State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Engrossed ][ Enrolled ][ Senate Amendment 001 ]

90_SB0697

      20 ILCS 2405/3            from Ch. 23, par. 3434
          Amends the Disabled Persons Rehabilitation Act to provide
      that beginning with fiscal year 1998  and  fully  implemented
      within 3 fiscal years, personal care attendants shall receive
      a minimum hourly wage that is at least 73% of the average per
      hour  amount  paid  to vendors by the Department on Aging for
      housekeeping and homemaking services in  the  Community  Care
      Program.  Effective July 1, 1997.
                                                     LRB9001784PTcw
                                               LRB9001784PTcw
 1        AN  ACT  to amend the Disabled Persons Rehabilitation Act
 2    by changing Section 3.
 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section  5.  The  Disabled  Persons Rehabilitation Act is
 6    amended by changing Section 3 as follows:
 7        (20 ILCS 2405/3) (from Ch. 23, par. 3434)
 8        Sec. 3.  Powers and duties. The Department shall have the
 9    powers and duties enumerated herein:
10        (a)  To co-operate with the  federal  government  in  the
11    administration    of    the   provisions   of   the   federal
12    Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and  of  the  federal
13    Social  Security Act to the extent and in the manner provided
14    in these Acts.
15        (b)  To  prescribe  and   supervise   such   courses   of
16    vocational training and provide such other services as may be
17    necessary  for the habilitation and rehabilitation of persons
18    with one or more disabilities, including  the  administrative
19    activities  under  subsection  (e)  of  this  Section, and to
20    co-operate with State and local school authorities and  other
21    recognized  agencies  engaged in habilitation, rehabilitation
22    and comprehensive rehabilitation services; and  to  cooperate
23    with the Department of Children and Family Services regarding
24    the   care  and  education  of  children  with  one  or  more
25    disabilities.
26        (c)  To make such reports and submit such  plans  to  the
27    federal  government  as are required by the provisions of the
28    federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended,  and  by  the
29    rules  and  regulations  of  the  federal  agency or agencies
30    administering the federal  Rehabilitation  Act  of  1973,  as
31    amended, and the federal Social Security Act.
                            -2-                LRB9001784PTcw
 1        (d)  To  report  in writing, to the Governor, annually on
 2    or before the first day of December, and at such other  times
 3    and in such manner and upon such subjects as the Governor may
 4    require.   The annual report shall contain (1) a statement of
 5    the  existing  condition  of   comprehensive   rehabilitation
 6    services, habilitation and rehabilitation in the State; (2) a
 7    statement  of  suggestions and recommendations with reference
 8    to the development of comprehensive rehabilitation  services,
 9    habilitation  and  rehabilitation  in  the  State; and (3) an
10    itemized statement of the  amounts  of  money  received  from
11    federal,  State  and  other  sources,  and of the objects and
12    purposes to which  the  respective  items  of  these  several
13    amounts have been devoted.
14        (e)  To  exercise,  pursuant  to  Section 13 of this Act,
15    executive   and   administrative   supervision    over    all
16    institutions,  divisions,  programs and services now existing
17    or hereafter acquired or created under  the  jurisdiction  of
18    the Department, including, but not limited to, the following:
19        The   Illinois   School  for  the  Visually  Impaired  at
20    Jacksonville, as provided under Section 10 of this Act,
21        The Illinois School for  the  Deaf  at  Jacksonville,  as
22    provided under Section 10 of this Act, and
23        The  Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education, as
24    provided under Section 11 of this Act.
25        (f)  To  establish  a  program  of  services  to  prevent
26    unnecessary institutionalization of persons with  Alzheimer's
27    disease and related disorders or persons in need of long term
28    care  who  are established as blind or disabled as defined by
29    the Social Security Act, thereby enabling them to  remain  in
30    their own homes or other living arrangements. Such preventive
31    services  may  include, but are not limited to, any or all of
32    the following:
33             (1)  home health services;
34             (2)  home nursing services;
                            -3-                LRB9001784PTcw
 1             (3)  homemaker services;
 2             (4)  chore and housekeeping services;
 3             (5)  day care services;
 4             (6)  home-delivered meals;
 5             (7)  education in self-care;
 6             (8)  personal care services;
 7             (9)  adult day health services;
 8             (10)  habilitation services;
 9             (11)  respite care; or
10             (12)  other  nonmedical  social  services  that  may
11        enable the person to become self-supporting.
12        The Department shall establish eligibility standards  for
13    such  services  taking into consideration the unique economic
14    and social needs of the population for whom they  are  to  be
15    provided.   Such  eligibility  standards  may be based on the
16    recipient's ability to pay for services;  provided,  however,
17    that  any  portion  of  a person's income that is equal to or
18    less  than  the  "protected  income"  level  shall   not   be
19    considered by the Department in determining eligibility.  The
20    "protected   income"   level   shall  be  determined  by  the
21    Department, shall never be  less  than  the  federal  poverty
22    standard,  and shall be adjusted each year to reflect changes
23    in the Consumer  Price  Index  For  All  Urban  Consumers  as
24    determined   by   the  United  States  Department  of  Labor.
25    Additionally,  in  determining  the  amount  and  nature   of
26    services  for which a person may qualify, consideration shall
27    not be given to the value of cash, property or  other  assets
28    held in the name of the person's spouse pursuant to a written
29    agreement  dividing  marital property into equal but separate
30    shares or pursuant to a transfer of the person's interest  in
31    a home to his spouse, provided that the spouse's share of the
32    marital  property is not made available to the person seeking
33    such services.
34        The services shall be provided  to  eligible  persons  to
                            -4-                LRB9001784PTcw
 1    prevent unnecessary or premature institutionalization, to the
 2    extent that the cost of the services, together with the other
 3    personal  maintenance expenses of the persons, are reasonably
 4    related to the standards established  for  care  in  a  group
 5    facility    appropriate    to    their    condition.    These
 6    non-institutional services, pilot  projects  or  experimental
 7    facilities may be provided as part of or in addition to those
 8    authorized by federal law or those funded and administered by
 9    the Illinois Department on Aging.
10        Personal  care  attendants  shall  be  paid a $5 per hour
11    minimum rate beginning July 1, 1995.   Beginning with  fiscal
12    year  1998  and  fully  implemented within 3 fiscal years and
13    thereafter, personal care attendants shall receive a  minimum
14    hourly  wage  that  is  at  least 73% of the average per hour
15    amount paid  to  vendors  by  the  Department  on  Aging  for
16    housekeeping  and  homemaking  services in the Community Care
17    Program.
18        The Department shall execute,  relative  to  the  nursing
19    home  prescreening  project, as authorized by Section 4.03 of
20    the  Illinois  Act  on  the   Aging,   written   inter-agency
21    agreements with the Department on Aging and the Department of
22    Public  Aid,  to effect the following:  (i) intake procedures
23    and common eligibility criteria for  those  persons  who  are
24    receiving    non-institutional   services;   and   (ii)   the
25    establishment and development of  non-institutional  services
26    in  areas of the State where they are not currently available
27    or are undeveloped.  On and after July 1, 1996,  all  nursing
28    home prescreenings for individuals 18 through 59 years of age
29    shall be conducted by the Department.
30        The  Department  is  authorized  to establish a system of
31    recipient  cost-sharing  for  services  provided  under  this
32    Section.   The  cost-sharing  shall   be   based   upon   the
33    recipient's ability to pay for services, but in no case shall
34    the  recipient's share exceed the actual cost of the services
                            -5-                LRB9001784PTcw
 1    provided.  Protected income shall not be  considered  by  the
 2    Department in its determination of the recipient's ability to
 3    pay   a  share  of  the  cost  of  services.   The  level  of
 4    cost-sharing shall be adjusted each year to  reflect  changes
 5    in the "protected income" level.  The Department shall deduct
 6    from  the recipient's share of the cost of services any money
 7    expended by the recipient for disability-related expenses.
 8        The   Department,   or   the   Department's    authorized
 9    representative,  shall  recover the amount of moneys expended
10    for services provided to or in behalf of a person under  this
11    Section by a claim against the person's estate or against the
12    estate  of the person's surviving spouse, but no recovery may
13    be had until after the death of the surviving spouse, if any,
14    and then only at such time when there is no  surviving  child
15    who  is  under  age  21,  blind,  or  permanently and totally
16    disabled.  This paragraph, however, shall not  bar  recovery,
17    at  the  death of the person, of moneys for services provided
18    to the person or in behalf of the person under  this  Section
19    to  which  the  person  was  not entitled; provided that such
20    recovery shall not be enforced against any real estate  while
21    it  is  occupied  as  a  homestead by the surviving spouse or
22    other dependent, if no claims by other  creditors  have  been
23    filed against the estate, or, if such claims have been filed,
24    they  remain dormant for failure of prosecution or failure of
25    the claimant to compel administration of the estate  for  the
26    purpose  of  payment.   This paragraph shall not bar recovery
27    from the estate of a spouse, under Sections 1915 and 1924  of
28    the  Social  Security  Act  and  Section  5-4 of the Illinois
29    Public Aid Code, who precedes  a  person  receiving  services
30    under this Section in death.  All moneys for services paid to
31    or  in  behalf  of  the  person  under  this Section shall be
32    claimed for  recovery  from  the  deceased  spouse's  estate.
33    "Homestead",  as  used  in this paragraph, means the dwelling
34    house and contiguous real  estate  occupied  by  a  surviving
                            -6-                LRB9001784PTcw
 1    spouse  or  relative, as defined by the rules and regulations
 2    of the Illinois Department of Public Aid, regardless  of  the
 3    value of the property.
 4        The   Department   and  the  Department  on  Aging  shall
 5    cooperate in the development  and  submission  of  an  annual
 6    report  on programs and services provided under this Section.
 7    Such joint report shall be filed with the  Governor  and  the
 8    General Assembly on or before September 30 each year.
 9        The  requirement  for  reporting  to the General Assembly
10    shall be satisfied by filing copies of the  report  with  the
11    Speaker,  the  Minority  Leader and the Clerk of the House of
12    Representatives and the President, the  Minority  Leader  and
13    the  Secretary  of  the  Senate  and the Legislative Research
14    Unit, as required by Section  3.1  of  the  General  Assembly
15    Organization Act, and filing additional copies with the State
16    Government   Report   Distribution  Center  for  the  General
17    Assembly as required under paragraph (t) of Section 7 of  the
18    State Library Act.
19        (g)  To  establish such subdivisions of the Department as
20    shall be desirable and assign to the various subdivisions the
21    responsibilities and duties placed  upon  the  Department  by
22    law.
23        (h)  To cooperate and enter into any necessary agreements
24    with  the Department of Employment Security for the provision
25    of job placement and job referral services to clients of  the
26    Department,   including  job  service  registration  of  such
27    clients with Illinois Employment Security offices and  making
28    job  listings  maintained  by  the  Department  of Employment
29    Security available to such clients.
30        (i)  To possess all powers reasonable and  necessary  for
31    the  exercise  and  administration  of the powers, duties and
32    responsibilities of the Department which are provided for  by
33    law.
34        (j)  To  establish  a  procedure whereby new providers of
                            -7-                LRB9001784PTcw
 1    personal care attendant services shall submit vouchers to the
 2    State for payment two  times  during  their  first  month  of
 3    employment  and  one  time  per month thereafter.  In no case
 4    shall the Department pay personal care attendants  an  hourly
 5    wage that is less than the federal minimum wage.
 6        (k)  To provide adequate notice to providers of chore and
 7    housekeeping  services  informing them that they are entitled
 8    to an interest payment on bills which are not  promptly  paid
 9    pursuant to Section 3 of the State Prompt Payment Act.
10        (l)  To  establish,  operate  and  maintain  a  Statewide
11    Housing Clearinghouse of information on available, government
12    subsidized   housing   accessible  to  disabled  persons  and
13    available privately  owned  housing  accessible  to  disabled
14    persons.  The information shall include but not be limited to
15    the   location,  rental  requirements,  access  features  and
16    proximity to public transportation of available housing.  The
17    Clearinghouse  shall  consist  of  at  least  a  computerized
18    database for the storage and retrieval of information  and  a
19    separate  or  shared  toll  free  telephone number for use by
20    those seeking information from the Clearinghouse.  Department
21    offices and personnel throughout the State shall also  assist
22    in  the  operation  of  the  Statewide Housing Clearinghouse.
23    Cooperation with local, State and  federal  housing  managers
24    shall  be  sought  and  extended  in  order to frequently and
25    promptly update the Clearinghouse's information.
26    (Source: P.A. 88-172; 88-500; 88-670,  eff.  12-2-94;  89-21,
27    eff. 7-1-95; 89-352, eff. 8-17-95; 89-626, eff. 8-9-96.)
28        Section  99.   Effective  date.  This Act takes effect on
29    July 1, 1997.

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