100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB4597

 

Introduced , by Rep. Anna Moeller

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/27-8.1  from Ch. 122, par. 27-8.1

    Amends the School Code. Provides that all children in kindergarten and the second, sixth, and ninth grades (rather than all children in kindergarten and the second and sixth grades) of any public, private, or parochial school shall have a dental examination. Provides that all children, regardless of grade level, shall have a dental examination immediately prior to or upon enrolling for the first time in any public, private, parochial, or nursery school. Sets forth additional information that a school must report to the State Board of Education with respect to children receiving a required dental examination.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
527-8.1 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/27-8.1)  (from Ch. 122, par. 27-8.1)
7    Sec. 27-8.1. Health examinations and immunizations.
8    (1) In compliance with rules and regulations which the
9Department of Public Health shall promulgate, and except as
10hereinafter provided, all children in Illinois shall have a
11health examination as follows: within one year prior to
12entering kindergarten or the first grade of any public,
13private, or parochial elementary school; upon entering the
14sixth and ninth grades of any public, private, or parochial
15school; prior to entrance into any public, private, or
16parochial nursery school; and, irrespective of grade,
17immediately prior to or upon entrance into any public, private,
18or parochial school or nursery school, each child shall present
19proof of having been examined in accordance with this Section
20and the rules and regulations promulgated hereunder. Any child
21who received a health examination within one year prior to
22entering the fifth grade for the 2007-2008 school year is not
23required to receive an additional health examination in order

 

 

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1to comply with the provisions of Public Act 95-422 when he or
2she attends school for the 2008-2009 school year, unless the
3child is attending school for the first time as provided in
4this paragraph.
5    A tuberculosis skin test screening shall be included as a
6required part of each health examination included under this
7Section if the child resides in an area designated by the
8Department of Public Health as having a high incidence of
9tuberculosis. Additional health examinations of pupils,
10including eye examinations, may be required when deemed
11necessary by school authorities. Parents are encouraged to have
12their children undergo eye examinations at the same points in
13time required for health examinations.
14    (1.5) In compliance with rules adopted by the Department of
15Public Health and except as otherwise provided in this Section,
16all children in kindergarten and the second, and sixth, and
17ninth grades of any public, private, or parochial school shall
18have a dental examination. All children, regardless of grade
19level, shall have a dental examination immediately prior to or
20upon enrolling for the first time in any public, private,
21parochial, or nursery school. Each of these children shall
22present proof of having been examined by a dentist in
23accordance with this Section and rules adopted under this
24Section before May 15th of the school year. If a child in the
25second, or sixth, or ninth grade fails to present proof by May
2615th, the school may hold the child's report card until one of

 

 

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1the following occurs: (i) the child presents proof of a
2completed dental examination or (ii) the child presents proof
3that a dental examination will take place within 60 days after
4May 15th. The Department of Public Health shall establish, by
5rule, a waiver for children who show an undue burden or a lack
6of access to a dentist. Each public, private, and parochial,
7and nursery school must give notice of this dental examination
8requirement to the parents and guardians of students at least
960 days before May 15th of each school year.
10    (1.10) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, all
11children enrolling in kindergarten in a public, private, or
12parochial school on or after January 1, 2008 (the effective
13date of Public Act 95-671) this amendatory Act of the 95th
14General Assembly and any student enrolling for the first time
15in a public, private, or parochial school on or after January
161, 2008 (the effective date of Public Act 95-671) this
17amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly shall have an eye
18examination. Each of these children shall present proof of
19having been examined by a physician licensed to practice
20medicine in all of its branches or a licensed optometrist
21within the previous year, in accordance with this Section and
22rules adopted under this Section, before October 15th of the
23school year. If the child fails to present proof by October
2415th, the school may hold the child's report card until one of
25the following occurs: (i) the child presents proof of a
26completed eye examination or (ii) the child presents proof that

 

 

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1an eye examination will take place within 60 days after October
215th. The Department of Public Health shall establish, by rule,
3a waiver for children who show an undue burden or a lack of
4access to a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of
5its branches who provides eye examinations or to a licensed
6optometrist. Each public, private, and parochial school must
7give notice of this eye examination requirement to the parents
8and guardians of students in compliance with rules of the
9Department of Public Health. Nothing in this Section shall be
10construed to allow a school to exclude a child from attending
11because of a parent's or guardian's failure to obtain an eye
12examination for the child.
13    (2) The Department of Public Health shall promulgate rules
14and regulations specifying the examinations and procedures
15that constitute a health examination, which shall include an
16age-appropriate developmental screening, an age-appropriate
17social and emotional screening, and the collection of data
18relating to asthma and obesity (including at a minimum, date of
19birth, gender, height, weight, blood pressure, and date of
20exam), and a dental examination and may recommend by rule that
21certain additional examinations be performed. The rules and
22regulations of the Department of Public Health shall specify
23that a tuberculosis skin test screening shall be included as a
24required part of each health examination included under this
25Section if the child resides in an area designated by the
26Department of Public Health as having a high incidence of

 

 

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1tuberculosis. With respect to the developmental screening and
2the social and emotional screening, the Department of Public
3Health must develop rules and appropriate revisions to the
4Child Health Examination form in conjunction with a statewide
5organization representing school boards; a statewide
6organization representing pediatricians; statewide
7organizations representing individuals holding Illinois
8educator licenses with school support personnel endorsements,
9including school social workers, school psychologists, and
10school nurses; a statewide organization representing
11children's mental health experts; a statewide organization
12representing school principals; the Director of Healthcare and
13Family Services or his or her designee, the State
14Superintendent of Education or his or her designee; and
15representatives of other appropriate State agencies and, at a
16minimum, must recommend the use of validated screening tools
17appropriate to the child's age or grade, and, with regard to
18the social and emotional screening, require recording only
19whether or not the screening was completed. The rules shall
20take into consideration the screening recommendations of the
21American Academy of Pediatrics and must be consistent with the
22State Board of Education's social and emotional learning
23standards. The Department of Public Health shall specify that a
24diabetes screening as defined by rule shall be included as a
25required part of each health examination. Diabetes testing is
26not required.

 

 

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1    Physicians licensed to practice medicine in all of its
2branches, licensed advanced practice registered nurses, or
3licensed physician assistants shall be responsible for the
4performance of the health examinations, other than dental
5examinations, eye examinations, and vision and hearing
6screening, and shall sign all report forms required by
7subsection (4) of this Section that pertain to those portions
8of the health examination for which the physician, advanced
9practice registered nurse, or physician assistant is
10responsible. If a registered nurse performs any part of a
11health examination, then a physician licensed to practice
12medicine in all of its branches must review and sign all
13required report forms. Licensed dentists shall perform all
14dental examinations and shall sign all report forms required by
15subsection (4) of this Section that pertain to the dental
16examinations. Physicians licensed to practice medicine in all
17its branches or licensed optometrists shall perform all eye
18examinations required by this Section and shall sign all report
19forms required by subsection (4) of this Section that pertain
20to the eye examination. For purposes of this Section, an eye
21examination shall at a minimum include history, visual acuity,
22subjective refraction to best visual acuity near and far,
23internal and external examination, and a glaucoma evaluation,
24as well as any other tests or observations that in the
25professional judgment of the doctor are necessary. Vision and
26hearing screening tests, which shall not be considered

 

 

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1examinations as that term is used in this Section, shall be
2conducted in accordance with rules and regulations of the
3Department of Public Health, and by individuals whom the
4Department of Public Health has certified. In these rules and
5regulations, the Department of Public Health shall require that
6individuals conducting vision screening tests give a child's
7parent or guardian written notification, before the vision
8screening is conducted, that states, "Vision screening is not a
9substitute for a complete eye and vision evaluation by an eye
10doctor. Your child is not required to undergo this vision
11screening if an optometrist or ophthalmologist has completed
12and signed a report form indicating that an examination has
13been administered within the previous 12 months.".
14    (2.5) With respect to the developmental screening and the
15social and emotional screening portion of the health
16examination, each child may present proof of having been
17screened in accordance with this Section and the rules adopted
18under this Section before October 15th of the school year. With
19regard to the social and emotional screening only, the
20examining health care provider shall only record whether or not
21the screening was completed. If the child fails to present
22proof of the developmental screening or the social and
23emotional screening portions of the health examination by
24October 15th of the school year, qualified school support
25personnel may, with a parent's or guardian's consent, offer the
26developmental screening or the social and emotional screening

 

 

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1to the child. Each public, private, and parochial school must
2give notice of the developmental screening and social and
3emotional screening requirements to the parents and guardians
4of students in compliance with the rules of the Department of
5Public Health. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to
6allow a school to exclude a child from attending because of a
7parent's or guardian's failure to obtain a developmental
8screening or a social and emotional screening for the child.
9Once a developmental screening or a social and emotional
10screening is completed and proof has been presented to the
11school, the school may, with a parent's or guardian's consent,
12make available appropriate school personnel to work with the
13parent or guardian, the child, and the provider who signed the
14screening form to obtain any appropriate evaluations and
15services as indicated on the form and in other information and
16documentation provided by the parents, guardians, or provider.
17    (3) Every child shall, at or about the same time as he or
18she receives a health examination required by subsection (1) of
19this Section, present to the local school proof of having
20received such immunizations against preventable communicable
21diseases as the Department of Public Health shall require by
22rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this Section and
23the Communicable Disease Prevention Act.
24    (4) The individuals conducting the health examination,
25dental examination, or eye examination shall record the fact of
26having conducted the examination, and such additional

 

 

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1information as required, including for a health examination
2data relating to asthma and obesity (including at a minimum,
3date of birth, gender, height, weight, blood pressure, and date
4of exam), on uniform forms which the Department of Public
5Health and the State Board of Education shall prescribe for
6statewide use. The examiner shall summarize on the report form
7any condition that he or she suspects indicates a need for
8special services, including for a health examination factors
9relating to asthma or obesity. The duty to summarize on the
10report form does not apply to social and emotional screenings.
11The confidentiality of the information and records relating to
12the developmental screening and the social and emotional
13screening shall be determined by the statutes, rules, and
14professional ethics governing the type of provider conducting
15the screening. The individuals confirming the administration
16of required immunizations shall record as indicated on the form
17that the immunizations were administered.
18    (5) If a child does not submit proof of having had either
19the health examination or the immunization as required, then
20the child shall be examined or receive the immunization, as the
21case may be, and present proof by October 15 of the current
22school year, or by an earlier date of the current school year
23established by a school district. To establish a date before
24October 15 of the current school year for the health
25examination or immunization as required, a school district must
26give notice of the requirements of this Section 60 days prior

 

 

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1to the earlier established date. If for medical reasons one or
2more of the required immunizations must be given after October
315 of the current school year, or after an earlier established
4date of the current school year, then the child shall present,
5by October 15, or by the earlier established date, a schedule
6for the administration of the immunizations and a statement of
7the medical reasons causing the delay, both the schedule and
8the statement being issued by the physician, advanced practice
9registered nurse, physician assistant, registered nurse, or
10local health department that will be responsible for
11administration of the remaining required immunizations. If a
12child does not comply by October 15, or by the earlier
13established date of the current school year, with the
14requirements of this subsection, then the local school
15authority shall exclude that child from school until such time
16as the child presents proof of having had the health
17examination as required and presents proof of having received
18those required immunizations which are medically possible to
19receive immediately. During a child's exclusion from school for
20noncompliance with this subsection, the child's parents or
21legal guardian shall be considered in violation of Section 26-1
22and subject to any penalty imposed by Section 26-10. This
23subsection (5) does not apply to dental examinations, eye
24examinations, and the developmental screening and the social
25and emotional screening portions of the health examination. If
26the student is an out-of-state transfer student and does not

 

 

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1have the proof required under this subsection (5) before
2October 15 of the current year or whatever date is set by the
3school district, then he or she may only attend classes (i) if
4he or she has proof that an appointment for the required
5vaccinations has been scheduled with a party authorized to
6submit proof of the required vaccinations. If the proof of
7vaccination required under this subsection (5) is not submitted
8within 30 days after the student is permitted to attend
9classes, then the student is not to be permitted to attend
10classes until proof of the vaccinations has been properly
11submitted. No school district or employee of a school district
12shall be held liable for any injury or illness to another
13person that results from admitting an out-of-state transfer
14student to class that has an appointment scheduled pursuant to
15this subsection (5).
16    (6) Every school shall report to the State Board of
17Education by November 15, in the manner which that agency shall
18require, the number of children who have received the necessary
19immunizations and the health examination (other than a dental
20examination or eye examination) as required, indicating, of
21those who have not received the immunizations and examination
22as required, the number of children who are exempt from health
23examination and immunization requirements on religious or
24medical grounds as provided in subsection (8). On or before
25December 1 of each year, every public school district and
26registered nonpublic school shall make publicly available the

 

 

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1immunization data they are required to submit to the State
2Board of Education by November 15. The immunization data made
3publicly available must be identical to the data the school
4district or school has reported to the State Board of
5Education.
6    Every school shall report to the State Board of Education
7by June 30, in the manner that the State Board requires, the
8number of children enrolled and the number of children who have
9received the required dental examination, indicating, of those
10children, the number with or without dental sealants, with or
11without dental caries experience, and with or without untreated
12decay and the number of children with urgent dental treatment
13needs. Of those children who have not received the required
14dental examination, the school shall report the number of
15children who have not received the required dental examination,
16indicating, of those children, the number of children with
17scheduled appointments, the number of children who are exempt
18from the dental examination on medical or disability grounds or
19on religious grounds as provided in subsection (8) of this
20Section, and the number of children who have received a waiver
21under subsection (1.5) of this Section.
22    Every school shall report to the State Board of Education
23by June 30, in the manner that the State Board requires, the
24number of children who have received the required eye
25examination, indicating, of those who have not received the
26required eye examination, the number of children who are exempt

 

 

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1from the eye examination as provided in subsection (8) of this
2Section, the number of children who have received a waiver
3under subsection (1.10) of this Section, and the total number
4of children in noncompliance with the eye examination
5requirement.
6    The reported information under this subsection (6) shall be
7provided to the Department of Public Health by the State Board
8of Education.
9    (7) Upon determining that the number of pupils who are
10required to be in compliance with subsection (5) of this
11Section is below 90% of the number of pupils enrolled in the
12school district, 10% of each State aid payment made pursuant to
13Section 18-8.05 or 18-8.15 to the school district for such year
14may be withheld by the State Board of Education until the
15number of students in compliance with subsection (5) is the
16applicable specified percentage or higher.
17    (8) Children of parents or legal guardians who object to
18health, dental, or eye examinations or any part thereof, to
19immunizations, or to vision and hearing screening tests on
20religious grounds shall not be required to undergo the
21examinations, tests, or immunizations to which they so object
22if such parents or legal guardians present to the appropriate
23local school authority a signed Certificate of Religious
24Exemption detailing the grounds for objection and the specific
25immunizations, tests, or examinations to which they object. The
26grounds for objection must set forth the specific religious

 

 

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1belief that conflicts with the examination, test,
2immunization, or other medical intervention. The signed
3certificate shall also reflect the parent's or legal guardian's
4understanding of the school's exclusion policies in the case of
5a vaccine-preventable disease outbreak or exposure. The
6certificate must also be signed by the authorized examining
7health care provider responsible for the performance of the
8child's health examination confirming that the provider
9provided education to the parent or legal guardian on the
10benefits of immunization and the health risks to the student
11and to the community of the communicable diseases for which
12immunization is required in this State. However, the health
13care provider's signature on the certificate reflects only that
14education was provided and does not allow a health care
15provider grounds to determine a religious exemption. Those
16receiving immunizations required under this Code shall be
17provided with the relevant vaccine information statements that
18are required to be disseminated by the federal National
19Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, which may contain
20information on circumstances when a vaccine should not be
21administered, prior to administering a vaccine. A healthcare
22provider may consider including without limitation the
23nationally accepted recommendations from federal agencies such
24as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the
25information outlined in the relevant vaccine information
26statement, and vaccine package inserts, along with the

 

 

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1healthcare provider's clinical judgment, to determine whether
2any child may be more susceptible to experiencing an adverse
3vaccine reaction than the general population, and, if so, the
4healthcare provider may exempt the child from an immunization
5or adopt an individualized immunization schedule. The
6Certificate of Religious Exemption shall be created by the
7Department of Public Health and shall be made available and
8used by parents and legal guardians by the beginning of the
92015-2016 school year. Parents or legal guardians must submit
10the Certificate of Religious Exemption to their local school
11authority prior to entering kindergarten, sixth grade, and
12ninth grade for each child for which they are requesting an
13exemption. The religious objection stated need not be directed
14by the tenets of an established religious organization.
15However, general philosophical or moral reluctance to allow
16physical examinations, eye examinations, immunizations, vision
17and hearing screenings, or dental examinations does not provide
18a sufficient basis for an exception to statutory requirements.
19The local school authority is responsible for determining if
20the content of the Certificate of Religious Exemption
21constitutes a valid religious objection. The local school
22authority shall inform the parent or legal guardian of
23exclusion procedures, in accordance with the Department's
24rules under Part 690 of Title 77 of the Illinois Administrative
25Code, at the time the objection is presented.
26    If the physical condition of the child is such that any one

 

 

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1or more of the immunizing agents should not be administered,
2the examining physician, advanced practice registered nurse,
3or physician assistant responsible for the performance of the
4health examination shall endorse that fact upon the health
5examination form.
6    Exempting a child from the health, dental, or eye
7examination does not exempt the child from participation in the
8program of physical education training provided in Sections
927-5 through 27-7 of this Code.
10    (9) For the purposes of this Section, "nursery schools"
11means those nursery schools operated by elementary school
12systems or secondary level school units or institutions of
13higher learning.
14(Source: P.A. 99-173, eff. 7-29-15; 99-249, eff. 8-3-15;
1599-642, eff. 7-28-16; 99-927, eff. 6-1-17; 100-238, eff.
161-1-18; 100-465, eff. 8-31-17; 100-513, eff. 1-1-18; revised
179-22-17.)