Public Act 93-0282

SB566 Enrolled                       LRB093 10775 NHT 11188 b

    AN ACT concerning education.

    Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:

    Section  5.  The  School  Code  is  amended  by  changing
Section 14-8.02 as follows:

    (105 ILCS 5/14-8.02) (from Ch. 122, par. 14-8.02)
    Sec.  14-8.02.  Identification,  Evaluation and Placement
of Children.
    (a)  The State Board of Education shall make rules  under
which  local school boards shall determine the eligibility of
children to  receive  special  education.  Such  rules  shall
ensure  that a free appropriate public education be available
to all children  with  disabilities  as  defined  in  Section
14-1.02.  The  State  Board  of Education shall require local
school districts to administer non-discriminatory  procedures
or  tests to limited English proficiency students coming from
homes in which a language  other  than  English  is  used  to
determine  their  eligibility  to  receive special education.
The placement of low English proficiency students in  special
education programs and facilities shall be made in accordance
with  the  test  results reflecting the student's linguistic,
cultural and  special  education  needs.    For  purposes  of
determining  the  eligibility  of children the State Board of
Education shall include in the  rules  definitions  of  "case
study",   "staff   conference",  "individualized  educational
program", and  "qualified  specialist"  appropriate  to  each
category  of  children  with  disabilities as defined in this
Article. For  purposes  of  determining  the  eligibility  of
children from homes in which a language other than English is
used,  the  State Board of Education, no later than September
1,  1993,  shall  include  in  the  rules   definitions   for
"qualified  bilingual  specialists"  and  "linguistically and
culturally appropriate individualized educational  programs".
In this Section, "parent" includes a foster parent.
    (b)  No  child  shall  be  eligible for special education
facilities except with a carefully completed case study fully
reviewed by professional  personnel  in  a  multidisciplinary
staff   conference   and  only  upon  the  recommendation  of
qualified specialists or a qualified bilingual specialist, if
available. At the conclusion of the  multidisciplinary  staff
conference,  the  parent  or  guardian  of the child shall be
given a copy  of  the  multidisciplinary  conference  summary
report    and   recommendations,   which   includes   options
considered, and be informed  of  their  right  to  obtain  an
independent  educational evaluation if they disagree with the
evaluation findings  conducted  or  obtained  by  the  school
district.  If the school district's evaluation is shown to be
inappropriate, the school district shall reimburse the parent
for the cost of the independent evaluation. The  State  Board
of  Education  shall,  with  advice  from  the State Advisory
Council on Education of Children  with  Disabilities  on  the
inclusion  of  specific  independent  educational evaluators,
prepare  a  list   of   suggested   independent   educational
evaluators. The State Board of Education shall include on the
list clinical psychologists licensed pursuant to the Clinical
Psychologist  Licensing Act.  Such psychologists shall not be
paid fees in excess of the amount that would be received by a
school psychologist for performing  the  same  services.  The
State  Board  of Education shall supply school districts with
such list and make the list available  to  parents  at  their
request.  School  districts  shall make the list available to
parents at the time they  are  informed  of  their  right  to
obtain  an  independent  educational evaluation. However, the
school district may initiate an impartial due process hearing
under this Section within 5 days of  any  written  parent  or
guardian request for an independent educational evaluation to
show  that  its  evaluation  is  appropriate.  If  the  final
decision  is  that  the evaluation is appropriate, the parent
still has a right to an independent  educational  evaluation,
but   not  at  public  expense.  An  independent  educational
evaluation at public expense must be completed within 30 days
of a parent or guardian written  request  unless  the  school
district  initiates  an  impartial due process hearing or the
parent or  guardian  or  school  district  offers  reasonable
grounds  to  show  that  such  30  day  time period should be
extended. If the due process hearing decision indicates  that
the   parent  or  guardian  is  entitled  to  an  independent
educational evaluation, it must be completed within  30  days
of  the  decision unless the parent or guardian or the school
district offers reasonable grounds to show that such  30  day
period  should  be  extended.  If a parent disagrees with the
summary report or recommendations  of  the  multidisciplinary
conference  or  the  findings  of  any educational evaluation
which  results  therefrom,  the  school  district  shall  not
proceed with a placement based upon such evaluation  and  the
child  shall  remain in his or her regular classroom setting.
No child shall be eligible for admission to a  special  class
for  the  educable  mentally  disabled  or  for the trainable
mentally disabled except with a psychological evaluation  and
recommendation  by  a  school psychologist.  Consent shall be
obtained from the parent or guardian of a  child  before  any
evaluation  is  conducted.  If  consent  is  not given by the
parent or guardian or if the  parent  or  guardian  disagrees
with the findings of the evaluation, then the school district
may  initiate  an  impartial  due  process hearing under this
Section. The school district may evaluate the child  if  that
is  the  decision  resulting  from  the impartial due process
hearing and the decision is not appealed or if  the  decision
is affirmed on appeal. The determination of eligibility shall
be  made  within  60 school days from the date of referral by
school authorities for evaluation by the district or date  of
application  for  admittance by the parent or guardian of the
child.  In those instances when  students  are  referred  for
evaluation  with  fewer than 60 pupil attendance days left in
the school year, the eligibility determination shall be  made
prior to the first day of the following school year.  After a
child  has  been  determined  to  be  eligible  for a special
education class, such child must be placed in the appropriate
program pursuant to the individualized educational program by
or no later than the beginning of the next  school  semester.
The   appropriate  program  pursuant  to  the  individualized
educational program of students  whose  native  tongue  is  a
language   other  than  English  shall  reflect  the  special
education, cultural and  linguistic  needs.   No  later  than
September  1,  1993,  the  State  Board  of  Education  shall
establish  standards  for the development, implementation and
monitoring of appropriate  bilingual  special  individualized
educational  programs.   The  State  Board of Education shall
further  incorporate  appropriate  monitoring  procedures  to
verify implementation of these standards.  The district shall
indicate to the parent or guardian and  the  State  Board  of
Education  the  nature of the services the child will receive
for the regular school term while waiting  placement  in  the
appropriate special education class.
    If the child is deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or visually
impaired  and he or she might be eligible to receive services
from the Illinois School for the Deaf or the Illinois  School
for  the  Visually Impaired, the school district shall notify
the parents or guardian, in  writing,  of  the  existence  of
these   schools   and   the   services  they  provide.   This
notification shall include without limitation information  on
school  services,  school  admissions  criteria,  and  school
contact information.
    If  the  student  may  be  eligible to participate in the
Home-Based Support Services  Program  for  Mentally  Disabled
Adults  authorized  under  the  Developmental  Disability and
Mental Disability Services Act upon becoming  an  adult,  the
student's  individualized  education  program  shall  include
plans for (i) determining the student's eligibility for those
home-based  services,  (ii)  enrolling  the  student  in  the
program  of  home-based services, and (iii) developing a plan
for the  student's  most  effective  use  of  the  home-based
services  after  the  student  becomes an adult and no longer
receives special educational  services  under  this  Article.
The  plans  developed  under  this  paragraph  shall  include
specific  actions  to  be  taken  by  specified  individuals,
agencies, or officials.
    (c)  In  the  development of the individualized education
program for a student who is functionally blind, it shall  be
presumed  that  proficiency in Braille reading and writing is
essential  for   the   student's   satisfactory   educational
progress.   For  purposes of this subsection, the State Board
of Education shall determine the criteria for a student to be
classified as  functionally  blind.   Students  who  are  not
currently  identified  as  functionally  blind  who  are also
entitled to Braille instruction include:    (i)  those  whose
vision  loss  is  so  severe that they are unable to read and
write at a level comparable to their peers solely through the
use  of  vision,  and  (ii)  those  who  show   evidence   of
progressive   vision  loss  that  may  result  in  functional
blindness.  Each student who is functionally blind  shall  be
entitled  to  Braille reading and writing instruction that is
sufficient to enable the student to communicate with the same
level of proficiency as other students of comparable ability.
Instruction should be provided to the extent that the student
is physically and cognitively able to use  Braille.   Braille
instruction  may  be  used  in combination with other special
education services appropriate to the  student's  educational
needs.    The  assessment of each student who is functionally
blind  for  the   purpose   of   developing   the   student's
individualized  education program shall include documentation
of the student's strengths and weaknesses in Braille skills.
Each   person   assisting   in   the   development   of   the
individualized  education  program  for  a  student  who   is
functionally  blind  shall receive information describing the
benefits  of   Braille   instruction.    The   individualized
education  program for each student who is functionally blind
shall specify the appropriate learning medium or media  based
on the assessment report.
    (d)  To  the  maximum  extent  appropriate, the placement
shall provide the child with the opportunity to  be  educated
with  children  who  are not disabled; provided that children
with disabilities who  are  recommended  to  be  placed  into
regular  education classrooms are provided with supplementary
services to assist the children with disabilities to  benefit
from  the  regular  classroom instruction and are included on
the teacher's regular education class register.   Subject  to
the  limitation  of  the  preceding  sentence,  placement  in
special  classes,  separate  schools  or other removal of the
disabled child from the regular educational environment shall
occur only when the nature of the severity of the  disability
is such that education in the regular classes with the use of
supplementary   aids   and   services   cannot   be  achieved
satisfactorily.  The placement of limited English proficiency
students  with  disabilities  shall  be  in   non-restrictive
environments  which provide for integration with non-disabled
peers in bilingual classrooms.  By January 1993 and  annually
thereafter,  school  districts  shall report data on students
from  non-English  speaking  backgrounds  receiving   special
education   and   related  services  in  public  and  private
facilities as prescribed in Section 2-3.30.  If  there  is  a
disagreement  between  parties involved regarding the special
education  placement  of  any  child,  either   in-state   or
out-of-state,  the  placement  is  subject  to  impartial due
process procedures described in Article 10 of the  Rules  and
Regulations  to  Govern  the  Administration and Operation of
Special Education.
    (e)  No child who comes from a home in which  a  language
other  than  English  is  the  principal language used may be
assigned to any class or program under this Article until  he
has  been  given, in the principal language used by the child
and used  in  his  home,  tests  reasonably  related  to  his
cultural  environment.  All  testing and evaluation materials
and procedures utilized for evaluation  and  placement  shall
not be linguistically, racially or culturally discriminatory.
    (f)  Nothing  in  this  Article  shall  be  construed  to
require  any  child  to  undergo  any physical examination or
medical treatment whose parents or guardian object thereto on
the grounds that such examination or treatment conflicts with
his religious beliefs.
    (g)  School boards or their designee shall provide to the
parents or guardian of a child prior written  notice  of  any
decision (a) proposing to initiate or change, or (b) refusing
to  initiate  or  change,  the identification, evaluation, or
educational placement of the child or the provision of a free
appropriate public education to their child, and the  reasons
therefor.   Such  written  notification shall also inform the
parent or guardian of the opportunity to  present  complaints
with  respect  to  any  matter  relating  to  the educational
placement  of  the  student,  or  the  provision  of  a  free
appropriate public education and to  have  an  impartial  due
process  hearing  on  the complaint.  The notice shall inform
the parents or guardian in the parents' or guardian's  native
language,  unless  it  is  clearly  not feasible to do so, of
their rights and all procedures available  pursuant  to  this
Act and federal law 94-142; it shall be the responsibility of
the  State  Superintendent to develop uniform notices setting
forth the procedures available under this Act and federal law
94-142 to be used by all school  boards.   The  notice  shall
also  inform the parents or guardian of the availability upon
request of a  list  of  free  or  low-cost  legal  and  other
relevant  services  available  locally  to  assist parents or
guardians in initiating an  impartial  due  process  hearing.
Any  parent  or  guardian  who  is deaf, or does not normally
communicate using  spoken  English,  who  participates  in  a
meeting  with  a representative of a local educational agency
for the purposes of developing an individualized  educational
program shall be entitled to the services of an interpreter.
    (h)  A  Level I due process hearing, hereinafter referred
as the hearing, shall be conducted upon the  request  of  the
parents  or  guardian   or local school board by an impartial
hearing officer appointed as follows:  If the request is made
through the local school district, within 5  school  days  of
receipt  of  the  request,  the  local  school district shall
forward the request to the State  Superintendent.   Within  5
days after receiving this request of hearing, the State Board
of Education shall provide a list of 5 prospective, impartial
hearing  officers.  The  State Board of Education, by rule or
regulation, shall establish criteria  for  determining  which
persons can be included on such a list of prospective hearing
officers.  No one on the list may be a resident of the school
district.   No  more  than  2  of  the  5 prospective hearing
officers shall be gainfully employed by  or  administratively
connected with any school district, or any joint agreement or
cooperative  program  in  which school districts participate.
In addition, no more than 2  of  the  5  prospective  hearing
officers  shall  be gainfully employed by or administratively
connected  with  private  providers  of   special   education
services.   The  State  Board  of  Education  shall  actively
recruit  applicants  for hearing officer positions. The board
and the parents or guardian or  their  legal  representatives
within 5 days shall alternately strike one name from the list
until  only  one  name remains. The parents or guardian shall
have the right to proceed first with the  striking.  The  per
diem  allowance  for the hearing officer shall be established
and paid by the State Board of Education.  The hearing  shall
be  closed  to the public except that the parents or guardian
may require that the hearing be public. The  hearing  officer
shall  not be an employee of the school district, an employee
in any joint agreement or cooperative program  in  which  the
district  participates,  or  any other agency or organization
that is directly involved in the diagnosis, education or care
of the student or the State Board of Education. All impartial
hearing officers shall be adequately trained in  federal  and
state  law,  rules  and  regulations  and  case law regarding
special education. The State Board  of  Education  shall  use
resources from within and outside the agency for the purposes
of  conducting  this  training. The impartial hearing officer
shall have the authority to require additional information or
evidence where he  or  she  deems  it  necessary  to  make  a
complete  record  and  may order an independent evaluation of
the child, the cost of said evaluation  to  be  paid  by  the
local  school district.  Such hearing shall not be considered
adversary in nature, but shall be  directed  toward  bringing
out  all facts necessary for the impartial hearing officer to
render an informed decision.  The State  Board  of  Education
shall,  with  the advice and approval of the Advisory Council
on Education of Children with Disabilities, promulgate  rules
and  regulations  to  establish  the  qualifications  of  the
hearing  officers  and  the  rules  and  procedure  for  such
hearings.    The  school district shall present evidence that
the  special  education  needs  of  the   child   have   been
appropriately  identified  and  that  the  special  education
program  and  related  services proposed to meet the needs of
the child are adequate, appropriate and available. Any  party
to the hearing shall have the right to: (a) be represented by
counsel  and  be  accompanied and advised by individuals with
special knowledge or training with respect to the problems of
children with disabilities at the party's  own  expense;  (b)
present  evidence  and  confront and cross-examine witnesses;
(c) prohibit the introduction of any evidence at the  hearing
that  has  not  been  disclosed to that party at least 5 days
before the  hearing;  (d)  obtain  a  written  or  electronic
verbatim  record  of the hearing; (e) obtain written findings
of fact and a written decision.  The student shall be allowed
to attend the hearing unless the hearing officer  finds  that
attendance is not in the child's best interest or detrimental
to  the  child.   The  hearing  officer  shall specify in the
findings the reasons for denying attendance by  the  student.
The   hearing   officer,   or  the  State  Superintendent  in
connection with State level hearings, may subpoena and compel
the attendance of witnesses and the  production  of  evidence
reasonably  necessary  to the resolution of the hearing.  The
subpoena may be issued upon request of any party.  The  State
Board  of  Education and the school board shall share equally
the costs of providing a written or electronic record of  the
proceedings. Such record shall be transcribed and transmitted
to  the  State  Superintendent  no  later  than 10 days after
receipt of notice  of  appeal.   The  hearing  officer  shall
render  a decision and shall submit a copy of the findings of
fact and decision to the parent or guardian and to the  local
school  board  within  10 school days after the conclusion of
the hearing.  The hearing officer may continue the hearing in
order  to  obtain  additional  information,   and,   at   the
conclusion  of  the  hearing, shall issue a decision based on
the record which specifies the special education and  related
services  which  shall be provided to the child in accordance
with the child's needs. The hearing officer's decision  shall
be  binding upon the local school board and the parent unless
such decision is appealed pursuant to the provisions of  this
Section.
    (i)  Any  party  aggrieved by the decision may appeal the
hearing officer's decision to the State  Board  of  Education
and  shall  serve  copies of the notice of such appeal on the
State Superintendent and on all other  parties.   The  review
referred  to  in  this Section shall be known as the Level II
review. The State Board of Education shall provide a list  of
5  prospective,  impartial  reviewing officers.  No reviewing
officer shall be an employee of the State Board of  Education
or  gainfully  employed by or administratively connected with
the school district, joint agreement or  cooperative  program
which  is  a   party to this review.  Each person on the list
shall be accredited by a national  arbitration  organization.
The  per diem allowance for the review officers shall be paid
by the State Board of Education and may not exceed $250.  All
reviewing officers on the list provided by the State Board of
Education shall be trained in federal and  state  law,  rules
and  regulations  and  case  law regarding special education.
The State Board of Education shall use resources from  within
and  outside  the  agency for the purposes of conducting this
training.  No one on the list may be a resident of the school
district.  The board and the parents  or  guardian  or  other
legal  representatives within 5 days shall alternately strike
one name from the list until  only  one  name  remains.   The
parents  or  guardian  shall  have the right to proceed first
with the striking.  The reviewing officer so  selected  shall
conduct  an  impartial  review of the Level I hearing and may
issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of witnesses at such
review. The parties to  the  appeal  shall  be  afforded  the
opportunity  to present oral argument and additional evidence
at the review. Upon completion of the  review  the  reviewing
officer  shall  render a decision and shall provide a copy of
the decision to all parties.
    (j)  No later than 30 days after  receipt  of  notice  of
appeal,  a  final decision shall be reached and a copy mailed
to each  of  the  parties.  A  reviewing  officer  may  grant
specific extensions of time beyond the 30-day deadline at the
request  of  either  party. If a Level II hearing is convened
the final decision of a Level II hearing officer shall  occur
no more than 30 days following receipt of a notice of appeal,
unless an extension of time is granted by the hearing officer
at the request of either party.  The State Board of Education
shall   establish   rules  and  regulations  delineating  the
standards to be used in  determining  whether  the  reviewing
officer  shall  grant  such extensions. Each hearing and each
review involving oral argument must be conducted  at  a  time
and  place which are reasonably convenient to the parents and
the child involved.
    (k)  Any party aggrieved by the decision of the reviewing
officer, including the parent or  guardian,  shall  have  the
right  to  bring a civil action with respect to the complaint
presented pursuant to  this  Section,  which  action  may  be
brought in any circuit court of competent jurisdiction within
120  days after a copy of the decision is mailed to the party
as provided in subsection (j).   The  civil  action  provided
above  shall  not  be  exclusive  of  any rights or causes of
action otherwise available.   The  commencement  of  a  civil
action  under subsection (k) of this Section shall operate as
a supersedeas.  In any action brought under this Section  the
court   shall  receive  the  records  of  the  administrative
proceedings, shall hear additional evidence at the request of
a party, and basing its decision on the preponderance of  the
evidence  shall  grant such relief as the court determines is
appropriate.  In  any  instance  where  a   school   district
willfully   disregards  applicable  regulations  or  statutes
regarding  a  child  covered  by  this  Article,  and   which
disregard  has  been  detrimental  to  the  child, the school
district shall be liable for any reasonable  attorney's  fees
incurred  by  the  parent  or  guardian  in  connection  with
proceedings under this Section.
    (l)  During  the  pendency  of  any proceedings conducted
pursuant to this Section, unless the State Superintendent  of
Education, or the school district and the parents or guardian
otherwise agree, the student shall remain in the then current
educational  placement  of  such  student, or if applying for
initial admission to the school  district,  shall,  with  the
consent  of  the parents or guardian, be placed in the school
district  program  until  all  such  proceedings  have   been
completed.   The  costs for any special education and related
services or placement incurred following 60 school days after
the initial request for evaluation  shall  be  borne  by  the
school   district  if  such  services  or  placement  are  in
accordance with the final determination  as  to  the  special
education  and  related  services  or placement which must be
provided to the child, provided however that in said  60  day
period there have been no delays caused by the child's parent
or guardian.
    (m)  Whenever  (i)  the parents or guardian of a child of
the type described in Section 14-1.02 are not  known  or  are
unavailable or (ii) the child is a ward of the State residing
in  a  residential  facility,  a  person shall be assigned to
serve as surrogate parent for the child in  matters  relating
to  the identification, evaluation, and educational placement
of the child and the provision of a free  appropriate  public
education  to the child.  Surrogate parents shall be assigned
by the State Superintendent of Education.  The State Board of
Education shall promulgate rules and regulations establishing
qualifications of such persons and their responsibilities and
the procedures to be followed  in  making  such  assignments.
Such  surrogate  parents shall not be employees of the school
district, an agency created by joint agreement under  Section
10-22.31,  an agency involved in the education or care of the
student, or the State Board of Education.  For a child who is
a ward of the State residing in a residential  facility,  the
surrogate  parent  may  be  an employee of a nonpublic agency
that provides only non-educational care.    Services  of  any
person  assigned  as  surrogate parent shall terminate if the
parent  or  guardian  becomes  available   unless   otherwise
requested  by  the  parents or guardian.  The assignment of a
person as surrogate parent at no time supersedes, terminates,
or  suspends  the  parents'  or  guardian's  legal  authority
relative to the child.   Any  person  participating  in  good
faith  as  surrogate  parent  on  behalf  of the child before
school officials or a hearing  officer  shall  have  immunity
from  civil or criminal liability that otherwise might result
by reason of such participation, except in cases  of  willful
and wanton misconduct.
    (n)  At  all  stages  of  the hearing the hearing officer
shall require that interpreters  be  made  available  by  the
local school district for persons who are deaf or for persons
whose normally spoken language is other than English.
    (o)  Whenever   a  person  refuses  to  comply  with  any
subpoena issued under this Section, the circuit court of  the
county  in  which  such hearing is pending, on application of
the State  Superintendent  of  Education  or  the  party  who
requested  issuance  of  the subpoena may compel obedience by
attachment proceedings as for  contempt,  as  in  a  case  of
disobedience  of  the  requirements  of  a subpoena from such
court for refusal to testify therein.
(Source: P.A. 91-784, eff. 6-9-00.)

    Section 90.  The State Mandates Act is amended by  adding
Section 8.27 as follows:
    (30 ILCS 805/8.27 new)
    Sec.  8.27.  Exempt  mandate.  Notwithstanding Sections 6
and 8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is  required
for  the  implementation  of  any  mandate  created  by  this
amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly.

    Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.

Effective Date: 7/22/2003