Illinois · Through at least Public Act 104-790

325 ILCS 43/25: Advisory committee.

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)
(a) An advisory committee on language needs and monitoring shall be established. The advisory committee shall be composed of subject matter experts, consumers, and parents or guardians supporting deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind children.
(b) The advisory committee shall consist of all of the following voting members, each appointed by the Secretary of Human Services, in consultation with the Illinois School for the Deaf and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission:
(1) One parent or guardian of a child who (i) is 18 years of age or younger at the time of the appointment, (ii) is deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind, and (iii) uses the dual languages of American Sign Language and English.
(2) One parent or guardian of a child who (i) is 18 years of age or younger at the time of the appointment, (ii) is deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind, and (iii) uses primarily spoken English, without sign support.
(3) One expert on language outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing children who use American Sign Language and the English language.
(4) One licensed teacher of deaf and hard of hearing children from a spoken English-only school or one expert on language outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing children using spoken English, with or without visual supplements.
(5) One licensed teacher of deaf and hard of hearing children whose expertise is in curriculum and instruction in American Sign Language and English, with or without visual supplements, or one licensed teacher of deaf and hard of hearing children whose expertise is in American Sign Language and English language assessments, with or without visual supplements.
(6) A psychologist with expertise in assessing deaf and hard of hearing children who use or are fluent in American Sign Language and English.
(7) One developmental therapist-hearing who works with deaf and hard of hearing infants and toddlers who use the dual languages of American Sign Language and the English language.
(8) One licensed speech-language pathologist who has expertise in working with children and who uses listening and spoken language methodologies.
(9) One licensed speech-language pathologist who has expertise in working with children who use American Sign Language.
(10) One deaf person who represents the deaf community.
(11) One DeafBlind individual, specialist, or educator whose expertise is in DeafBlind advocacy or education.
(12) One licensed teacher of deaf and hard of hearing children who also has significant experience in working with deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind children with other educational disabilities.
(13) One licensed pediatric audiologist with working knowledge of American Sign Language and English.
(c) The advisory committee shall consist of all of the following ex officio, nonvoting members:
(1) The State Superintendent of Education or the State Superintendent's designee.
(2) The Director of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission or the Director's designee.
(3) The Secretary of Early Childhood or the Secretary's designee.
(4) The Director of Public Health or the Director's designee.
(5) The Superintendent of the Illinois School for the Deaf or the Superintendent's designee.
(6) The Secretary of Human Services or the Secretary's designee.
The ex officio, nonvoting members shall provide support to the advisory committee.
(d) The Secretary of Human Services, in consultation with the Illinois School for the Deaf and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, shall select a chairperson from among the voting appointed members. The Department of Human Services shall call an inaugural meeting of the advisory committee within 120 days of the effective date of this Act. The advisory committee may meet at any time in person or virtually at the call of the chairperson.
(e) Members of the advisory committee shall serve without compensation or travel reimbursement. Communication access accommodations, such as interpreters and captioning, must be provided at all meetings to ensure full participation.
(f) A quorum of the advisory committee shall consist of a simple majority of the members of the advisory committee, voting and nonvoting. All actions and recommendations of the advisory committee must be approved by an advisory committee vote of the members appointed.
(g) Any vacancy in the advisory committee shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
(h) The Department of Human Services shall provide the advisory committee with administrative support.
(i) On or before December 31, 2027, the advisory committee shall submit to the Department of Human Services specific, recommended action plans, timelines, anticipated costs, and proposed rules necessary to fully implement language and communication tools, assessments, and resources. The advisory committee may:
(1) solicit input from experts on the selection of language and communication developmental milestones related to the resources, tools, and assessments;
(2) review and monitor the use of language and communication assessments for children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind;
(3) recommend criteria for qualified American Sign Language and English experts who can support the initial and periodic individualized family service plan, individualized education program, or federal Section 504 plan team meetings; and
(4) recommend methods for documenting, monitoring, and submitting to all State agencies, child-specific information on language and communication assessment results, language and communication developmental milestones, assessment tools, and the progress of a child.
The periodic assessment results and longitudinal progress ultimately implemented by the Department of Human Services, considering the recommendations of the advisory committee and in consultation with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, the Department of Early Childhood, the State Board of Education, and the Department of Public Health, shall be made available on the child-specific level to each State agency and to the parent or guardian of the child, teachers, and other professionals involved in the early intervention and education of the child.
(j) The specific recommended action plans and proposed rules developed by the advisory committee shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
(1) Language and communication assessments that include child-specific data collection and timely tracking in a statewide data system of a child's development to provide information about the child's receptive and expressive language compared to the child's typically developing, age-related peers who are not deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind.
(2) Language and communication assessments conducted in accordance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 10-65 of the Department of Early Childhood Act, as well as standardized procedures and timelines to monitor and track language and communication developmental milestones in both receptive and expressive language acquisition by language and communication developmental milestones toward kindergarten readiness for all children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind.
(3) Language and communication assessments delivered in American Sign Language, English, Protactile, or the primary language used in the home that have been validated for the specific purposes for which each assessment is used and appropriately normed.
Language and communication assessments shall be administered by individuals who are proficient and have expertise in the language and communication developmental stages of American Sign Language, English, Protactile, or the primary language used in the home.
Language and communication assessment results may be used to guide individualized family service plan, individualized education program, or federal Section 504 plan teams for the purpose of reviewing a child's progress in language and communication development.
Language and communication assessment results shall be reported to the parent or guardian of a child. Child-specific data, in accordance with federal and State laws, shall be reported to the Department of Human Services, which shall ensure it is available to appropriate staff at the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, the Department of Early Childhood, the State Board of Education, and the Department of Public Health. One designated State agency shall publish annual reports related to this Act.
Language and communication assessment results shall be reported annually to the child's individualized family service plan, individualized education program, or federal Section 504 plan team to assist the individualized family service plan, individualized education program, or federal Section 504 plan team in ensuring that appropriate language and communication development remains a priority and continues to be monitored.
(k) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2028.

Where this section sits in the code

CHAPTER 325 CHILDREN
Language Equality Acquisition for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind Children Act.

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)

(a) An advisory committee on language needs and monitoring shall be established. The advisory committee shall be composed of subject matter experts, consumers, and parents or guardians supporting deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind children.

(b) The advisory committee shall consist of all of the following voting members, each appointed by the Secretary of Human Services, in consultation with the Illinois School for the Deaf and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission:

(1) One parent or guardian of a child who (i) is 18 years of age or younger at the time of the appointment, (ii) is deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind, and (iii) uses the dual languages of American Sign Language and English.

(2) One parent or guardian of a child who (i) is 18 years of age or younger at the time of the appointment, (ii) is deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind, and (iii) uses primarily spoken English, without sign support.

(3) One expert on language outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing children who use American Sign Language and the English language.

(4) One licensed teacher of deaf and hard of hearing children from a spoken English-only school or one expert on language outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing children using spoken English, with or without visual supplements.

(5) One licensed teacher of deaf and hard of hearing children whose expertise is in curriculum and instruction in American Sign Language and English, with or without visual supplements, or one licensed teacher of deaf and hard of hearing children whose expertise is in American Sign Language and English language assessments, with or without visual supplements.

(6) A psychologist with expertise in assessing deaf and hard of hearing children who use or are fluent in American Sign Language and English.

(7) One developmental therapist-hearing who works with deaf and hard of hearing infants and toddlers who use the dual languages of American Sign Language and the English language.

(8) One licensed speech-language pathologist who has expertise in working with children and who uses listening and spoken language methodologies.

(9) One licensed speech-language pathologist who has expertise in working with children who use American Sign Language.

(10) One deaf person who represents the deaf community.

(11) One DeafBlind individual, specialist, or educator whose expertise is in DeafBlind advocacy or education.

(12) One licensed teacher of deaf and hard of hearing children who also has significant experience in working with deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind children with other educational disabilities.

(13) One licensed pediatric audiologist with working knowledge of American Sign Language and English.

(1) The State Superintendent of Education or the State Superintendent's designee.

(2) The Director of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission or the Director's designee.

(3) The Secretary of Early Childhood or the Secretary's designee.

(4) The Director of Public Health or the Director's designee.

(5) The Superintendent of the Illinois School for the Deaf or the Superintendent's designee.

(6) The Secretary of Human Services or the Secretary's designee.

The ex officio, nonvoting members shall provide support to the advisory committee.

(d) The Secretary of Human Services, in consultation with the Illinois School for the Deaf and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, shall select a chairperson from among the voting appointed members. The Department of Human Services shall call an inaugural meeting of the advisory committee within 120 days of the effective date of this Act. The advisory committee may meet at any time in person or virtually at the call of the chairperson.

(e) Members of the advisory committee shall serve without compensation or travel reimbursement. Communication access accommodations, such as interpreters and captioning, must be provided at all meetings to ensure full participation.

(f) A quorum of the advisory committee shall consist of a simple majority of the members of the advisory committee, voting and nonvoting. All actions and recommendations of the advisory committee must be approved by an advisory committee vote of the members appointed.

(g) Any vacancy in the advisory committee shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

(h) The Department of Human Services shall provide the advisory committee with administrative support.

(i) On or before December 31, 2027, the advisory committee shall submit to the Department of Human Services specific, recommended action plans, timelines, anticipated costs, and proposed rules necessary to fully implement language and communication tools, assessments, and resources. The advisory committee may:

(1) solicit input from experts on the selection of language and communication developmental milestones related to the resources, tools, and assessments;

(2) review and monitor the use of language and communication assessments for children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind;

(3) recommend criteria for qualified American Sign Language and English experts who can support the initial and periodic individualized family service plan, individualized education program, or federal Section 504 plan team meetings; and

(4) recommend methods for documenting, monitoring, and submitting to all State agencies, child-specific information on language and communication assessment results, language and communication developmental milestones, assessment tools, and the progress of a child.

The periodic assessment results and longitudinal progress ultimately implemented by the Department of Human Services, considering the recommendations of the advisory committee and in consultation with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, the Department of Early Childhood, the State Board of Education, and the Department of Public Health, shall be made available on the child-specific level to each State agency and to the parent or guardian of the child, teachers, and other professionals involved in the early intervention and education of the child.

(j) The specific recommended action plans and proposed rules developed by the advisory committee shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Language and communication assessments that include child-specific data collection and timely tracking in a statewide data system of a child's development to provide information about the child's receptive and expressive language compared to the child's typically developing, age-related peers who are not deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind.

(2) Language and communication assessments conducted in accordance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 10-65 of the Department of Early Childhood Act, as well as standardized procedures and timelines to monitor and track language and communication developmental milestones in both receptive and expressive language acquisition by language and communication developmental milestones toward kindergarten readiness for all children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind.

(3) Language and communication assessments delivered in American Sign Language, English, Protactile, or the primary language used in the home that have been validated for the specific purposes for which each assessment is used and appropriately normed.

Language and communication assessments shall be administered by individuals who are proficient and have expertise in the language and communication developmental stages of American Sign Language, English, Protactile, or the primary language used in the home.

Language and communication assessment results may be used to guide individualized family service plan, individualized education program, or federal Section 504 plan teams for the purpose of reviewing a child's progress in language and communication development.

Language and communication assessment results shall be reported to the parent or guardian of a child. Child-specific data, in accordance with federal and State laws, shall be reported to the Department of Human Services, which shall ensure it is available to appropriate staff at the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, the Department of Early Childhood, the State Board of Education, and the Department of Public Health. One designated State agency shall publish annual reports related to this Act.

Language and communication assessment results shall be reported annually to the child's individualized family service plan, individualized education program, or federal Section 504 plan team to assist the individualized family service plan, individualized education program, or federal Section 504 plan team in ensuring that appropriate language and communication development remains a priority and continues to be monitored.

(k) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2028.

Collected 2026-09-15T04:46:33Z. Source file · JSON

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