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relative balance between the number of males and females shall |
be maintained. Broad representation shall be sought by |
appointment, with 2 members from each of the major statewide |
consumer organizations of the blind and one member from a |
specific service area including, but not limited to, the |
Hadley School for the Blind, Chicago Lighthouse, |
Department-approved Low Vision Aids Clinics, Vending |
Facilities Operators, the Association for the Education and |
Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER), blind |
homemakers, outstanding competitive employers of blind people, |
providers and recipients of income maintenance programs, |
in-home care programs, subsidized housing, nursing homes, and |
homes for the blind. |
Initially, 4 members shall be appointed for terms of one |
year, 4 for terms of 2 years, and 3 for terms of 3 years with a |
partial term of 18 months or more counting as a full term. |
Subsequent terms shall be 4 3 years each. No member shall serve |
more than 3 2 terms. No Department employee shall be a member |
of the Council. |
Members shall be removed for cause, including, but not |
limited to, demonstrated incompetence, unethical behavior, and |
unwillingness or inability to serve. |
Members shall serve without pay but shall be reimbursed |
for actual expenses incurred in the performance of their |
duties. |
Members shall be governed by appropriate and applicable |
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State and federal statutes and regulations on matters such as |
ethics, confidentiality, freedom of information, travel, and |
civil rights. |
Department staff may attend meetings but shall not be a |
voting member of the Council. The Council shall elect a |
chairperson and a recording secretary from among its number. |
Sub-committees and ad hoc committees may be created to |
concentrate on specific program components or initiative |
areas. |
The Council shall perform the following functions: |
(a) Facilitate communication and cooperative efforts |
between the Department and all agencies which have any |
responsibility to deliver services to blind and visually |
impaired persons. |
(b) Identify needs and problems related to blind and |
visually impaired persons, including children, adults, and |
seniors, and make recommendations to the Secretary, Bureau |
Director, and Governor. |
(c) Recommend programmatic and fiscal priorities |
governing the provision of services and awarding of grants |
or contracts by the Department to any person or agency, |
public or private. |
(d) Conduct, encourage, and advise independent |
research by qualified evaluators to improve services to |
blind and visually impaired persons, including those with |
multiple disabilities. |
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(e) Participate in the development and review of |
proposed and amended rules and regulations of the |
Department relating to services for the blind and visually |
impaired. |
(f) Review and comment on all budgets (drafted and |
submitted) relating to services for blind and visually |
impaired persons. |
(g) Promote policies and programs to educate the |
public and elicit public support for services to blind and |
visually impaired persons. |
(h) Encourage creative and innovative programs to |
strengthen, expand, and improve services for blind and |
visually impaired persons, including outreach services. |
(i) Perform such other duties as may be required by |
the Governor, Secretary, and Bureau Director. |
The Council shall supersede and replace all advisory |
committees now functioning within the Bureau of Rehabilitation |
Services for the Blind, with the exception of federally |
mandated advisory groups. |
(Source: P.A. 104-417, eff. 8-15-25.) |
(325 ILCS 27/Act rep.) |
Section 20. The Afterschool Youth Development Project Act |
is repealed. |
Section 25. The Mental Health and Developmental |
|
Disabilities Code is amended by changing Sections 5-111, |
5-113, and 6-101 as follows: |
(405 ILCS 5/5-111) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 5-111) |
Sec. 5-111. Any person who has been issued a Notice of |
Determination of sums due as services charges may petition the |
Department for a review of that determination. The petition |
must be in writing and filed with the Department within 90 days |
from the date of the Notice of Determination. The Department |
shall provide for a hearing to be held on the charges for the |
period covered by the petition. The Department may after such |
hearing, cancel, modify or increase such former determination |
to an amount not to exceed the maximum provided for such person |
by this Act. The hearing shall be conducted in accordance with |
the Department's rules under 89 Ill. Adm. Code 508 and Article |
10 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. A final |
administrative decision of the Department is subject to |
judicial review under Section 6-101. The Department at its |
expense shall take testimony and preserve a record of all |
proceedings at the hearing upon any petition for a release |
from or modification of such determination. The petition and |
other documents in the nature of pleadings and motions filed |
in the case, a transcript of testimony, findings of the |
Department, and orders of the Secretary constitute the record. |
The Secretary shall furnish a transcript of such record to any |
person upon payment therefor of 75¢ per page for each original |
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transcript and 25¢ per page for each copy thereof. Any person |
aggrieved by the decision of the Department upon such hearing |
may, within 30 days thereafter, file a petition with the |
Department for review of such decision by the Board of |
Reimbursement Appeals. The Board of Reimbursement Appeals may |
approve action taken by the Department or may remand the case |
to the Secretary with recommendations for redetermination of |
charges. |
(Source: P.A. 89-507, eff. 7-1-97.) |
(405 ILCS 5/5-113) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 5-113) |
Sec. 5-113. Following a final administrative decision and |
upon Upon receiving a petition for review under Section 5-111, |
the Department shall thereupon notify the Board of |
Reimbursement Appeals which shall render its decision thereon |
within 30 days after the petition is filed and certify such |
decision to the Department. Concurrence of a majority of the |
Board is necessary in any such decision. Upon request of the |
Department, the State's Attorney of the county in which a |
responsible relative or a recipient who is liable under this |
Act for payment of sums representing services charges resides, |
shall institute appropriate legal action against any such |
responsible relative, or the recipient, or within the time |
provided by law shall file a claim against the estate of such |
recipient who fails or refuses to pay those charges. The court |
shall order the payment of sums due for services charges for |
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such period or periods of time as the circumstances require, |
except that no responsible relative may be held liable for |
charges for services furnished to a recipient if such charges |
were assessed more than 5 years prior to the time the action is |
filed; but such 5 year limitation does not apply to the |
liability of a recipient or recipient's estate. Such order may |
be entered against any or all such defendants and may be based |
upon the proportionate ability of each defendant to contribute |
to the payment of sums representing services charges including |
the actual charges for services in facilities outside the |
Department where the Department has paid such charges. Orders |
for the payment of money may be enforced by attachment as for |
contempt against the persons of the defendants and, in |
addition, as other judgments for the payment of money, and |
costs may be adjudged against the defendants and apportioned |
among them. |
(Source: P.A. 80-1414.) |
(405 ILCS 5/6-101) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 6-101) |
Sec. 6-101. Any person affected by a final administrative |
decision of the Department or the Board of Reimbursement |
Appeals, pursuant to this Act, may have such decisions |
reviewed only under and in accordance with the Administrative |
Review Law, as now or hereafter amended. The Administrative |
Review Law, as amended, and the rules adopted pursuant |
thereto, apply to and govern all proceedings for the judicial |
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review of final administrative decisions of the Department |
hereunder. The term "administrative decision" is defined as in |
Section 3-101 of the Code of Civil Procedure. |
(Source: P.A. 82-783.) |
(405 ILCS 5/5-112 rep.) |
Section 30. The Mental Health and Developmental |
Disabilities Code is amended by repealing Section 5-112. |
Section 35. The Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act is |
amended by changing Section 90 as follows: |
(725 ILCS 207/90) |
Sec. 90. Committed persons ability to pay for services. |
Each person committed or detained under this Act who receives |
services provided directly or funded by the Department and the |
estate of that person is liable for the payment of sums |
representing charges for services to the person at a rate to be |
determined by the Department. Services charges against that |
person take effect on the date of admission or the effective |
date of this Section. The Department in its rules may |
establish a maximum rate for the cost of services. In the case |
of any person who has received residential services from the |
Department, whether directly from the Department or through a |
public or private agency or entity funded by the Department, |
the liability shall be the same regardless of the source of |
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services. When the person is placed in a facility outside the |
Department, the facility shall collect reimbursement from the |
person. The Department may supplement the contribution of the |
person to private facilities after all other sources of income |
have been utilized; however the supplement shall not exceed |
the allowable rate under Title XVIII or Title XIX of the |
Federal Social Security Act for those persons eligible for |
those respective programs. The Department may pay the actual |
costs of services or maintenance in the facility and may |
collect reimbursement for the entire amount paid from the |
person or an amount not to exceed the maximum. Lesser or |
greater amounts may be accepted by the Department when |
conditions warrant that action or when offered by persons not |
liable under this Act. Nothing in this Section shall preclude |
the Department from applying federal benefits that are |
specifically provided for the care and treatment of a person |
with a disability toward the cost of care provided by a State |
facility or private agency. The Department may investigate the |
financial condition of each person committed under this Act, |
may make determinations of the ability of each such person to |
pay sums representing services charges, and for those purposes |
may set a standard as a basis of judgment of ability to pay. |
The Department shall by rule make provisions for unusual and |
exceptional circumstances in the application of that standard. |
The Department may issue to any person liable under this Act a |
statement of amount due as treatment charges requiring him or |
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her to pay monthly, quarterly, or otherwise as may be |
arranged, an amount not exceeding that required under this |
Act, plus fees to which the Department may be entitled under |
this Act. |
(a) Whenever an individual is covered, in part or in |
whole, under any type of insurance arrangement, private or |
public, for services provided by the Department, the proceeds |
from the insurance shall be considered as part of the |
individual's ability to pay notwithstanding that the insurance |
contract was entered into by a person other than the |
individual or that the premiums for the insurance were paid |
for by a person other than the individual. Remittances from |
intermediary agencies under Title XVIII of the Federal Social |
Security Act for services to committed persons shall be |
deposited with the State Treasurer and placed in the Mental |
Health Fund. Payments received from the Department of |
Healthcare and Family Services under Title XIX of the Federal |
Social Security Act for services to those persons shall be |
deposited with the State Treasurer and shall be placed in the |
General Revenue Fund. |
(b) Any person who has been issued a Notice of |
Determination of sums due as services charges may petition the |
Department for a review of that determination. The petition |
must be in writing and filed with the Department within 90 days |
from the date of the Notice of Determination. The Department |
shall provide for a hearing to be held on the charges for the |
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period covered by the petition. The Department may after the |
hearing, cancel, modify, or increase the former determination |
to an amount not to exceed the maximum provided for the person |
by this Act. The hearing shall be conducted in accordance with |
the Department's rules under 89 Ill. Adm. Code 508 and Article |
10 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Any person |
affected by a final administrative decision of the Department, |
pursuant to this Section, may have such decision reviewed only |
under and in accordance with the Administrative Review Law. |
The Administrative Review Law and the rules adopted pursuant |
thereto apply to and govern all proceedings for the judicial |
review of final administrative decisions of the Department |
under this Section. As used in this subsection, |
"administrative decision" has the same meaning ascribed to |
that term in Section 3-101 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The |
Department at its expense shall take testimony and preserve a |
record of all proceedings at the hearing upon any petition for |
a release from or modification of the determination. The |
petition and other documents in the nature of pleadings and |
motions filed in the case, a transcript of testimony, findings |
of the Department, and orders of the Secretary constitute the |
record. The Secretary shall furnish a transcript of the record |
to any person upon payment of 75¢ per page for each original |
transcript and 25¢ per page for each copy of the transcript. |
Any person aggrieved by the decision of the Department upon a |
hearing may, within 30 days thereafter, file a petition with |
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the Department for review of the decision by the Board of |
Reimbursement Appeals established in the Mental Health and |
Developmental Disabilities Code. The Board of Reimbursement |
Appeals may approve action taken by the Department or may |
remand the case to the Secretary with recommendation for |
redetermination of charges. |
(c) Following a final administrative decision and upon |
Upon receiving a petition for review under subsection (b) of |
this Section, the Department shall thereupon notify the Board |
of Reimbursement Appeals which shall render its decision |
thereon within 30 days after the petition is filed and certify |
such decision to the Department. Concurrence of a majority of |
the Board is necessary in any such decision. Upon request of |
the Department, the State's Attorney of the county in which a |
client who is liable under this Act for payment of sums |
representing services charges resides, shall institute |
appropriate legal action against any such client, or within |
the time provided by law shall file a claim against the estate |
of the client who fails or refuses to pay those charges. The |
court shall order the payment of sums due for services charges |
for such period or periods of time as the circumstances |
require. The order may be entered against any defendant and |
may be based upon the proportionate ability of each defendant |
to contribute to the payment of sums representing services |
charges including the actual charges for services in |
facilities outside the Department where the Department has |
|
paid those charges. Orders for the payment of money may be |
enforced by attachment as for contempt against the persons of |
the defendants and, in addition, as other judgments for the |
payment of money, and costs may be adjudged against the |
defendants and apportioned among them. |
(d) The money collected shall be deposited into the Mental |
Health Fund. |
(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.) |