DHS-OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PILOT

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB1562

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB1562

Introduced 1/28/2025, by Rep. Charles Meier

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 1305/1-100 new

Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Requires the Department
of Human Services to establish and administer, no later than January 1,
2026, a 5-year pilot program that integrates an occupational therapy
component into the State's home-delivered meals program, commonly known as
Meals on Wheels, authorized under the federal Older Americans Act.
Provides that under the pilot program, the Department shall award grants
funded under the Section 14(c) transition program to eligible community
agencies for the purpose of training and employing qualifying workers with
disabilities to accompany Meals on Wheels drivers on their regular
delivery routes and assist in the delivery of meals to homebound meal
recipients who opt to participate in the pilot program. Provides that at
the option of a participating homebound meal recipient, a qualifying
worker may remain with the recipient for up to 2 hours after meal delivery
to provide an opportunity for social engagement and interaction. Provides
that a direct support professional shall travel with and supervise all
deliveries made by a worker whose disability makes the worker less
independent. Sets forth qualification requirements under the program for
workers with disabilities. Provides that all workers with disabilities
selected to participate in the pilot program shall be compensated at a rate
level consistent with those wage standards applied for workers engaged in
competitive integrated employment as defined in the federal Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Requires community agencies selected to receive grant funding under the
pilot program to have active or pending subminimum wage certificates
authorized under Section 14(c) of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of
1938 and meet any other eligibility requirements established by the
Department by rule. Requires the Department to conduct annual surveys
during the duration of the pilot program on participating homebound meal
recipients and workers with disabilities to gauge such participants'
overall satisfaction with the pilot program and to document any other
additional benefits to program participants. Effective July 1, 2025.
LRB104 05614 KTG 15644 b

A BILL FOR

HB1562
LRB104 05614 KTG 15644 b
1

AN ACT concerning State government.

2

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3
represented in the General Assembly:

4

Section 5.
The Department of Human Services Act is amended
5
by adding Section 1-100 as follows:

6

(20 ILCS 1305/1-100 new)
7

Sec. 1-100.
Occupational therapy pilot program for workers
8
with disabilities.

9

(a) No later than January 1, 2026, the Department of Human
10
Services shall establish and administer a 5-year pilot program
11
that integrates an occupational therapy component into the
12
State's home-delivered meals program, commonly known as Meals
13
on Wheels, authorized under the federal Older Americans Act.
14
Under the pilot program, the Department shall award grants
15
funded under the Section 14(c) transition program to eligible
16
community agencies for the purpose of training and employing
17
qualifying workers with disabilities to accompany Meals on
18
Wheels drivers on their regular delivery routes and assist in
19
the delivery of meals to homebound meal recipients who opt to
20
participate in the pilot program. At the option of a
21
participating homebound meal recipient, a qualifying worker
22
may remain with the recipient for up to 2 hours after meal
23
delivery to provide an opportunity for social engagement and

HB1562
- 2 -
LRB104 05614 KTG 15644 b
1
interaction. A direct support professional shall travel with
2
and supervise all deliveries made by a worker whose disability
3
makes the worker less independent.
4

Following completion of the 2-hour social engagement
5
activity, accommodations shall be made for a Meals on Wheels
6
delivery driver to pick-up and transport a qualifying worker
7
and any accompanying direct support professional from the
8
homebound meal recipient's residence back to the worker's
9
personal residence or to a developmental disability facility
10
where the worker resides or receives services. To encourage
11
and help maintain a social connection between qualifying
12
workers and homebound meal recipients, efforts shall be made
13
to assign each qualifying worker to at least one participating
14
homebound meal recipient for whom the worker will deliver
15
meals to on a regular basis.
16

(b) To qualify for training and employment under the pilot
17
program, an individual must have an intellectual or
18
developmental disability and must:
19

(1) have held previous employment in a congregate work
20

center or sheltered workshop under a subminimum wage
21

certificate authorized under Section 14(c) of the federal
22

Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; or
23

(2) be aged 22 or older and no longer eligible for
24

services or supports provided through traditional
25

school-based developmental disabilities programs.
26

All workers with disabilities selected to participate in

HB1562
- 3 -
LRB104 05614 KTG 15644 b
1
the pilot program shall be compensated at a rate level
2
consistent with those wage standards applied for workers
3
engaged in competitive integrated employment as defined in the
4
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128)
5
and Section 7 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C.
6
705).
7

(c) Community agencies selected to receive grant funding
8
under the pilot program must have active or pending subminimum
9
wage certificates authorized under Section 14(c) of the
10
federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and meet any other
11
eligibility requirements established by the Department by
12
rule.

13

(d) To measure the effectiveness of the pilot program,
14
beginning one year after the pilot program's implementation
15
date the Department shall conduct annual surveys on
16
participating homebound meal recipients and workers with
17
disabilities to gauge such participants' overall satisfaction
18
with the pilot program and to document any other additional
19
benefits to program participants. The final survey shall be
20
conducted no later than 3 months after the pilot program
21
terminates. All surveys shall be posted on the Department's
22
official website.

23

Section 99.
Effective date.
This Act takes effect July 1,
24
2025.

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