103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB1411

 

Introduced 2/6/2023, by Sen. Laura M. Murphy

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 1305/10-26

    Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Makes changes to a provision concerning the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services (PUNS) database. Adds individuals in State-operated developmental centers and individuals in community-integrated living arrangements to the list of persons the Department of Human Services must register in the PUNS database. Requires the Secretary of Human Services to seek input from advisory bodies to the Department, including advisory councils and committees working with the Department in the areas of intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders, with regard to the establishment, maintenance, and administration of PUNS. Provides that the Department shall also ensure that individuals in PUNS are contacted regarding their PUNS status and available services at least 2 times each year via email or letter, based on the delivery preference of the individual. Provides that the available services and supports may include housing, home-based services, employment and training, respite care, and day programs. Requires the Department to seek any available federal funding to upgrade its technology in order to implement an effective and efficient system of operating and maintaining PUNS and making the web-based verification and information-update application developed by the Department available to individuals listed in PUNS. Requires the Department to collaborate with the State Board of Education to ensure that students with disabilities and their parents are informed of PUNS consistent with a specified provision of the School Code.


LRB103 25952 KTG 52304 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB1411LRB103 25952 KTG 52304 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 Department of Human Services Act is amended
5by changing Section 10-26 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 1305/10-26)
7    Sec. 10-26. The PUNS database.
8    (a) The Department of Human Services shall compile and
9maintain a database of Illinois residents with an intellectual
10disability or a developmental disability, including an autism
11spectrum disorder, and Illinois residents with an intellectual
12disability or a developmental disability who are also
13diagnosed with a physical disability or mental illness and are
14in need of developmental disability services funded by the
15Department. The database shall be referred to as the
16Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services (PUNS) and
17shall include, but not be limited to, children and youth,
18individuals transitioning from special education to
19post-secondary activities, individuals living at home or in
20the community, individuals in State-operated developmental
21centers, individuals in private nursing and residential
22facilities, and individuals in intermediate care facilities
23for persons with developmental disabilities, and individuals

 

 

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1in community-integrated living arrangements. Individuals who
2are receiving services under any home and community-based
3services waiver program authorized under Section 1915(c) of
4the Social Security Act may remain on the PUNS database until
5they are offered services through a PUNS selection or
6demonstrate the need for and are awarded alternative services.
7    (b) The PUNS database shall be used to foster a fair and
8orderly process for processing applications for developmental
9disabilities services funded by the Department, verifying
10information, keeping individuals and families who have applied
11for services informed of available services and anticipated
12wait times, determining unmet need, and informing the General
13Assembly and the Governor of unmet need statewide and within
14each representative district. The Secretary of Human Services
15shall seek input from advisory bodies to the Department,
16including advisory councils and committees working with the
17Department in the areas of intellectual disabilities,
18developmental disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders,
19with regard to the establishment, maintenance, and
20administration of PUNS.
21    (c) Independent service coordination agencies shall be the
22points of entry for individuals and families applying for
23developmental disability services and supports funded by the
24Department. The information collected and maintained for PUNS
25shall include, but is not limited to, the following: (i) the
26types of services of which the individual is potentially in

 

 

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1need; (ii) demographic and identifying information about the
2individual; (iii) factors indicating need, including
3diagnoses, assessment information, ages of primary caregivers,
4and current living situation; (iv) if applicable, the date
5information about the individual is submitted for inclusion in
6PUNS, and the types of services sought by the individual; and
7(v) the representative district in which the individual
8resides. In collecting and maintaining information under this
9Section, the Department shall give consideration to
10cost-effective appropriate services for individuals.
11    (d) The Department shall respond to inquiries about
12anticipated PUNS selection dates and make available a
13Department email e-mail address for such inquiries. Subject to
14appropriation, the Department shall offer a web-based
15verification and information-update application. The
16Department shall also ensure that individuals in PUNS are
17contacted regarding their PUNS status and available services
18at least 2 times each year via email or letter, based on the
19delivery preference of the individual. Such services and
20supports may include housing, home-based services, employment
21and training, respite care, and day programs. The Department
22shall make all reasonable efforts to contact individuals on
23the PUNS database at least 2 times each year and provide
24information about the PUNS process, information regarding
25services that may be available to them prior to the time they
26are selected from PUNS, and advice on preparing for and

 

 

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1seeking developmental disability services. At least one of the
2contacts must be from an independent service coordination
3agency. The Department may contact individuals on the PUNS
4database through a newsletter prepared by the Division of
5Developmental Disabilities. The Department shall provide
6information about PUNS to the general public on its website.
7    (d-1) The Department shall seek any available federal
8funding to upgrade its technology in order to implement an
9effective and efficient system of operating and maintaining
10PUNS and making the web-based verification and
11information-update application developed in accordance with
12subsection (d) available to individuals listed in PUNS.
13    (d-2) The Department shall collaborate with the State
14Board of Education to ensure that students with disabilities
15and their parents are informed of PUNS consistent with Section
162-3.163 of the School Code.
17    (e) This amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly does
18not create any new entitlement to a service, program, or
19benefit but shall not affect any entitlement to a service,
20program, or benefit created by any other law. Except for a
21service, program, or benefit that is an entitlement, a
22service, program, or benefit provided as a result of the
23collection and maintenance of PUNS shall be subject to
24appropriations made by the General Assembly.
25    (f) The Department, consistent with applicable federal and
26State law, shall make general information about PUNS available

 

 

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1to the public such as: (i) the number of individuals
2potentially in need of each type of service, program, or
3benefit; and (ii) the general characteristics of those
4individuals. The Department shall protect the confidentiality
5of each individual in PUNS when releasing PUNS database
6information by not disclosing any personally identifying
7information.
8    (g) The Department shall allow an individual who is:
9        (1) a legal resident;
10        (2) a dependent of a military service member; and
11        (3) absent from the State due to the member's military
12    service;
13to be added to PUNS to indicate the need for services upon
14return to the State. If the individual is selected from PUNS to
15receive services, the individual shall have 6 months from the
16date of the selection notification to apply for services and
17another 6 months to commence using the services. If an
18individual is receiving services funded by the Department and
19the services are disrupted due to the military service
20member's need for the individual to leave the State because of
21the member's military service, the services shall be resumed
22upon the individual's return to the State if the individual is
23otherwise eligible. No payment made in accordance with this
24Section or Section 12-4.47 of the Illinois Public Aid Code
25shall be made for home and community based services provided
26outside the State of Illinois. The individual is required to

 

 

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1provide the following to the Department:
2        (i) a copy of the military service member's DD-214 or
3    other equivalent discharge paperwork; and
4        (ii) proof of the military service member's legal
5    residence in the State, as prescribed by the Department.
6(Source: P.A. 101-284, eff. 8-9-19.)