Public Act 093-0946
 
HB0752 Enrolled LRB093 05409 NHT 05499 b

    AN ACT relating to schools.
 
    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
27-8.1 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/27-8.1)  (from Ch. 122, par. 27-8.1)
    Sec. 27-8.1. Health examinations and immunizations.
    (1) In compliance with rules and regulations which the
Department of Public Health shall promulgate, and except as
hereinafter provided, all children in Illinois shall have a
health examination as follows: within one year prior to
entering kindergarten or the first grade of any public,
private, or parochial elementary school; upon entering the
fifth and ninth grades of any public, private, or parochial
school; prior to entrance into any public, private, or
parochial nursery school; and, irrespective of grade,
immediately prior to or upon entrance into any public, private,
or parochial school or nursery school, each child shall present
proof of having been examined in accordance with this Section
and the rules and regulations promulgated hereunder.
    A tuberculosis skin test screening shall be included as a
required part of each health examination included under this
Section if the child resides in an area designated by the
Department of Public Health as having a high incidence of
tuberculosis. Additional health examinations of pupils,
including dental and vision examinations, may be required when
deemed necessary by school authorities. Parents are encouraged
to have their children undergo dental and vision examinations
at the same points in time required for health examinations.
    (1.5) In compliance with rules adopted by the Department of
Public Health and except as otherwise provided in this Section,
all children in kindergarten and the second and sixth grades of
any public, private, or parochial school shall have a dental
examination. Each of these children shall present proof of
having been examined by a dentist in accordance with this
Section and rules adopted under this Section before May 15th of
the school year. If a child in the second or sixth grade fails
to present proof by May 15th, the school may hold the child's
report card until one of the following occurs: (i) the child
presents proof of a completed dental examination or (ii) the
child presents proof that a dental examination will take place
within 60 days after May 15th. The Department of Public Health
shall establish, by rule, a waiver for children who show an
undue burden or a lack of access to a dentist. Each public,
private, and parochial school must give notice of this dental
examination requirement to the parents and guardians of
students at least 60 days before May 15th of each school year.
    (2) The Department of Public Health shall promulgate rules
and regulations specifying the examinations and procedures
that constitute a health examination and a dental examination
and may recommend by rule that certain additional examinations
be performed. The rules and regulations of the Department of
Public Health shall specify that a tuberculosis skin test
screening shall be included as a required part of each health
examination included under this Section if the child resides in
an area designated by the Department of Public Health as having
a high incidence of tuberculosis. The Department of Public
Health shall specify that a diabetes screening as defined by
rule shall be included as a required part of each health
examination. Diabetes testing is not required.
    Physicians licensed to practice medicine in all of its
branches, advanced practice nurses who have a written
collaborative agreement with a collaborating physician which
authorizes them to perform health examinations, or physician
assistants who have been delegated the performance of health
examinations by their supervising physician shall be
responsible for the performance of the health examinations,
other than dental examinations and vision and hearing
screening, and shall sign all report forms required by
subsection (4) of this Section that pertain to those portions
of the health examination for which the physician, advanced
practice nurse, or physician assistant is responsible. If a
registered nurse performs any part of a health examination,
then a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its
branches must review and sign all required report forms.
Licensed dentists shall perform all dental examinations and
shall sign all report forms required by subsection (4) of this
Section that pertain to the dental examinations. Physicians
licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, or licensed
optometrists, shall perform all vision exams required by school
authorities and shall sign all report forms required by
subsection (4) of this Section that pertain to the vision exam.
Vision and hearing screening tests, which shall not be
considered examinations as that term is used in this Section,
shall be conducted in accordance with rules and regulations of
the Department of Public Health, and by individuals whom the
Department of Public Health has certified. In these rules and
regulations, the Department of Public Health shall require that
individuals conducting vision screening tests give a child's
parent or guardian written notification, before the vision
screening is conducted, that states, "Vision screening is not a
substitute for a complete eye and vision evaluation by an eye
doctor. Your child is not required to undergo this vision
screening if an optometrist or ophthalmologist has completed
and signed a report form indicating that an examination has
been administered within the previous 12 months."
    (3) Every child shall, at or about the same time as he or
she receives a health examination required by subsection (1) of
this Section, present to the local school proof of having
received such immunizations against preventable communicable
diseases as the Department of Public Health shall require by
rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this Section and
the Communicable Disease Prevention Act.
    (4) The individuals conducting the health examination or
dental examination shall record the fact of having conducted
the examination, and such additional information as required,
on uniform forms which the Department of Public Health and the
State Board of Education shall prescribe for statewide use. The
examiner shall summarize on the report form any condition that
he or she suspects indicates a need for special services. The
individuals confirming the administration of required
immunizations shall record as indicated on the form that the
immunizations were administered.
    (5) If a child does not submit proof of having had either
the health examination or the immunization as required, then
the child shall be examined or receive the immunization, as the
case may be, and present proof by October 15 of the current
school year, or by an earlier date of the current school year
established by a school district. To establish a date before
October 15 of the current school year for the health
examination or immunization as required, a school district must
give notice of the requirements of this Section 60 days prior
to the earlier established date. If for medical reasons one or
more of the required immunizations must be given after October
15 of the current school year, or after an earlier established
date of the current school year, then the child shall present,
by October 15, or by the earlier established date, a schedule
for the administration of the immunizations and a statement of
the medical reasons causing the delay, both the schedule and
the statement being issued by the physician, advanced practice
nurse, physician assistant, registered nurse, or local health
department that will be responsible for administration of the
remaining required immunizations. If a child does not comply by
October 15, or by the earlier established date of the current
school year, with the requirements of this subsection, then the
local school authority shall exclude that child from school
until such time as the child presents proof of having had the
health examination as required and presents proof of having
received those required immunizations which are medically
possible to receive immediately. During a child's exclusion
from school for noncompliance with this subsection, the child's
parents or legal guardian shall be considered in violation of
Section 26-1 and subject to any penalty imposed by Section
26-10. This subsection (5) does not apply to dental
examinations.
    (6) Every school shall report to the State Board of
Education by November 15, in the manner which that agency shall
require, the number of children who have received the necessary
immunizations and the health examination (other than a dental
examination) as required, indicating, of those who have not
received the immunizations and examination as required, the
number of children who are exempt from health examination and
immunization requirements on religious or medical grounds as
provided in subsection (8). Every school shall report to the
State Board of Education by June 30, in the manner that the
State Board requires, the number of children who have received
the required dental examination, indicating, of those who have
not received the required dental examination, the number of
children who are exempt from the dental examination on
religious grounds as provided in subsection (8) of this Section
and the number of children who have received a waiver under
subsection (1.5) of this Section. This reported information
shall be provided to the Department of Public Health by the
State Board of Education.
    (7) Upon determining that the number of pupils who are
required to be in compliance with subsection (5) of this
Section is below 90% of the number of pupils enrolled in the
school district, 10% of each State aid payment made pursuant to
Section 18-8.05 18-8 to the school district for such year shall
be withheld by the regional superintendent until the number of
students in compliance with subsection (5) is the applicable
specified percentage or higher.
    (8) Parents or legal guardians who object to health or
dental examinations or any part thereof, or to immunizations,
on religious grounds shall not be required to submit their
children or wards to the examinations or immunizations to which
they so object if such parents or legal guardians present to
the appropriate local school authority a signed statement of
objection, detailing the grounds for the objection. If the
physical condition of the child is such that any one or more of
the immunizing agents should not be administered, the examining
physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant
responsible for the performance of the health examination shall
endorse that fact upon the health examination form. Exempting a
child from the health or dental examination does not exempt the
child from participation in the program of physical education
training provided in Sections 27-5 through 27-7 of this Code.
    (9) For the purposes of this Section, "nursery schools"
means those nursery schools operated by elementary school
systems or secondary level school units or institutions of
higher learning.
(Source: P.A. 92-703, eff. 7-19-02; 93-504, eff. 1-1-04;
93-530, eff. 1-1-04; revised 9-11-03.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
2005.