State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_SB1023

 
                                              LRB9104785DJcdA

 1        AN ACT to create a Commission for the Blind.

 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    Commission for the Blind Act.

 6        Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
 7        "Commission" means the Commission for the Blind.
 8        "Director" means the Director of the Commission  for  the
 9    Blind.
10        "Blind" means any person whose central visual acuity does
11    not exceed 20/200 in the better eye with corrective lenses or
12    a  visual  field of 20 degrees or less in the better eye with
13    best correction, or a visually impaired person  whose  vision
14    with  best  correction  is 20/60 in the better eye, or with a
15    field restriction of 105 degrees if monocular vision  or  140
16    degrees if binocular vision.
17        "Board"  means  the board of commissioners who administer
18    and  establish  policy  and  programs  for  the   commission,
19    established pursuant to Section 30.

20        Section 10. Commission created; director.  There shall be
21    established  a  separate  and  independent commission for the
22    blind and visually impaired in the  State  of  Illinois.  The
23    commission  shall  be headed by a director who shall be fully
24    qualified by education, experience, and demonstrated  ability
25    in  the  rehabilitation  or education, or both, of the blind.
26    The  director  shall  also   possess   documented,   relevant
27    administrative  experience.  If  applicants  are deemed to be
28    equally qualified, preference shall be given to a person  who
29    is  blind.  The director shall be appointed by the board with
30    the approval of the Governor.  In the event of a vacancy, the
 
                            -2-               LRB9104785DJcdA
 1    board  shall  have  the  authority  to  appoint  a  temporary
 2    director who shall not require the approval of the  Governor.
 3    The director shall be responsible to the board in the area of
 4    policy  development  and  general direction of the commission
 5    and shall report  to  the  Governor  in  matters  of  routine
 6    operations  and  compliance  with  State and federal laws and
 7    regulations. The commission shall be staffed with an adequate
 8    number of professional people especially qualified to develop
 9    and deliver educational and rehabilitation services to  blind
10    people,  with appropriate preference given in choosing people
11    who are blind.
12        At  start-up,  the  commission  shall  assist  all  staff
13    currently  working  within  the  Illinois  Bureau  of   Blind
14    Services,  excluding  the  bureau  chief,  to transfer to the
15    commission. This  shall  include  honoring  all  pre-existing
16    labor   agreements   affecting   employees   represented   by
17    bargaining units.  This assistance shall also include but not
18    be  limited  to  re-training,  relocation, and other services
19    which are necessary to allow staff  to  transition  into  the
20    same  or  similar functions within the commission as they now
21    perform within the Illinois Bureau of Blind Services. In  the
22    event  that  a  staff  member  chooses not to transfer to the
23    commission, the staff member shall be provided with resources
24    to assist the staff member in seeking other employment either
25    within State government or outside.
26        The commission shall be operational as of July  1,  2000.
27    After the effective date of this Act, the initial board shall
28    prepare  a  job  description  for  the  director and identify
29    candidates to fill this position. The board shall follow  the
30    guidelines  prescribed  in  this  Act  to appoint the initial
31    director. Upon appointment,  the  board  and  director  shall
32    prepare appropriate job descriptions for all other commission
33    staff positions.
 
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 1        Section 15.  Purpose. The commission shall plan, develop,
 2    delineate,  deliver, and evaluate a wide range of educational
 3    and rehabilitation services for blind citizens  of  Illinois,
 4    including  adjustment-to-blindness  counseling, community and
 5    residential services, advocacy and outreach,  and  vocational
 6    training  and placement, to help those people in Illinois who
 7    are blind to achieve their fullest possible potential.
 8        The commission shall foster comprehensiveness of  service
 9    by  entering  into  cooperative working agreements with other
10    service providers.
11        The   commission   shall   administer   educational   and
12    rehabilitation programs for blind people within the State  of
13    Illinois  currently  administered  by  the Illinois Bureau of
14    Blind Services and the Illinois Department of Human Services,
15    including  but  not  limited  to  the  Illinois  Center   for
16    Rehabilitation  and  Education-Wood,  the Illinois School for
17    the Visually Impaired, Community Services  for  the  Visually
18    Impaired,  Services for the Elderly Blind, early intervention
19    programs serving infants and children from  birth  through  5
20    years  of  age,  transition  programs  for  high  school  age
21    children  who  are  blind,  the Vending Facility Program, and
22    vocational rehabilitation services for people who are blind.

23        Section 20. Finances. The director, with participation by
24    the board and appropriate technical assistance, shall prepare
25    and submit to the General Assembly an annual budget  for  the
26    commission,  including anticipated growth and development and
27    new initiatives. Start-up and ongoing funding shall come from
28    pre-existing funds allocated for services  to  blind  people.
29    The  commission  shall receive an amount of not less than 20%
30    of the total funds allocated for  services  provided  by  the
31    Illinois  Department  of  Human Services, as successor to the
32    Department of Rehabilitation Services, before  the  effective
33    date  of  this  Act,  minus funds allocated for both the home
 
                            -4-               LRB9104785DJcdA
 1    services program and the Social Security Disability Insurance
 2    program. Sources of funding for the commission shall  include
 3    but  not  be limited to: the General Revenue Fund, donations,
 4    bequests, soft match, federal match, grants, the State  Board
 5    of  Education,  and  other  funds.  The  board shall have the
 6    responsibility to ensure that  monies  appropriated  for  the
 7    education  and  rehabilitation  of blind people are spent for
 8    that purpose in compliance with existing  State  and  federal
 9    regulations.  The commission's record keeping procedure shall
10    also comply with existing State and federal regulations.

11        Section 25. Administration. Quality assurance of services
12    provided to blind persons shall be the sole responsibility of
13    the commission. In addition, the commission shall  be  solely
14    responsible  for reviewing services provided to blind persons
15    to ensure they are in  compliance  with  existing  State  and
16    federal  regulations. Payment of operational expenses such as
17    legal services, data processing, printing, office rental, and
18    maintenance and supplies shall be the sole responsibility  of
19    the  commission  unless  commission staff shares office space
20    with other State agencies, in which case a pro-rata agreement
21    shall be negotiated. The director  shall  prepare  an  annual
22    report, which shall be submitted to commission personnel, the
23    board, the Governor, and the General Assembly before becoming
24    a  matter  of  public  record.  This report shall include the
25    results of program  evaluations  to  determine  the  benefits
26    derived by blind people and society at large from the work of
27    the commission.

28        Section  30. Board. There shall be created a board, which
29    shall  provide  general  direction  and  oversight   to   the
30    Commission  for  the  Blind. The board shall be composed of 7
31    members. Initially, the chair of the existing Blind  Services
32    Planning  Council  shall receive nominations for positions on
 
                            -5-               LRB9104785DJcdA
 1    the board, which must be submitted to the Governor within  15
 2    days  after  their receipt by the chair. Within 60 days after
 3    submission of the nominations to the Governor,  the  Governor
 4    shall  appoint  candidates  to  the initial board, within the
 5    guidelines provided. Thereafter, members shall  be  appointed
 6    by  the  Governor within 60 days after the Governor's receipt
 7    of a list of candidates prepared by the board with the advice
 8    of the director.
 9        The Governor shall be presented with 2 or  more  nominees
10    for  each  board  position. The Governor must choose from the
11    nominees presented for each specific board position.
12        All members shall be selected based on their demonstrated
13    ability  to  plan,  oversee,  and  evaluate  educational  and
14    rehabilitation programs for the blind.  At  least  4  members
15    must  be blind. Board appointments shall comply with existing
16    State and federal laws  with  regard  to  racial  and  ethnic
17    diversity  and  equal  opportunity.  Board  membership  shall
18    consist  of  one  representative from each of the 2 statewide
19    consumer organizations of the blind (the Illinois Council  of
20    the  Blind  and  the  National  Federation  of  the  Blind of
21    Illinois),  one  representative  from  the  Vending  Facility
22    Program, 2 representatives from the Illinois School  for  the
23    Visually  Impaired,  one  person representing senior citizens
24    who are blind, and one person representing parents  of  blind
25    children.
26        Initially,  2 members shall be appointed for terms of one
27    year, 2 for terms of 2 years, and 3 for  terms  of  3  years,
28    with  a  partial term of 18 months or more counting as a full
29    term. Subsequent terms shall be for 3 years each.  No  member
30    shall  serve  more  than  2  consecutive terms. No commission
31    employee shall be a  member  of  the  board,  but  commission
32    employees  may  be  assigned  to provide technical assistance
33    upon request of the chairperson, provided that the assignment
34    does not result in a  reduction  of  services  to  commission
 
                            -6-               LRB9104785DJcdA
 1    clients.  No  agency  contracted  to  do  business  with  the
 2    commission  shall  be  allowed  to  have employees serving as
 3    members of the board.
 4        Members shall be removed for cause,  including,  but  not
 5    limited  to,  demonstrated  incompetence, unethical behavior,
 6    and unwillingness or inability to serve. Vacancies  occurring
 7    on  the  board shall be filled by appointment pursuant to the
 8    guidelines provided in this Section.
 9        The board shall meet at least twice  each  month,  except
10    that  emergency  meetings  may be convened more frequently by
11    the  chairperson  or  the  director.  Members  shall  receive
12    reimbursement for actual costs incurred in the performance of
13    their  duties   while   conducting   approved   board-related
14    business.
15        Members  shall  be governed by appropriate and applicable
16    State and federal statutes and regulations on matters such as
17    ethics, confidentiality, freedom of information, travel,  and
18    civil  rights.  The  board  shall  elect  a chairperson and a
19    secretary from  among  its  members.  The  chairperson  shall
20    appoint standing committees on management and budget, program
21    planning  and  evaluation,  membership,  and legislation, and
22    such ad-hoc committees as  are  necessary  to  conduct  board
23    activities related to program components of the commission or
24    initiatives  to  enhance  the  quality  of  life for Illinois
25    citizens who are blind.
26        The board shall do all of the following:
27             (1)  Develop  a  mission   statement,   goals,   and
28        objectives for the operation of the commission.
29             (2)  Develop  by-laws  and  policies  governing  the
30        operations of the board.
31             (3)  Develop  and  implement  personnel  policies in
32        compliance with existing State and federal regulations.
33             (4)  Develop  and  implement  its   own   reasonable
34        accommodations  policy  for  commission  employees. Among
 
                            -7-               LRB9104785DJcdA
 1        other activities related to reasonable accommodations for
 2        commission  employees,  this  policy  shall  ensure  that
 3        computer  technology  purchased  by  the  commission   is
 4        completely accessible to employees who are blind.
 5             (5)  Develop   an  appeals  process  to  which  both
 6        commission employees and clients shall have access.
 7             (6)  Facilitate   communication   and    cooperation
 8        efforts  between the commission and all agencies with any
 9        responsibility to deliver services to blind persons.
10             (7)  Oversee the development of operating policy and
11        procedure manuals and ensure  that  commission  employees
12        have access to these manuals in their media of choice.
13             (8)  With   input   from   the   director,   develop
14        programmatic   and   fiscal   priorities   governing  the
15        provision of services and  the  awarding  of  grants  and
16        contracts  by  the  commission to any person or public or
17        private agency.
18             (9)  In  cooperation  with  the  commission   staff,
19        design  and  conduct  program  evaluations  and encourage
20        independent research by qualified researchers to  improve
21        services  to blind persons, including those with multiple
22        disabilities.
23             (10)  Participate in the development and  review  of
24        proposed   and  amended  rules  and  regulations  of  the
25        commission relating to services for blind persons.
26             (11)  Promote  public  education  on  blindness  and
27        solicit public support for services to blind persons.
28             (12)  Encourage creative and innovative programs  to
29        strengthen,    expand,    and   improve   education   and
30        rehabilitation  for  blind  persons,  including  outreach
31        services.
32             (13)  Assist  the  commission  in   developing   and
33        implementing  a  public  education  and  outreach program
34        which will ensure the public's awareness of the  Illinois
 
                            -8-               LRB9104785DJcdA
 1        School  for  the Visually Impaired as a vital part of the
 2        full  continuum  of  options  for  education   of   blind
 3        children.
 4             (14)  Approve  all  labor  agreements  negotiated on
 5        behalf of commission employees represented by  bargaining
 6        units.
 7             (15) Perform   such   other   functions  as  may  be
 8        necessary to enhance the participation of  blind  persons
 9        in  the  social, cultural, and economic activities of the
10        State of Illinois.
11        The Board shall supersede and replace the Blind  Services
12    Planning   Council   and   all   other   advisory  committees
13    functioning within  the  Bureau  of  Blind  Services  on  the
14    effective  date  of this Act, with the exception of federally
15    mandated advisory groups. Nothing in this Act  precludes  the
16    board from performing federally mandated functions.

17        Section  35. Commission assistance to the board. In order
18    that  the  board  may  function  effectively  and  provide  a
19    meaningful service,  the  commission  shall  do  all  of  the
20    following:
21             (1)  Provide   adequate  space  for  meetings  in  a
22        convenient location.
23             (2)  Provide sufficient clerical services and  other
24        technical assistance as provided in Section 30.
25             (3)  Provide   adequate   and   secure  storage  for
26        records.
27             (4)  Make all records pertaining to  the  commission
28        available   to   the   board  except  those  governed  by
29        confidentiality because  of  their  being  related  to  a
30        specific client.
31             (5)  Reimburse  board members for meeting attendance
32        and performance of other duties as  provided  in  Section
33        30.
 
                            -9-               LRB9104785DJcdA
 1             (6)  Cooperate   with   the   board   in   planning,
 2        delivering,  and evaluating services to improve the lives
 3        of Illinois citizens who are blind.
 4             (7)  Support the board  in  a  strong  advocacy  and
 5        outreach role.
 6             (8)  Give  full  faith  and  credit  to the work and
 7        recommendations of the board.

 8        Section 40. Commission's responsibilities to the  Vending
 9    Facility  Program.  The  commission shall oversee the broader
10    aspects  of  the  Vending  Facility  Program.  The   specific
11    direction  and policies of the Vending Facility Program shall
12    be the responsibility of  the  Illinois  Committee  of  Blind
13    Vendors.  The  Vending  Facility  Program,  and  the Illinois
14    Committee of Blind Vendors as its governing board, shall fall
15    under the commission hierarchy for the purposes of giving its
16    blind  vendors  and  staff  the  administrative,  legal,  and
17    budgetary resources to prosper in its own right  as  provided
18    for  in  the  Randolph-Sheppard  Act.  The  commission  shall
19    provide  services  to blind vending managers and the Illinois
20    Committee of Blind Vendors. This assistance shall include but
21    not be limited to business counseling, equipment procurement,
22    inventories,  program  accounting,  financial  audits,   data
23    processing,  legal  services,  budget  formulation, training,
24    finding and opening new vending locations for  both  new  and
25    existing  vendors,  and  such  other  services  as either are
26    required by the Randolph-Sheppard Act or requested  by  blind
27    vendors  in  Illinois.  The  commission  shall have the legal
28    authority and resources available to advocate for the  rights
29    of  blind vendors to receive priority in operating facilities
30    on properties  under  the  jurisdiction  of  federal,  State,
31    county, and municipal units of government in Illinois.

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