HB4242 EnrolledLRB102 19896 KTG 28672 b

1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Children and Family Services Act is amended
5by changing Section 5a as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 505/5a)  (from Ch. 23, par. 5005a)
7    Sec. 5a. Reimbursable services for which the Department of
8Children and Family Services shall pay 100% of the reasonable
9cost pursuant to a written contract negotiated between the
10Department and the agency furnishing the services (which shall
11include but not be limited to the determination of reasonable
12cost, the services being purchased and the duration of the
13agreement) include, but are not limited to:
 
14SERVICE ACTIVITIES
15    Adjunctive Therapy;
16    Child Care Service, including day care;
17    Clinical Therapy;
18    Custodial Service;
19    Field Work Students;
20    Food Service;
21    Normal Education;
22    In-Service Training;

 

 

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1    Intake or Evaluation, or both;
2    Medical Services;
3    Recreation;
4    Social Work or Counselling, or both;
5    Supportive Staff;
6    Volunteers.
 
7OBJECT EXPENSES
8    Professional Fees and Contract Service Payments;
9    Supplies;
10    Telephone and Telegram;
11    Occupancy;
12    Local Transportation;
13    Equipment and Other Fixed Assets, including amortization
14        of same;
15    Miscellaneous.
 
16ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
17    Program Administration;
18    Supervision and Consultation;
19    Inspection and Monitoring for purposes of issuing
20        licenses;
21    Determination of Children who are eligible
22    for federal or other reimbursement;
23    Postage and Shipping;
24    Outside Printing, Artwork, etc.;

 

 

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1    Subscriptions and Reference Publications;
2    Management and General Expense.
3Reimbursement of administrative costs other than inspection
4and monitoring for purposes of issuing licenses may not exceed
520% of the costs for other services.
6    The Department may offer services to any child or family
7with respect to whom a report of suspected child abuse or
8neglect has been called in to the hotline after completion of a
9family assessment as provided under subsection (a-5) of
10Section 7.4 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act
11and the Department has determined that services are needed to
12address the safety of the child and other family members and
13the risk of subsequent maltreatment. Acceptance of such
14services shall be voluntary.
15    All Object Expenses, Service Activities and Administrative
16Costs are allowable.
17    If a survey instrument is used in the rate setting
18process:
19        (a) with respect to any day care centers, it shall be
20    limited to those agencies which receive reimbursement from
21    the State;
22        (b) the cost survey instrument shall be promulgated by
23    rule;
24        (c) any requirements of the respondents shall be
25    promulgated by rule;
26        (d) all screens, limits or other tests of

 

 

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1    reasonableness, allowability and reimbursability shall be
2    promulgated by rule;
3        (e) adjustments may be made by the Department to rates
4    when it determines that reported wage and salary levels
5    are insufficient to attract capable caregivers in
6    sufficient numbers.
7    The Department of Children and Family Services may pay
8100% of the reasonable costs of research and valuation focused
9exclusively on services to youth in care. Such research
10projects must be approved, in advance, by the Director of the
11Department.
12    In addition to reimbursements otherwise provided for in
13this Section, the Department of Human Services shall, in
14accordance with annual written agreements, make advance
15quarterly disbursements to local public agencies for child day
16care services with funds appropriated from the Local Effort
17Day Care Fund.
18    Neither the Department of Children and Family Services nor
19the Department of Human Services shall pay or approve
20reimbursement for day care in a facility which is operating
21without a valid license or permit, except in the case of day
22care homes or day care centers which are exempt from the
23licensing requirements of the "Child Care Act of 1969".
24    The rates paid to day care providers by the Department of
25Children and Family Services shall match the rates paid to
26child care providers by the Department of Human Services under

 

 

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1the child care assistance program, including base rates and
2any relevant rate enhancements.
3(Source: P.A. 100-159, eff. 8-18-17.)
 
4    Section 10. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
5changing Section 9A-11 as follows:
 
6    (305 ILCS 5/9A-11)  (from Ch. 23, par. 9A-11)
7    Sec. 9A-11. Child care.
8    (a) The General Assembly recognizes that families with
9children need child care in order to work. Child care is
10expensive and families with low incomes, including those who
11are transitioning from welfare to work, often struggle to pay
12the costs of day care. The General Assembly understands the
13importance of helping low-income working families become and
14remain self-sufficient. The General Assembly also believes
15that it is the responsibility of families to share in the costs
16of child care. It is also the preference of the General
17Assembly that all working poor families should be treated
18equally, regardless of their welfare status.
19    (b) To the extent resources permit, the Illinois
20Department shall provide child care services to parents or
21other relatives as defined by rule who are working or
22participating in employment or Department approved education
23or training programs. At a minimum, the Illinois Department
24shall cover the following categories of families:

 

 

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1        (1) recipients of TANF under Article IV participating
2    in work and training activities as specified in the
3    personal plan for employment and self-sufficiency;
4        (2) families transitioning from TANF to work;
5        (3) families at risk of becoming recipients of TANF;
6        (4) families with special needs as defined by rule;
7        (5) working families with very low incomes as defined
8    by rule;
9        (6) families that are not recipients of TANF and that
10    need child care assistance to participate in education and
11    training activities; and
12        (7) youth in care, as defined in Section 4d of the
13    Children and Family Services Act, who are parents,
14    regardless of income or whether they are working or
15    participating in Department-approved employment or
16    education or training programs. Any family that receives
17    child care assistance in accordance with this paragraph
18    shall receive one additional 12-month child care
19    eligibility period after the parenting youth in care's
20    case with the Department of Children and Family Services
21    is closed, regardless of income or whether the parenting
22    youth in care is working or participating in
23    Department-approved employment or education or training
24    programs;
25        (8) families receiving Extended Family Support Program
26    services from the Department of Children and Family

 

 

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1    Services, regardless of income or whether they are working
2    or participating in Department-approved employment or
3    education or training programs; and
4        (9) (7) families with children under the age of 5 who
5    have an open intact family services case with the
6    Department of Children and Family Services. Any family
7    that receives child care assistance in accordance with
8    this paragraph shall remain eligible for child care
9    assistance 6 months after the child's intact family
10    services case is closed, regardless of whether the child's
11    parents or other relatives as defined by rule are working
12    or participating in Department approved employment or
13    education or training programs. The Department of Human
14    Services, in consultation with the Department of Children
15    and Family Services, shall adopt rules to protect the
16    privacy of families who are the subject of an open intact
17    family services case when such families enroll in child
18    care services. Additional rules shall be adopted to offer
19    children who have an open intact family services case the
20    opportunity to receive an Early Intervention screening and
21    other services that their families may be eligible for as
22    provided by the Department of Human Services.
23    Beginning October 1, 2023, and every October 1 thereafter,
24the Department of Children and Family Services shall report to
25the General Assembly on the number of children who received
26child care via vouchers paid for by the Department of Children

 

 

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1and Family Services during the preceding fiscal year. The
2report shall include the ages of children who received child
3care, the type of child care they received, and the number of
4months they received child care.
5    The Department shall specify by rule the conditions of
6eligibility, the application process, and the types, amounts,
7and duration of services. Eligibility for child care benefits
8and the amount of child care provided may vary based on family
9size, income, and other factors as specified by rule.
10    The Department shall update the Child Care Assistance
11Program Eligibility Calculator posted on its website to
12include a question on whether a family is applying for child
13care assistance for the first time or is applying for a
14redetermination of eligibility.
15    A family's eligibility for child care services shall be
16redetermined no sooner than 12 months following the initial
17determination or most recent redetermination. During the
1812-month periods, the family shall remain eligible for child
19care services regardless of (i) a change in family income,
20unless family income exceeds 85% of State median income, or
21(ii) a temporary change in the ongoing status of the parents or
22other relatives, as defined by rule, as working or attending a
23job training or educational program.
24    In determining income eligibility for child care benefits,
25the Department annually, at the beginning of each fiscal year,
26shall establish, by rule, one income threshold for each family

 

 

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1size, in relation to percentage of State median income for a
2family of that size, that makes families with incomes below
3the specified threshold eligible for assistance and families
4with incomes above the specified threshold ineligible for
5assistance. Through and including fiscal year 2007, the
6specified threshold must be no less than 50% of the
7then-current State median income for each family size.
8Beginning in fiscal year 2008, the specified threshold must be
9no less than 185% of the then-current federal poverty level
10for each family size. Notwithstanding any other provision of
11law or administrative rule to the contrary, beginning in
12fiscal year 2019, the specified threshold for working families
13with very low incomes as defined by rule must be no less than
14185% of the then-current federal poverty level for each family
15size. Notwithstanding any other provision of law or
16administrative rule to the contrary, beginning in State fiscal
17year 2022, the specified income threshold shall be no less
18than 200% of the then-current federal poverty level for each
19family size.
20    In determining eligibility for assistance, the Department
21shall not give preference to any category of recipients or
22give preference to individuals based on their receipt of
23benefits under this Code.
24    Nothing in this Section shall be construed as conferring
25entitlement status to eligible families.
26    The Illinois Department is authorized to lower income

 

 

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1eligibility ceilings, raise parent co-payments, create waiting
2lists, or take such other actions during a fiscal year as are
3necessary to ensure that child care benefits paid under this
4Article do not exceed the amounts appropriated for those child
5care benefits. These changes may be accomplished by emergency
6rule under Section 5-45 of the Illinois Administrative
7Procedure Act, except that the limitation on the number of
8emergency rules that may be adopted in a 24-month period shall
9not apply.
10    The Illinois Department may contract with other State
11agencies or child care organizations for the administration of
12child care services.
13    (c) Payment shall be made for child care that otherwise
14meets the requirements of this Section and applicable
15standards of State and local law and regulation, including any
16requirements the Illinois Department promulgates by rule in
17addition to the licensure requirements promulgated by the
18Department of Children and Family Services and Fire Prevention
19and Safety requirements promulgated by the Office of the State
20Fire Marshal, and is provided in any of the following:
21        (1) a child care center which is licensed or exempt
22    from licensure pursuant to Section 2.09 of the Child Care
23    Act of 1969;
24        (2) a licensed child care home or home exempt from
25    licensing;
26        (3) a licensed group child care home;

 

 

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1        (4) other types of child care, including child care
2    provided by relatives or persons living in the same home
3    as the child, as determined by the Illinois Department by
4    rule.
5    (c-5) Solely for the purposes of coverage under the
6Illinois Public Labor Relations Act, child and day care home
7providers, including licensed and license exempt,
8participating in the Department's child care assistance
9program shall be considered to be public employees and the
10State of Illinois shall be considered to be their employer as
11of January 1, 2006 (the effective date of Public Act 94-320),
12but not before. The State shall engage in collective
13bargaining with an exclusive representative of child and day
14care home providers participating in the child care assistance
15program concerning their terms and conditions of employment
16that are within the State's control. Nothing in this
17subsection shall be understood to limit the right of families
18receiving services defined in this Section to select child and
19day care home providers or supervise them within the limits of
20this Section. The State shall not be considered to be the
21employer of child and day care home providers for any purposes
22not specifically provided in Public Act 94-320, including, but
23not limited to, purposes of vicarious liability in tort and
24purposes of statutory retirement or health insurance benefits.
25Child and day care home providers shall not be covered by the
26State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971.

 

 

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1    In according child and day care home providers and their
2selected representative rights under the Illinois Public Labor
3Relations Act, the State intends that the State action
4exemption to application of federal and State antitrust laws
5be fully available to the extent that their activities are
6authorized by Public Act 94-320.
7    (d) The Illinois Department shall establish, by rule, a
8co-payment scale that provides for cost sharing by families
9that receive child care services, including parents whose only
10income is from assistance under this Code. The co-payment
11shall be based on family income and family size and may be
12based on other factors as appropriate. Co-payments may be
13waived for families whose incomes are at or below the federal
14poverty level.
15    (d-5) The Illinois Department, in consultation with its
16Child Care and Development Advisory Council, shall develop a
17plan to revise the child care assistance program's co-payment
18scale. The plan shall be completed no later than February 1,
192008, and shall include:
20        (1) findings as to the percentage of income that the
21    average American family spends on child care and the
22    relative amounts that low-income families and the average
23    American family spend on other necessities of life;
24        (2) recommendations for revising the child care
25    co-payment scale to assure that families receiving child
26    care services from the Department are paying no more than

 

 

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1    they can reasonably afford;
2        (3) recommendations for revising the child care
3    co-payment scale to provide at-risk children with complete
4    access to Preschool for All and Head Start; and
5        (4) recommendations for changes in child care program
6    policies that affect the affordability of child care.
7    (e) (Blank).
8    (f) The Illinois Department shall, by rule, set rates to
9be paid for the various types of child care. Child care may be
10provided through one of the following methods:
11        (1) arranging the child care through eligible
12    providers by use of purchase of service contracts or
13    vouchers;
14        (2) arranging with other agencies and community
15    volunteer groups for non-reimbursed child care;
16        (3) (blank); or
17        (4) adopting such other arrangements as the Department
18    determines appropriate.
19    (f-1) Within 30 days after June 4, 2018 (the effective
20date of Public Act 100-587), the Department of Human Services
21shall establish rates for child care providers that are no
22less than the rates in effect on January 1, 2018 increased by
234.26%.
24    (f-5) (Blank).
25    (g) Families eligible for assistance under this Section
26shall be given the following options:

 

 

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1        (1) receiving a child care certificate issued by the
2    Department or a subcontractor of the Department that may
3    be used by the parents as payment for child care and
4    development services only; or
5        (2) if space is available, enrolling the child with a
6    child care provider that has a purchase of service
7    contract with the Department or a subcontractor of the
8    Department for the provision of child care and development
9    services. The Department may identify particular priority
10    populations for whom they may request special
11    consideration by a provider with purchase of service
12    contracts, provided that the providers shall be permitted
13    to maintain a balance of clients in terms of household
14    incomes and families and children with special needs, as
15    defined by rule.
16(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-657, eff. 3-23-21;
17102-491, eff. 8-20-21; revised 11-8-21.)
 
18    Section 15. The Early Intervention Services System Act is
19amended by changing Section 3 as follows:
 
20    (325 ILCS 20/3)  (from Ch. 23, par. 4153)
21    Sec. 3. Definitions. As used in this Act:
22    (a) "Eligible infants and toddlers" means infants and
23toddlers under 36 months of age with any of the following
24conditions:

 

 

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1        (1) Developmental delays.
2        (2) A physical or mental condition which typically
3    results in developmental delay.
4        (3) Being at risk of having substantial developmental
5    delays based on informed clinical opinion.
6        (4) Either (A) having entered the program under any of
7    the circumstances listed in paragraphs (1) through (3) of
8    this subsection but no longer meeting the current
9    eligibility criteria under those paragraphs, and
10    continuing to have any measurable delay, or (B) not having
11    attained a level of development in each area, including
12    (i) cognitive, (ii) physical (including vision and
13    hearing), (iii) language, speech, and communication, (iv)
14    social or emotional, or (v) adaptive, that is at least at
15    the mean of the child's age equivalent peers; and, in
16    addition to either item (A) or item (B), (C) having been
17    determined by the multidisciplinary individualized family
18    service plan team to require the continuation of early
19    intervention services in order to support continuing
20    developmental progress, pursuant to the child's needs and
21    provided in an appropriate developmental manner. The type,
22    frequency, and intensity of services shall differ from the
23    initial individualized family services plan because of the
24    child's developmental progress, and may consist of only
25    service coordination, evaluation, and assessments.
26    "Eligible infants and toddlers" includes any child under

 

 

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1the age of 3 who is the subject of a substantiated case of
2child abuse or neglect as defined in the federal Child Abuse
3Prevention and Treatment Act.
4    (b) "Developmental delay" means a delay in one or more of
5the following areas of childhood development as measured by
6appropriate diagnostic instruments and standard procedures:
7cognitive; physical, including vision and hearing; language,
8speech and communication; social or emotional; or adaptive.
9The term means a delay of 30% or more below the mean in
10function in one or more of those areas.
11    (c) "Physical or mental condition which typically results
12in developmental delay" means:
13        (1) a diagnosed medical disorder or exposure to a
14    toxic substance bearing a relatively well known expectancy
15    for developmental outcomes within varying ranges of
16    developmental disabilities; or
17        (2) a history of prenatal, perinatal, neonatal or
18    early developmental events suggestive of biological
19    insults to the developing central nervous system and which
20    either singly or collectively increase the probability of
21    developing a disability or delay based on a medical
22    history.
23    (d) "Informed clinical opinion" means both clinical
24observations and parental participation to determine
25eligibility by a consensus of a multidisciplinary team of 2 or
26more members based on their professional experience and

 

 

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1expertise.
2    (e) "Early intervention services" means services which:
3        (1) are designed to meet the developmental needs of
4    each child eligible under this Act and the needs of his or
5    her family;
6        (2) are selected in collaboration with the child's
7    family;
8        (3) are provided under public supervision;
9        (4) are provided at no cost except where a schedule of
10    sliding scale fees or other system of payments by families
11    has been adopted in accordance with State and federal law;
12        (5) are designed to meet an infant's or toddler's
13    developmental needs in any of the following areas:
14            (A) physical development, including vision and
15        hearing,
16            (B) cognitive development,
17            (C) communication development,
18            (D) social or emotional development, or
19            (E) adaptive development;
20        (6) meet the standards of the State, including the
21    requirements of this Act;
22        (7) include one or more of the following:
23            (A) family training,
24            (B) social work services, including counseling,
25        and home visits,
26            (C) special instruction,

 

 

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1            (D) speech, language pathology and audiology,
2            (E) occupational therapy,
3            (F) physical therapy,
4            (G) psychological services,
5            (H) service coordination services,
6            (I) medical services only for diagnostic or
7        evaluation purposes,
8            (J) early identification, screening, and
9        assessment services,
10            (K) health services specified by the lead agency
11        as necessary to enable the infant or toddler to
12        benefit from the other early intervention services,
13            (L) vision services,
14            (M) transportation,
15            (N) assistive technology devices and services,
16            (O) nursing services,
17            (P) nutrition services, and
18            (Q) sign language and cued language services;
19        (8) are provided by qualified personnel, including but
20    not limited to:
21            (A) child development specialists or special
22        educators, including teachers of children with hearing
23        impairments (including deafness) and teachers of
24        children with vision impairments (including
25        blindness),
26            (B) speech and language pathologists and

 

 

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1        audiologists,
2            (C) occupational therapists,
3            (D) physical therapists,
4            (E) social workers,
5            (F) nurses,
6            (G) dietitian nutritionists,
7            (H) vision specialists, including ophthalmologists
8        and optometrists,
9            (I) psychologists, and
10            (J) physicians;
11        (9) are provided in conformity with an Individualized
12    Family Service Plan;
13        (10) are provided throughout the year; and
14        (11) are provided in natural environments, to the
15    maximum extent appropriate, which may include the home and
16    community settings, unless justification is provided
17    consistent with federal regulations adopted under Sections
18    1431 through 1444 of Title 20 of the United States Code.
19    (f) "Individualized Family Service Plan" or "Plan" means a
20written plan for providing early intervention services to a
21child eligible under this Act and the child's family, as set
22forth in Section 11.
23    (g) "Local interagency agreement" means an agreement
24entered into by local community and State and regional
25agencies receiving early intervention funds directly from the
26State and made in accordance with State interagency agreements

 

 

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1providing for the delivery of early intervention services
2within a local community area.
3    (h) "Council" means the Illinois Interagency Council on
4Early Intervention established under Section 4.
5    (i) "Lead agency" means the State agency responsible for
6administering this Act and receiving and disbursing public
7funds received in accordance with State and federal law and
8rules.
9    (i-5) "Central billing office" means the central billing
10office created by the lead agency under Section 13.
11    (j) "Child find" means a service which identifies eligible
12infants and toddlers.
13    (k) "Regional intake entity" means the lead agency's
14designated entity responsible for implementation of the Early
15Intervention Services System within its designated geographic
16area.
17    (l) "Early intervention provider" means an individual who
18is qualified, as defined by the lead agency, to provide one or
19more types of early intervention services, and who has
20enrolled as a provider in the early intervention program.
21    (m) "Fully credentialed early intervention provider" means
22an individual who has met the standards in the State
23applicable to the relevant profession, and has met such other
24qualifications as the lead agency has determined are suitable
25for personnel providing early intervention services, including
26pediatric experience, education, and continuing education. The

 

 

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1lead agency shall establish these qualifications by rule filed
2no later than 180 days after the effective date of this
3amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly.
4    (n) "Telehealth" has the meaning given to that term in
5Section 5 of the Telehealth Act.
6(Source: P.A. 101-10, eff. 6-5-19; 102-104, eff. 7-22-21.)
 
7    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
8becoming law, except that Section 5 takes effect on July 1,
92023.