SB2796 Enrolled LRB094 16298 NHT 53104 b

1     AN ACT concerning education.
 
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 Sections
5 14-8.02, 14-8.02a, 14-8.02b, and 14-12.01 and by adding
6 Sections 14-8.02c and 14-8.02d as follows:
 
7     (105 ILCS 5/14-8.02)  (from Ch. 122, par. 14-8.02)
8     Sec. 14-8.02. Identification, Evaluation and Placement of
9 Children.
10     (a) The State Board of Education shall make rules under
11 which local school boards shall determine the eligibility of
12 children to receive special education. Such rules shall ensure
13 that a free appropriate public education be available to all
14 children with disabilities as defined in Section 14-1.02. The
15 State Board of Education shall require local school districts
16 to administer non-discriminatory procedures or tests to
17 limited English proficiency students coming from homes in which
18 a language other than English is used to determine their
19 eligibility to receive special education. The placement of low
20 English proficiency students in special education programs and
21 facilities shall be made in accordance with the test results
22 reflecting the student's linguistic, cultural and special
23 education needs. For purposes of determining the eligibility of
24 children the State Board of Education shall include in the
25 rules definitions of "case study", "staff conference",
26 "individualized educational program", and "qualified
27 specialist" appropriate to each category of children with
28 disabilities as defined in this Article. For purposes of
29 determining the eligibility of children from homes in which a
30 language other than English is used, the State Board of
31 Education, no later than September 1, 1993, shall include in
32 the rules definitions for "qualified bilingual specialists"

 

 

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1 and "linguistically and culturally appropriate individualized
2 educational programs". For purposes of In this Section, as well
3 as Sections 14-8.02a, 14-8.02b, and 14-8.02c of this Code,
4 "parent" means a parent as defined in the federal Individuals
5 with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401(23)) includes a
6 foster parent.
7     (b) No child shall be eligible for special education
8 facilities except with a carefully completed case study fully
9 reviewed by professional personnel in a multidisciplinary
10 staff conference and only upon the recommendation of qualified
11 specialists or a qualified bilingual specialist, if available.
12 At the conclusion of the multidisciplinary staff conference,
13 the parent or guardian of the child shall be given a copy of
14 the multidisciplinary conference summary report and
15 recommendations, which includes options considered, and be
16 informed of their right to obtain an independent educational
17 evaluation if they disagree with the evaluation findings
18 conducted or obtained by the school district. If the school
19 district's evaluation is shown to be inappropriate, the school
20 district shall reimburse the parent for the cost of the
21 independent evaluation. The State Board of Education shall,
22 with advice from the State Advisory Council on Education of
23 Children with Disabilities on the inclusion of specific
24 independent educational evaluators, prepare a list of
25 suggested independent educational evaluators. The State Board
26 of Education shall include on the list clinical psychologists
27 licensed pursuant to the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act.
28 Such psychologists shall not be paid fees in excess of the
29 amount that would be received by a school psychologist for
30 performing the same services. The State Board of Education
31 shall supply school districts with such list and make the list
32 available to parents at their request. School districts shall
33 make the list available to parents at the time they are
34 informed of their right to obtain an independent educational
35 evaluation. However, the school district may initiate an
36 impartial due process hearing under this Section within 5 days

 

 

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1 of any written parent or guardian request for an independent
2 educational evaluation to show that its evaluation is
3 appropriate. If the final decision is that the evaluation is
4 appropriate, the parent still has a right to an independent
5 educational evaluation, but not at public expense. An
6 independent educational evaluation at public expense must be
7 completed within 30 days of a parent or guardian written
8 request unless the school district initiates an impartial due
9 process hearing or the parent or guardian or school district
10 offers reasonable grounds to show that such 30 day time period
11 should be extended. If the due process hearing decision
12 indicates that the parent or guardian is entitled to an
13 independent educational evaluation, it must be completed
14 within 30 days of the decision unless the parent or guardian or
15 the school district offers reasonable grounds to show that such
16 30 day period should be extended. If a parent disagrees with
17 the summary report or recommendations of the multidisciplinary
18 conference or the findings of any educational evaluation which
19 results therefrom, the school district shall not proceed with a
20 placement based upon such evaluation and the child shall remain
21 in his or her regular classroom setting. No child shall be
22 eligible for admission to a special class for the educable
23 mentally disabled or for the trainable mentally disabled except
24 with a psychological evaluation and recommendation by a school
25 psychologist. Consent shall be obtained from the parent or
26 guardian of a child before any evaluation is conducted. If
27 consent is not given by the parent or guardian or if the parent
28 or guardian disagrees with the findings of the evaluation, then
29 the school district may initiate an impartial due process
30 hearing under this Section. The school district may evaluate
31 the child if that is the decision resulting from the impartial
32 due process hearing and the decision is not appealed or if the
33 decision is affirmed on appeal. The determination of
34 eligibility shall be made and the IEP meeting shall be
35 completed within 60 school days from the date of written
36 parental consent referral by school authorities for evaluation

 

 

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1 by the district or date of application for admittance by the
2 parent or guardian of the child. In those instances when
3 written parental consent is obtained students are referred for
4 evaluation with fewer than 60 pupil attendance days left in the
5 school year, the eligibility determination shall be made and
6 the IEP meeting shall be completed prior to the first day of
7 the following school year. After a child has been determined to
8 be eligible for a special education class, such child must be
9 placed in the appropriate program pursuant to the
10 individualized educational program by or no later than the
11 beginning of the next school semester. The appropriate program
12 pursuant to the individualized educational program of students
13 whose native tongue is a language other than English shall
14 reflect the special education, cultural and linguistic needs.
15 No later than September 1, 1993, the State Board of Education
16 shall establish standards for the development, implementation
17 and monitoring of appropriate bilingual special individualized
18 educational programs. The State Board of Education shall
19 further incorporate appropriate monitoring procedures to
20 verify implementation of these standards. The district shall
21 indicate to the parent or guardian and the State Board of
22 Education the nature of the services the child will receive for
23 the regular school term while waiting placement in the
24 appropriate special education class.
25     If the child is deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or visually
26 impaired and he or she might be eligible to receive services
27 from the Illinois School for the Deaf or the Illinois School
28 for the Visually Impaired, the school district shall notify the
29 parents or guardian, in writing, of the existence of these
30 schools and the services they provide and shall make a
31 reasonable effort to inform the parents or guardian of the
32 existence of other, local schools that provide similar services
33 and the services that these other schools provide. This
34 notification shall include without limitation information on
35 school services, school admissions criteria, and school
36 contact information.

 

 

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1     If the student may be eligible to participate in the
2 Home-Based Support Services Program for Mentally Disabled
3 Adults authorized under the Developmental Disability and
4 Mental Disability Services Act upon becoming an adult, the
5 student's individualized education program shall include plans
6 for (i) determining the student's eligibility for those
7 home-based services, (ii) enrolling the student in the program
8 of home-based services, and (iii) developing a plan for the
9 student's most effective use of the home-based services after
10 the student becomes an adult and no longer receives special
11 educational services under this Article. The plans developed
12 under this paragraph shall include specific actions to be taken
13 by specified individuals, agencies, or officials.
14     (c) In the development of the individualized education
15 program for a student who is functionally blind, it shall be
16 presumed that proficiency in Braille reading and writing is
17 essential for the student's satisfactory educational progress.
18 For purposes of this subsection, the State Board of Education
19 shall determine the criteria for a student to be classified as
20 functionally blind. Students who are not currently identified
21 as functionally blind who are also entitled to Braille
22 instruction include: (i) those whose vision loss is so severe
23 that they are unable to read and write at a level comparable to
24 their peers solely through the use of vision, and (ii) those
25 who show evidence of progressive vision loss that may result in
26 functional blindness. Each student who is functionally blind
27 shall be entitled to Braille reading and writing instruction
28 that is sufficient to enable the student to communicate with
29 the same level of proficiency as other students of comparable
30 ability. Instruction should be provided to the extent that the
31 student is physically and cognitively able to use Braille.
32 Braille instruction may be used in combination with other
33 special education services appropriate to the student's
34 educational needs. The assessment of each student who is
35 functionally blind for the purpose of developing the student's
36 individualized education program shall include documentation

 

 

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1 of the student's strengths and weaknesses in Braille skills.
2 Each person assisting in the development of the individualized
3 education program for a student who is functionally blind shall
4 receive information describing the benefits of Braille
5 instruction. The individualized education program for each
6 student who is functionally blind shall specify the appropriate
7 learning medium or media based on the assessment report.
8     (d) To the maximum extent appropriate, the placement shall
9 provide the child with the opportunity to be educated with
10 children who are not disabled; provided that children with
11 disabilities who are recommended to be placed into regular
12 education classrooms are provided with supplementary services
13 to assist the children with disabilities to benefit from the
14 regular classroom instruction and are included on the teacher's
15 regular education class register. Subject to the limitation of
16 the preceding sentence, placement in special classes, separate
17 schools or other removal of the disabled child from the regular
18 educational environment shall occur only when the nature of the
19 severity of the disability is such that education in the
20 regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services
21 cannot be achieved satisfactorily. The placement of limited
22 English proficiency students with disabilities shall be in
23 non-restrictive environments which provide for integration
24 with non-disabled peers in bilingual classrooms. Annually,
25 each January By January 1993 and annually thereafter, school
26 districts shall report data on students from non-English
27 speaking backgrounds receiving special education and related
28 services in public and private facilities as prescribed in
29 Section 2-3.30. If there is a disagreement between parties
30 involved regarding the special education placement of any
31 child, either in-state or out-of-state, the placement is
32 subject to impartial due process procedures described in
33 Article 10 of the Rules and Regulations to Govern the
34 Administration and Operation of Special Education.
35     (e) No child who comes from a home in which a language
36 other than English is the principal language used may be

 

 

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1 assigned to any class or program under this Article until he
2 has been given, in the principal language used by the child and
3 used in his home, tests reasonably related to his cultural
4 environment. All testing and evaluation materials and
5 procedures utilized for evaluation and placement shall not be
6 linguistically, racially or culturally discriminatory.
7     (f) Nothing in this Article shall be construed to require
8 any child to undergo any physical examination or medical
9 treatment whose parents or guardian object thereto on the
10 grounds that such examination or treatment conflicts with his
11 religious beliefs.
12     (g) School boards or their designee shall provide to the
13 parents or guardian of a child prior written notice of any
14 decision (a) proposing to initiate or change, or (b) refusing
15 to initiate or change, the identification, evaluation, or
16 educational placement of the child or the provision of a free
17 appropriate public education to their child, and the reasons
18 therefor. Such written notification shall also inform the
19 parent or guardian of the opportunity to present complaints
20 with respect to any matter relating to the educational
21 placement of the student, or the provision of a free
22 appropriate public education and to have an impartial due
23 process hearing on the complaint. The notice shall inform the
24 parents or guardian in the parents' or guardian's native
25 language, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so, of their
26 rights and all procedures available pursuant to this Act and
27 the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education
28 Improvement Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-446) federal law
29 94-142; it shall be the responsibility of the State
30 Superintendent to develop uniform notices setting forth the
31 procedures available under this Act and the federal Individuals
32 with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (Public Law
33 108-446) federal law 94-142 to be used by all school boards.
34 The notice shall also inform the parents or guardian of the
35 availability upon request of a list of free or low-cost legal
36 and other relevant services available locally to assist parents

 

 

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1 or guardians in initiating an impartial due process hearing.
2 Any parent or guardian who is deaf, or does not normally
3 communicate using spoken English, who participates in a meeting
4 with a representative of a local educational agency for the
5 purposes of developing an individualized educational program
6 shall be entitled to the services of an interpreter.
7     (h) (Blank). A Level I due process hearing, hereinafter
8 referred as the hearing, shall be conducted upon the request of
9 the parents or guardian or local school board by an impartial
10 hearing officer appointed as follows: If the request is made
11 through the local school district, within 5 school days of
12 receipt of the request, the local school district shall forward
13 the request to the State Superintendent. Within 5 days after
14 receiving this request of hearing, the State Board of Education
15 shall provide a list of 5 prospective, impartial hearing
16 officers. The State Board of Education, by rule or regulation,
17 shall establish criteria for determining which persons can be
18 included on such a list of prospective hearing officers. No one
19 on the list may be a resident of the school district. No more
20 than 2 of the 5 prospective hearing officers shall be gainfully
21 employed by or administratively connected with any school
22 district, or any joint agreement or cooperative program in
23 which school districts participate. In addition, no more than 2
24 of the 5 prospective hearing officers shall be gainfully
25 employed by or administratively connected with private
26 providers of special education services. The State Board of
27 Education shall actively recruit applicants for hearing
28 officer positions. The board and the parents or guardian or
29 their legal representatives within 5 days shall alternately
30 strike one name from the list until only one name remains. The
31 parents or guardian shall have the right to proceed first with
32 the striking. The per diem allowance for the hearing officer
33 shall be established and paid by the State Board of Education.
34 The hearing shall be closed to the public except that the
35 parents or guardian may require that the hearing be public. The
36 hearing officer shall not be an employee of the school

 

 

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1 district, an employee in any joint agreement or cooperative
2 program in which the district participates, or any other agency
3 or organization that is directly involved in the diagnosis,
4 education or care of the student or the State Board of
5 Education. All impartial hearing officers shall be adequately
6 trained in federal and state law, rules and regulations and
7 case law regarding special education. The State Board of
8 Education shall use resources from within and outside the
9 agency for the purposes of conducting this training. The
10 impartial hearing officer shall have the authority to require
11 additional information or evidence where he or she deems it
12 necessary to make a complete record and may order an
13 independent evaluation of the child, the cost of said
14 evaluation to be paid by the local school district. Such
15 hearing shall not be considered adversary in nature, but shall
16 be directed toward bringing out all facts necessary for the
17 impartial hearing officer to render an informed decision. The
18 State Board of Education shall, with the advice and approval of
19 the Advisory Council on Education of Children with
20 Disabilities, promulgate rules and regulations to establish
21 the qualifications of the hearing officers and the rules and
22 procedure for such hearings. The school district shall present
23 evidence that the special education needs of the child have
24 been appropriately identified and that the special education
25 program and related services proposed to meet the needs of the
26 child are adequate, appropriate and available. Any party to the
27 hearing shall have the right to: (a) be represented by counsel
28 and be accompanied and advised by individuals with special
29 knowledge or training with respect to the problems of children
30 with disabilities at the party's own expense; (b) present
31 evidence and confront and cross-examine witnesses; (c)
32 prohibit the introduction of any evidence at the hearing that
33 has not been disclosed to that party at least 5 days before the
34 hearing; (d) obtain a written or electronic verbatim record of
35 the hearing; (e) obtain written findings of fact and a written
36 decision. The student shall be allowed to attend the hearing

 

 

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1 unless the hearing officer finds that attendance is not in the
2 child's best interest or detrimental to the child. The hearing
3 officer shall specify in the findings the reasons for denying
4 attendance by the student. The hearing officer, or the State
5 Superintendent in connection with State level hearings, may
6 subpoena and compel the attendance of witnesses and the
7 production of evidence reasonably necessary to the resolution
8 of the hearing. The subpoena may be issued upon request of any
9 party. The State Board of Education and the school board shall
10 share equally the costs of providing a written or electronic
11 record of the proceedings. Such record shall be transcribed and
12 transmitted to the State Superintendent no later than 10 days
13 after receipt of notice of appeal. The hearing officer shall
14 render a decision and shall submit a copy of the findings of
15 fact and decision to the parent or guardian and to the local
16 school board within 10 school days after the conclusion of the
17 hearing. The hearing officer may continue the hearing in order
18 to obtain additional information, and, at the conclusion of the
19 hearing, shall issue a decision based on the record which
20 specifies the special education and related services which
21 shall be provided to the child in accordance with the child's
22 needs. The hearing officer's decision shall be binding upon the
23 local school board and the parent unless such decision is
24 appealed pursuant to the provisions of this Section.
25     (i) (Blank). Any party aggrieved by the decision may appeal
26 the hearing officer's decision to the State Board of Education
27 and shall serve copies of the notice of such appeal on the
28 State Superintendent and on all other parties. The review
29 referred to in this Section shall be known as the Level II
30 review. The State Board of Education shall provide a list of 5
31 prospective, impartial reviewing officers. No reviewing
32 officer shall be an employee of the State Board of Education or
33 gainfully employed by or administratively connected with the
34 school district, joint agreement or cooperative program which
35 is a party to this review. Each person on the list shall be
36 accredited by a national arbitration organization. The per diem

 

 

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1 allowance for the review officers shall be paid by the State
2 Board of Education and may not exceed $250. All reviewing
3 officers on the list provided by the State Board of Education
4 shall be trained in federal and state law, rules and
5 regulations and case law regarding special education. The State
6 Board of Education shall use resources from within and outside
7 the agency for the purposes of conducting this training. No one
8 on the list may be a resident of the school district. The board
9 and the parents or guardian or other legal representatives
10 within 5 days shall alternately strike one name from the list
11 until only one name remains. The parents or guardian shall have
12 the right to proceed first with the striking. The reviewing
13 officer so selected shall conduct an impartial review of the
14 Level I hearing and may issue subpoenas requiring the
15 attendance of witnesses at such review. The parties to the
16 appeal shall be afforded the opportunity to present oral
17 argument and additional evidence at the review. Upon completion
18 of the review the reviewing officer shall render a decision and
19 shall provide a copy of the decision to all parties.
20     (j) (Blank). No later than 30 days after receipt of notice
21 of appeal, a final decision shall be reached and a copy mailed
22 to each of the parties. A reviewing officer may grant specific
23 extensions of time beyond the 30-day deadline at the request of
24 either party. If a Level II hearing is convened the final
25 decision of a Level II hearing officer shall occur no more than
26 30 days following receipt of a notice of appeal, unless an
27 extension of time is granted by the hearing officer at the
28 request of either party. The State Board of Education shall
29 establish rules and regulations delineating the standards to be
30 used in determining whether the reviewing officer shall grant
31 such extensions. Each hearing and each review involving oral
32 argument must be conducted at a time and place which are
33 reasonably convenient to the parents and the child involved.
34     (k) (Blank). Any party aggrieved by the decision of the
35 reviewing officer, including the parent or guardian, shall have
36 the right to bring a civil action with respect to the complaint

 

 

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1 presented pursuant to this Section, which action may be brought
2 in any circuit court of competent jurisdiction within 120 days
3 after a copy of the decision is mailed to the party as provided
4 in subsection (j). The civil action provided above shall not be
5 exclusive of any rights or causes of action otherwise
6 available. The commencement of a civil action under subsection
7 (k) of this Section shall operate as a supersedeas. In any
8 action brought under this Section the court shall receive the
9 records of the administrative proceedings, shall hear
10 additional evidence at the request of a party, and basing its
11 decision on the preponderance of the evidence shall grant such
12 relief as the court determines is appropriate. In any instance
13 where a school district willfully disregards applicable
14 regulations or statutes regarding a child covered by this
15 Article, and which disregard has been detrimental to the child,
16 the school district shall be liable for any reasonable
17 attorney's fees incurred by the parent or guardian in
18 connection with proceedings under this Section.
19     (l) (Blank). During the pendency of any proceedings
20 conducted pursuant to this Section, unless the State
21 Superintendent of Education, or the school district and the
22 parents or guardian otherwise agree, the student shall remain
23 in the then current educational placement of such student, or
24 if applying for initial admission to the school district,
25 shall, with the consent of the parents or guardian, be placed
26 in the school district program until all such proceedings have
27 been completed. The costs for any special education and related
28 services or placement incurred following 60 school days after
29 the initial request for evaluation shall be borne by the school
30 district if such services or placement are in accordance with
31 the final determination as to the special education and related
32 services or placement which must be provided to the child,
33 provided however that in said 60 day period there have been no
34 delays caused by the child's parent or guardian.
35     (m) (Blank). Whenever (i) the parents or guardian of a
36 child of the type described in Section 14-1.02 are not known or

 

 

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1 are unavailable or (ii) the child is a ward of the State
2 residing in a residential facility, a person shall be assigned
3 to serve as surrogate parent for the child in matters relating
4 to the identification, evaluation, and educational placement
5 of the child and the provision of a free appropriate public
6 education to the child. Surrogate parents shall be assigned by
7 the State Superintendent of Education. The State Board of
8 Education shall promulgate rules and regulations establishing
9 qualifications of such persons and their responsibilities and
10 the procedures to be followed in making such assignments. Such
11 surrogate parents shall not be employees of the school
12 district, an agency created by joint agreement under Section
13 10-22.31, an agency involved in the education or care of the
14 student, or the State Board of Education. For a child who is a
15 ward of the State residing in a residential facility, the
16 surrogate parent may be an employee of a nonpublic agency that
17 provides only non-educational care. Services of any person
18 assigned as surrogate parent shall terminate if the parent or
19 guardian becomes available unless otherwise requested by the
20 parents or guardian. The assignment of a person as surrogate
21 parent at no time supersedes, terminates, or suspends the
22 parents' or guardian's legal authority relative to the child.
23 Any person participating in good faith as surrogate parent on
24 behalf of the child before school officials or a hearing
25 officer shall have immunity from civil or criminal liability
26 that otherwise might result by reason of such participation,
27 except in cases of willful and wanton misconduct.
28     (n) (Blank). At all stages of the hearing the hearing
29 officer shall require that interpreters be made available by
30 the local school district for persons who are deaf or for
31 persons whose normally spoken language is other than English.
32     (o) (Blank). Whenever a person refuses to comply with any
33 subpoena issued under this Section, the circuit court of the
34 county in which such hearing is pending, on application of the
35 State Superintendent of Education or the party who requested
36 issuance of the subpoena may compel obedience by attachment

 

 

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1 proceedings as for contempt, as in a case of disobedience of
2 the requirements of a subpoena from such court for refusal to
3 testify therein.
4 (Source: P.A. 93-282, eff. 7-22-03; 94-376, eff. 7-29-05.)
 
5     (105 ILCS 5/14-8.02a)
6     Sec. 14-8.02a. Impartial due process hearing; civil
7 action.
8     (a) This Section (rather than the impartial due process
9 procedures of subsections (h) through (o) of Section 14-8.02,
10 which shall continue to apply only to those impartial due
11 process hearings that are requested under this Article before
12 July 1, 1997) shall apply to all impartial due process hearings
13 requested on or after July 1, 2005 1997. Impartial due process
14 hearings requested before July 1, 2005 shall be governed by the
15 rules described in Public Act 89-652.
16     (a-5) For purposes of this Section and Section 14-8.02b of
17 this Code, days shall be computed in accordance with Section
18 1.11 of the Statute on Statutes.
19     (b) The State Board of Education shall establish an
20 impartial due process hearing system, including a corps of
21 hearing officers, in accordance with this Section and may
22 shall, with the advice and approval of the Advisory Council on
23 Education of Children with Disabilities, promulgate rules and
24 regulations consistent with this Section to establish the
25 qualifications of hearing officers and the rules and procedures
26 for due process hearings. The State Board of Education shall
27 recruit candidates for due process hearing officers who meet
28 the criteria set forth in this Section. Candidates shall be
29 screened by a 7-member Screening Committee consisting of the
30 following: the Attorney General, or his or her designee; the
31 State Superintendent of Education, or his or her designee; 3
32 members appointed by the State Superintendent of Education, one
33 of whom shall be a parent of a student eligible for special
34 education, another of whom shall be a director of special
35 education for an Illinois school district or special education

 

 

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1 joint agreement, and the other of whom shall be an adult with a
2 disability; and 2 members appointed by the Attorney General,
3 one of whom shall be a parent of a student eligible for special
4 education and the other of whom shall be an experienced special
5 education hearing officer who is not a candidate for
6 appointment under this Section. The members of the Screening
7 Committee shall be appointed no later than 60 days following
8 the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1996. The
9 chairperson of the Advisory Council on Education of Children
10 with Disabilities or his or her designee shall serve on the
11 Screening Committee as an ex-officio non-voting member. Three
12 members of the Screening Committee shall be appointed for
13 initial terms of 2 years, and 4 members shall be appointed for
14 initial terms of 3 years, by using a lottery system. Subsequent
15 appointments and reappointments shall be for terms for 3 years.
16 The Screening Committee shall elect a chairperson from among
17 its voting members. Members of the Screening Committee shall
18 serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed by the State
19 Board of Education for their expenses. The Screening Committee
20 shall review applications and supporting information,
21 interview candidates, and recommend applicants to the Advisory
22 Council on Education of Children with Disabilities based upon
23 objective criteria it develops and makes available to the
24 public. The number of candidates recommended shall equal 150%
25 of the number deemed necessary by the State Board of Education.
26     (c) (Blank). The application process shall require each
27 applicant to provide a comprehensive disclosure of his or her
28 professional background and work experience. Applicants must
29 hold at least a masters level degree, a juris doctor degree, or
30 a bachelors degree with relevant experience. Current employees
31 of the State Board of Education, local school districts,
32 special education cooperatives, regional service areas or
33 centers, regional educational cooperatives, state-operated
34 elementary and secondary schools, or private providers of
35 special education facilities or programs shall be disqualified
36 from serving as impartial due process hearing officers. Nothing

 

 

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1 in this Section shall be construed to prohibit retired school
2 personnel and part-time contractual school personnel who serve
3 in a consulting capacity from serving as hearing officers.
4 Applications by individuals on the State Board of Education's
5 list of eligible Level I due process hearing officers or Level
6 II review officers when the initial recruitment of due process
7 hearing officers is conducted under this Section shall be
8 considered if they meet the qualifications under this
9 subsection.
10     (d) (Blank). The State Board of Education shall, through a
11 competitive application process, enter into a contract with an
12 outside entity to establish and conduct mandatory training
13 programs for impartial due process hearing officers and an
14 annual evaluation of each impartial due process hearing officer
15 that shall include a written evaluation report. The invitation
16 for applications shall set forth minimum qualifications for
17 eligible applicants. Each contract under this subsection may be
18 renewed on an annual basis subject to appropriations. The State
19 Board of Education shall conduct a new competitive application
20 process at least once every 3 years after the initial contract
21 is granted. The Screening Committee established pursuant to
22 subsection (b) of this Section shall review the training
23 proposals and forward them, with recommendations in rank order,
24 to the State Board of Education. All impartial hearing officer
25 candidates recommended to the Advisory Council on Education of
26 Children with Disabilities shall successfully complete initial
27 and all follow-up trainings, as established by the contract
28 between the State Board of Education and the training entity,
29 in order to be eligible to serve as an impartial due process
30 hearing officer. The training curriculum shall include, at a
31 minimum, instruction in federal and State law, rules, and
32 regulations, federal regulatory interpretations and court
33 decisions regarding special education and relevant general
34 education issues, diagnostic procedures, information about
35 disabilities, and techniques for conducting effective and
36 impartial hearings, including order of presentation. The

 

 

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1 training shall be conducted in an unbiased manner by education
2 and legal experts, including qualified individuals from
3 outside the public education system. Upon the completion of
4 initial impartial due process hearing officer training, the
5 Advisory Council on Education of Children with Disabilities,
6 applying objective selection criteria it has developed and made
7 available to the public, shall go into executive session and
8 select the number of active impartial due process hearing
9 officers deemed necessary by the State Board of Education from
10 those candidates who have successfully completed the initial
11 training. Fifty percent of the impartial due process hearing
12 officers appointed shall serve initial terms of 2 years, and
13 the remaining 50% shall serve initial terms of one year, such
14 terms to be determined by using a lottery system. After the
15 initial term all reappointments shall be for a term of 2 years.
16 The Screening Committee, based on its objective selection
17 criteria and the annual evaluation reports prepared by the
18 training entity, shall recommend whether the hearing officers
19 whose terms are expiring should be reappointed and shall
20 transmit its recommendations to the State Board of Education.
21 If, at any time, the State Board of Education, with the advice
22 of the Advisory Council on Education of Children with
23 Disabilities, determines that additional hearing officers are
24 needed, the hearing officer selection process described in this
25 Section shall be reopened to select the number of additional
26 hearing officers deemed necessary by the State Board of
27 Education.
28     Impartial due process hearing officers shall receive a base
29 annual stipend and per diem allowance for each hearing at a
30 rate established by the State Board of Education.
31     The State Board of Education shall provide impartial due
32 process hearing officers with access to relevant court
33 decisions, impartial hearing officer decisions with
34 child-specific identifying information deleted, statutory and
35 regulatory changes, and federal regulatory interpretations.
36 The State Board of Education shall index and maintain a

 

 

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1 reporting system of impartial due process hearing decisions and
2 shall make such decisions available for review by the public
3 after deleting child-specific identifying information.
4     (e) (Blank). An impartial due process hearing officer shall
5 be terminated by the State Board of Education for just cause
6 if, after written notice is provided, appropriate timely
7 corrective action is not taken. For purposes of this subsection
8 just cause shall be (1) failure or refusal to accept assigned
9 cases without good cause; (2) failure or refusal to fulfill
10 duties as a hearing officer in a timely manner; (3) consistent
11 disregard for applicable laws and regulations in the conduct of
12 hearings; (4) consistent failure to conduct himself or herself
13 in a patient, dignified, and courteous manner to parties,
14 witnesses, counsel, and other participants in hearings; (5)
15 failure to accord parties or their representatives a full and
16 fair opportunity to be heard in matters coming before him or
17 her; (6) violating applicable laws regarding privacy and
18 confidentiality of records or information; (7) manifesting, by
19 words or conduct, bias or prejudice based upon race, sex,
20 religion, disability, or national origin; (8) failure to recuse
21 himself or herself from a hearing in which he or she has a
22 personal, professional, or financial conflict of interest
23 which he or she knew or should have known existed at any time
24 prior to or during the hearing; (9) conviction in any
25 jurisdiction of any felony or of a misdemeanor involving moral
26 turpitude; and (10) falsification of a material fact on his or
27 her application to serve as a due process hearing officer. In
28 addition, an impartial hearing officer who, as a result of
29 events occurring after appointment, no longer meets the minimum
30 requirements set forth in this Section, shall be disqualified
31 to complete the balance of his or her contract term.
32     The State Board of Education shall monitor, review, and
33 evaluate the impartial due process hearing system on a regular
34 basis by a process that includes a review of written decisions
35 and evaluations by participants in impartial due process
36 hearings and their representatives. The State Board of

 

 

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1 Education shall prepare an annual written report no later than
2 July 1 of each year, beginning in 1998, evaluating the
3 impartial due process hearing system. The reports shall be
4 submitted to the members of the State Board of Education, the
5 State Superintendent of Education, the Advisory Council on
6 Education of Children with Disabilities, and the Screening
7 Committee and shall be made available to the public.
8     The training entity under subsection (d) shall conduct
9 annual evaluations of each hearing officer and shall prepare
10 written evaluation reports to be provided to the Screening
11 Committee for its consideration in the reappointment process.
12 The evaluation process shall include a review of written
13 decisions and evaluations by participants in impartial due
14 process hearings and their representatives. Each hearing
15 officer shall be provided with a copy of his or her evaluation
16 report and shall have an opportunity to review the report with
17 the training entity and submit written comments.
18     (f) An impartial due process hearing shall be convened upon
19 the request of a parent or guardian, student if at least 18
20 years of age or emancipated, or a school district. A school
21 district shall make a request in writing to the State Board of
22 Education and promptly mail a copy of the request to the
23 parents or or guardian of the student (if at least 18 years of
24 age or emancipated) at the parent's or student's their last
25 known address. A request made by the parent or student shall be
26 made in writing to the superintendent of the school district
27 where the student resides. The superintendent shall forward the
28 request to the State Board of Education within 5 days after
29 receipt of the request. The request shall be filed no more than
30 2 years following the date the person or school district knew
31 or should have known of the event or events forming the basis
32 for the request. The request shall, at a minimum, contain all
33 of the following:
34         (1) The name of the student, the address of the
35     student's residence, and the name of the school the student
36     is attending.

 

 

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1         (2) In the case of homeless children (as defined under
2     the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42
3     U.S.C. 11434a(2)), available contact information for the
4     student and the name of the school the student is
5     attending.
6         (3) A description of the nature of the problem relating
7     to the actual or proposed placement, identification,
8     services, or evaluation of the student, including facts
9     relating to the problem.
10         (4) A proposed resolution of the problem to the extent
11     known and available to the party at the time.
12     A request made by the parent, guardian, or student shall be
13 made in writing to the superintendent of the school district in
14 which the student resides, who shall forward the request to the
15 State Board of Education within 5 days of receipt of the
16 request.
17     (f-5) Within 3 5 days after receipt of the hearing request,
18 the State Board of Education shall appoint a due process
19 hearing officer using a rotating appointment system and shall
20 notify the hearing officer of his or her appointment.
21     For a school district other than a school district located
22 in a municipality having a population exceeding 500,000, a
23 hearing officer who is a current resident of the school
24 district, special education cooperative, or other public
25 entity involved in the hearing shall recuse himself or herself.
26 A hearing officer who is a former employee of the school
27 district, special education cooperative, or other public
28 entity involved in the hearing shall immediately disclose the
29 former employment to the parties and shall recuse himself or
30 herself, unless the parties otherwise agree in writing. No
31 person who is an employee of a school district that is involved
32 in the education or care of the student shall conduct the
33 hearing. A hearing officer having a personal or professional
34 interest that may would conflict with his or her objectivity in
35 the hearing shall disclose the conflict to the parties and
36 shall recuse himself or herself unless the parties otherwise

 

 

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1 agree in writing so notify the State Board of Education and
2 shall be replaced by the next scheduled impartial due process
3 hearing officer under the rotation system. For purposes of this
4 subsection an assigned hearing officer shall be considered to
5 have a conflict of interest if, at any time prior to the
6 issuance of his or her written decision, he or she knows or
7 should know that he or she may receive remuneration from a
8 party to the hearing within 3 years following the conclusion of
9 the due process hearing.
10     A party to a due process hearing shall be permitted one
11 substitution of hearing officer as a matter of right, in
12 accordance with procedures established by the rules adopted by
13 the State Board of Education under this Section. The State
14 Board of Education shall randomly select and appoint another
15 hearing officer within 3 5 days after receiving notice that the
16 appointed hearing officer is ineligible to serve or upon
17 receiving a proper request for substitution of hearing officer.
18 If a party withdraws its request for a due process hearing
19 after a hearing officer has been appointed, that hearing
20 officer shall retain jurisdiction over a subsequent hearing
21 that involves the same parties and is requested within one year
22 from the date of withdrawal of the previous request, unless
23 that hearing officer is unavailable.
24     A former employee or current resident of the school
25 district, special education cooperative, or other public
26 entity involved in the due process hearing shall recuse himself
27 or herself. A hearing officer shall disclose any actual or
28 potential conflicts of interests to the parties upon learning
29 of those conflicts. Any party may raise facts that constitute a
30 conflict of interest for the hearing officer at any time before
31 or during the hearing and may move for recusal.
32     For purposes of this Section, "days" shall be computed in
33 accordance with Section 1.11 of the Statute on Statutes.
34     (g) Impartial due process hearings shall be conducted
35 pursuant to this Section and any rules and regulations
36 promulgated by the State Board of Education consistent with

 

 

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1 this Section and other governing laws and regulations. The
2 hearing shall address only those issues properly raised in the
3 hearing request under subsection (f) of this Section or, if
4 applicable, in the amended hearing request under subsection
5 (g-15) of this Section. The hearing shall be closed to the
6 public unless the parents or guardian request that the hearing
7 be open to the public. The parents or guardian involved in the
8 hearing shall have the right to have the student who is the
9 subject of the hearing present. The hearing shall be held at a
10 time and place which are reasonably convenient to the parties
11 involved. Upon the request of a party, the hearing officer
12 shall hold the hearing at a location neutral to the parties if
13 the hearing officer determines that there is no cost for
14 securing the use of the neutral location. Once appointed, the
15 impartial due process hearing officer shall not communicate
16 with the State Board of Education or its employees concerning
17 the hearing, except that, where circumstances require,
18 communications for administrative purposes that do not deal
19 with substantive or procedural matters or issues on the merits
20 are authorized, provided that the hearing officer promptly
21 notifies all parties of the substance of the communication as a
22 matter of record.
23     (g-5) Unless the school district has previously provided
24 prior written notice to the parent or student (if at least 18
25 years of age or emancipated) regarding the subject matter of
26 the hearing request, the school district shall, within 10 days
27 after receiving a hearing request initiated by a parent or
28 student (if at least 18 years of age or emancipated), provide a
29 written response to the request that shall include all of the
30 following:
31         (1) An explanation of why the school district proposed
32     or refused to take the action or actions described in the
33     hearing request.
34         (2) A description of other options the IEP team
35     considered and the reasons why those options were rejected.
36         (3) A description of each evaluation procedure,

 

 

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1     assessment, record, report, or other evidence the school
2     district used as the basis for the proposed or refused
3     action or actions.
4         (4) A description of the factors that are or were
5     relevant to the school district's proposed or refused
6     action or actions.
7     (g-10) When the hearing request has been initiated by a
8 school district, within 10 days after receiving the request,
9 the parent or student (if at least 18 years of age or
10 emancipated) shall provide the school district with a response
11 that specifically addresses the issues raised in the school
12 district's hearing request. The parent's or student's response
13 shall be provided in writing, unless he or she is illiterate or
14 has a disability that prevents him or her from providing a
15 written response. The parent's or student's response may be
16 provided in his or her native language, if other than English.
17 In the event that illiteracy or another disabling condition
18 prevents the parent or student from providing a written
19 response, the school district shall assist the parent or
20 student in providing the written response.
21     (g-15) Within 15 days after receiving notice of the hearing
22 request, the non-requesting party may challenge the
23 sufficiency of the request by submitting its challenge in
24 writing to the hearing officer. Within 5 days after receiving
25 the challenge to the sufficiency of the request, the hearing
26 officer shall issue a determination of the challenge in writing
27 to the parties. In the event that the hearing officer upholds
28 the challenge, the party who requested the hearing may, with
29 the consent of the non-requesting party or hearing officer,
30 file an amended request. Amendments are permissible for the
31 purpose of raising issues beyond those in the initial hearing
32 request. In addition, the party who requested the hearing may
33 amend the request once as a matter of right by filing the
34 amended request within 5 days after filing the initial request.
35 An amended request, other than an amended request as a matter
36 of right, shall be filed by the date determined by the hearing

 

 

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1 officer, but in no event any later than 5 days prior to the
2 date of the hearing. If an amended request, other than an
3 amended request as a matter of right, raises issues that were
4 not part of the initial request, the applicable timeline for a
5 hearing, including the timeline under subsection (g-20) of this
6 Section, shall recommence.
7     (g-20) Within 15 days after receiving a request for a
8 hearing from a parent or student (if at least 18 years of age
9 or emancipated) or, in the event that the school district
10 requests a hearing, within 15 days after initiating the
11 request, the school district shall convene a resolution meeting
12 with the parent and relevant members of the IEP team who have
13 specific knowledge of the facts contained in the request for
14 the purpose of resolving the problem that resulted in the
15 request. The resolution meeting shall include a representative
16 of the school district who has decision-making authority on
17 behalf of the school district. Unless the parent is accompanied
18 by an attorney at the resolution meeting, the school district
19 may not include an attorney representing the school district.
20     The resolution meeting may not be waived unless agreed to
21 in writing by the school district and the parent or student (if
22 at least 18 years of age or emancipated) or the parent or
23 student (if at least 18 years of age or emancipated) and the
24 school district agree in writing to utilize mediation in place
25 of the resolution meeting. If either party fails to cooperate
26 in the scheduling or convening of the resolution meeting, the
27 hearing officer may order an extension of the timeline for
28 completion of the resolution meeting or, upon the motion of a
29 party and at least 7 days after ordering the non-cooperating
30 party to cooperate, order the dismissal of the hearing request
31 or the granting of all relief set forth in the request, as
32 appropriate.
33     In the event that the school district and the parent or
34 student (if at least 18 years of age or emancipated) agree to a
35 resolution of the problem that resulted in the hearing request,
36 the terms of the resolution shall be committed to writing and

 

 

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1 signed by the parent or student (if at least 18 years of age or
2 emancipated) and the representative of the school district with
3 decision-making authority. The agreement shall be legally
4 binding and shall be enforceable in any State or federal court
5 of competent jurisdiction. In the event that the parties
6 utilize the resolution meeting process, the process shall
7 continue until no later than the 30th day following the receipt
8 of the hearing request by the non-requesting party (or as
9 properly extended by order of the hearing officer) to resolve
10 the issues underlying the request, at which time the timeline
11 for completion of the impartial due process hearing shall
12 commence. The State Board of Education may, by rule, establish
13 additional procedures for the conduct of resolution meetings.
14     (g-25) If mutually agreed to in writing, the parties to a
15 hearing request may request State-sponsored mediation as a
16 substitute for the resolution process described in subsection
17 (g-20) of this Section or may utilize mediation at the close of
18 the resolution process if all issues underlying the hearing
19 request have not been resolved through the resolution process.
20     (g-30) If mutually agreed to in writing, the parties to a
21 hearing request may waive the resolution process described in
22 subsection (g-20) of this Section. Upon signing a written
23 agreement to waive the resolution process, the parties shall be
24 required to forward the written waiver to the hearing officer
25 appointed to the case within 2 business days following the
26 signing of the waiver by the parties. The timeline for the
27 impartial due process hearing shall commence on the date of the
28 signing of the waiver by the parties.
29     (g-35) The timeline for completing the impartial due
30 process hearing, as set forth in subsection (h) of this
31 Section, shall be initiated upon the occurrence of any one of
32 the following events:
33         (1) The unsuccessful completion of the resolution
34     process as described in subsection (g-20) of this Section.
35         (2) The mutual agreement of the parties to waive the
36     resolution process as described in subsection (g-25) or

 

 

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1     (g-30) of this Section.
2     (g-40) The hearing officer shall convene a prehearing
3 conference no later than 14 days before the scheduled date for
4 the due process hearing for the general purpose of aiding in
5 the fair, orderly, and expeditious conduct of the hearing. The
6 hearing officer shall provide the parties with written notice
7 of the prehearing conference at least 7 10 days in advance of
8 the conference. The written notice shall require the parties to
9 notify the hearing officer by a date certain whether they
10 intend to participate in the prehearing conference. The hearing
11 officer may conduct the prehearing conference in person or by
12 telephone. Each party shall disclose at the prehearing
13 conference (1) disclose whether it is represented by legal
14 counsel or intends to retain legal counsel; (2) clarify the
15 matters it believes to be in dispute in the case and the
16 specific relief being sought; (3) disclose whether there are
17 any additional evaluations for the student that it intends to
18 introduce into the hearing record that have not been previously
19 disclosed to the other parties; (4) disclose a list of all
20 documents it intends to introduce into the hearing record,
21 including the date and a brief description of each document;
22 and (5) disclose the names of all witnesses it intends to call
23 to testify at the hearing. The hearing officer shall specify
24 the order of presentation to be used at the hearing. If the
25 prehearing conference is held by telephone, the parties shall
26 transmit the information required in this paragraph in such a
27 manner that it is available to all parties at the time of the
28 prehearing conference. The State Board of Education may shall,
29 by rule, establish additional procedures for the conduct of
30 prehearing conferences.
31     (g-45) The impartial due process hearing officer shall not
32 initiate or participate in any ex parte communications with the
33 parties, except to arrange the date, time, and location of the
34 prehearing conference, and due process hearing, or other status
35 conferences convened at the discretion of the hearing officer
36 and to receive confirmation of whether a party intends to

 

 

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1 participate in the prehearing conference.
2     (g-50) The parties shall disclose and provide to each other
3 any evidence which they intend to submit into the hearing
4 record no later than 5 days before the hearing. Any party to a
5 hearing has the right to prohibit the introduction of any
6 evidence at the hearing that has not been disclosed to that
7 party at least 5 days before the hearing. The party requesting
8 a hearing shall not be permitted at the hearing to raise issues
9 that were not raised in the party's initial or amended request,
10 unless otherwise permitted in this Section.
11     (g-55) All reasonable efforts must be made by the parties
12 to present their respective cases at the hearing within a
13 cumulative period of 7 days. When scheduling hearing dates, the
14 hearing officer shall schedule the final day of the hearing no
15 more than 30 calendar days after the first day of the hearing
16 unless good cause is shown. This subsection (g-55) shall not be
17 applied in a manner that (i) denies any party to the hearing a
18 fair and reasonable allocation of time and opportunity to
19 present its case in its entirety or (ii) deprives any party to
20 the hearing of the safeguards accorded under the federal
21 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of
22 2004 (Public Law 108-446), regulations promulgated under the
23 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of
24 2004, or any other applicable law. The school district shall
25 present evidence that the special education needs of the child
26 have been appropriately identified and that the special
27 education program and related services proposed to meet the
28 needs of the child are adequate, appropriate, and available.
29 Any party to the hearing shall have the right to (1) be
30 represented by counsel and be accompanied and advised by
31 individuals with special knowledge or training with respect to
32 the problems of children with disabilities, at the party's own
33 expense; (2) present evidence and confront and cross-examine
34 witnesses; (3) move for the exclusion of witnesses from the
35 hearing until they are called to testify, provided, however,
36 that this provision may not be invoked to exclude the

 

 

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1 individual designated by a party to assist that party or its
2 representative in the presentation of the case; (4) obtain a
3 written or electronic verbatim record of the proceedings within
4 30 days of receipt of a written request from the parents by the
5 school district; and (5) obtain a written decision, including
6 findings of fact and conclusions of law, within 10 days after
7 the conclusion of the hearing. If at issue, the school district
8 shall present evidence that it has properly identified and
9 evaluated the nature and severity of the student's suspected or
10 identified disability and that, if the student has been or
11 should have been determined eligible for special education and
12 related services, that it is providing or has offered a free
13 appropriate public education to the student in the least
14 restrictive environment, consistent with procedural safeguards
15 and in accordance with an individualized educational program.
16 At any time prior to the conclusion of the hearing, the
17 impartial due process hearing officer shall have the authority
18 to require additional information and order independent
19 evaluations for the student at the expense of the school
20 district. The State Board of Education and the school district
21 shall share equally the costs of providing a written or
22 electronic verbatim record of the proceedings. Any party may
23 request that the due process hearing officer issue a subpoena
24 to compel the testimony of witnesses or the production of
25 documents relevant to the resolution of the hearing. Whenever a
26 person refuses to comply with any subpoena issued under this
27 Section, the circuit court of the county in which that hearing
28 is pending, on application of the impartial hearing officer or
29 the party requesting the issuance of the subpoena, may compel
30 compliance through the contempt powers of the court in the same
31 manner as if the requirements of a subpoena issued by the court
32 had been disobeyed.
33     (h) The impartial hearing officer shall issue a written
34 decision, including findings of fact and conclusions of law,
35 within 10 days after the conclusion of the hearing and send by
36 certified mail a copy of the decision to the parents, guardian,

 

 

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1 or student (if the student requests the hearing), the school
2 district, the director of special education, legal
3 representatives of the parties, and the State Board of
4 Education. Unless the hearing officer has granted specific
5 extensions of time at the request of a party, a final decision,
6 including the clarification of a decision requested under this
7 subsection, shall be reached and mailed to the parties named
8 above not later than 45 days after the initiation of the
9 timeline for conducting the hearing, as described in subsection
10 (g-35) of this Section request for hearing is received by the
11 school district, public agency, or the State Board of
12 Education, whichever is sooner. The decision shall specify the
13 educational and related services that shall be provided to the
14 student in accordance with the student's needs and the timeline
15 for which the school district shall submit evidence to the
16 State Board of Education to demonstrate compliance with the
17 hearing officer's decision in the event that the decision
18 orders the school district to undertake corrective action. The
19 hearing officer shall retain jurisdiction for the sole purpose
20 of considering a request for clarification of the final
21 decision submitted in writing by a party to the impartial
22 hearing officer within 5 days after receipt of the decision. A
23 copy of the request for clarification shall specify the
24 portions of the decision for which clarification is sought and
25 shall be mailed to all parties of record and to the State Board
26 of Education. The request shall operate to stay implementation
27 of those portions of the decision for which clarification is
28 sought, pending action on the request by the hearing officer,
29 unless the parties otherwise agree. The hearing officer shall
30 issue a clarification of the specified portion of the decision
31 or issue a partial or full denial of the request in writing
32 within 10 days of receipt of the request and mail copies to all
33 parties to whom the decision was mailed. This subsection does
34 not permit a party to request, or authorize a hearing officer
35 to entertain, reconsideration of the decision itself. The
36 statute of limitations for seeking review of the decision shall

 

 

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1 be tolled from the date the request is submitted until the date
2 the hearing officer acts upon the request. Upon the filing of a
3 civil action pursuant to subsection (i) of this Section, the
4 hearing officer shall no longer exercise jurisdiction over the
5 case. The hearing officer's decision shall be binding upon the
6 school district and the parents or guardian unless a civil
7 action is commenced.
8     (i) Any party to an impartial due process hearing aggrieved
9 by the final written decision of the impartial due process
10 hearing officer shall have the right to commence a civil action
11 with respect to the issues presented in the impartial due
12 process hearing. That civil action shall be brought in any
13 court of competent jurisdiction within 120 days after a copy of
14 the decision of the impartial due process hearing officer is
15 mailed to the party as provided in subsection (h). The civil
16 action authorized by this subsection shall not be exclusive of
17 any rights or causes of action otherwise available. The
18 commencement of a civil action under this subsection shall
19 operate as a supersedeas. In any action brought under this
20 subsection the Court shall receive the records of the impartial
21 due process hearing, shall hear additional evidence at the
22 request of a party, and, basing its decision on the
23 preponderance of the evidence, shall grant such relief as the
24 court determines is appropriate. In any instance where a school
25 district willfully disregards applicable regulations or
26 statutes regarding a child covered by this Article, and which
27 disregard has been detrimental to the child, the school
28 district shall be liable for any reasonable attorney's fees
29 incurred by the parent or guardian in connection with
30 proceedings under this Section.
31     (j) During the pendency of any administrative or judicial
32 proceeding conducted pursuant to this Section, unless the
33 school district and the parents or or guardian of the student
34 (if at least 18 years of age or emancipated) otherwise agree,
35 the student shall remain in his or her present educational
36 placement and continue in his or her present eligibility status

 

 

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1 and special education and related services, if any. If the
2 hearing officer orders a change in the eligibility status,
3 educational placement, or special education and related
4 services of the student, that change shall not be implemented
5 until 30 days have elapsed following the date the hearing
6 officer's decision is mailed to the parties in order to allow
7 any party aggrieved by the decision to commence a civil action
8 to stay implementation of the decision. If applying for initial
9 admission to the school district, the student shall, with the
10 consent of the parents (if the student is not at least 18 years
11 of age or emancipated) or guardian, be placed in the school
12 district program until all such proceedings have been
13 completed. The costs for any special education and related
14 services or placement incurred following 60 school days after
15 the initial request for evaluation shall be borne by the school
16 district if the services or placement is in accordance with the
17 final determination as to the special education and related
18 services or placement that must be provided to the child,
19 provided that during that 60 day period there have been no
20 delays caused by the child's parent or guardian.
21     (k) Whenever the parents or guardian of a child of the type
22 described in Section 14-1.02 are not known, are unavailable, or
23 the child is a ward of the State, a person shall be assigned to
24 serve as surrogate parent for the child in matters relating to
25 the identification, evaluation, and educational placement of
26 the child and the provision of a free appropriate public
27 education to the child. Persons shall be assigned as surrogate
28 parents by the State Superintendent of Education. The State
29 Board of Education shall promulgate rules and regulations
30 establishing qualifications of those persons and their
31 responsibilities and the procedures to be followed in making
32 assignments of persons as surrogate parents. Surrogate parents
33 shall not be employees of the school district, an agency
34 created by joint agreement under Section 10-22.31, an agency
35 involved in the education or care of the student, or the State
36 Board of Education. Services of any person assigned as

 

 

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1 surrogate parent shall terminate if the parent or guardian
2 becomes available unless otherwise requested by the parents or
3 guardian. The assignment of a person as surrogate parent at no
4 time supersedes, terminates, or suspends the parents' or
5 guardians' legal authority relative to the child. Any person
6 participating in good faith as surrogate parent on behalf of
7 the child before school officials or a hearing officer shall
8 have immunity from civil or criminal liability that otherwise
9 might result by reason of that participation, except in cases
10 of willful and wanton misconduct.
11     (l) At all stages of the hearing the hearing officer shall
12 require that interpreters be made available by the school
13 district for persons who are deaf or for persons whose normally
14 spoken language is other than English.
15     (m) If any provision of this Section or its application to
16 any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity of
17 that provision or application does not affect other provisions
18 or applications of the Section that can be given effect without
19 the invalid application or provision, and to this end the
20 provisions of this Section are severable, unless otherwise
21 provided by this Section.
22 (Source: P.A. 89-652, eff. 8-14-96.)
 
23     (105 ILCS 5/14-8.02b)
24     Sec. 14-8.02b. Expedited Hearings.
25     (a) The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act
26 of the 94th General Assembly shall apply to all expedited
27 hearings requested on or after the effective date of this
28 amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly.
29     (b) Unless otherwise provided by this Section, the
30 provisions of Section 14-8.02a are applicable to this Section.
31 The State Board of Education shall provide for the conduct of
32 expedited hearings in accordance with the Individuals with
33 Disabilities Education Act, Public Law 108-446 105-17, 20 USC
34 Sections 1400 et seq. (hereafter IDEA).
35     (c) An expedited hearing may be requested by:

 

 

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1         (i) a parent or guardian or student if the student is
2     at least 18 years of age or emancipated, if there is a
3     disagreement with regard to a determination that the
4     student's behavior was not a manifestation of the student's
5     disability, or if there is a disagreement regarding the
6     district's decision to move the student to an interim
7     alternative educational setting for behavior at school, on
8     school premises, or at a school function involving a weapon
9     or and drug or for behavior at school, on school premises,
10     or at a school function involving the infliction of serious
11     bodily injury by the student, violation as defined by IDEA
12     pursuant to Section 615(k)(1)(G) 615 (k)(1)(A)(ii); and
13         (ii) a school district, if school personnel believe
14     maintain that maintaining the current placement of the
15     student is substantially likely to result in injury to the
16     student or others pursuant to Section 615(k)(3)(A) of IDEA
17     it is dangerous for the student to be in the current
18     placement (i.e. placement prior to removal to the interim
19     alternative education setting) during the pendency of a due
20     process hearing pursuant to Section 615(K)(F) of IDEA.
21     (d) A school district shall make a request in writing to
22 the State Board of Education and promptly mail a copy of the
23 request to the parents or or guardian of the student (if at
24 least 18 years of age or emancipated) at the parents' or
25 student's last known address of the parents or guardian. A
26 request made by the parent, guardian, or student (if at least
27 18 years of age or emancipated) shall be made in writing to the
28 superintendent of the school district in which the student
29 resides, who shall forward the request to the State Board of
30 Education within one business day of receipt of the request.
31 Upon receipt of the request, the State Board of Education shall
32 appoint a due process hearing officer using a rotating
33 appointment system and shall notify the hearing officer of his
34 or her appointment.
35     (e) A request for an expedited hearing initiated by a
36 district for the sole purpose of moving a student from his or

 

 

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1 her current placement to an interim alternative educational
2 setting because of dangerous misconduct must be accompanied by
3 all documentation that substantiates the district's position
4 that maintaining the student in his or her current placement is
5 substantially likely to result in injury to the student or to
6 others. Also, the documentation shall include written
7 statements of (1) whether the district is represented by legal
8 counsel or intends to retain legal counsel; (2) the matters the
9 district believes to be in dispute in the case and the specific
10 relief being sought; and (3) the names of all witnesses the
11 district intends to call to testify at the hearing.
12     (f) An expedited hearing requested by the student's parent
13 or student (if at least 18 years of age or emancipated) or
14 guardian to challenge the removal of the student from his or
15 her current placement to an interim alternative educational
16 setting or a manifestation determination made by the district
17 as described in IDEA shall include a written statement as to
18 the reason the parent or guardian believes that the action
19 taken by the district is not supported by substantial evidence
20 and all relevant documentation in the parent's or guardian's
21 possession. Also, the documentation shall include written
22 statements of (1) whether the parent or guardian is represented
23 by legal counsel or intends to retain legal counsel; (2) the
24 matters the parent or guardian believes to be in dispute in the
25 case and the specific relief being sought; and (3) the names of
26 all witnesses the parent or guardian intends to call to testify
27 at the hearing.
28     (g) Except as otherwise described in this subsection (g),
29 the school district shall be required to convene the resolution
30 meeting described in subsection (g-20) of Section 14-8.02a of
31 this Code unless the parties choose to utilize mediation in
32 place of the resolution meeting or waive the resolution meeting
33 in accordance with procedures described in subsection (g-30) of
34 Section 14-8.02a of this Code. The resolution meeting shall be
35 convened within 7 days after the date that the expedited
36 hearing request is received by the district.

 

 

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1     (h) The hearing officer shall not initiate or participate
2 in any ex parte communications with the parties, except to
3 arrange the date, time, and location of the expedited hearing.
4 The hearing officer shall contact the parties within 5 days one
5 day after appointment and set a hearing date which shall be no
6 earlier than 15 calendar days following the school district's
7 receipt of the expedited hearing request or upon completion of
8 the resolution meeting, if earlier, and no later than 20 school
9 4 days after receipt of the expedited hearing request
10 contacting parties. The hearing officer shall set a date no
11 less than 2 business days prior to the date of the expedited
12 hearing for the parties to exchange documentation and a list of
13 witnesses. The non-requesting party shall not be required to
14 submit a written response to the expedited hearing request. The
15 parties may request mediation. The mediation shall not delay
16 the timeline set by the hearing officer for conducting the
17 expedited hearing. The length of the hearing shall not exceed 2
18 days unless good cause is shown. Good cause shall be determined
19 by the hearing officer in his or her sole discretion and may
20 include the unavailability of a party or witness to attend the
21 scheduled hearing. disclose and provide to each party any
22 evidence which is intended to be submitted into the hearing
23 record no later than 2 days before the hearing. The length of
24 the hearing shall not exceed 2 days unless good cause is shown.
25     (i) Any party to the hearing shall have the right to (1) be
26 represented by counsel and be accompanied and advised by
27 individuals with special knowledge or training with respect to
28 the problems of children with disabilities, at the party's own
29 expense; (2) present evidence and confront and cross-examine
30 witnesses; (3) move for the exclusion of witnesses from the
31 hearing until they are called to testify, provided, however,
32 that this provision may not be invoked to exclude the
33 individual designated by a party to assist that party or its
34 representative in the presentation of the case; (4) in accord
35 with the provisions of subsection (g-55) (g) of Section
36 14-8.02a, obtain a written or electronic verbatim record of the

 

 

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1 proceedings; and (5) obtain a written decision, including
2 findings of fact and conclusions of law, within 10 school 2
3 days after the conclusion of the hearing.
4     (j) The State Board of Education and the school district
5 shall share equally the costs of providing a written or
6 electronic verbatim record of the proceedings. Any party may
7 request that the hearing officer issue a subpoena to compel the
8 testimony of witnesses or the production of documents relevant
9 to the resolution of the hearing. Whenever a person refuses to
10 comply with any subpoena issued under this Section, the circuit
11 court of the county in which that hearing is pending, on
12 application of the impartial hearing officer or the party
13 requesting the issuance of the subpoena, may compel compliance
14 through the contempt powers of the court in the same manner as
15 if the requirements of a subpoena issued by the court had been
16 disobeyed.
17     (k) The impartial hearing officer shall issue a final
18 written decision, including findings of fact and conclusions of
19 law, within 10 school 2 days after the conclusion of the
20 hearing and mail a copy of the decision to the parents,
21 guardian, or student (if the student requests the hearing), the
22 school district, the director of special education, legal
23 representatives of the parties, and the State Board of
24 Education.
25     (l) The hearing officer presiding over the expedited
26 hearing shall hear only that issue or issues identified by IDEA
27 as proper for expedited hearings, leaving all other issues to
28 be heard under a separate request to be initiated and processed
29 in accordance with the hearing procedures provided for in this
30 Article and in accordance with the implementing regulations.
31 (Source: P.A. 90-566, eff. 1-2-98.)
 
32     (105 ILCS 5/14-8.02c new)
33     Sec. 14-8.02c. Due process hearing officers.
34     (a) The State Board of Education shall establish a corps of
35 hearing officers in accordance with this Section and may, with

 

 

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1 the advice and approval of the Advisory Council on Education of
2 Children with Disabilities, adopt rules consistent with this
3 Section to establish the qualifications of and application
4 process for hearing officers.
5     (b) Hearing officers must, at a minimum, (i) possess a
6 master's or doctor's degree in education or another field
7 related to disability issues or a juris doctor degree; (ii)
8 have knowledge of and the ability to understand the
9 requirements of the federal Individuals with Disabilities
10 Education Act, Article 14 of this Code, the implementation of
11 rules or regulations of these federal and State statutes, and
12 the legal interpretation of the statutes, rules, and
13 regulations by federal and State courts; (iii) have the
14 knowledge and ability to conduct hearings in accordance with
15 appropriate, standard, legal practice; and (iv) have the
16 knowledge and ability to render and write decisions in
17 accordance with appropriate, standard, legal practice. Current
18 employees of the State Board of Education, school districts,
19 special education cooperatives, regional service areas or
20 centers, regional educational cooperatives, State-operated
21 elementary and secondary schools, or private providers of
22 special education facilities or programs may not serve as
23 hearing officers.
24     (c) If, at any time, the State Board of Education
25 determines that additional hearing officers are needed, the
26 State Board of Education shall recruit hearing officer
27 candidates who meet the criteria set forth in subsection (b) of
28 this Section.
29     (d) Candidates shall be screened by a 7-member Screening
30 Committee consisting of the following: the Attorney General or
31 his or her designee; the State Superintendent of Education or
32 his or her designee; 3 members appointed by the State
33 Superintendent of Education, one of whom shall be a parent of
34 an individual who is or at one time was eligible to receive
35 special education and related services in an Illinois school
36 district, another of whom shall be a director of special

 

 

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1 education for an Illinois school district or special education
2 joint agreement, and the other of whom shall be an adult with a
3 disability; and 2 members appointed by the Attorney General,
4 one of whom shall be a parent of an individual who is or at one
5 time was eligible to receive special education and related
6 services in an Illinois school district and the other of whom
7 shall be an experienced special education hearing officer who
8 is not a candidate for appointment under this Section. The
9 chairperson of the Advisory Council on Education of Children
10 with Disabilities or his or her designee shall serve on the
11 Screening Committee as an ex-officio, non-voting member.
12 Appointments and reappointments to the Screening Committee
13 shall be for terms of 3 years. In the event that a member
14 vacates a seat on the Screening Committee prior to the
15 expiration of his or her term, a new member shall be appointed,
16 shall serve the balance of the vacating member's term, and
17 shall be eligible for subsequent reappointment. The Screening
18 Committee shall elect a chairperson from among its voting
19 members. Members of the Screening Committee shall serve without
20 compensation but shall be reimbursed by the State Board of
21 Education for their reasonable expenses. The Screening
22 Committee shall review hearing officer applications and
23 supporting information, interview candidates, and recommend
24 candidates to the Advisory Council on Education of Children
25 with Disabilities based upon objective criteria the Screening
26 Committee develops and makes available to the public. All
27 discussions and deliberations of the Screening Committee and
28 Advisory Council referenced anywhere in this Section
29 pertaining to the review of applications of hearing officer
30 candidates, the interviewing of hearing officer candidates,
31 the recommendation of hearing officer candidates for
32 appointment, and the recommendation of hearing officers for
33 reappointment are excepted from the requirements of the Open
34 Meetings Act, pursuant to item (15) of subsection (c) of
35 Section 2 of the Open Meetings Act.
36     (e) All hearing officer candidates recommended to the

 

 

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1 Advisory Council on Education of Children with Disabilities
2 shall successfully complete initial training, as established
3 by the contract between the State Board of Education and the
4 training entity, as described in subsection (f), in order to be
5 eligible to serve as an impartial due process hearing officer.
6 The training shall include, at a minimum, instruction in
7 federal and State law, rules, and regulations, federal
8 regulatory interpretations and State and federal court
9 decisions regarding special education and relevant general
10 educational issues, diagnostic procedures, information about
11 disabilities, instruction on conducting effective and
12 impartial hearings in accordance with appropriate, standard,
13 legal practice (including without limitation the handling of
14 amended requests), and instruction in rendering and writing
15 hearing decisions in accordance with appropriate, standard,
16 legal practice. The training must be conducted in an unbiased
17 manner by educational and legal experts, including qualified
18 individuals from outside the public educational system. Upon
19 the completion of the initial training, the Advisory Council on
20 Education of Children with Disabilities, applying objective
21 selection criteria it has developed and made available to the
22 public, shall go into executive session and select the number
23 of hearing officers deemed necessary by the State Board of
24 Education from those candidates who have successfully
25 completed the initial training. Upon selecting the candidates,
26 the Advisory Council shall forward its recommendations to the
27 State Superintendent of Education for final selection. The
28 hearing officers appointed by the State Superintendent of
29 Education shall serve an initial term of one year, subject to
30 any earlier permissible termination by the State Board of
31 Education.
32     (f) The State Board of Education shall, through a
33 competitive application process, enter into a contract with an
34 outside entity to establish and conduct mandatory training
35 programs for hearing officers. The State Board of Education
36 shall also, through a competitive application process, enter

 

 

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1 into a contract with an outside entity, other than the entity
2 providing mandatory training, to conduct an annual evaluation
3 of each hearing officer and to investigate complaints against
4 hearing officers, in accordance with procedures established by
5 the State Board of Education in consultation with the Screening
6 Committee. The invitation for applications shall set forth
7 minimum qualifications for eligible applicants. Each contract
8 under this subsection (f) may be renewed on an annual basis,
9 subject to appropriation. The State Board of Education shall
10 conduct a new competitive application process at least once
11 every 3 years after the initial contract is granted. The
12 Screening Committee shall review the training proposals and
13 evaluation and investigation proposals and forward them, with
14 recommendations in rank order, to the State Board of Education.
15     (g) The evaluation and investigation entity described in
16 subsection (f) of this Section shall conduct an annual written
17 evaluation of each hearing officer and provide the evaluation
18 to the Screening Committee for its consideration in the
19 reappointment process. The evaluation shall include a review of
20 written decisions and any communications regarding a hearing
21 officer's conduct and performance by participants in impartial
22 due process hearings and their representatives. Each hearing
23 officer shall be provided with a copy of his or her written
24 evaluation report and shall have an opportunity, within 30 days
25 after receipt, to review the evaluation with the evaluation and
26 investigation entity and submit written comments. The annual
27 evaluation of each hearing officer, along with the hearing
28 officer's written comments, if any, shall be submitted to the
29 Screening Committee for consideration no later than April 1 of
30 each calendar year. The Screening Committee, based on objective
31 criteria and any evaluation reports prepared by the training
32 entity, shall, on an annual basis, recommend whether the
33 hearing officer should be reappointed for a one-year term and
34 shall forward its recommendations to the Advisory Council on
35 Education of Children with Disabilities. The Advisory Council
36 shall go into executive session and shall review the

 

 

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1 recommendations of the Screening Committee for the purpose of
2 either ratifying or rejecting the recommendations of the
3 Screening Committee. The Advisory Council shall then forward
4 its list of ratified and rejected appointees to the State
5 Superintendent of Education, who shall determine the final
6 selection of hearing officers for reappointment. Each
7 reappointed hearing officer shall serve a term of one year,
8 subject to any earlier permissible termination by the State
9 Board of Education.
10     (h) Hearing officers shall receive a base annual stipend
11 and per diem allowance for each hearing at a rate established
12 by the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education
13 shall provide hearing officers with access to relevant court
14 decisions, impartial hearing officer decisions with
15 child-specific identifying information deleted, statutory and
16 regulatory changes, and federal regulatory interpretations.
17 The State Board of Education shall index and maintain a
18 reporting system of impartial due process hearing decisions and
19 shall make these decisions available for review by the public
20 after deleting child-specific identifying information.
21     (i) A hearing officer may be terminated by the State Board
22 of Education for just cause if, after written notice is
23 provided to the hearing officer, appropriate timely corrective
24 action is not taken. For purposes of this subsection (i), just
25 cause shall be (1) the failure or refusal to accept assigned
26 cases without good cause; (2) the failure or refusal to fulfill
27 his or her duties as a hearing officer in a timely manner; (3)
28 consistent disregard for applicable laws and rules in the
29 conduct of hearings; (4) consistent failure to conduct himself
30 or herself in a patient, dignified, and courteous manner to
31 parties, witnesses, counsel, and other participants in
32 hearings; (5) the failure to accord parties or their
33 representatives a full and fair opportunity to be heard in
34 matters coming before him or her; (6) violating applicable laws
35 regarding privacy and confidentiality of records or
36 information; (7) manifesting, by words or conduct, bias or

 

 

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1 prejudice based upon race, sex, religion, disability, or
2 national origin; (8) failure to recuse himself or herself from
3 a hearing in which he or she has a personal, professional, or
4 financial conflict of interest that he or she knew or should
5 have known existed at any time prior to or during the hearing;
6 (9) conviction in any jurisdiction of any felony or of a
7 misdemeanor involving moral turpitude; or (10) falsification
8 of a material fact on his or her application to serve as a
9 hearing officer. In addition, a hearing officer who, as a
10 result of events occurring after appointment, no longer meets
11 the minimum requirements set forth in this Section, shall be
12 disqualified to complete the balance of his or her term.
 
13     (105 ILCS 5/14-8.02d new)
14     Sec. 14-8.02d. Evaluation of due process hearing system.
15 The State Board of Education shall monitor, review, and
16 evaluate the impartial due process hearing system on a regular
17 basis by a process that includes a review of written decisions
18 and evaluations by participants in impartial due process
19 hearings and their representatives. In conjunction with the
20 Annual State Report on Special Education Performance, the State
21 Board of Education shall submit data on the performance of the
22 due process hearing system, including data on timeliness of
23 hearings and an analysis of the issues and disability
24 categories underlying hearing requests during the period
25 covered by the Annual State Report. The data provided for the
26 Annual State Report must be submitted to the members of the
27 State Board of Education, the State Superintendent of
28 Education, the Advisory Council on Education of Children with
29 Disabilities, and the Screening Committee established under
30 Section 14-8.02c of this Code and must be made available to the
31 public.
 
32     (105 ILCS 5/14-12.01)  (from Ch. 122, par. 14-12.01)
33     Sec. 14-12.01. Account of expenditures - Cost report -
34 Reimbursement. Each school board shall keep an accurate,

 

 

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1 detailed and separate account of all monies paid out by it for
2 the maintenance of each of the types of facilities, classes and
3 schools authorized by this Article for the instruction and care
4 of pupils attending them and for the cost of their
5 transportation, and shall annually report thereon indicating
6 the cost of each such elementary or high school pupil for the
7 school year ending June 30.
8     Applications for preapproval for reimbursement for costs
9 of special education must be first submitted through the office
10 of the regional superintendent of schools to the State
11 Superintendent of Education on or before 30 days after a
12 special class or service is started. Applications shall set
13 forth a plan for special education established and maintained
14 in accordance with this Article. Such applications shall be
15 limited to the cost of construction and maintenance of special
16 education facilities designed and utilized to house
17 instructional programs, diagnostic services, other special
18 education services for children with disabilities and
19 reimbursement as provided in Section 14-13.01. Such
20 application shall not include the cost of construction or
21 maintenance of any administrative facility separated from
22 special education facilities designed and utilized to house
23 instructional programs, diagnostic services, and other special
24 education services for children with disabilities.
25 Reimbursement claims for special education shall be made as
26 follows:
27     Each district shall file its claim computed in accordance
28 with rules prescribed by the State Board of Education for
29 approval on forms prescribed by the State Superintendent of
30 Education. Data used as a basis of reimbursement claims shall
31 be for the school year ended on June 30 preceding. Each school
32 district shall transmit to the State Superintendent of
33 Education its claims on or before August 15. The State
34 Superintendent of Education before approving any such claims
35 shall determine their accuracy and whether they are based upon
36 services and facilities provided under approved programs. Upon

 

 

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1 approval, vouchers for the amounts due the respective districts
2 shall be prepared and submitted during each fiscal year as
3 follows: the first 3 vouchers shall be prepared by the State
4 Superintendent of Education and transmitted to the Comptroller
5 on the 30th day of September, December and March, respectively,
6 and the final voucher, no later than June 20. If, after
7 preparation and transmittal of the September 30 vouchers, any
8 claim has been redetermined by the State Superintendent of
9 Education, subsequent vouchers shall be adjusted in amount to
10 compensate for any overpayment or underpayment previously
11 made. If the money appropriated by the General Assembly for
12 such purpose for any year is insufficient, it shall be
13 apportioned on the basis of the claims approved.
14     Claims received at the State Board of Education after
15 August 15 shall not be honored. Claims received by August 15
16 may be amended until November 30.
17 (Source: P.A. 91-764, eff. 6-9-00.)
 
18     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
19 2006.