State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ House Amendment 001 ]

90_HB0788eng

      105 ILCS 5/27-8.1         from Ch. 122, par. 27-8.1
          Amends  the  School  Code.   Eliminates  provisions  that
      require a Tuberculosis skin test screening to be included  as
      a  required  part  of  school  health examinations if a child
      resides in an area designated by  the  Department  of  Public
      Health as having a high incidence of Tuberculosis.
                                                     LRB9000265THpk
HB0788 Engrossed                               LRB9000265THpk
 1        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  School  Code by changing Section
 2    27-8.1.
 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section  5.   The  School  Code  is  amended  by changing
 6    Section 27-8.1 as follows:
 7        (105 ILCS 5/27-8.1) (from Ch. 122, par. 27-8.1)
 8        Sec. 27-8.1.  Health examinations and immunizations.
 9        (1)  In compliance with rules and regulations  which  the
10    Department  of  Public Health shall promulgate, and except as
11    hereinafter provided, all children in Illinois shall  have  a
12    health  examination  as  follows:  within  one  year prior to
13    entering kindergarten or  the  first  grade  of  any  public,
14    private,  or  parochial  elementary school; upon entering the
15    fifth and ninth grades of any public, private,  or  parochial
16    school;  prior  to  entrance  into  any  public,  private, or
17    parochial  nursery  school;  and,  irrespective   of   grade,
18    immediately  prior  to  or  upon  entrance  into  any public,
19    private, or parochial school or nursery  school,  each  child
20    shall  present  proof  of  having been examined in accordance
21    with this Section and the rules and  regulations  promulgated
22    hereunder.
23        A  physician  licensed  to  practice  medicine in all its
24    branches may include a tuberculosis skin  test  screening  as
25    part  of  a  health  examination  required under this Section
26    when, in the professional  judgment  of  the  physician,  the
27    child    is    potentially    at   risk   for   tuberculosis.
28                     A tuberculosis skin test screening shall  be
29    included  as  a  required  part  of  each  health examination
30    included under this Section if the child resides in  an  area
31    designated  by  the  Department  of Public Health as having a
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 1    high   incidence   of   tuberculosis.    Additional    health
 2    examinations   of   pupils,   including   dental  and  vision
 3    examinations, may be required when deemed necessary by school
 4    authorities.  Parents are encouraged to have  their  children
 5    undergo  dental  examinations  at  the  same  points  in time
 6    required for health examinations.
 7        (2)  The Department of  Public  Health  shall  promulgate
 8    rules   and   regulations  specifying  the  examinations  and
 9    procedures that  constitute  a  health  examination  and  may
10    recommend  by  rule  that  certain additional examinations be
11    performed.  The rules and regulations of  the  Department  of
12    Public  Health  shall  specify  that a tuberculosis skin test
13    screening shall be included as a required part of each health
14    examination included under this Section if the child  resides
15    in  an  area designated by the Department of Public Health as
16    having a high incidence of tuberculosis.
17        Physicians licensed to practice medicine in  all  of  its
18    branches  shall  be  responsible  for  the performance of the
19    health  examinations,  other  than  dental  examinations  and
20    vision and hearing screening, and shall sign all report forms
21    required by subsection (4) of this Section  that  pertain  to
22    those  portions  of  the  health  examination  for  which the
23    physician is responsible.  If a registered nurse performs any
24    part of a health examination, then a  physician  licensed  to
25    practice medicine in all of its branches must review and sign
26    all  required  report forms.  Licensed dentists shall perform
27    all dental examinations  and  shall  sign  all  report  forms
28    required  by  subsection  (4) of this Section that pertain to
29    the dental examinations.   Physicians  licensed  to  practice
30    medicine in all its branches, or licensed optometrists, shall
31    perform  all  vision exams required by school authorities and
32    shall sign all report forms required  by  subsection  (4)  of
33    this  Section  that  pertain  to the vision exam.  Vision and
34    hearing  screening  tests,  which  shall  not  be  considered
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 1    examinations as that term is used in this Section,  shall  be
 2    conducted  in  accordance  with  rules and regulations of the
 3    Department of Public Health,  and  by  individuals  whom  the
 4    Department of Public Health has certified.
 5        (3)  Every  child  shall, at or about the same time as he
 6    or she receives a health examination required  by  subsection
 7    (1)  of  this  Section, present to the local school, proof of
 8    having  received  such  immunizations   against   preventable
 9    communicable  diseases  as  the  Department  of Public Health
10    shall require by rules and regulations  promulgated  pursuant
11    to this Section and the Communicable Disease Prevention Act.
12        (4)  The  individuals  conducting  the health examination
13    shall record the fact of having  conducted  the  examination,
14    and such additional information as required, on uniform forms
15    which  the Department of Public Health and the State Board of
16    Education shall prescribe for statewide  use.   The  examiner
17    shall  summarize  on the report form any condition that he or
18    she suspects indicates a  need  for  special  services.   The
19    individuals   confirming   the   administration  of  required
20    immunizations shall record as indicated on the form that  the
21    immunizations were administered.
22        (5)  If  a  child  does  not  submit  proof of having had
23    either  the  health  examination  or  the   immunization   as
24    required,  then  the  child  shall be examined or receive the
25    immunization, as the  case  may  be,  and  present  proof  by
26    October  15 of the current school year, or by an earlier date
27    of the current school year established by a school  district.
28    To  establish  a date before October 15 of the current school
29    year for the health examination or immunization as  required,
30    a  school  district  must  give notice of the requirements of
31    this Section 60 days prior to the earlier  established  date.
32    If   for   medical  reasons  one  or  more  of  the  required
33    immunizations must be given after October 15 of  the  current
34    school  year,  or  after  an  earlier established date of the
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 1    current school year, then the child shall present, by October
 2    15, or by the earlier established date, a  schedule  for  the
 3    administration  of  the  immunizations and a statement of the
 4    medical reasons causing the delay, both the schedule and  the
 5    statement being issued by the physician, registered nurse, or
 6    local   health   department  that  will  be  responsible  for
 7    administration of the remaining required immunizations.  If a
 8    child does not comply  by  October  15,  or  by  the  earlier
 9    established  date  of  the  current  school  year,  with  the
10    requirements  of  this  subsection,  then  the  local  school
11    authority  shall  exclude  that  child from school until such
12    time as the child presents proof of  having  had  the  health
13    examination as required and presents proof of having received
14    those  required immunizations which are medically possible to
15    receive immediately.  During a child's exclusion from  school
16    for  noncompliance  with this subsection, the child's parents
17    or legal guardian shall be considered in violation of Section
18    26-1 and subject to any penalty imposed by Section 26-10.
19        (6)  Every school shall report  to  the  State  Board  of
20    Education  by  November  15,  in the manner which that agency
21    shall require, the number of children who have  received  the
22    necessary   immunizations   and  the  health  examination  as
23    required, indicating, of those  who  have  not  received  the
24    immunizations  and  examination  as  required,  the number of
25    children  who  are  exempt  from   health   examination   and
26    immunization  requirements on religious or medical grounds as
27    provided in subsection (8).  This reported information  shall
28    be  provided  to the Department of Public Health by the State
29    Board of Education.
30        (7)  Upon determining that the number of pupils  who  are
31    required  to  be  in  compliance  with subsection (5) of this
32    Section is below 90% of the number of pupils enrolled in  the
33    school  district, 10% of each State aid payment made pursuant
34    to Section 18-8 to the school district for such year shall be
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 1    withheld by the regional superintendent until the  number  of
 2    students  in compliance with subsection (5) is the applicable
 3    specified percentage or higher.
 4        (8)  Children whose parents or legal guardians object  to
 5    health examinations or any part thereof, or to immunizations,
 6    on  religious  grounds  shall not be required to submit their
 7    children or wards to the  examinations  or  immunizations  to
 8    which  they  so  object  if  such  parents or legal guardians
 9    present to the appropriate local school  authority  a  signed
10    statement   of  objection,  detailing  the  grounds  for  the
11    objection.  If the physical condition of the  child  is  such
12    that  any  one or more of the immunizing agents should not be
13    administered, the examining  physician  responsible  for  the
14    performance of the health examination shall endorse that fact
15    upon the health examination form.  Exempting a child from the
16    health   examination   does   not   exempt   the  child  from
17    participation in the program of physical  education  training
18    provided in Sections 27-5 through 27-7 of this Code.
19        (9)  For  the purposes of this Section, "nursery schools"
20    means those nursery schools  operated  by  elementary  school
21    systems  or  secondary  level school units or institutions of
22    higher learning.
23    (Source: P.A.  88-149;  89-618,  eff.  8-9-96;  89-626,  eff.
24    8-9-96.)

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