093_SB0233eng SB233 Engrossed LRB093 07690 NHT 07875 b 1 AN ACT concerning schools. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing 5 Section 27-8.1 as follows: 6 (105 ILCS 5/27-8.1) (from Ch. 122, par. 27-8.1) 7 Sec. 27-8.1. Health examinations and immunizations. 8 (1) In compliance with rules and regulations thatwhich9 the Department of Public Health shall promulgate, and except 10 as hereinafter provided, all children in Illinois shall have 11 a health examination as follows: within one year prior to 12 entering kindergarten or the first grade of any public, 13 private, or parochial elementary school; upon entering the 14 fifth and ninth grades of any public, private, or parochial 15 school; prior to entrance into any public, private, or 16 parochial nursery school; and, irrespective of grade, 17 immediately prior to or upon entrance into any public, 18 private, or parochial school or nursery school, each child 19 shall present proof of having been examined in accordance 20 with this Section and the rules and regulations promulgated 21 hereunder. 22 A tuberculosis skin test screening shall be included as a 23 required part of each health examination included under this 24 Section if the child resides in an area designated by the 25 Department of Public Health as having a high incidence of 26 tuberculosis. Additional health examinations of pupils, 27 including dental and vision examinations, may be required 28 when deemed necessary by school authorities. Parents are 29 encouraged to have their children undergo dental examinations 30 at the same points in time required for health examinations. 31 (2) The Department of Public Health shall promulgate SB233 Engrossed -2- LRB093 07690 NHT 07875 b 1 rules and regulations specifying the examinations and 2 procedures that constitute a health examination and may 3 recommend by rule that certain additional examinations be 4 performed. The rules and regulations of the Department of 5 Public Health shall specify that a tuberculosis skin test 6 screening shall be included as a required part of each health 7 examination included under this Section if the child resides 8 in an area designated by the Department of Public Health as 9 having a high incidence of tuberculosis. 10 Physicians licensed to practice medicine in all of its 11 branches, advanced practice nurses who have a written 12 collaborative agreement with a collaborating physician which 13 authorizes them to perform health examinations, or physician 14 assistants who have been delegated the performance of health 15 examinations by their supervising physician shall be 16 responsible for the performance of the health examinations, 17 other than dental examinations and vision and hearing 18 screening, and shall sign all report forms required by 19 subsection (4) of this Section that pertain to those portions 20 of the health examination for which the physician, advanced 21 practice nurse, or physician assistant is responsible. If a 22 registered nurse performs any part of a health examination, 23 then a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its 24 branches must review and sign all required report forms. 25 Licensed dentists shall perform all dental examinations and 26 shall sign all report forms required by subsection (4) of 27 this Section that pertain to the dental examinations. 28 Physicians licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, 29 or licensed optometrists, shall perform all vision exams 30 required by school authorities and shall sign all report 31 forms required by subsection (4) of this Section that pertain 32 to the vision exam. Vision and hearing screening tests, 33 which shall not be considered examinations as that term is 34 used in this Section, shall be conducted in accordance with SB233 Engrossed -3- LRB093 07690 NHT 07875 b 1 rules and regulations of the Department of Public Health, and 2 by individuals whom the Department of Public Health has 3 certified. 4 (3) Every child shall, at or about the same time as he 5 or she receives a health examination required by subsection 6 (1) of this Section, present to the local school proof of 7 having received such immunizations against preventable 8 communicable diseases as the Department of Public Health 9 shall require by rules and regulations promulgated pursuant 10 to this Section and the Communicable Disease Prevention Act. 11 (4) The individuals conducting the health examination 12 shall record the fact of having conducted the examination, 13 and such additional information as required, on uniform forms 14 which the Department of Public Health and the State Board of 15 Education shall prescribe for statewide use. The examiner 16 shall summarize on the report form any condition that he or 17 she suspects indicates a need for special services. The 18 individuals confirming the administration of required 19 immunizations shall record as indicated on the form that the 20 immunizations were administered. 21 (5) If a child does not submit proof of having had 22 either the health examination or the immunization as 23 required, then the child shall be examined or receive the 24 immunization, as the case may be, and present proof by 25 October 15 of the current school year, or by an earlier date 26 of the current school year established by a school district. 27 To establish a date before October 15 of the current school 28 year for the health examination or immunization as required, 29 a school district must give notice of the requirements of 30 this Section 60 days prior to the earlier established date. 31 If for medical reasons one or more of the required 32 immunizations must be given after October 15 of the current 33 school year, or after an earlier established date of the 34 current school year, then the child shall present, by October SB233 Engrossed -4- LRB093 07690 NHT 07875 b 1 15, or by the earlier established date, a schedule for the 2 administration of the immunizations and a statement of the 3 medical reasons causing the delay, both the schedule and the 4 statement being issued by the physician, advanced practice 5 nurse, physician assistant, registered nurse, or local health 6 department that will be responsible for administration of the 7 remaining required immunizations. If a child does not comply 8 by October 15, or by the earlier established date of the 9 current school year, with the requirements of this 10 subsection, then the local school authority shall exclude 11 that child from school until such time as the child presents 12 proof of having had the health examination as required and 13 presents proof of having received those required 14 immunizations which are medically possible to receive 15 immediately. During a child's exclusion from school for 16 noncompliance with this subsection, the child's parents or 17 legal guardian shall be considered in violation of Section 18 26-1 and subject to any penalty imposed by Section 26-10. 19 (6) Every school shall report to the State Board of 20 Education by November 15, in the manner which that agency 21 shall require, the number of children who have received the 22 necessary immunizations and the health examination as 23 required, indicating, of those who have not received the 24 immunizations and examination as required, the number of 25 children who are exempt from health examination and 26 immunization requirements on religious or medical grounds as 27 provided in subsection (8). This reported information shall 28 be provided to the Department of Public Health by the State 29 Board of Education. 30 (7) Upon determining that the number of pupils who are 31 required to be in compliance with subsection (5) of this 32 Section is below 90% of the number of pupils enrolled in the 33 school district, 10% of each State aid payment made pursuant 34 to Section 18-8 to the school district for such year shall be SB233 Engrossed -5- LRB093 07690 NHT 07875 b 1 withheld by the regional superintendent until the number of 2 students in compliance with subsection (5) is the applicable 3 specified percentage or higher. 4 (8) Parents or legal guardians who object to health 5 examinations or any part thereof, or to immunizations, on 6 religious grounds shall not be required to submit their 7 children or wards to the examinations or immunizations to 8 which they so object if such parents or legal guardians 9 present to the appropriate local school authority a signed 10 statement of objection, detailing the grounds for the 11 objection. If the physical condition of the child is such 12 that any one or more of the immunizing agents should not be 13 administered, the examining physician, advanced practice 14 nurse, or physician assistant responsible for the performance 15 of the health examination shall endorse that fact upon the 16 health examination form. Exempting a child from the health 17 examination does not exempt the child from participation in 18 the program of physical education training provided in 19 Sections 27-5 through 27-7 of this Code. 20 (9) For the purposes of this Section, "nursery schools" 21 means those nursery schools operated by elementary school 22 systems or secondary level school units or institutions of 23 higher learning. 24 (Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99; 92-703, eff. 7-19-02.)