Public Act 099-0249
 
SB1410 EnrolledLRB099 09018 NHT 29200 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
27-8.1 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/27-8.1)  (from Ch. 122, par. 27-8.1)
    Sec. 27-8.1. Health examinations and immunizations.
    (1) In compliance with rules and regulations which the
Department of Public Health shall promulgate, and except as
hereinafter provided, all children in Illinois shall have a
health examination as follows: within one year prior to
entering kindergarten or the first grade of any public,
private, or parochial elementary school; upon entering the
sixth and ninth grades of any public, private, or parochial
school; prior to entrance into any public, private, or
parochial nursery school; and, irrespective of grade,
immediately prior to or upon entrance into any public, private,
or parochial school or nursery school, each child shall present
proof of having been examined in accordance with this Section
and the rules and regulations promulgated hereunder. Any child
who received a health examination within one year prior to
entering the fifth grade for the 2007-2008 school year is not
required to receive an additional health examination in order
to comply with the provisions of Public Act 95-422 when he or
she attends school for the 2008-2009 school year, unless the
child is attending school for the first time as provided in
this paragraph.
    A tuberculosis skin test screening shall be included as a
required part of each health examination included under this
Section if the child resides in an area designated by the
Department of Public Health as having a high incidence of
tuberculosis. Additional health examinations of pupils,
including eye examinations, may be required when deemed
necessary by school authorities. Parents are encouraged to have
their children undergo eye examinations at the same points in
time required for health examinations.
    (1.5) In compliance with rules adopted by the Department of
Public Health and except as otherwise provided in this Section,
all children in kindergarten and the second and sixth grades of
any public, private, or parochial school shall have a dental
examination. Each of these children shall present proof of
having been examined by a dentist in accordance with this
Section and rules adopted under this Section before May 15th of
the school year. If a child in the second or sixth grade fails
to present proof by May 15th, the school may hold the child's
report card until one of the following occurs: (i) the child
presents proof of a completed dental examination or (ii) the
child presents proof that a dental examination will take place
within 60 days after May 15th. The Department of Public Health
shall establish, by rule, a waiver for children who show an
undue burden or a lack of access to a dentist. Each public,
private, and parochial school must give notice of this dental
examination requirement to the parents and guardians of
students at least 60 days before May 15th of each school year.
    (1.10) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, all
children enrolling in kindergarten in a public, private, or
parochial school on or after the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly and any student
enrolling for the first time in a public, private, or parochial
school on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of
the 95th General Assembly shall have an eye examination. Each
of these children shall present proof of having been examined
by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its
branches or a licensed optometrist within the previous year, in
accordance with this Section and rules adopted under this
Section, before October 15th of the school year. If the child
fails to present proof by October 15th, the school may hold the
child's report card until one of the following occurs: (i) the
child presents proof of a completed eye examination or (ii) the
child presents proof that an eye examination will take place
within 60 days after October 15th. The Department of Public
Health shall establish, by rule, a waiver for children who show
an undue burden or a lack of access to a physician licensed to
practice medicine in all of its branches who provides eye
examinations or to a licensed optometrist. Each public,
private, and parochial school must give notice of this eye
examination requirement to the parents and guardians of
students in compliance with rules of the Department of Public
Health. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to allow a
school to exclude a child from attending because of a parent's
or guardian's failure to obtain an eye examination for the
child.
    (2) The Department of Public Health shall promulgate rules
and regulations specifying the examinations and procedures
that constitute a health examination, which shall include the
collection of data relating to obesity (including at a minimum,
date of birth, gender, height, weight, blood pressure, and date
of exam), and a dental examination and may recommend by rule
that certain additional examinations be performed. The rules
and regulations of the Department of Public Health shall
specify that a tuberculosis skin test screening shall be
included as a required part of each health examination included
under this Section if the child resides in an area designated
by the Department of Public Health as having a high incidence
of tuberculosis. The Department of Public Health shall specify
that a diabetes screening as defined by rule shall be included
as a required part of each health examination. Diabetes testing
is not required.
    Physicians licensed to practice medicine in all of its
branches, advanced practice nurses who have a written
collaborative agreement with a collaborating physician which
authorizes them to perform health examinations, or physician
assistants who have been delegated the performance of health
examinations by their supervising physician shall be
responsible for the performance of the health examinations,
other than dental examinations, eye examinations, and vision
and hearing screening, and shall sign all report forms required
by subsection (4) of this Section that pertain to those
portions of the health examination for which the physician,
advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant is
responsible. If a registered nurse performs any part of a
health examination, then a physician licensed to practice
medicine in all of its branches must review and sign all
required report forms. Licensed dentists shall perform all
dental examinations and shall sign all report forms required by
subsection (4) of this Section that pertain to the dental
examinations. Physicians licensed to practice medicine in all
its branches or licensed optometrists shall perform all eye
examinations required by this Section and shall sign all report
forms required by subsection (4) of this Section that pertain
to the eye examination. For purposes of this Section, an eye
examination shall at a minimum include history, visual acuity,
subjective refraction to best visual acuity near and far,
internal and external examination, and a glaucoma evaluation,
as well as any other tests or observations that in the
professional judgment of the doctor are necessary. Vision and
hearing screening tests, which shall not be considered
examinations as that term is used in this Section, shall be
conducted in accordance with rules and regulations of the
Department of Public Health, and by individuals whom the
Department of Public Health has certified. In these rules and
regulations, the Department of Public Health shall require that
individuals conducting vision screening tests give a child's
parent or guardian written notification, before the vision
screening is conducted, that states, "Vision screening is not a
substitute for a complete eye and vision evaluation by an eye
doctor. Your child is not required to undergo this vision
screening if an optometrist or ophthalmologist has completed
and signed a report form indicating that an examination has
been administered within the previous 12 months."
    (3) Every child shall, at or about the same time as he or
she receives a health examination required by subsection (1) of
this Section, present to the local school proof of having
received such immunizations against preventable communicable
diseases as the Department of Public Health shall require by
rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this Section and
the Communicable Disease Prevention Act.
    (4) The individuals conducting the health examination,
dental examination, or eye examination shall record the fact of
having conducted the examination, and such additional
information as required, including for a health examination
data relating to obesity (including at a minimum, date of
birth, gender, height, weight, blood pressure, and date of
exam), on uniform forms which the Department of Public Health
and the State Board of Education shall prescribe for statewide
use. The examiner shall summarize on the report form any
condition that he or she suspects indicates a need for special
services, including for a health examination factors relating
to obesity. The individuals confirming the administration of
required immunizations shall record as indicated on the form
that the immunizations were administered.
    (5) If a child does not submit proof of having had either
the health examination or the immunization as required, then
the child shall be examined or receive the immunization, as the
case may be, and present proof by October 15 of the current
school year, or by an earlier date of the current school year
established by a school district. To establish a date before
October 15 of the current school year for the health
examination or immunization as required, a school district must
give notice of the requirements of this Section 60 days prior
to the earlier established date. If for medical reasons one or
more of the required immunizations must be given after October
15 of the current school year, or after an earlier established
date of the current school year, then the child shall present,
by October 15, or by the earlier established date, a schedule
for the administration of the immunizations and a statement of
the medical reasons causing the delay, both the schedule and
the statement being issued by the physician, advanced practice
nurse, physician assistant, registered nurse, or local health
department that will be responsible for administration of the
remaining required immunizations. If a child does not comply by
October 15, or by the earlier established date of the current
school year, with the requirements of this subsection, then the
local school authority shall exclude that child from school
until such time as the child presents proof of having had the
health examination as required and presents proof of having
received those required immunizations which are medically
possible to receive immediately. During a child's exclusion
from school for noncompliance with this subsection, the child's
parents or legal guardian shall be considered in violation of
Section 26-1 and subject to any penalty imposed by Section
26-10. This subsection (5) does not apply to dental
examinations and eye examinations. If the student is an
out-of-state transfer student and does not have the proof
required under this subsection (5) before October 15 of the
current year or whatever date is set by the school district,
then he or she may only attend classes (i) if he or she has
proof that an appointment for the required vaccinations has
been scheduled with a party authorized to submit proof of the
required vaccinations. If the proof of vaccination required
under this subsection (5) is not submitted within 30 days after
the student is permitted to attend classes, then the student is
not to be permitted to attend classes until proof of the
vaccinations has been properly submitted. No school district or
employee of a school district shall be held liable for any
injury or illness to another person that results from admitting
an out-of-state transfer student to class that has an
appointment scheduled pursuant to this subsection (5).
    (6) Every school shall report to the State Board of
Education by November 15, in the manner which that agency shall
require, the number of children who have received the necessary
immunizations and the health examination (other than a dental
examination or eye examination) as required, indicating, of
those who have not received the immunizations and examination
as required, the number of children who are exempt from health
examination and immunization requirements on religious or
medical grounds as provided in subsection (8). On or before
December 1 of each year, every public school district and
registered nonpublic school shall make publicly available the
immunization data they are required to submit to the State
Board of Education by November 15. The immunization data made
publicly available must be identical to the data the school
district or school has reported to the State Board of
Education.
    Every school shall report to the State Board of Education
by June 30, in the manner that the State Board requires, the
number of children who have received the required dental
examination, indicating, of those who have not received the
required dental examination, the number of children who are
exempt from the dental examination on religious grounds as
provided in subsection (8) of this Section and the number of
children who have received a waiver under subsection (1.5) of
this Section.
    Every school shall report to the State Board of Education
by June 30, in the manner that the State Board requires, the
number of children who have received the required eye
examination, indicating, of those who have not received the
required eye examination, the number of children who are exempt
from the eye examination as provided in subsection (8) of this
Section, the number of children who have received a waiver
under subsection (1.10) of this Section, and the total number
of children in noncompliance with the eye examination
requirement.
    The reported information under this subsection (6) shall be
provided to the Department of Public Health by the State Board
of Education.
    (7) Upon determining that the number of pupils who are
required to be in compliance with subsection (5) of this
Section is below 90% of the number of pupils enrolled in the
school district, 10% of each State aid payment made pursuant to
Section 18-8.05 to the school district for such year may be
withheld by the State Board of Education until the number of
students in compliance with subsection (5) is the applicable
specified percentage or higher.
    (8) Children of parents or legal guardians who object to
health, dental, or eye examinations or any part thereof, to
immunizations, or to vision and hearing screening tests on
religious grounds shall not be required to undergo the
examinations, tests, or immunizations to which they so object
if such parents or legal guardians present to the appropriate
local school authority a signed Certificate of Religious
Exemption detailing the grounds for objection and the specific
immunizations, tests, or examinations to which they object. The
grounds for objection must set forth the specific religious
belief that conflicts with the examination, test,
immunization, or other medical intervention. The signed
certificate shall also reflect the parent's or legal guardian's
understanding of the school's exclusion policies in the case of
a vaccine-preventable disease outbreak or exposure. The
certificate must also be signed by the authorized examining
health care provider responsible for the performance of the
child's health examination confirming that the provider
provided education to the parent or legal guardian on the
benefits of immunization and the health risks to the student
and to the community of the communicable diseases for which
immunization is required in this State. However, the health
care provider's signature on the certificate reflects only that
education was provided and does not allow a health care
provider grounds to determine a religious exemption. Those
receiving immunizations required under this Code shall be
provided with the relevant vaccine information statements that
are required to be disseminated by the federal National
Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, which may contain
information on circumstances when a vaccine should not be
administered, prior to administering a vaccine. A healthcare
provider may consider including without limitation the
nationally accepted recommendations from federal agencies such
as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the
information outlined in the relevant vaccine information
statement, and vaccine package inserts, along with the
healthcare provider's clinical judgment, to determine whether
any child may be more susceptible to experiencing an adverse
vaccine reaction than the general population, and if so, the
healthcare provider may exempt the child from an immunization
or adopt an individualized immunization schedule. The
Certificate of Religious Exemption shall be created by the
Department of Public Health and shall be made available and
used by parents and legal guardians by the beginning of the
2015-2016 school year. Parents or legal guardians must submit
the Certificate of Religious Exemption to their local school
authority prior to entering kindergarten, sixth grade, and
ninth grade for each child for which they are requesting an
exemption. The religious objection stated need not be directed
by the tenets of an established religious organization.
However, general philosophical or moral reluctance to allow
physical examinations, eye examinations, immunizations, vision
and hearing screenings, or dental examinations does not provide
a sufficient basis for an exception to statutory requirements.
The local school authority is responsible for determining if
the content of the Certificate of Religious Exemption
constitutes a valid religious objection. The local school
authority shall inform the parent or legal guardian of
exclusion procedures, in accordance with the Department's
rules under Part 690 of Title 77 of the Illinois Administrative
Code, at the time the objection is presented. Parents or legal
guardians who object to health, dental, or eye examinations or
any part thereof, or to immunizations, on religious grounds
shall not be required to submit their children or wards to the
examinations or immunizations to which they so object if such
parents or legal guardians present to the appropriate local
school authority a signed statement of objection, detailing the
grounds for the objection.
    If the physical condition of the child is such that any one
or more of the immunizing agents should not be administered,
the examining physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician
assistant responsible for the performance of the health
examination shall endorse that fact upon the health examination
form.
    Exempting a child from the health, dental, or eye
examination does not exempt the child from participation in the
program of physical education training provided in Sections
27-5 through 27-7 of this Code.
    (9) For the purposes of this Section, "nursery schools"
means those nursery schools operated by elementary school
systems or secondary level school units or institutions of
higher learning.
(Source: P.A. 97-216, eff. 1-1-12; 97-910, eff. 1-1-13; 98-673,
eff. 6-30-14.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.

Effective Date: 8/3/2015