HB2856 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB097 08477 KTG 51235 b

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB2856

Introduced 2/22/2011, by Rep. Raymond Poe

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

325 ILCS 20/10

from Ch. 23, par. 4160

Amends the Early Intervention Services System Act. Requires the Department of Human Services, or an entity designated by the Department, to develop and maintain an updated list of all of the State-approved public or private early intervention service providers in each local service area. Provides that the list shall be available on the Department or designated entity's website to allow free access to the list by eligible children and their families. Further provides that the list shall not include any information which would lead to preferential selection of any provider or group of providers over other providers, and that providers may not be included on the list of approved providers if, within the preceding 5 years, the provider has been a service coordinator of a local regional intake entity in a local service area. 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 Section 10 as follows:

(325 ILCS 20/10) (from Ch. 23, par. 4160)

Sec. 10. Standards. The Council and the lead agency, with assistance from parents and providers, shall develop and promulgate policies and procedures relating to the establishment and implementation of program and personnel standards to ensure that services provided are consistent with any State-approved or recognized certification, licensing, registration, or other comparable requirements which apply to the area of early intervention program service standards. Only State-approved public or private early intervention service providers shall be eligible to receive State and federal funding for early intervention services. All early childhood intervention staff shall hold the highest entry requirement necessary for that position.

The lead agency, or an entity designated by the lead agency, shall develop and maintain an updated list of all of the State-approved public or private early intervention service providers in each local service area. This list shall be available on the lead agency or designated entity's website and shall also be available in any other manner as determined by the lead agency or designated entity to allow free access to the list by eligible children and their families. The list shall not include any information which would lead to preferential selection of any provider or group of providers over other providers. Providers may not be included on the list of approved providers if, within the preceding 5 years, the provider has been a service coordinator of a local regional intake entity in a local service area.

To be a State-approved early intervention service provider, an individual (i) shall not have served or completed, within the preceding 5 years, a sentence for conviction of any felony that the Department establishes by rule and (ii) shall not have been indicated as a perpetrator of child abuse or neglect, within the preceding 5 years, in an investigation by Illinois (pursuant to the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act) or another state. The Department is authorized to receive criminal background checks for such providers and persons applying to be such a provider and to receive child abuse and neglect reports regarding indicated perpetrators who are applying to provide or currently authorized to provide early intervention services in Illinois. Beginning January 1, 2004, every provider of State-approved early intervention services and every applicant to provide such services must authorize, in writing and in the form required by the Department, a criminal background check and check of child abuse and neglect reports regarding the provider or applicant as a condition of authorization to provide early intervention services. The Department shall use the results of the checks only to determine State approval of the early intervention service provider and shall not re-release the information except as necessary to accomplish that purpose.

(Source: P.A. 93-147, eff. 1-1-04.)

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