101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB3483

 

Introduced , by Rep. Robyn Gabel

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 1305/10-26

    Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Removes language requiring the Department of Human Services to maintain a disability services database and instead requires the Department of Human Services to compile and maintain a Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services (PUNS) database of Illinois residents with an intellectual disability or a developmental disability, including an autism spectrum disorder, and Illinois residents with an intellectual disability or a developmental disability who are also diagnosed with a physical disability or mental illness and are in need of disability services funded by the Department. Provides that the PUNS database shall be used to foster a fair and orderly process for: (i) processing applications for services funded by the Department, (ii) verifying information, (iii) keeping individuals and families who have applied for services informed of available services and anticipated wait times, (iv) determining unmet need, and (v) informing the General Assembly and the Governor of unmet need statewide and within each representative district. Requires the Secretary of Human Services to seek input from specified advisory bodies and committees with regard to the establishment, maintenance, and administration of PUNS. Contains provisions concerning the type of information to be collected and maintained for PUNS; the Department's development of a web-based verification and information-update application; notice of services to individuals listed in the PUNS database; and other matters.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Department of Human Services Act is amended
5by changing Section 10-26 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 1305/10-26)
7    Sec. 10-26. Prioritization of Urgency Of Need for Services.
8Disability database.
9    (a) The Department of Human Services shall compile and
10maintain a database of Illinois residents with an intellectual
11disability or a developmental disability, including an autism
12spectrum disorder, and Illinois residents with an intellectual
13disability or a developmental disability who are also diagnosed
14with a physical disability or mental illness and are in need of
15disability services funded by the Department. The database
16shall be referred to as the Prioritization of Urgency of Need
17for Services (PUNS) and shall include, but not be limited to,
18children and youth, individuals transitioning from special
19education to post-secondary activities, individuals living at
20home or in the community, individuals in State-operated
21developmental centers, individuals in private nursing and
22residential facilities, individuals in intermediate care
23facilities for persons with developmental disabilities, and

 

 

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1individuals in community-integrated living arrangements. PUNS
2shall be used to foster a fair and orderly process for
3processing applications for services funded by the Department,
4verifying information, keeping individuals and families who
5have applied for services informed of available services and
6anticipated wait times, determining unmet need, and informing
7the General Assembly and the Governor of unmet need statewide
8and within each representative district. The Secretary of Human
9Services shall seek input from advisory bodies to the
10Department, including advisory councils and committees working
11with the Department in the areas of intellectual disabilities,
12developmental disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders,
13with regard to the establishment, maintenance, and
14administration of PUNS. Independent Service Coordination
15agencies shall be the points of entry for individuals and
16families applying for services and supports funded by the
17Department. The information collected and maintained for PUNS
18shall include, but is not limited to, the following: (i) the
19types of services of which the individual is potentially in
20need; (ii) demographic and identifying information about the
21individual; (iii) factors indicating need, including
22diagnoses, assessment information, age of primary caregivers,
23and current living situation; (iv) if applicable, the date
24information about the individual is submitted for inclusion in
25PUNS and the types of services sought by the individual; and
26(v) the representative district in which the individual

 

 

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1resides. In collecting and maintaining information under this
2Section, the Department shall give consideration to
3cost-effective appropriate services for individuals. The
4Department of Human Services shall compile and maintain a
5cross-disability database of Illinois residents with a
6disability who are potentially in need of disability services
7funded by the Department. The database shall consist of
8individuals with mental illness, physical disabilities,
9developmental disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders and
10shall include, but not be limited to, individuals transitioning
11from special education to adulthood, individuals in
12State-operated facilities, individuals in private nursing and
13residential facilities, and individuals in community
14integrated living arrangements. Within 30 days after the
15effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General
16Assembly, the Secretary of Human Services shall seek input from
17advisory bodies to the Department, including advisory councils
18and committees working with the Department in the areas of
19mental illness, physical disabilities, and developmental
20disabilities. The database shall be operational by July 1,
212004. The information collected and maintained for the
22disability database shall include, but is not limited to, the
23following: (i) the types of services of which the individual is
24potentially in need; (ii) demographic and identifying
25information about the individual; (iii) factors indicating
26need, including diagnoses, assessment information, age of

 

 

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1primary caregivers, and current living situation; (iv) if
2applicable, the date information about the individual is
3submitted for inclusion in the database and the types of
4services sought by the individual; and (v) the representative
5district in which the individual resides. In collecting and
6maintaining information under this Section, the Department
7shall give consideration to cost-effective appropriate
8services for individuals.
9    (a-1) The Department shall respond to inquiries about
10anticipated PUNS selection dates and make available a
11Department e-mail address for such inquiries. In addition, the
12Department shall offer a web-based verification and
13information-update application. The Department shall also
14ensure that individuals in PUNS are contacted regarding their
15PUNS status and available services at least 2 times each year
16via e-mail or letter, based on the delivery preference of the
17individual. Such services and supports may include housing,
18home-based services, employment and training, respite care,
19and day programs.
20    (a-2) The Department shall seek any available federal
21funding to upgrade its technology in order to implement an
22effective and efficient system of operating and maintaining
23PUNS and making the web-based verification and
24information-update application developed in accordance with
25subsection (a-1) available to individuals listed in PUNS.
26    (a-3) The Department shall collaborate with the State Board

 

 

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1of Education to ensure that students with disabilities and
2their parents are informed of PUNS consistent with Section
32-3.163 of the School Code.
4    (b) This amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly does
5not create any new entitlement to a service, program, or
6benefit, but shall not affect any entitlement to a service,
7program, or benefit created by any other law. Except for a
8service, program, or benefit that is an entitlement, a service,
9program, or benefit provided as a result of the collection and
10maintenance of the disability database shall be subject to
11appropriations made by the General Assembly.
12    (b-5) This amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly
13does not create any new entitlement to a service, program, or
14benefit, but shall not affect any entitlement to a service,
15program, or benefit created by any other law. Except for a
16service, program, or benefit that is an entitlement, a service,
17program, or benefit provided as a result of the collection and
18maintenance of PUNS shall be subject to appropriations made by
19the General Assembly.
20    (c) The Department, consistent with applicable federal and
21State law, shall make general information from PUNS the
22disability database available to the public such as: (i) the
23number of individuals potentially in need of each type of
24service, program, or benefit and (ii) the general
25characteristics of those individuals. The Department shall
26protect the confidentiality of each individual in PUNS the

 

 

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1database when releasing PUNS database information by not
2disclosing any personally identifying information.
3    (d) The Department shall allow legal residents who are
4dependents of a military service member and who are absent from
5the State due to the member's military service to be added to
6PUNS the database to indicate the need for services upon return
7to the State. Should an individual in such a situation be
8selected from PUNS the database to receive services, the
9individual shall have 6 months from the date of the selection
10notification to apply for services and another 6 months to
11commence using such services. In the event an individual is
12receiving services funded by the Department and the services
13are disrupted due to the military service member's need for the
14individual to leave the State because of his or her military
15service, the services shall be resumed upon the individual's
16return to the State if the dependent is otherwise eligible. No
17payment pursuant to this Section or Section 12-4.47 of the
18Illinois Public Aid Code shall be made for home and community
19based services provided outside the State of Illinois. A
20dependent of a military service member shall be required to
21provide the Department with:
22        (1) a copy of the military service member's DD-214 or
23    other equivalent discharge paperwork; and
24        (2) proof of the military service member's legal
25    residence in the State, as prescribed by the Department.
26(Source: P.A. 98-1000, eff. 8-18-14.)