Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB2971

Sen. Cristina Castro

Filed: 2/17/2026

10400SB2971sam001 LRB104 17614 KTG 34415 a

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 2971

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 2971 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 5. The Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act is amended by changing Section 3 as follows:

(20 ILCS 2405/3) (from Ch. 23, par. 3434)

Sec. 3. Powers and duties. The Department shall have the powers and duties enumerated herein:

(a) To cooperate with the federal government in the administration of the provisions of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and of the federal Social Security Act to the extent and in the manner provided in these Acts.

(b) To prescribe and supervise such courses of vocational training and provide such other services as may be necessary for the vocational rehabilitation of persons with one or more disabilities, including the administrative activities under subsection (e) of this Section; to cooperate with State and local school authorities and other recognized agencies engaged in vocational rehabilitation services; and to cooperate with the Department of Children and Family Services, the Illinois State Board of Education, and others regarding the education of children with one or more disabilities.

(c) (Blank).

(d) To report in writing, to the Governor, annually on or before the first day of December, and at such other times and in such manner and upon such subjects as the Governor may require. The annual report shall contain (1) information on the programs and activities dedicated to vocational rehabilitation, independent living, and other community services and supports administered by the Director; (2) information on the development of vocational rehabilitation services, independent living services, and supporting services administered by the Director in the State; and (3) information detailing the amounts of money received from federal, State, and other sources, and of the objects and purposes to which the respective items of these several amounts have been devoted.

(e) (Blank).

(f) To establish a program of services to prevent the unnecessary institutionalization of persons in need of long term care and who meet the criteria for blindness or disability as defined by the Social Security Act, thereby enabling them to remain in their own homes. Such preventive services include any or all of the following:

(1) personal assistant services;

(2) homemaker services;

(3) home-delivered meals;

(4) adult day care services;

(5) respite care;

(6) home modification or assistive equipment;

(7) home health services;

(8) electronic home response;

(9) brain injury behavioral/cognitive services;

(10) brain injury habilitation;

(11) brain injury pre-vocational services; or

(12) brain injury supported employment.

The Department shall establish eligibility standards for such services taking into consideration the unique economic and social needs of the population for whom they are to be provided. Such eligibility standards may be based on the recipient's ability to pay for services; provided, however, that any portion of a person's income that is equal to or less than the "protected income" level shall not be considered by the Department in determining eligibility. The "protected income" level shall be determined by the Department, shall never be less than the federal poverty standard, and shall be adjusted each year to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index For All Urban Consumers as determined by the United States Department of Labor. The standards must provide that a person may not have more than $10,000 in assets to be eligible for the services, and the Department may increase or decrease the asset limitation by rule. The Department may not decrease the asset level below $10,000. Subject to federal approval, the Department shall allow a recipient's spouse, guardian, kin, or siblings to serve as his or her provider of personal care or similar services.

The services shall be provided, as established by the Department by rule, to eligible persons to prevent unnecessary or premature institutionalization, to the extent that the cost of the services, together with the other personal maintenance expenses of the persons, are reasonably related to the standards established for care in a group facility appropriate to their condition. These non-institutional services, pilot projects or experimental facilities may be provided as part of or in addition to those authorized by federal law or those funded and administered by the Illinois Department on Aging. The Department shall set rates and fees for services in a fair and equitable manner. Services identical to those offered by the Department on Aging shall be paid at the same rate.

Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, personal assistants shall be paid at a rate negotiated between the State and an exclusive representative of personal assistants under a collective bargaining agreement. In no case shall the Department pay personal assistants an hourly wage that is less than the federal minimum wage. Within 30 days after July 6, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 100-23), the hourly wage paid to personal assistants and individual maintenance home health workers shall be increased by $0.48 per hour. Wages and other benefits for personal assistants shall not count against benefits that guardians receive as outlined in Article XIa of the Probate Act of 1975.

Solely for the purposes of coverage under the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act, personal assistants providing services under the Department's Home Services Program shall be considered to be public employees and the State of Illinois shall be considered to be their employer as of July 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-204), but not before. Solely for the purposes of coverage under the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act, home care and home health workers who function as personal assistants and individual maintenance home health workers and who also provide services under the Department's Home Services Program shall be considered to be public employees, no matter whether the State provides such services through direct fee-for-service arrangements, with the assistance of a managed care organization or other intermediary, or otherwise, and the State of Illinois shall be considered to be the employer of those persons as of January 29, 2013 (the effective date of Public Act 97-1158), but not before except as otherwise provided under this subsection (f). The State shall engage in collective bargaining with an exclusive representative of home care and home health workers who function as personal assistants and individual maintenance home health workers working under the Home Services Program concerning their terms and conditions of employment that are within the State's control. Nothing in this paragraph shall be understood to limit the right of the persons receiving services defined in this Section to hire and fire home care and home health workers who function as personal assistants and individual maintenance home health workers working under the Home Services Program or to supervise them within the limitations set by the Home Services Program. The State shall not be considered to be the employer of home care and home health workers who function as personal assistants and individual maintenance home health workers working under the Home Services Program for any purposes not specifically provided in Public Act 93-204 or Public Act 97-1158, including but not limited to, purposes of vicarious liability in tort and purposes of statutory retirement or health insurance benefits. Home care and home health workers who function as personal assistants and individual maintenance home health workers and who also provide services under the Department's Home Services Program shall not be covered by the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971.

The Department shall execute, relative to nursing home prescreening, as authorized by Section 4.03 of the Illinois Act on the Aging, written inter-agency agreements with the Department on Aging and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, to effect the intake procedures and eligibility criteria for those persons who may need long term care. On and after July 1, 1996, all nursing home prescreenings for individuals 18 through 59 years of age shall be conducted by the Department, or a designee of the Department.

The Department is authorized to establish a system of recipient cost-sharing for services provided under this Section. The cost-sharing shall be based upon the recipient's ability to pay for services, but in no case shall the recipient's share exceed the actual cost of the services provided. Protected income shall not be considered by the Department in its determination of the recipient's ability to pay a share of the cost of services. The level of cost-sharing shall be adjusted each year to reflect changes in the "protected income" level. The Department shall deduct from the recipient's share of the cost of services any money expended by the recipient for disability-related expenses.

To the extent permitted under the federal Social Security Act, the Department, or the Department's authorized representative, may recover the amount of moneys expended for services provided to or in behalf of a person under this Section by a claim against the person's estate or against the estate of the person's surviving spouse, but no recovery may be had until after the death of the surviving spouse, if any, and then only at such time when there is no surviving child who is under age 21 or blind or who has a permanent and total disability. This paragraph, however, shall not bar recovery, at the death of the person, of moneys for services provided to the person or in behalf of the person under this Section to which the person was not entitled; provided that such recovery shall not be enforced against any real estate while it is occupied as a homestead by the surviving spouse or other dependent, if no claims by other creditors have been filed against the estate, or, if such claims have been filed, they remain dormant for failure of prosecution or failure of the claimant to compel administration of the estate for the purpose of payment. This paragraph shall not bar recovery from the estate of a spouse, under Sections 1915 and 1924 of the Social Security Act and Section 5-4 of the Illinois Public Aid Code, who precedes a person receiving services under this Section in death. All moneys for services paid to or in behalf of the person under this Section shall be claimed for recovery from the deceased spouse's estate. "Homestead", as used in this paragraph, means the dwelling house and contiguous real estate occupied by a surviving spouse or relative, as defined by the rules and regulations of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, regardless of the value of the property.

This paragraph applies to direct service workers who provide services to individuals participating in the Home Services Program. Direct service workers shall complete dementia training totaling at least 2 hours at the start of their employment. Direct service workers employed on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly shall complete this training within 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly. The training shall cover the following subjects: (1) Alzheimer's disease and dementia, (2) safety risks, and (3) communication and behavior. Annual continuing education training shall include dementia training totaling at least 2 hours covering the subjects described in this paragraph. The purpose of this paragraph is to improve the quality of training for direct service workers under the Home Services Program. If other laws or rules existing on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly contain more rigorous dementia training requirements for specific individuals providing direct services under the Home Services Program, then those laws or rules shall continue to apply. An individual who is required to receive dementia training under any other law or rule may be considered exempt from the requirements of this paragraph if the other law's or rule's training requirement includes a minimum 2 hours of dementia training. The individual shall be required to show proof that he or she received dementia training equivalent to the training required under this paragraph. For personal assistants covered by a collective bargaining agreement, the Department shall work with the joint training committee established by the collective bargaining agreement covering personal assistants to discuss parameters and specific topics for the curriculum covering dementia training as part of the provided training for personal assistants.

(g) To establish such subdivisions of the Department as shall be desirable and assign to the various subdivisions the responsibilities and duties placed upon the Department by law.

(h) To cooperate and enter into any necessary agreements with the Department of Employment Security for the provision of job placement and job referral services to clients of the Department, including job service registration of such clients with Illinois Employment Security offices and making job listings maintained by the Department of Employment Security available to such clients.

(i) To possess all powers reasonable and necessary for the exercise and administration of the powers, duties and responsibilities of the Department which are provided for by law.

(j) (Blank).

(k) (Blank).

(l) To establish, operate, and maintain a Statewide Housing Clearinghouse of information on available government subsidized housing accessible to persons with disabilities and available privately owned housing accessible to persons with disabilities. The information shall include, but not be limited to, the location, rental requirements, access features and proximity to public transportation of available housing. The Clearinghouse shall consist of at least a computerized database for the storage and retrieval of information and a separate or shared toll free telephone number for use by those seeking information from the Clearinghouse. Department offices and personnel throughout the State shall also assist in the operation of the Statewide Housing Clearinghouse. Cooperation with local, State, and federal housing managers shall be sought and extended in order to frequently and promptly update the Clearinghouse's information.

(m) To assure that the names and case records of persons who received or are receiving services from the Department, including persons receiving vocational rehabilitation, home services, or other services, and those attending one of the Department's schools or other supervised facility shall be confidential and not be open to the general public. Those case records and reports or the information contained in those records and reports shall be disclosed by the Director only to proper law enforcement officials, individuals authorized by a court, the General Assembly or any committee or commission of the General Assembly, and other persons and for reasons as the Director designates by rule. Disclosure by the Director may be only in accordance with other applicable law.

(Source: P.A. 102-264, eff. 8-6-21; 102-826, eff. 5-13-22; 103-479, eff. 1-1-24.)".