Rep. Robyn Gabel

Filed: 3/15/2017

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 2618

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 2618 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections
514-8.02 and 14-8.02a as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/14-8.02)  (from Ch. 122, par. 14-8.02)
7    Sec. 14-8.02. Identification, evaluation and placement of
8children.
9    (a) The State Board of Education shall make rules under
10which local school boards shall determine the eligibility of
11children to receive special education. Such rules shall ensure
12that a free appropriate public education be available to all
13children with disabilities as defined in Section 14-1.02. The
14State Board of Education shall require local school districts
15to administer non-discriminatory procedures or tests to
16English learners coming from homes in which a language other

 

 

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1than English is used to determine their eligibility to receive
2special education. The placement of low English proficiency
3students in special education programs and facilities shall be
4made in accordance with the test results reflecting the
5student's linguistic, cultural and special education needs.
6For purposes of determining the eligibility of children the
7State Board of Education shall include in the rules definitions
8of "case study", "staff conference", "individualized
9educational program", and "qualified specialist" appropriate
10to each category of children with disabilities as defined in
11this Article. For purposes of determining the eligibility of
12children from homes in which a language other than English is
13used, the State Board of Education shall include in the rules
14definitions for "qualified bilingual specialists" and
15"linguistically and culturally appropriate individualized
16educational programs". For purposes of this Section, as well as
17Sections 14-8.02a, 14-8.02b, and 14-8.02c of this Code,
18"parent" means a parent as defined in the federal Individuals
19with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401(23)).
20    (b) No child shall be eligible for special education
21facilities except with a carefully completed case study fully
22reviewed by professional personnel in a multidisciplinary
23staff conference and only upon the recommendation of qualified
24specialists or a qualified bilingual specialist, if available.
25At the conclusion of the multidisciplinary staff conference,
26the parent of the child shall be given a copy of the

 

 

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1multidisciplinary conference summary report and
2recommendations, which includes options considered, and be
3informed of their right to obtain an independent educational
4evaluation if they disagree with the evaluation findings
5conducted or obtained by the school district. If the school
6district's evaluation is shown to be inappropriate, the school
7district shall reimburse the parent for the cost of the
8independent evaluation. The State Board of Education shall,
9with advice from the State Advisory Council on Education of
10Children with Disabilities on the inclusion of specific
11independent educational evaluators, prepare a list of
12suggested independent educational evaluators. The State Board
13of Education shall include on the list clinical psychologists
14licensed pursuant to the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act.
15Such psychologists shall not be paid fees in excess of the
16amount that would be received by a school psychologist for
17performing the same services. The State Board of Education
18shall supply school districts with such list and make the list
19available to parents at their request. School districts shall
20make the list available to parents at the time they are
21informed of their right to obtain an independent educational
22evaluation. However, the school district may initiate an
23impartial due process hearing under this Section within 5 days
24of any written parent request for an independent educational
25evaluation to show that its evaluation is appropriate. If the
26final decision is that the evaluation is appropriate, the

 

 

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1parent still has a right to an independent educational
2evaluation, but not at public expense. An independent
3educational evaluation at public expense must be completed
4within 30 days of a parent written request unless the school
5district initiates an impartial due process hearing or the
6parent or school district offers reasonable grounds to show
7that such 30 day time period should be extended. If the due
8process hearing decision indicates that the parent is entitled
9to an independent educational evaluation, it must be completed
10within 30 days of the decision unless the parent or the school
11district offers reasonable grounds to show that such 30 day
12period should be extended. If a parent disagrees with the
13summary report or recommendations of the multidisciplinary
14conference or the findings of any educational evaluation which
15results therefrom, the school district shall not proceed with a
16placement based upon such evaluation and the child shall remain
17in his or her regular classroom setting. No child shall be
18eligible for admission to a special class for children with a
19mental disability who are educable or for children with a
20mental disability who are trainable except with a psychological
21evaluation and recommendation by a school psychologist.
22Consent shall be obtained from the parent of a child before any
23evaluation is conducted. If consent is not given by the parent
24or if the parent disagrees with the findings of the evaluation,
25then the school district may initiate an impartial due process
26hearing under this Section. The school district may evaluate

 

 

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1the child if that is the decision resulting from the impartial
2due process hearing and the decision is not appealed or if the
3decision is affirmed on appeal. The determination of
4eligibility shall be made and the IEP meeting shall be
5completed within 60 school days from the date of written
6parental consent. In those instances when written parental
7consent is obtained with fewer than 60 pupil attendance days
8left in the school year, the eligibility determination shall be
9made and the IEP meeting shall be completed prior to the first
10day of the following school year. Special education and related
11services must be provided in accordance with the student's IEP
12no later than 10 school attendance days after notice is
13provided to the parents pursuant to Section 300.503 of Title 34
14of the Code of Federal Regulations and implementing rules
15adopted by the State Board of Education. The appropriate
16program pursuant to the individualized educational program of
17students whose native tongue is a language other than English
18shall reflect the special education, cultural and linguistic
19needs. No later than September 1, 1993, the State Board of
20Education shall establish standards for the development,
21implementation and monitoring of appropriate bilingual special
22individualized educational programs. The State Board of
23Education shall further incorporate appropriate monitoring
24procedures to verify implementation of these standards. The
25district shall indicate to the parent and the State Board of
26Education the nature of the services the child will receive for

 

 

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1the regular school term while waiting placement in the
2appropriate special education class.
3    If the child is deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or visually
4impaired and he or she might be eligible to receive services
5from the Illinois School for the Deaf or the Illinois School
6for the Visually Impaired, the school district shall notify the
7parents, in writing, of the existence of these schools and the
8services they provide and shall make a reasonable effort to
9inform the parents of the existence of other, local schools
10that provide similar services and the services that these other
11schools provide. This notification shall include without
12limitation information on school services, school admissions
13criteria, and school contact information.
14    In the development of the individualized education program
15for a student who has a disability on the autism spectrum
16(which includes autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder,
17pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified,
18childhood disintegrative disorder, and Rett Syndrome, as
19defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
20Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV, 2000)), the IEP team shall
21consider all of the following factors:
22        (1) The verbal and nonverbal communication needs of the
23    child.
24        (2) The need to develop social interaction skills and
25    proficiencies.
26        (3) The needs resulting from the child's unusual

 

 

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1    responses to sensory experiences.
2        (4) The needs resulting from resistance to
3    environmental change or change in daily routines.
4        (5) The needs resulting from engagement in repetitive
5    activities and stereotyped movements.
6        (6) The need for any positive behavioral
7    interventions, strategies, and supports to address any
8    behavioral difficulties resulting from autism spectrum
9    disorder.
10        (7) Other needs resulting from the child's disability
11    that impact progress in the general curriculum, including
12    social and emotional development.
13Public Act 95-257 does not create any new entitlement to a
14service, program, or benefit, but must not affect any
15entitlement to a service, program, or benefit created by any
16other law.
17    If the student may be eligible to participate in the
18Home-Based Support Services Program for Adults with Mental
19Disabilities authorized under the Developmental Disability and
20Mental Disability Services Act upon becoming an adult, the
21student's individualized education program shall include plans
22for (i) determining the student's eligibility for those
23home-based services, (ii) enrolling the student in the program
24of home-based services, and (iii) developing a plan for the
25student's most effective use of the home-based services after
26the student becomes an adult and no longer receives special

 

 

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1educational services under this Article. The plans developed
2under this paragraph shall include specific actions to be taken
3by specified individuals, agencies, or officials.
4    (c) In the development of the individualized education
5program for a student who is functionally blind, it shall be
6presumed that proficiency in Braille reading and writing is
7essential for the student's satisfactory educational progress.
8For purposes of this subsection, the State Board of Education
9shall determine the criteria for a student to be classified as
10functionally blind. Students who are not currently identified
11as functionally blind who are also entitled to Braille
12instruction include: (i) those whose vision loss is so severe
13that they are unable to read and write at a level comparable to
14their peers solely through the use of vision, and (ii) those
15who show evidence of progressive vision loss that may result in
16functional blindness. Each student who is functionally blind
17shall be entitled to Braille reading and writing instruction
18that is sufficient to enable the student to communicate with
19the same level of proficiency as other students of comparable
20ability. Instruction should be provided to the extent that the
21student is physically and cognitively able to use Braille.
22Braille instruction may be used in combination with other
23special education services appropriate to the student's
24educational needs. The assessment of each student who is
25functionally blind for the purpose of developing the student's
26individualized education program shall include documentation

 

 

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1of the student's strengths and weaknesses in Braille skills.
2Each person assisting in the development of the individualized
3education program for a student who is functionally blind shall
4receive information describing the benefits of Braille
5instruction. The individualized education program for each
6student who is functionally blind shall specify the appropriate
7learning medium or media based on the assessment report.
8    (d) To the maximum extent appropriate, the placement shall
9provide the child with the opportunity to be educated with
10children who do not have a disability; provided that children
11with disabilities who are recommended to be placed into regular
12education classrooms are provided with supplementary services
13to assist the children with disabilities to benefit from the
14regular classroom instruction and are included on the teacher's
15regular education class register. Subject to the limitation of
16the preceding sentence, placement in special classes, separate
17schools or other removal of the child with a disability from
18the regular educational environment shall occur only when the
19nature of the severity of the disability is such that education
20in the regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and
21services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. The placement of
22English learners with disabilities shall be in non-restrictive
23environments which provide for integration with peers who do
24not have disabilities in bilingual classrooms. Annually, each
25January, school districts shall report data on students from
26non-English speaking backgrounds receiving special education

 

 

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1and related services in public and private facilities as
2prescribed in Section 2-3.30. If there is a disagreement
3between parties involved regarding the special education
4placement of any child, either in-state or out-of-state, the
5placement is subject to impartial due process procedures
6described in Article 10 of the Rules and Regulations to Govern
7the Administration and Operation of Special Education.
8    (e) No child who comes from a home in which a language
9other than English is the principal language used may be
10assigned to any class or program under this Article until he
11has been given, in the principal language used by the child and
12used in his home, tests reasonably related to his cultural
13environment. All testing and evaluation materials and
14procedures utilized for evaluation and placement shall not be
15linguistically, racially or culturally discriminatory.
16    (f) Nothing in this Article shall be construed to require
17any child to undergo any physical examination or medical
18treatment whose parents object thereto on the grounds that such
19examination or treatment conflicts with his religious beliefs.
20    (g) School boards or their designee shall provide to the
21parents of a child prior written notice of any decision (a)
22proposing to initiate or change, or (b) refusing to initiate or
23change, the identification, evaluation, or educational
24placement of the child or the provision of a free appropriate
25public education to their child, and the reasons therefor. Such
26written notification shall also inform the parent of the

 

 

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1opportunity to present complaints with respect to any matter
2relating to the educational placement of the student, or the
3provision of a free appropriate public education and to have an
4impartial due process hearing on the complaint. The notice
5shall inform the parents in the parents' native language,
6unless it is clearly not feasible to do so, of their rights and
7all procedures available pursuant to this Act and the federal
8Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of
92004 (Public Law 108-446); it shall be the responsibility of
10the State Superintendent to develop uniform notices setting
11forth the procedures available under this Act and the federal
12Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of
132004 (Public Law 108-446) to be used by all school boards. The
14notice shall also inform the parents of the availability upon
15request of a list of free or low-cost legal and other relevant
16services available locally to assist parents in initiating an
17impartial due process hearing. The State Superintendent shall
18revise the uniform notices required by this subsection (g) to
19reflect current law and procedures at least once every 2 years.
20Any parent who is deaf, or does not normally communicate using
21spoken English, who participates in a meeting with a
22representative of a local educational agency for the purposes
23of developing an individualized educational program shall be
24entitled to the services of an interpreter.
25    (g-5) For purposes of this subsection (g-5), "qualified
26professional" means an individual who holds credentials to

 

 

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1evaluate the child in the domain or domains for which an
2evaluation is sought or an intern working under the direct
3supervision of a qualified professional, including a master's
4or doctoral degree candidate.
5    To ensure that a parent can participate fully and
6effectively with school personnel in the development of
7appropriate educational and related services for his or her
8child, the parent, an independent educational evaluator, or a
9qualified professional retained by or on behalf of a parent or
10child must be afforded reasonable access to educational
11facilities, personnel, classrooms, and buildings and to the
12child as provided in this subsection (g-5). The requirements of
13this subsection (g-5) apply to any public school facility,
14building, or program and to any facility, building, or program
15supported in whole or in part by public funds. Prior to
16visiting a school, school building, or school facility, the
17parent, independent educational evaluator, or qualified
18professional may be required by the school district to inform
19the building principal or supervisor in writing of the proposed
20visit, the purpose of the visit, and the approximate duration
21of the visit. The visitor and the school district shall arrange
22the visit or visits at times that are mutually agreeable.
23Visitors shall comply with school safety, security, and
24visitation policies at all times. School district visitation
25policies must not conflict with this subsection (g-5). Visitors
26shall be required to comply with the requirements of applicable

 

 

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1privacy laws, including those laws protecting the
2confidentiality of education records such as the federal Family
3Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Illinois School
4Student Records Act. The visitor shall not disrupt the
5educational process.
6        (1) A parent must be afforded reasonable access of
7    sufficient duration and scope for the purpose of observing
8    his or her child in the child's current educational
9    placement, services, or program or for the purpose of
10    visiting an educational placement or program proposed for
11    the child.
12        (2) An independent educational evaluator or a
13    qualified professional retained by or on behalf of a parent
14    or child must be afforded reasonable access of sufficient
15    duration and scope for the purpose of conducting an
16    evaluation of the child, the child's performance, the
17    child's current educational program, placement, services,
18    or environment, or any educational program, placement,
19    services, or environment proposed for the child, including
20    interviews of educational personnel, child observations,
21    assessments, tests or assessments of the child's
22    educational program, services, or placement or of any
23    proposed educational program, services, or placement. If
24    one or more interviews of school personnel are part of the
25    evaluation, the interviews must be conducted at a mutually
26    agreed upon time, date, and place that do not interfere

 

 

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1    with the school employee's school duties. The school
2    district may limit interviews to personnel having
3    information relevant to the child's current educational
4    services, program, or placement or to a proposed
5    educational service, program, or placement.
6    (h) (Blank).
7    (i) (Blank).
8    (j) (Blank).
9    (k) (Blank).
10    (l) (Blank).
11    (m) (Blank).
12    (n) (Blank).
13    (o) (Blank).
14(Source: P.A. 98-219, eff. 8-9-13; 99-30, eff. 7-10-15; 99-143,
15eff. 7-27-15; 99-642, eff. 7-28-16.)
 
16    (105 ILCS 5/14-8.02a)
17    Sec. 14-8.02a. Impartial due process hearing; civil
18action.
19    (a) This Section shall apply to all impartial due process
20hearings requested on or after July 1, 2005. Impartial due
21process hearings requested before July 1, 2005 shall be
22governed by the rules described in Public Act 89-652.
23    (a-5) For purposes of this Section and Section 14-8.02b of
24this Code, days shall be computed in accordance with Section
251.11 of the Statute on Statutes.

 

 

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1    (b) The State Board of Education shall establish an
2impartial due process hearing system in accordance with this
3Section and may, with the advice and approval of the Advisory
4Council on Education of Children with Disabilities, promulgate
5rules and regulations consistent with this Section to establish
6the rules and procedures for due process hearings.
7    (c) (Blank).
8    (d) (Blank).
9    (e) (Blank).
10    (f) An impartial due process hearing shall be convened upon
11the request of a parent, student if at least 18 years of age or
12emancipated, or a school district. A school district shall make
13a request in writing to the State Board of Education and
14promptly mail a copy of the request to the parents or student
15(if at least 18 years of age or emancipated) at the parent's or
16student's last known address. A request made by the parent or
17student shall be made in writing to the superintendent of the
18school district where the student resides. The superintendent
19shall forward the request to the State Board of Education
20within 5 days after receipt of the request. The request shall
21be filed no more than 2 years following the date the person or
22school district knew or should have known of the event or
23events forming the basis for the request. The request shall, at
24a minimum, contain all of the following:
25        (1) The name of the student, the address of the
26    student's residence, and the name of the school the student

 

 

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1    is attending.
2        (2) In the case of homeless children (as defined under
3    the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42
4    U.S.C. 11434a(2)), available contact information for the
5    student and the name of the school the student is
6    attending.
7        (3) A description of the nature of the problem relating
8    to the actual or proposed placement, identification,
9    services, or evaluation of the student, including facts
10    relating to the problem.
11        (4) A proposed resolution of the problem to the extent
12    known and available to the party at the time.
13    (f-5) Within 3 days after receipt of the hearing request,
14the State Board of Education shall appoint a due process
15hearing officer using a rotating appointment system and shall
16notify the hearing officer of his or her appointment.
17    For a school district other than a school district located
18in a municipality having a population exceeding 500,000, a
19hearing officer who is a current resident of the school
20district, special education cooperative, or other public
21entity involved in the hearing shall recuse himself or herself.
22A hearing officer who is a former employee of the school
23district, special education cooperative, or other public
24entity involved in the hearing shall immediately disclose the
25former employment to the parties and shall recuse himself or
26herself, unless the parties otherwise agree in writing. A

 

 

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1hearing officer having a personal or professional interest that
2may conflict with his or her objectivity in the hearing shall
3disclose the conflict to the parties and shall recuse himself
4or herself unless the parties otherwise agree in writing. For
5purposes of this subsection an assigned hearing officer shall
6be considered to have a conflict of interest if, at any time
7prior to the issuance of his or her written decision, he or she
8knows or should know that he or she may receive remuneration
9from a party to the hearing within 3 years following the
10conclusion of the due process hearing.
11    A party to a due process hearing shall be permitted one
12substitution of hearing officer as a matter of right, in
13accordance with procedures established by the rules adopted by
14the State Board of Education under this Section. The State
15Board of Education shall randomly select and appoint another
16hearing officer within 3 days after receiving notice that the
17appointed hearing officer is ineligible to serve or upon
18receiving a proper request for substitution of hearing officer.
19If a party withdraws its request for a due process hearing
20after a hearing officer has been appointed, that hearing
21officer shall retain jurisdiction over a subsequent hearing
22that involves the same parties and is requested within one year
23from the date of withdrawal of the previous request, unless
24that hearing officer is unavailable.
25    Any party may raise facts that constitute a conflict of
26interest for the hearing officer at any time before or during

 

 

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1the hearing and may move for recusal.
2    (g) Impartial due process hearings shall be conducted
3pursuant to this Section and any rules and regulations
4promulgated by the State Board of Education consistent with
5this Section and other governing laws and regulations. The
6hearing shall address only those issues properly raised in the
7hearing request under subsection (f) of this Section or, if
8applicable, in the amended hearing request under subsection
9(g-15) of this Section. The hearing shall be closed to the
10public unless the parents request that the hearing be open to
11the public. The parents involved in the hearing shall have the
12right to have the student who is the subject of the hearing
13present. The hearing shall be held at a time and place which
14are reasonably convenient to the parties involved. Upon the
15request of a party, the hearing officer shall hold the hearing
16at a location neutral to the parties if the hearing officer
17determines that there is no cost for securing the use of the
18neutral location. Once appointed, the impartial due process
19hearing officer shall not communicate with the State Board of
20Education or its employees concerning the hearing, except that,
21where circumstances require, communications for administrative
22purposes that do not deal with substantive or procedural
23matters or issues on the merits are authorized, provided that
24the hearing officer promptly notifies all parties of the
25substance of the communication as a matter of record.
26    (g-5) Unless the school district has previously provided

 

 

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1prior written notice to the parent or student (if at least 18
2years of age or emancipated) regarding the subject matter of
3the hearing request, the school district shall, within 10 days
4after receiving a hearing request initiated by a parent or
5student (if at least 18 years of age or emancipated), provide a
6written response to the request that shall include all of the
7following:
8        (1) An explanation of why the school district proposed
9    or refused to take the action or actions described in the
10    hearing request.
11        (2) A description of other options the IEP team
12    considered and the reasons why those options were rejected.
13        (3) A description of each evaluation procedure,
14    assessment, record, report, or other evidence the school
15    district used as the basis for the proposed or refused
16    action or actions.
17        (4) A description of the factors that are or were
18    relevant to the school district's proposed or refused
19    action or actions.
20    (g-10) When the hearing request has been initiated by a
21school district, within 10 days after receiving the request,
22the parent or student (if at least 18 years of age or
23emancipated) shall provide the school district with a response
24that specifically addresses the issues raised in the school
25district's hearing request. The parent's or student's response
26shall be provided in writing, unless he or she is illiterate or

 

 

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1has a disability that prevents him or her from providing a
2written response. The parent's or student's response may be
3provided in his or her native language, if other than English.
4In the event that illiteracy or another disabling condition
5prevents the parent or student from providing a written
6response, the school district shall assist the parent or
7student in providing the written response.
8    (g-15) Within 15 days after receiving notice of the hearing
9request, the non-requesting party may challenge the
10sufficiency of the request by submitting its challenge in
11writing to the hearing officer. Within 5 days after receiving
12the challenge to the sufficiency of the request, the hearing
13officer shall issue a determination of the challenge in writing
14to the parties. In the event that the hearing officer upholds
15the challenge, the party who requested the hearing may, with
16the consent of the non-requesting party or hearing officer,
17file an amended request. Amendments are permissible for the
18purpose of raising issues beyond those in the initial hearing
19request. In addition, the party who requested the hearing may
20amend the request once as a matter of right by filing the
21amended request within 5 days after filing the initial request.
22An amended request, other than an amended request as a matter
23of right, shall be filed by the date determined by the hearing
24officer, but in no event any later than 5 days prior to the
25date of the hearing. If an amended request, other than an
26amended request as a matter of right, raises issues that were

 

 

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1not part of the initial request, the applicable timeline for a
2hearing, including the timeline under subsection (g-20) of this
3Section, shall recommence.
4    (g-20) Within 15 days after receiving a request for a
5hearing from a parent or student (if at least 18 years of age
6or emancipated) or, in the event that the school district
7requests a hearing, within 15 days after initiating the
8request, the school district shall convene a resolution meeting
9with the parent and relevant members of the IEP team who have
10specific knowledge of the facts contained in the request for
11the purpose of resolving the problem that resulted in the
12request. The resolution meeting shall include a representative
13of the school district who has decision-making authority on
14behalf of the school district. Unless the parent is accompanied
15by an attorney at the resolution meeting, the school district
16may not include an attorney representing the school district.
17    The resolution meeting may not be waived unless agreed to
18in writing by the school district and the parent or student (if
19at least 18 years of age or emancipated) or the parent or
20student (if at least 18 years of age or emancipated) and the
21school district agree in writing to utilize mediation in place
22of the resolution meeting. If either party fails to cooperate
23in the scheduling or convening of the resolution meeting, the
24hearing officer may order an extension of the timeline for
25completion of the resolution meeting or, upon the motion of a
26party and at least 7 days after ordering the non-cooperating

 

 

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1party to cooperate, order the dismissal of the hearing request
2or the granting of all relief set forth in the request, as
3appropriate.
4    In the event that the school district and the parent or
5student (if at least 18 years of age or emancipated) agree to a
6resolution of the problem that resulted in the hearing request,
7the terms of the resolution shall be committed to writing and
8signed by the parent or student (if at least 18 years of age or
9emancipated) and the representative of the school district with
10decision-making authority. The agreement shall be legally
11binding and shall be enforceable in any State or federal court
12of competent jurisdiction. In the event that the parties
13utilize the resolution meeting process, the process shall
14continue until no later than the 30th day following the receipt
15of the hearing request by the non-requesting party (or as
16properly extended by order of the hearing officer) to resolve
17the issues underlying the request, at which time the timeline
18for completion of the impartial due process hearing shall
19commence. The State Board of Education may, by rule, establish
20additional procedures for the conduct of resolution meetings.
21    (g-25) If mutually agreed to in writing, the parties to a
22hearing request may request State-sponsored mediation as a
23substitute for the resolution process described in subsection
24(g-20) of this Section or may utilize mediation at the close of
25the resolution process if all issues underlying the hearing
26request have not been resolved through the resolution process.

 

 

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1    (g-30) If mutually agreed to in writing, the parties to a
2hearing request may waive the resolution process described in
3subsection (g-20) of this Section. Upon signing a written
4agreement to waive the resolution process, the parties shall be
5required to forward the written waiver to the hearing officer
6appointed to the case within 2 business days following the
7signing of the waiver by the parties. The timeline for the
8impartial due process hearing shall commence on the date of the
9signing of the waiver by the parties.
10    (g-35) The timeline for completing the impartial due
11process hearing, as set forth in subsection (h) of this
12Section, shall be initiated upon the occurrence of any one of
13the following events:
14        (1) The unsuccessful completion of the resolution
15    process as described in subsection (g-20) of this Section.
16        (2) The mutual agreement of the parties to waive the
17    resolution process as described in subsection (g-25) or
18    (g-30) of this Section.
19    (g-40) The hearing officer shall convene a prehearing
20conference no later than 14 days before the scheduled date for
21the due process hearing for the general purpose of aiding in
22the fair, orderly, and expeditious conduct of the hearing. The
23hearing officer shall provide the parties with written notice
24of the prehearing conference at least 7 days in advance of the
25conference. The written notice shall require the parties to
26notify the hearing officer by a date certain whether they

 

 

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1intend to participate in the prehearing conference. The hearing
2officer may conduct the prehearing conference in person or by
3telephone. Each party shall at the prehearing conference (1)
4disclose whether it is represented by legal counsel or intends
5to retain legal counsel; (2) clarify matters it believes to be
6in dispute in the case and the specific relief being sought;
7(3) disclose whether there are any additional evaluations for
8the student that it intends to introduce into the hearing
9record that have not been previously disclosed to the other
10parties; (4) disclose a list of all documents it intends to
11introduce into the hearing record, including the date and a
12brief description of each document; and (5) disclose the names
13of all witnesses it intends to call to testify at the hearing.
14The hearing officer shall specify the order of presentation to
15be used at the hearing. If the prehearing conference is held by
16telephone, the parties shall transmit the information required
17in this paragraph in such a manner that it is available to all
18parties at the time of the prehearing conference. The State
19Board of Education may, by rule, establish additional
20procedures for the conduct of prehearing conferences.
21    (g-45) The impartial due process hearing officer shall not
22initiate or participate in any ex parte communications with the
23parties, except to arrange the date, time, and location of the
24prehearing conference, due process hearing, or other status
25conferences convened at the discretion of the hearing officer
26and to receive confirmation of whether a party intends to

 

 

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1participate in the prehearing conference.
2    (g-50) The parties shall disclose and provide to each other
3any evidence which they intend to submit into the hearing
4record no later than 5 days before the hearing. Any party to a
5hearing has the right to prohibit the introduction of any
6evidence at the hearing that has not been disclosed to that
7party at least 5 days before the hearing. The party requesting
8a hearing shall not be permitted at the hearing to raise issues
9that were not raised in the party's initial or amended request,
10unless otherwise permitted in this Section.
11    (g-55) All reasonable efforts must be made by the parties
12to present their respective cases at the hearing within a
13cumulative period of 7 days. When scheduling hearing dates, the
14hearing officer shall schedule the final day of the hearing no
15more than 30 calendar days after the first day of the hearing
16unless good cause is shown. This subsection (g-55) shall not be
17applied in a manner that (i) denies any party to the hearing a
18fair and reasonable allocation of time and opportunity to
19present its case in its entirety or (ii) deprives any party to
20the hearing of the safeguards accorded under the federal
21Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of
222004 (Public Law 108-446), regulations promulgated under the
23Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of
242004, or any other applicable law. The school district shall
25present evidence that the special education needs of the child
26have been appropriately identified and that the special

 

 

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1education program and related services proposed to meet the
2needs of the child are adequate, appropriate, and available.
3Any party to the hearing shall have the right to (1) be
4represented by counsel and be accompanied and advised by
5individuals with special knowledge or training with respect to
6the problems of children with disabilities, at the party's own
7expense; (2) present evidence and confront and cross-examine
8witnesses; (3) move for the exclusion of witnesses from the
9hearing until they are called to testify, provided, however,
10that this provision may not be invoked to exclude the
11individual designated by a party to assist that party or its
12representative in the presentation of the case; (4) obtain a
13written or electronic verbatim record of the proceedings within
1430 days of receipt of a written request from the parents by the
15school district; and (5) obtain a written decision, including
16findings of fact and conclusions of law, within 10 days after
17the conclusion of the hearing. If at issue, the school district
18shall present evidence that it has properly identified and
19evaluated the nature and severity of the student's suspected or
20identified disability and that, if the student has been or
21should have been determined eligible for special education and
22related services, that it is providing or has offered a free
23appropriate public education to the student in the least
24restrictive environment, consistent with procedural safeguards
25and in accordance with an individualized educational program.
26At any time prior to the conclusion of the hearing, the

 

 

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1impartial due process hearing officer shall have the authority
2to require additional information and order independent
3evaluations for the student at the expense of the school
4district. The State Board of Education and the school district
5shall share equally the costs of providing a written or
6electronic verbatim record of the proceedings. Any party may
7request that the due process hearing officer issue a subpoena
8to compel the testimony of witnesses or the production of
9documents relevant to the resolution of the hearing. Whenever a
10person refuses to comply with any subpoena issued under this
11Section, the circuit court of the county in which that hearing
12is pending, on application of the impartial hearing officer or
13the party requesting the issuance of the subpoena, may compel
14compliance through the contempt powers of the court in the same
15manner as if the requirements of a subpoena issued by the court
16had been disobeyed.
17    (h) The impartial hearing officer shall issue a written
18decision, including findings of fact and conclusions of law,
19within 10 days after the conclusion of the hearing and send by
20certified mail a copy of the decision to the parents or student
21(if the student requests the hearing), the school district, the
22director of special education, legal representatives of the
23parties, and the State Board of Education. Unless the hearing
24officer has granted specific extensions of time at the request
25of a party, a final decision, including the clarification of a
26decision requested under this subsection, shall be reached and

 

 

10000HB2618ham001- 28 -LRB100 07312 MLM 23236 a

1mailed to the parties named above not later than 45 days after
2the initiation of the timeline for conducting the hearing, as
3described in subsection (g-35) of this Section. The decision
4shall specify the educational and related services that shall
5be provided to the student in accordance with the student's
6needs and the timeline for which the school district shall
7submit evidence to the State Board of Education to demonstrate
8compliance with the hearing officer's decision in the event
9that the decision orders the school district to undertake
10corrective action. The hearing officer shall retain
11jurisdiction for the sole purpose of considering a request for
12clarification of the final decision submitted in writing by a
13party to the impartial hearing officer within 5 days after
14receipt of the decision. A copy of the request for
15clarification shall specify the portions of the decision for
16which clarification is sought and shall be mailed to all
17parties of record and to the State Board of Education. The
18request shall operate to stay implementation of those portions
19of the decision for which clarification is sought, pending
20action on the request by the hearing officer, unless the
21parties otherwise agree. The hearing officer shall issue a
22clarification of the specified portion of the decision or issue
23a partial or full denial of the request in writing within 10
24days of receipt of the request and mail copies to all parties
25to whom the decision was mailed. This subsection does not
26permit a party to request, or authorize a hearing officer to

 

 

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1entertain, reconsideration of the decision itself. The statute
2of limitations for seeking review of the decision shall be
3tolled from the date the request is submitted until the date
4the hearing officer acts upon the request. The hearing
5officer's decision shall be binding upon the school district
6and the parents unless a civil action is commenced.
7    (i) Any party to an impartial due process hearing aggrieved
8by the final written decision of the impartial due process
9hearing officer shall have the right to commence a civil action
10with respect to the issues presented in the impartial due
11process hearing. That civil action shall be brought in any
12court of competent jurisdiction within 120 days after a copy of
13the decision of the impartial due process hearing officer is
14mailed to the party as provided in subsection (h). The civil
15action authorized by this subsection shall not be exclusive of
16any rights or causes of action otherwise available. The
17commencement of a civil action under this subsection shall
18operate as a supersedeas. In any action brought under this
19subsection the Court shall receive the records of the impartial
20due process hearing, shall hear additional evidence at the
21request of a party, and, basing its decision on the
22preponderance of the evidence, shall grant such relief as the
23court determines is appropriate. In any instance where a school
24district willfully disregards applicable regulations or
25statutes regarding a child covered by this Article, and which
26disregard has been detrimental to the child, the school

 

 

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1district shall be liable for any reasonable attorney's fees
2incurred by the parent in connection with proceedings under
3this Section.
4    (j) During the pendency of any administrative or judicial
5proceeding conducted pursuant to this Section, including
6mediation (if the school district or other public entity
7voluntarily agrees to participate in mediation), unless the
8school district and the parents or student (if at least 18
9years of age or emancipated) otherwise agree, the student shall
10remain in his or her present educational placement and continue
11in his or her present eligibility status and special education
12and related services, if any. If mediation fails to resolve the
13dispute between the parties, or if the parties do not agree to
14use mediation, the parent (or student if 18 years of age or
15older or emancipated) shall have 10 days after the mediation
16concludes, or after a party declines to use mediation, to file
17a request for a due process hearing in order to continue to
18invoke the "stay-put" provisions of this subsection (j). If
19applying for initial admission to the school district, the
20student shall, with the consent of the parents (if the student
21is not at least 18 years of age or emancipated), be placed in
22the school district program until all such proceedings have
23been completed. The costs for any special education and related
24services or placement incurred following 60 school days after
25the initial request for evaluation shall be borne by the school
26district if the services or placement is in accordance with the

 

 

10000HB2618ham001- 31 -LRB100 07312 MLM 23236 a

1final determination as to the special education and related
2services or placement that must be provided to the child,
3provided that during that 60 day period there have been no
4delays caused by the child's parent. The requirements and
5procedures of this subsection (j) shall be included in the
6uniform notices developed by the State Superintendent under
7subsection (g) of Section 14-8.02 of this Code.
8    (k) Whenever the parents of a child of the type described
9in Section 14-1.02 are not known, are unavailable, or the child
10is a ward of the State, a person shall be assigned to serve as
11surrogate parent for the child in matters relating to the
12identification, evaluation, and educational placement of the
13child and the provision of a free appropriate public education
14to the child. Persons shall be assigned as surrogate parents by
15the State Superintendent of Education. The State Board of
16Education shall promulgate rules and regulations establishing
17qualifications of those persons and their responsibilities and
18the procedures to be followed in making assignments of persons
19as surrogate parents. Surrogate parents shall not be employees
20of the school district, an agency created by joint agreement
21under Section 10-22.31, an agency involved in the education or
22care of the student, or the State Board of Education. Services
23of any person assigned as surrogate parent shall terminate if
24the parent becomes available unless otherwise requested by the
25parents. The assignment of a person as surrogate parent at no
26time supersedes, terminates, or suspends the parents' legal

 

 

10000HB2618ham001- 32 -LRB100 07312 MLM 23236 a

1authority relative to the child. Any person participating in
2good faith as surrogate parent on behalf of the child before
3school officials or a hearing officer shall have immunity from
4civil or criminal liability that otherwise might result by
5reason of that participation, except in cases of willful and
6wanton misconduct.
7    (l) At all stages of the hearing the hearing officer shall
8require that interpreters be made available by the school
9district for persons who are deaf or for persons whose normally
10spoken language is other than English.
11    (m) If any provision of this Section or its application to
12any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity of
13that provision or application does not affect other provisions
14or applications of the Section that can be given effect without
15the invalid application or provision, and to this end the
16provisions of this Section are severable, unless otherwise
17provided by this Section.
18(Source: P.A. 98-383, eff. 8-16-13.)
 
19    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
20becoming law.".