Rep. Carol Ammons

Filed: 5/23/2016

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 2236

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 2236 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The Department of Professional Regulation Law
5of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by
6changing Sections 2105-15 as follows:
 
7    (20 ILCS 2105/2105-15)
8    Sec. 2105-15. General powers and duties.
9    (a) The Department has, subject to the provisions of the
10Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the following powers and
11duties:
12        (1) To authorize examinations in English to ascertain
13    the qualifications and fitness of applicants to exercise
14    the profession, trade, or occupation for which the
15    examination is held.
16        (2) To prescribe rules and regulations for a fair and

 

 

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1    wholly impartial method of examination of candidates to
2    exercise the respective professions, trades, or
3    occupations.
4        (3) To pass upon the qualifications of applicants for
5    licenses, certificates, and authorities, whether by
6    examination, by reciprocity, or by endorsement.
7        (4) To prescribe rules and regulations defining, for
8    the respective professions, trades, and occupations, what
9    shall constitute a school, college, or university, or
10    department of a university, or other institution,
11    reputable and in good standing, and to determine the
12    reputability and good standing of a school, college, or
13    university, or department of a university, or other
14    institution, reputable and in good standing, by reference
15    to a compliance with those rules and regulations; provided,
16    that no school, college, or university, or department of a
17    university, or other institution that refuses admittance
18    to applicants solely on account of race, color, creed, sex,
19    sexual orientation, or national origin shall be considered
20    reputable and in good standing.
21        (5) To conduct hearings on proceedings to revoke,
22    suspend, refuse to renew, place on probationary status, or
23    take other disciplinary action as authorized in any
24    licensing Act administered by the Department with regard to
25    licenses, certificates, or authorities of persons
26    exercising the respective professions, trades, or

 

 

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1    occupations and to revoke, suspend, refuse to renew, place
2    on probationary status, or take other disciplinary action
3    as authorized in any licensing Act administered by the
4    Department with regard to those licenses, certificates, or
5    authorities.
6        The Department shall issue a monthly disciplinary
7    report.
8        The Department shall deny any license or renewal
9    authorized by the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois to
10    any person who has defaulted on an educational loan or
11    scholarship provided by or guaranteed by the Illinois
12    Student Assistance Commission or any governmental agency
13    of this State; however, the Department may issue a license
14    or renewal if such a person has an adjusted gross income of
15    less than $75,000 or, in the case of a person with an
16    adjusted gross income of $75,000 or above, if he or she has
17    the aforementioned persons have established a satisfactory
18    repayment record as determined by the Illinois Student
19    Assistance Commission or other appropriate governmental
20    agency of this State. Additionally, beginning June 1, 1996,
21    any license issued by the Department may be suspended or
22    revoked if the Department, after the opportunity for a
23    hearing under the appropriate licensing Act, finds that the
24    licensee has failed to make satisfactory repayment to the
25    Illinois Student Assistance Commission for a delinquent or
26    defaulted loan. For the purposes of this Section,

 

 

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1    "satisfactory repayment record" shall be defined by rule.
2        Notwithstanding any law or rule to the contrary, if the
3    licensee is subject to wage garnishment because of failure
4    to make satisfactory repayment to the Illinois Student
5    Assistance Commission of a delinquent or defaulted loan,
6    any involuntary student loan payments that are deducted
7    from the licensee's wages shall be considered to reduce
8    amounts otherwise required to constitute a satisfactory
9    repayment record. The determination the licensee has a
10    satisfactory repayment record shall be based on the
11    licensee's ability to pay. Notwithstanding any law or rule
12    to the contrary, a suspension due to nonpayment or
13    insufficient payment of a student loan shall be conducted
14    in accordance with this Section and shall allow an
15    opportunity for a hearing prior to the suspension.
16        The Department shall refuse to issue or renew a license
17    to, or shall suspend or revoke a license of, any person
18    who, after receiving notice, fails to comply with a
19    subpoena or warrant relating to a paternity or child
20    support proceeding. However, the Department may issue a
21    license or renewal upon compliance with the subpoena or
22    warrant.
23        The Department, without further process or hearings,
24    shall revoke, suspend, or deny any license or renewal
25    authorized by the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois to
26    a person who is certified by the Department of Healthcare

 

 

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1    and Family Services (formerly Illinois Department of
2    Public Aid) as being more than 30 days delinquent in
3    complying with a child support order or who is certified by
4    a court as being in violation of the Non-Support Punishment
5    Act for more than 60 days. The Department may, however,
6    issue a license or renewal if the person has established a
7    satisfactory repayment record as determined by the
8    Department of Healthcare and Family Services (formerly
9    Illinois Department of Public Aid) or if the person is
10    determined by the court to be in compliance with the
11    Non-Support Punishment Act. The Department may implement
12    this paragraph as added by Public Act 89-6 through the use
13    of emergency rules in accordance with Section 5-45 of the
14    Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. For purposes of the
15    Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, the adoption of
16    rules to implement this paragraph shall be considered an
17    emergency and necessary for the public interest, safety,
18    and welfare.
19        (6) To transfer jurisdiction of any realty under the
20    control of the Department to any other department of the
21    State Government or to acquire or accept federal lands when
22    the transfer, acquisition, or acceptance is advantageous
23    to the State and is approved in writing by the Governor.
24        (7) To formulate rules and regulations necessary for
25    the enforcement of any Act administered by the Department.
26        (8) To exchange with the Department of Healthcare and

 

 

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1    Family Services information that may be necessary for the
2    enforcement of child support orders entered pursuant to the
3    Illinois Public Aid Code, the Illinois Marriage and
4    Dissolution of Marriage Act, the Non-Support of Spouse and
5    Children Act, the Non-Support Punishment Act, the Revised
6    Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act, the Uniform
7    Interstate Family Support Act, the Illinois Parentage Act
8    of 1984, or the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015.
9    Notwithstanding any provisions in this Code to the
10    contrary, the Department of Professional Regulation shall
11    not be liable under any federal or State law to any person
12    for any disclosure of information to the Department of
13    Healthcare and Family Services (formerly Illinois
14    Department of Public Aid) under this paragraph (8) or for
15    any other action taken in good faith to comply with the
16    requirements of this paragraph (8).
17        (8.5) To accept continuing education credit for
18    mandated reporter training on how to recognize and report
19    child abuse offered by the Department of Children and
20    Family Services and completed by any person who holds a
21    professional license issued by the Department and who is a
22    mandated reporter under the Abused and Neglected Child
23    Reporting Act. The Department shall adopt any rules
24    necessary to implement this paragraph.
25        (9) To perform other duties prescribed by law.
26    (a-5) Except in cases involving default on an educational

 

 

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1loan or scholarship provided by or guaranteed by the Illinois
2Student Assistance Commission or any governmental agency of
3this State or in cases involving delinquency in complying with
4a child support order or violation of the Non-Support
5Punishment Act and notwithstanding anything that may appear in
6any individual licensing Act or administrative rule, no person
7or entity whose license, certificate, or authority has been
8revoked as authorized in any licensing Act administered by the
9Department may apply for restoration of that license,
10certification, or authority until 3 years after the effective
11date of the revocation.
12    (b) The Department may, when a fee is payable to the
13Department for a wall certificate of registration provided by
14the Department of Central Management Services, require that
15portion of the payment for printing and distribution costs be
16made directly or through the Department to the Department of
17Central Management Services for deposit into the Paper and
18Printing Revolving Fund. The remainder shall be deposited into
19the General Revenue Fund.
20    (c) For the purpose of securing and preparing evidence, and
21for the purchase of controlled substances, professional
22services, and equipment necessary for enforcement activities,
23recoupment of investigative costs, and other activities
24directed at suppressing the misuse and abuse of controlled
25substances, including those activities set forth in Sections
26504 and 508 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, the

 

 

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1Director and agents appointed and authorized by the Director
2may expend sums from the Professional Regulation Evidence Fund
3that the Director deems necessary from the amounts appropriated
4for that purpose. Those sums may be advanced to the agent when
5the Director deems that procedure to be in the public interest.
6Sums for the purchase of controlled substances, professional
7services, and equipment necessary for enforcement activities
8and other activities as set forth in this Section shall be
9advanced to the agent who is to make the purchase from the
10Professional Regulation Evidence Fund on vouchers signed by the
11Director. The Director and those agents are authorized to
12maintain one or more commercial checking accounts with any
13State banking corporation or corporations organized under or
14subject to the Illinois Banking Act for the deposit and
15withdrawal of moneys to be used for the purposes set forth in
16this Section; provided, that no check may be written nor any
17withdrawal made from any such account except upon the written
18signatures of 2 persons designated by the Director to write
19those checks and make those withdrawals. Vouchers for those
20expenditures must be signed by the Director. All such
21expenditures shall be audited by the Director, and the audit
22shall be submitted to the Department of Central Management
23Services for approval.
24    (d) Whenever the Department is authorized or required by
25law to consider some aspect of criminal history record
26information for the purpose of carrying out its statutory

 

 

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1powers and responsibilities, then, upon request and payment of
2fees in conformance with the requirements of Section 2605-400
3of the Department of State Police Law (20 ILCS 2605/2605-400),
4the Department of State Police is authorized to furnish,
5pursuant to positive identification, the information contained
6in State files that is necessary to fulfill the request.
7    (e) The provisions of this Section do not apply to private
8business and vocational schools as defined by Section 15 of the
9Private Business and Vocational Schools Act of 2012.
10    (f) (Blank).
11    (g) Notwithstanding anything that may appear in any
12individual licensing statute or administrative rule, the
13Department shall deny any license application or renewal
14authorized under any licensing Act administered by the
15Department to any person who has failed to file a return, or to
16pay the tax, penalty, or interest shown in a filed return, or
17to pay any final assessment of tax, penalty, or interest, as
18required by any tax Act administered by the Illinois Department
19of Revenue, until such time as the requirement of any such tax
20Act are satisfied; however, the Department may issue a license
21or renewal if the person has established a satisfactory
22repayment record as determined by the Illinois Department of
23Revenue. For the purpose of this Section, "satisfactory
24repayment record" shall be defined by rule.
25    In addition, a complaint filed with the Department by the
26Illinois Department of Revenue that includes a certification,

 

 

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1signed by its Director or designee, attesting to the amount of
2the unpaid tax liability or the years for which a return was
3not filed, or both, is prima facie evidence of the licensee's
4failure to comply with the tax laws administered by the
5Illinois Department of Revenue. Upon receipt of that
6certification, the Department shall, without a hearing,
7immediately suspend all licenses held by the licensee.
8Enforcement of the Department's order shall be stayed for 60
9days. The Department shall provide notice of the suspension to
10the licensee by mailing a copy of the Department's order by
11certified and regular mail to the licensee's last known address
12as registered with the Department. The notice shall advise the
13licensee that the suspension shall be effective 60 days after
14the issuance of the Department's order unless the Department
15receives, from the licensee, a request for a hearing before the
16Department to dispute the matters contained in the order.
17    Any suspension imposed under this subsection (g) shall be
18terminated by the Department upon notification from the
19Illinois Department of Revenue that the licensee is in
20compliance with all tax laws administered by the Illinois
21Department of Revenue.
22    The Department may promulgate rules for the administration
23of this subsection (g).
24    (h) The Department may grant the title "Retired", to be
25used immediately adjacent to the title of a profession
26regulated by the Department, to eligible retirees. For

 

 

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1individuals licensed under the Medical Practice Act of 1987,
2the title "Retired" may be used in the profile required by the
3Patients' Right to Know Act. The use of the title "Retired"
4shall not constitute representation of current licensure,
5registration, or certification. Any person without an active
6license, registration, or certificate in a profession that
7requires licensure, registration, or certification shall not
8be permitted to practice that profession.
9    (i) Within 180 days after December 23, 2009 (the effective
10date of Public Act 96-852), the Department shall promulgate
11rules which permit a person with a criminal record, who seeks a
12license or certificate in an occupation for which a criminal
13record is not expressly a per se bar, to apply to the
14Department for a non-binding, advisory opinion to be provided
15by the Board or body with the authority to issue the license or
16certificate as to whether his or her criminal record would bar
17the individual from the licensure or certification sought,
18should the individual meet all other licensure requirements
19including, but not limited to, the successful completion of the
20relevant examinations.
21(Source: P.A. 98-756, eff. 7-16-14; 98-850, eff. 1-1-15; 99-85,
22eff. 1-1-16; 99-227, eff. 8-3-15; 99-330, eff. 8-10-15; revised
2310-16-15.)
 
24    Section 10. The School Code is amended by changing Section
2521B-75 as follows:
 

 

 

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1    (105 ILCS 5/21B-75)
2    Sec. 21B-75. Suspension or revocation of license.
3    (a) As used in this Section, "teacher" means any school
4district employee regularly required to be licensed, as
5provided in this Article, in order to teach or supervise in the
6public schools.
7    (b) The State Superintendent of Education has the exclusive
8authority, in accordance with this Section and any rules
9adopted by the State Board of Education, in consultation with
10the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, to initiate
11the suspension of up to 5 calendar years or revocation of any
12license issued pursuant to this Article for abuse or neglect of
13a child, immorality, a condition of health detrimental to the
14welfare of pupils, incompetency, unprofessional conduct (which
15includes the failure to disclose on an employment application
16any previous conviction for a sex offense, as defined in
17Section 21B-80 of this Code, or any other offense committed in
18any other state or against the laws of the United States that,
19if committed in this State, would be punishable as a sex
20offense, as defined in Section 21B-80 of this Code), the
21neglect of any professional duty, willful failure to report an
22instance of suspected child abuse or neglect as required by the
23Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, failure to establish
24satisfactory repayment on an educational loan guaranteed by the
25Illinois Student Assistance Commission, or other just cause.

 

 

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1Unprofessional conduct shall include the refusal to attend or
2participate in institutes, teachers' meetings, or professional
3readings or to meet other reasonable requirements of the
4regional superintendent of schools or State Superintendent of
5Education. Unprofessional conduct also includes conduct that
6violates the standards, ethics, or rules applicable to the
7security, administration, monitoring, or scoring of or the
8reporting of scores from any assessment test or examination
9administered under Section 2-3.64a-5 of this Code or that is
10known or intended to produce or report manipulated or
11artificial, rather than actual, assessment or achievement
12results or gains from the administration of those tests or
13examinations. Unprofessional conduct shall also include
14neglect or unnecessary delay in the making of statistical and
15other reports required by school officers. Incompetency shall
16include, without limitation, 2 or more school terms of service
17for which the license holder has received an unsatisfactory
18rating on a performance evaluation conducted pursuant to
19Article 24A of this Code within a period of 7 school terms of
20service. In determining whether to initiate action against one
21or more licenses based on incompetency and the recommended
22sanction for such action, the State Superintendent shall
23consider factors that include without limitation all of the
24following:
25        (1) Whether the unsatisfactory evaluation ratings
26    occurred prior to June 13, 2011 (the effective date of

 

 

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1    Public Act 97-8).
2        (2) Whether the unsatisfactory evaluation ratings
3    occurred prior to or after the implementation date, as
4    defined in Section 24A-2.5 of this Code, of an evaluation
5    system for teachers in a school district.
6        (3) Whether the evaluator or evaluators who performed
7    an unsatisfactory evaluation met the pre-licensure and
8    training requirements set forth in Section 24A-3 of this
9    Code.
10        (4) The time between the unsatisfactory evaluation
11    ratings.
12        (5) The quality of the remediation plans associated
13    with the unsatisfactory evaluation ratings and whether the
14    license holder successfully completed the remediation
15    plans.
16        (6) Whether the unsatisfactory evaluation ratings were
17    related to the same or different assignments performed by
18    the license holder.
19        (7) Whether one or more of the unsatisfactory
20    evaluation ratings occurred in the first year of a teaching
21    or administrative assignment.
22When initiating an action against one or more licenses, the
23State Superintendent may seek required professional
24development as a sanction in lieu of or in addition to
25suspension or revocation. Any such required professional
26development must be at the expense of the license holder, who

 

 

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1may use, if available and applicable to the requirements
2established by administrative or court order, training,
3coursework, or other professional development funds in
4accordance with the terms of an applicable collective
5bargaining agreement entered into after June 13, 2011 (the
6effective date of Public Act 97-8), unless that agreement
7specifically precludes use of funds for such purpose.
8    (c) The State Superintendent of Education shall, upon
9receipt of evidence of abuse or neglect of a child, immorality,
10a condition of health detrimental to the welfare of pupils,
11incompetency (subject to subsection (b) of this Section),
12unprofessional conduct, the neglect of any professional duty,
13or other just cause, further investigate and, if and as
14appropriate, serve written notice to the individual and afford
15the individual opportunity for a hearing prior to suspension,
16revocation, or other sanction; provided that the State
17Superintendent is under no obligation to initiate such an
18investigation if the Department of Children and Family Services
19is investigating the same or substantially similar allegations
20and its child protective service unit has not made its
21determination, as required under Section 7.12 of the Abused and
22Neglected Child Reporting Act. If the State Superintendent of
23Education does not receive from an individual a request for a
24hearing within 10 days after the individual receives notice,
25the suspension, revocation, or other sanction shall
26immediately take effect in accordance with the notice. If a

 

 

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1hearing is requested within 10 days after notice of an
2opportunity for hearing, it shall act as a stay of proceedings
3until the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board issues
4a decision. Any hearing shall take place in the educational
5service region where the educator is or was last employed and
6in accordance with rules adopted by the State Board of
7Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
8and Licensure Board, and such rules shall include without
9limitation provisions for discovery and the sharing of
10information between parties prior to the hearing. The standard
11of proof for any administrative hearing held pursuant to this
12Section shall be by the preponderance of the evidence. The
13decision of the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board
14is a final administrative decision and is subject to judicial
15review by appeal of either party.
16    The State Board of Education may refuse to issue or may
17suspend the license of any person who fails to file a return or
18to pay the tax, penalty, or interest shown in a filed return or
19to pay any final assessment of tax, penalty, or interest, as
20required by any tax Act administered by the Department of
21Revenue, until such time as the requirements of any such tax
22Act are satisfied.
23    The State Board of Education shall deny a license or
24renewal authorized by this Act to a person who has defaulted on
25an educational loan provided or guaranteed by the Illinois
26Student Assistance Commission. However, the Board may issue a

 

 

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1license or renewal if the person has an adjusted gross income
2of less than $75,000 or has an adjusted gross income of $75,000
3or above and has established a satisfactory repayment record as
4determined by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission
5pursuant to paragraph (5) of subsection (a) of Section 2105-15
6of the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil
7Administrative Code of Illinois.
8    The exclusive authority of the State Superintendent of
9Education to initiate suspension or revocation of a license
10pursuant to this Section does not preclude a regional
11superintendent of schools from cooperating with the State
12Superintendent or a State's Attorney with respect to an
13investigation of alleged misconduct.
14    (d) The State Superintendent of Education or his or her
15designee may initiate and conduct such investigations as may be
16reasonably necessary to establish the existence of any alleged
17misconduct. At any stage of the investigation, the State
18Superintendent may issue a subpoena requiring the attendance
19and testimony of a witness, including the license holder, and
20the production of any evidence, including files, records,
21correspondence, or documents, relating to any matter in
22question in the investigation. The subpoena shall require a
23witness to appear at the State Board of Education at a
24specified date and time and shall specify any evidence to be
25produced. The license holder is not entitled to be present, but
26the State Superintendent shall provide the license holder with

 

 

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1a copy of any recorded testimony prior to a hearing under this
2Section. Such recorded testimony must not be used as evidence
3at a hearing, unless the license holder has adequate notice of
4the testimony and the opportunity to cross-examine the witness.
5Failure of a license holder to comply with a duly issued,
6investigatory subpoena may be grounds for revocation,
7suspension, or denial of a license.
8    (e) All correspondence, documentation, and other
9information so received by the regional superintendent of
10schools, the State Superintendent of Education, the State Board
11of Education, or the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
12Board under this Section is confidential and must not be
13disclosed to third parties, except (i) as necessary for the
14State Superintendent of Education or his or her designee to
15investigate and prosecute pursuant to this Article, (ii)
16pursuant to a court order, (iii) for disclosure to the license
17holder or his or her representative, or (iv) as otherwise
18required in this Article and provided that any such information
19admitted into evidence in a hearing is exempt from this
20confidentiality and non-disclosure requirement.
21    (f) The State Superintendent of Education or a person
22designated by him or her shall have the power to administer
23oaths to witnesses at any hearing conducted before the State
24Educator Preparation and Licensure Board pursuant to this
25Section. The State Superintendent of Education or a person
26designated by him or her is authorized to subpoena and bring

 

 

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1before the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board any
2person in this State and to take testimony either orally or by
3deposition or by exhibit, with the same fees and mileage and in
4the same manner as prescribed by law in judicial proceedings in
5civil cases in circuit courts of this State.
6    (g) Any circuit court, upon the application of the State
7Superintendent of Education or the license holder, may, by
8order duly entered, require the attendance of witnesses and the
9production of relevant books and papers as part of any
10investigation or at any hearing the State Educator Preparation
11and Licensure Board is authorized to conduct pursuant to this
12Section, and the court may compel obedience to its orders by
13proceedings for contempt.
14    (h) The State Board of Education shall receive an annual
15line item appropriation to cover fees associated with the
16investigation and prosecution of alleged educator misconduct
17and hearings related thereto.
18(Source: P.A. 97-607, eff. 8-26-11; incorporates 97-8, eff.
196-13-11; 97-813, eff. 7-13-12; 98-972, eff. 8-15-14.)
 
20    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
21becoming law.".