(110 ILCS 70/36s) (from Ch. 24 1/2, par. 38b18)

Sec. 36s. Supported employees.

(a) The Merit Board shall develop and implement a supported employment program.

(b) The Merit Board shall designate a liaison to work with State agencies and departments, any funder or provider or both, and State universities in the implementation of a supported employment program.

(c) As used in this Section:

(1) "Supported employee" means any individual who:

(A) has a severe physical or mental disability which seriously limits functional capacities, including but not limited to, mobility, communication, self-care, self-direction, work tolerance or work skills, in terms of employability as defined, determined and certified by the Department of Human Services; and

(B) has one or more physical or mental disabilities resulting from amputation; arthritis; blindness; cancer; cerebral palsy; cystic fibrosis; deafness; heart disease; hemiplegia; respiratory or pulmonary dysfunction; an intellectual disability; mental illness; multiple sclerosis; muscular dystrophy; musculoskeletal disorders; neurological disorders, including stroke and epilepsy; paraplegia; quadriplegia and other spinal cord conditions; sickle cell anemia; and end-stage renal disease; or another disability or combination of disabilities determined on the basis of an evaluation of rehabilitation potential to cause comparable substantial functional limitation.

(2) "Supported employment" means competitive work in integrated work settings:

(A) for individuals with severe disabilities for whom competitive employment has not traditionally occurred, or

(B) for individuals for whom competitive employment has been interrupted or intermittent as a result of a severe disability, and who because of their disability, need on-going support services to perform such work. The term includes transitional employment for individuals with chronic mental illness.

(3) "Participation in a supported employee program" means participation as a supported employee that is not based on the expectation that an individual will have the skills to perform all the duties in a job class, but on the assumption that with support and adaptation, or both, a job can be designed to take advantage of the supported employee's special strengths.

(4) "Funder" means any entity either State, local or federal, or private not-for-profit or for-profit that provides monies to programs that provide services related to supported employment.

(5) "Provider" means any entity either public or private that provides technical support and services to any department or agency subject to the control of the Governor, the Secretary of State or the University System.

(d) The Merit Board shall establish job classifications for supported employees who may be appointed into the classifications without open competitive testing requirements. Supported employees shall serve in a trial employment capacity for not less than 3 or more than 12 months.

(e) The Merit Board shall maintain a record of all individuals hired as supported employees. The record shall include:

(1) the number of supported employees initially appointed;

(2) the number of supported employees who successfully complete the trial employment periods; and

(3) the number of permanent targeted positions by titles.

(f) The Merit Board shall submit an annual report to the General Assembly regarding the employment progress of supported employees, with recommendations for legislative action.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15; 100-615, eff. 1-1-19.)