102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB4769

 

Introduced 1/27/2022, by Rep. Deb Conroy

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act
305 ILCS 5/5-30.11

    Creates the Behavior Analyst Licensing Act. Provides for licensure of behavior analysts, assistant behavior analysts, and behavior technicians by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Contains provisions concerning licensure requirements, qualifications, the Board of Behavior Analysts, provisional licenses, and rules. Amends the Public Aid Code to provide that treatment of autism spectrum disorder through applied behavior analysis shall be covered under the medical assistance program for children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder when ordered by a behavior analyst licensed by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to practice applied behavior analysis in the State of Illinois. Effective immediately.


LRB102 23872 AMC 33065 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4769LRB102 23872 AMC 33065 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Behavior Analyst Licensing Act.
 
6    Section 5. Public policy. The practice of applied behavior
7analysis is declared to affect the public health, safety, and
8welfare and to be subject to regulation in the public
9interest. The purpose of this Act is to protect and benefit the
10public by setting standards of qualifications, education,
11training, and experience for those who seek to obtain a
12license and hold the title of "behavior analyst" or "assistant
13behavior analyst", to promote high standards of professional
14performance for those licensed to practice applied behavior
15analysis in the State of Illinois, and to protect the public
16from unprofessional conduct by persons licensed to practice
17applied behavior analysis.
 
18    Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
19    "Applied behavior analysis" means the design,
20implementation, and evaluation of environmental modifications
21using behavioral stimuli and consequences to produce socially
22significant improvement in human behavior, including the use

 

 

HB4769- 2 -LRB102 23872 AMC 33065 b

1of direct observation, measurement, and functional analysis of
2the relations between environment and behavior. "Applied
3behavior analysis" does not include:
4        (1) the practice of medicine, the practice of
5    osteopathic medicine and surgery, or medical diagnosis or
6    treatment;
7        (2) the practice of speech-language pathology;
8        (3) the practice of physical therapy;
9        (4) the practice of occupational therapy;
10        (5) psychological testing, including standardized
11    testing for intelligence or personality;
12        (6) diagnosis of a mental or physical disorder; or
13        (7) the practice of neuropsychology, psychotherapy,
14    cognitive therapy, sex therapy, psychoanalysis,
15    hypnotherapy, or counseling as treatment modalities.
16    "Assistant behavior analyst" means an individual licensed
17under this Act to engage in practice as an assistant behavior
18analyst.
19    "Behavior analyst" means an individual licensed under this
20Act to engage in the practice of applied behavior analysis.
21    "Behavior technician" means a noncredentialed individual
22who delivers applied behavior analysis services under the
23delegation and supervision of a behavior analyst.
24    "Behavioral health treatment" means evidence-based
25counseling and treatment programs, including applied behavior
26analysis, that are: (i) necessary to develop, maintain, or

 

 

HB4769- 3 -LRB102 23872 AMC 33065 b

1restore, to the maximum extent practicable, the functioning of
2an individual; and (ii) provided or supervised by a
3board-certified behavior analyst or a licensed psychologist so
4long as the services performed are commensurate with the
5psychologist's formal university training and supervised
6experience.
7    "Department" means the Department of Financial and
8Professional Regulation.
9    "Practice as an assistant behavior analyst" means the
10practice of applied behavior analysis under the supervision of
11a behavior analyst.
12    "Secretary" means the Secretary of Financial and
13Professional Regulation.
14    "Sex offense" means an offense that would require an
15individual to be subject to registration under the Sex
16Offender Registration Act.
 
17    Section 15. License required.
18    (a) Beginning one year after the effective date of rules
19adopted by the Department to implement this Act, an individual
20shall not engage in the practice of applied behavior analysis
21or practice as an assistant behavior analyst unless licensed
22under this Act.
23    (b) Beginning one year after the effective date of rules
24adopted by the Department to implement this Act, an individual
25shall not use the titles "behavior analyst", "B.A.", "licensed

 

 

HB4769- 4 -LRB102 23872 AMC 33065 b

1behavior analyst", "L.B.A.", "assistant behavior analyst",
2"A.B.A.", "licensed assistant behavior analyst", "L.A.B.A.",
3or similar words or letters that indicate that he or she is
4licensed as a behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst
5unless the individual is licensed under this Act.
6    (c) This Act does not prohibit any of the following:
7        (1) Self-care by a patient or uncompensated care by a
8    friend or family member who does not represent or hold
9    himself or herself out to be a behavior analyst or
10    assistant behavior analyst.
11        (2) A behavior technician or a family member from
12    implementing a plan under the extended authority,
13    direction, and, if applicable, supervision of a behavior
14    analyst.
15        (3) An individual licensed under any other law of this
16    State from performing activities that are considered to be
17    the practice of applied behavior analysis under this Act
18    if the activities are within the licensee's scope of
19    practice and are commensurate with his or her education,
20    training, and experience, so long as the individual does
21    not use the titles provided in subsection (b) of this
22    Section.
23        (4) An individual from performing activities that are
24    considered to be the practice of applied behavior analysis
25    under this Act if the activities are with nonhuman or
26    nonpatient clients or consumers, including, but not

 

 

HB4769- 5 -LRB102 23872 AMC 33065 b

1    limited to, applied animal behaviorists and practitioners
2    of organizational behavior management.
3        (5) An individual who is a matriculated student at a
4    nationally accredited university approved in rules or who
5    is a postdoctoral fellow from performing activities that
6    are considered to be the practice of applied behavior
7    analysis under this Act if the activities are part of a
8    defined behavior analysis program of study or practicum
9    approved by Department rule and if the student or fellow
10    is directly supervised by an individual who is: (A)
11    licensed as a behavior analyst under this Act; or (B)
12    appointed as the instructor of a course sequence approved
13    by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board or other
14    certification board.
15        (6) An individual who is not licensed under this Act
16    from pursuing experience requirements for applied behavior
17    analysis credentials if the experience is supervised by an
18    individual who is licensed as a behavioral analyst.
19    (d) This Act does not apply to an individual who, on the
20effective date of this Act, is engaging in the practice of
21applied behavior analysis under the medical assistance program
22under the Illinois Public Aid Code while that individual is
23seeking the education, training, and experience necessary to
24obtain a license under this Act and only while the individual
25is providing applied behavior analysis to children in the
26provision of home and community-based services.

 

 

HB4769- 6 -LRB102 23872 AMC 33065 b

1    (e) The Department may issue a provisional license to an
2applicant for a behavior analyst license or assistant behavior
3analyst license upon receipt of a complete application,
4submission of the required fee, and a showing of valid
5licensure as a behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst
6in another state, only if the applicant has submitted
7fingerprints and has no disqualifying criminal history.
8        (1) The Department shall, in accordance with rules
9    adopted, issue a provisional behavior analyst license or a
10    provisional assistant behavior analyst license upon
11    receipt by the Department of a complete application,
12    appropriate fee as set by the Department by rule, and
13    proof of satisfaction of requirements under paragraphs (2)
14    and (3) of this subsection, respectively, and other
15    requirements established by the Department by rule, except
16    that applicants for a provisional license as either a
17    behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst need not
18    have passed an examination and been certified as a
19    board-certified behavior analyst or a board-certified
20    assistant behavior analyst to obtain a provisional
21    behavior analyst or provisional assistant behavior analyst
22    license.
23        (2) A provisional license issued under this subsection
24    shall only authorize and permit the licensee to render
25    behavior analysis under the supervision and the full
26    professional responsibility and control of such licensee's

 

 

HB4769- 7 -LRB102 23872 AMC 33065 b

1    licensed supervisor.
2        (3) A provisional license shall automatically
3    terminate upon issuance of a permanent license, upon a
4    finding of cause to discipline after notice, upon
5    termination of supervision by a licensed supervisor, or
6    upon the expiration of one year from the date of issuance
7    of the provisional license, whichever first occurs. The
8    provisional license may be renewed after one year, with a
9    maximum issuance of 2 years. Upon a showing of good cause,
10    the Department, by rule, shall provide procedures for
11    exceptions and variances from the requirement of a maximum
12    issuance of 2 years.
 
13    Section 20. Qualifications for licensure as a behavior
14analyst. The Department shall issue a license as a behavior
15analyst to an individual who, on or before the effective date
16of this Act, had the credentials as a certified behavior
17analyst conferred for applied behavior analysis by the
18Behavior Analyst Certification Board and who applies for
19licensure as a behavior analyst within one year after the
20effective date of the rules adopted by the Department to
21implement this Act. Each applicant for licensure as a behavior
22analyst shall have his or her fingerprints submitted to the
23Illinois State Police in the form and manner prescribed by the
24Illinois State Police. These fingerprints shall be
25electronically transmitted through a live scan fingerprint

 

 

HB4769- 8 -LRB102 23872 AMC 33065 b

1vendor licensed by the Department. These fingerprints shall be
2checked against the Illinois State Police and the Federal
3Bureau of Investigation criminal history record information
4database now and hereafter filed. The Illinois State Police
5shall charge a fee for conducting the criminal history records
6check, which shall be deposited into the State Police Services
7Fund and shall not exceed the actual cost of the Illinois and
8national criminal history record check. The Illinois State
9Police shall furnish, pursuant to positive identification,
10records of all Illinois convictions to the Department.
 
11    Section 25. Qualifications for licensure as an assistant
12behavior analyst. The Department shall issue a license as an
13assistant behavior analyst to an individual who, on or before
14the effective date of this Act, had the credentials as a
15certified assistant behavior analyst conferred for applied
16behavior analysis by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board
17and who applies for licensure as an assistant behavior analyst
18within one year after the effective date of the rules adopted
19by the Department to implement this Act. Each applicant for
20licensure as an assistant behavior analyst shall have his or
21her fingerprints submitted to the Illinois State Police in the
22form and manner prescribed by the Illinois State Police. These
23fingerprints shall be electronically transmitted through a
24live scan fingerprint vendor licensed by the Department. These
25fingerprints shall be checked against the Illinois State

 

 

HB4769- 9 -LRB102 23872 AMC 33065 b

1Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal
2history record information database now and hereafter filed.
3The Illinois State Police shall charge a fee for conducting
4the criminal history records check, which shall be deposited
5into the State Police Services Fund and shall not exceed the
6actual cost of the Illinois and national criminal history
7record check. The Illinois State Police shall furnish,
8pursuant to positive identification, records of all Illinois
9convictions to the Department.
 
10    Section 30. Board of Behavior Analysts. The Board of
11Behavior Analysts is created within the Department of
12Financial and Professional Regulation. The Board shall consist
13of the following members appointed by the Secretary:
14        (1) 4 behavior analysts, 3 of whom provide clinical
15    services;
16        (2) one individual who is affiliated with a public
17    university in this State as an instructor or researcher in
18    applied behavior analysis;
19        (3) one assistant behavior analyst;
20        (4) one physician licensed to practice medicine in all
21    its branches who works with patients with autism spectrum
22    disorders or brain injuries; and
23        (5) 2 public members.
24    The initial members of the Board who are behavior analysts
25must be certified as behavior analysts by the Behavior Analyst

 

 

HB4769- 10 -LRB102 23872 AMC 33065 b

1Certification Board and the initial member of the Board who is
2an assistant behavior analyst must be certified as an
3assistant behavior analyst by the Behavior Analyst
4Certification Board. Board members shall serve for a term of 4
5years, except that, of the initial appointments, 3 members
6shall serve for a term of 2 years, 3 members shall serve for a
7term of 3 years, and 3 members shall serve for a term of 4
8years.
 
9    Section 35. Rules; minimum standards for licensure;
10renewal. Within one year after the effective date of this Act,
11the Department, in consultation with the Board of Behavior
12Analysts, shall adopt rules that establish the minimum
13standards for licensure as a behavior analyst and an assistant
14behavior analyst. For purposes of this Section, the Department
15may adopt in its rules the professional standards, in whole or
16in part, adopted by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board
17as its standards. Until rules are adopted under this Section,
18the Department shall use the standards adopted by the Behavior
19Analyst Certification Board that are in effect on the
20effective date of this Act. The Department shall include in
21its rules adopted under this Act that an application for a
22license under this Act will be denied if the applicant's
23criminal history records check reveals that he or she was
24convicted of a sex offense and that a licensee's license will
25be permanently revoked if he or she is convicted of a sex

 

 

HB4769- 11 -LRB102 23872 AMC 33065 b

1offense while licensed under this Act. The Department may
2include in its rules adopted under this Act a requirement that
3a licensee seeking to renew his or her license must furnish
4evidence that he or she is current on his or her certification
5by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. In addition, the
6Department may require by rule that an assistant behavior
7analyst furnish evidence that he or she is practicing under
8the supervision of a licensed behavior analyst.
 
9    Section 40. Behavior technicians. An individual shall not
10act as a behavior technician in this State unless he or she has
11had a criminal history records check conducted by the
12Department and the criminal history records check does not
13reveal any criminal history record information for that
14individual. Each applicant for licensure as a behavior
15technician shall have his or her fingerprints submitted to the
16Illinois State Police in the form and manner prescribed by the
17Illinois State Police. These fingerprints shall be
18electronically transmitted through a live scan fingerprint
19vendor licensed by the Department. These fingerprints shall be
20checked against the Illinois State Police and the Federal
21Bureau of Investigation criminal history record information
22database now and hereafter filed. The Illinois State Police
23shall charge a fee for conducting the criminal history records
24check, which shall be deposited into the State Police Services
25Fund and shall not exceed the actual cost of the Illinois and

 

 

HB4769- 12 -LRB102 23872 AMC 33065 b

1national criminal history record check. The Illinois State
2Police shall furnish, pursuant to positive identification,
3records of all Illinois convictions to the Department. A
4behavior technician shall not use the words, titles, or
5letters indicating that he or she is a behavior analyst or an
6assistant behavior analyst or that he or she is engaging in the
7practice of applied behavior analysis. A behavior technician
8shall use a title that indicates his or her noncredentialed
9status, including "Behavior Technician", "ABA Technician", or
10"Tutor".
 
11    Section 90. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
12changing Section 5-30.11 as follows:
 
13    (305 ILCS 5/5-30.11)
14    Sec. 5-30.11. Treatment of autism spectrum disorder.
15Treatment of autism spectrum disorder through applied behavior
16analysis shall be covered under the medical assistance program
17under this Article for children with a diagnosis of autism
18spectrum disorder when ordered by: (1) a physician licensed to
19practice medicine in all its branches and rendered by a
20licensed or certified health care professional with expertise
21in applied behavior analysis; or (2) a behavior analyst
22licensed by the Department of Financial and Professional
23Regulation to practice applied behavior analysis in the State
24of Illinois. Such coverage may be limited to age ranges based

 

 

HB4769- 13 -LRB102 23872 AMC 33065 b

1on evidence-based best practices. Appropriate State plan
2amendments as well as rules regarding provision of services
3and providers will be submitted by September 1, 2019.
4(Source: P.A. 101-10, eff. 6-5-19; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21.)
 
5    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
6becoming law.