03 as follows:

6 (105 ILCS 5/14-8.03) (from Ch. 122, par. 14-8.03)

7 Sec. 14-8.03. Transition services.

8 (a) For purposes of this Section:

9 "Independent living skills" may include, without

10 limitation, personal hygiene, health care, fitness, food

11 preparation and nutrition, home management and safety,

12 dressing and clothing care, financial management and wellness,

13 self-esteem, self-advocacy, self-determination, community

14 living, housing options, public safety, leisure and

15 recreation, and transportation.

16 "Transition services" means a coordinated set of

17 activities for a child with a disability that (i) is designed

18 to be within a results-oriented process that is focused on

19 improving the academic and functional achievement of the child

20 with a disability to facilitate the child's movement from

21 school to post-school activities, including post-secondary

22 education, which may include for-credit courses, career and

23 technical education, and non-credit courses and instruction,

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1 vocational education, integrated employment (including

2 supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult

3 services, independent living, or community participation; (ii)

4 is based on the individual child's needs, taking into account

5 the child's strengths, preferences, and interests; and (iii)

6 includes instruction, related services, community experiences,

7 the development of employment and other post-school adult

8 living objectives, and, if appropriate, acquisition of daily

9 living skills, benefits counseling and planning, work

10 incentives education, and the provision of a functional

11 vocational evaluation. Transition services for a child with a

12 disability may be special education, if provided as specially

13 designed instruction, or a related service if required to

14 assist a child with a disability to benefit from special

15 education.

16 (a-5) Beginning no later than the first individualized

17 education plan (IEP) in effect when the student turns age 14

18 1/2 (or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP Team) and

19 updated annually thereafter, the IEP must include (i)

20 measurable post-secondary goals based upon age-appropriate

21 transition assessments and other information available

22 regarding the student that are related to training, education,

23 employment, and independent living skills and (ii) the

24 transition services needed to assist the student in reaching

25 those goals, including courses of study.

26 As a component of transition planning, the school district

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1 shall provide the student and the parent or guardian of the

2 student with information about the school district's career

3 and technical education (CTE) opportunities and postsecondary

4 CTE opportunities. The CTE information shall include a list of

5 programming options, the scope and sequence of study for

6 pursuing those options, and the locations of those options. A

7 student in high school with an IEP may enroll in the school

8 district's CTE program at any time if participation in a CTE

9 program is consistent with the student's transition goals.

10 The student and the parent or guardian of the student

11 shall be provided with information about dual credit courses

12 offered by the school district. The information shall include

13 courses offered by the school district for dual credit under

14 Section 16 of the Dual Credit Quality Act and courses in which

15 the student may enroll for high school credit only under

16 Section 16.5 of the Dual Credit Quality Act. The information

17 shall include the criteria for entry into any dual credit

18 course in which the student or the parent or guardian of the

19 student indicates interest. If the student is enrolled in a

20 dual credit course for dual credit or for high school credit

21 only, the student's participation in the course shall be

22 included as part of the student's transition IEP activities.

23 The transition planning process and the transition plan

24 prepared for the student shall include consideration of the

25 assistive technology needs of the student related to the

26 student's transition goals while the student is participating

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1 in transition-related activities and in post-school

2 activities, including assistive technology evaluations,

3 devices, and services and the availability and accessibility

4 of appropriate assistive technology devices and services for

5 the student in post-school activities.

6 (b) Transition planning must be conducted as part of the

7 IEP process and must be governed by the procedures applicable

8 to the development, review, and revision of the IEP, including

9 notices to the parents and student, parent and student

10 participation, and annual review. To appropriately assess and

11 develop IEP transition goals and transition services for a

12 child with a disability, additional participants may be

13 necessary and may be invited by the school district, parent,

14 or student to participate in the transition planning process.

15 Additional participants may include without limitation a

16 representative from the Department of Human Services or

17 another State agency, a case coordinator, or persons

18 representing other public or community agencies or services,

19 such as adult service providers, disability services

20 coordinators of public community colleges, and a CTE

21 coordinator. The IEP shall identify each person responsible

22 for coordinating and delivering transition services. If the

23 IEP team determines that the student requires transition

24 services from a public or private entity outside of the school

25 district, the IEP team shall identify potential outside

26 resources, assign one or more IEP team members to contact the

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1 appropriate outside entities, make the necessary referrals,

2 provide any information and documents necessary to complete

3 the referral, follow up with the entity to ensure that the

4 student has been successfully linked to the entity, and

5 monitor the student's progress to determine if the student's

6 IEP transition goals and benchmarks are being met. The

7 student's IEP shall indicate one or more specific time periods

8 during the school year when the IEP team shall review the

9 services provided by the outside entity and the student's

10 progress in such activities. The public school's

11 responsibility for delivering educational services does not

12 extend beyond the time the student leaves school or when the

13 student's eligibility ends due to age under this Article.

14 (c) A school district shall submit annually a summary of

15 each eligible student's IEP transition goals and transition

16 services resulting from the IEP Team meeting to the

17 appropriate local Transition Planning Committee. If students

18 with disabilities who are ineligible for special education

19 services request transition services, local public school

20 districts shall assist those students by identifying

21 post-secondary school goals, delivering appropriate education

22 services, and coordinating with other agencies and services

23 for assistance.

24 (Source: P.A. 102-516, eff. 8-20-21; 103-181, eff. 6-30-23.)