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HB1783 - 104th General Assembly

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HB1783 Enrolled
LRB104 09258 LNS 19316 b
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,

HB1783 Enrolled
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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.

HB1783 Enrolled
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LRB104 09258 LNS 19316 b
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

HB1783 Enrolled
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LRB104 09258 LNS 19316 b
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

HB1783 Enrolled
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LRB104 09258 LNS 19316 b
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

HB1783 Enrolled
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LRB104 09258 LNS 19316 b
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

HB1783 Enrolled
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LRB104 09258 LNS 19316 b
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

HB1783 Enrolled
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LRB104 09258 LNS 19316 b
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

HB1783 Enrolled
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LRB104 09258 LNS 19316 b
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

HB1783 Enrolled
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LRB104 09258 LNS 19316 b
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

HB1783 Enrolled
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LRB104 09258 LNS 19316 b
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

HB1783 Enrolled
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LRB104 09258 LNS 19316 b
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.

HB1783 Enrolled
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LRB104 09258 LNS 19316 b
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

HB1783 Enrolled
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LRB104 09258 LNS 19316 b
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

HB1783 Enrolled
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LRB104 09258 LNS 19316 b
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

HB1783 Enrolled
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LRB104 09258 LNS 19316 b
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

HB1783 Enrolled
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LRB104 09258 LNS 19316 b
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

HB1783 Enrolled
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LRB104 09258 LNS 19316 b
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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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becoming law.

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