HB4908 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB101 16671 KTG 66058 b

101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB4908

Introduced 2/18/2020, by Rep. Deb Conroy

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

325 ILCS 20/4	from Ch. 23, par. 4154
325 ILCS 20/13.32

Amends the Early Intervention Services System Act. Provides that the Illinois Interagency Council on Early Intervention shall be composed of at least 20 but not more than 35 (rather than 30) members. Provides that the Council shall include: one member who is a representative of the Child Care Assistance Program; and one member who is a representative of the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program authorized under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. In a provision permitting the Department of Human Services to enter into contracts for some or all of its responsibilities under the Act, removes language requiring such contracts to be subject to a request for proposals as described in the Illinois Procurement Code and to be posted on the early intervention website maintained by the Department during the entire bid period. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning children.

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

Section 5. The Early Intervention Services System Act is amended by changing Sections 4 and 13.32 as follows:

(325 ILCS 20/4) (from Ch. 23, par. 4154)

Sec. 4. Illinois Interagency Council on Early Intervention.

(a) There is established the Illinois Interagency Council on Early Intervention. The Council shall be composed of at least 20 but not more than 35 30 members. The members of the Council and the designated chairperson of the Council shall be appointed by the Governor. The Council member representing the lead agency may not serve as chairperson of the Council. The Council shall be composed of the following members:

(1) The Secretary of Human Services (or his or her designee) and 2 additional representatives of the Department of Human Services designated by the Secretary, plus the Directors (or their designees) of the following State agencies involved in the provision of or payment for early intervention services to eligible infants and toddlers and their families:

(A) Department of Insurance; and

(B) Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

(2) Other members as follows:

(A) At least 20% of the members of the Council shall be parents, including minority parents, of infants or toddlers with disabilities or children with disabilities aged 12 or younger, with knowledge of, or experience with, programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities. At least one such member shall be a parent of an infant or toddler with a disability or a child with a disability aged 6 or younger;

(B) At least 20% of the members of the Council shall be public or private providers of early intervention services;

(C) One member shall be a representative of the General Assembly;

(D) One member shall be involved in the preparation of professional personnel to serve infants and toddlers similar to those eligible for services under this Act;

(E) Two members shall be from advocacy organizations with expertise in improving health, development, and educational outcomes for infants and toddlers with disabilities;

(F) One member shall be a Child and Family Connections manager from a rural district;

(G) One member shall be a Child and Family Connections manager from an urban district;

(H) One member shall be the co-chair of the Illinois Early Learning Council (or his or her designee); and

(I) One member shall be a representative of the Child Care Assistance Program;

(J) One member shall be a representative of the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program authorized under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act; and

(K) (I) Members representing the following agencies or entities: the State Board of Education; the Department of Public Health; the Department of Children and Family Services; the University of Illinois Division of Specialized Care for Children; the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities; Head Start or Early Head Start; and the Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health. A member may represent one or more of the listed agencies or entities.

The Council shall meet at least quarterly and in such places as it deems necessary. Terms of the initial members appointed under paragraph (2) shall be determined by lot at the first Council meeting as follows: of the persons appointed under subparagraphs (A) and (B), one-third shall serve one year terms, one-third shall serve 2 year terms, and one-third shall serve 3 year terms; and of the persons appointed under subparagraphs (C) and (D), one shall serve a 2 year term and one shall serve a 3 year term. Thereafter, successors appointed under paragraph (2) shall serve 3 year terms. Once appointed, members shall continue to serve until their successors are appointed. No member shall be appointed to serve more than 2 consecutive terms.

Council members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for reasonable costs incurred in the performance of their duties, including costs related to child care, and parents may be paid a stipend in accordance with applicable requirements.

The Council shall prepare and approve a budget using funds appropriated for the purpose to hire staff, and obtain the services of such professional, technical, and clerical personnel as may be necessary to carry out its functions under this Act. This funding support and staff shall be directed by the lead agency.

(b) The Council shall:

(1) advise and assist the lead agency in the performance of its responsibilities including but not limited to the identification of sources of fiscal and other support services for early intervention programs, and the promotion of interagency agreements which assign financial responsibility to the appropriate agencies;

(2) advise and assist the lead agency in the preparation of applications and amendments to applications;

(3) review and advise on relevant regulations and standards proposed by the related State agencies;

(4) advise and assist the lead agency in the development, implementation and evaluation of the comprehensive early intervention services system;

(4.5) coordinate and collaborate with State interagency early learning initiatives, as appropriate; and

(5) prepare and submit an annual report to the Governor and to the General Assembly on the status of early intervention programs for eligible infants and toddlers and their families in Illinois. The annual report shall include (i) the estimated number of eligible infants and toddlers in this State, (ii) the number of eligible infants and toddlers who have received services under this Act and the cost of providing those services, and (iii) the estimated cost of providing services under this Act to all eligible infants and toddlers in this State. The report shall be posted by the lead agency on the early intervention website as required under paragraph (f) of Section 5 of this Act.

No member of the Council shall cast a vote on or participate substantially in any matter which would provide a direct financial benefit to that member or otherwise give the appearance of a conflict of interest under State law. All provisions and reporting requirements of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act shall apply to Council members.

(Source: P.A. 97-902, eff. 8-6-12; 98-41, eff. 6-28-13.)

(325 ILCS 20/13.32)

Sec. 13.32. Contracting. The lead agency may enter into contracts for some or all of its responsibilities under this Act, including but not limited to, credentialing and enrolling providers; training under Section 13.30; maintaining a central billing office; data collection and analysis; establishing and maintaining a computerized case management system accessible to local referral offices and providers; creating and maintaining a system for provider credentialing and enrollment; creating and maintaining the central directory required under subsection (g) of Section 7 of this Act; and program operations. If contracted, the contract shall be subject to a public request for proposals as described in the Illinois Procurement Code, notwithstanding any exemptions or alternative processes that may be allowed for such a contract under that Code, and, in addition to the posting requirements under that Code, shall be posted on the early intervention website maintained by the lead agency during the entire bid period. With the exception of contracts with or grants to regional intake entities, any of these listed responsibilities currently under contract or grant that have not met these requirements shall be subject to public bid under this request for proposal process no later than July 1, 2002 or the date of termination of any contract in place. Contracts with or grants to regional intake entities must be made subject to public bid under a request for proposals process no later than July 1, 2005.

(Source: P.A. 92-307, eff. 8-9-01; 93-147, eff. 1-1-04.)

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