Sen. Terri Bryant | Facebook
Sen. Terri Bryant | Facebook
State Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) participated in the Senate Education Committee hearing on state Sen. Dave Koehler’s (D-Peoria) SB1821 which amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code.
Bryant asked what actions would be taken if a school would not want to further accommodate a student.
“Are there repercussions to this?” she asked. “If It’s a student that is in a private school, if the school doesn’t want to take the student back then what happens?”
The hearing was attended by several witnesses including Illinois Assistive Technology Program (IATP) senior policy analyst Phil Milsk, who responded to Bryant’s query.
“No.” Milsk briefly replied. “Whatever the district sends out has to be. Bill provides that.”
Other queries revolved around the source of funds and logistics which Koehler answered.
“The amendment fixes this,” Koehler explained. “Makes it so that funds are available through COVID relief bill.
SB1821 states “that eligible students who reached or will reach their 22nd birthday between March 17, 2020 and the end of the 2021-2022 school year shall be afforded the option of extending the student's eligibility through the end of the 2021-2022 school year to provide the student with an opportunity to participate in post-secondary transition activities and services and pursue the goals under the student's most recent individualized education program. Sets forth provisions regarding the extension of eligibility.”
It would also require “each school district to provide written notification of options, including the required waiver of compensatory services claims, to each student to whom these provisions apply or to the student's guardian or designated representative within 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Sets forth the written notification form. Effective immediately.”
The bill advanced out of the Senate Education Committee.
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