2023 Illinois Compiled Statutes › Chapter 20 - EXECUTIVE BRANCH › 20 ILCS 4007/ - Persons with Disabilities on State Agency Boards Act.

(20 ILCS 4007/1)
Sec. 1. 
		Short title. 
		This Act may be cited as the Persons with Disabilities on State Agency Boards Act.
(Source: P.A. 87-977.)
(20 ILCS 4007/5)
Sec. 5. 
		Legislative findings. 
		The General Assembly recognizes that
many persons with disabilities and their families receive some level of
support and services that are funded or administered by State human
services agencies.  The support and services are provided to persons with
disabilities or their families, if appropriate, through arrangements with
local community based vendors, organizations, or agencies.  The General
Assembly further recognizes that persons with
disabilities who receive the services and support, directly or indirectly,
are often not consulted for their perspectives, nor are their viewpoints
sought regarding the
efficiency, strengths, or weaknesses of the services and support.  Various
agencies in State government also promulgate standards that govern the
administration or operation of the services and support.  Seldom are
persons with disabilities or their families involved in the development of
standards that directly affect the quality of the services and support that
they receive.  In addition, there are legislative commissions that serve in
an advisory capacity concerning the services provided to persons with
disabilities and their families, whose membership does not include persons
with disabilities and their families.
Therefore, the General Assembly finds that:
(a) Persons with disabilities and their families have a significant
contribution to make in the decision making processes that shape the
support and services they receive through State government.
(b) Persons with disabilities and their families should be provided with
meaningful opportunities to contribute their perspectives through their
experiences concerning issues relating to services, support, and standards
that ultimately affect them.
(c) Services and support should be responsive and sensitive to the
cultural, racial, age, language, and gender characteristics of persons with disabilities
and their families.
(d) Meaningful opportunities to contribute their perspectives should
provide adequate information, in a manner that facilitates and allows for
participation by persons with disabilities and their families.
(Source: P.A. 87-977.)
(20 ILCS 4007/10)
Sec. 10. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the context requires otherwise:
"Disability" means a physical or mental characteristic resulting from
disease, injury, congenital condition of birth, or functional disorder, the
history of such a characteristic, or the perception of such a characteristic,
when the characteristic results in substantial functional limitations in
3 or more of the following areas of major life activity: self care,
fine motor skills, mobility, vision, respiration, learning, work, receptive
and expressive language (hearing and speaking), self direction, capacity
for independent living, and economic sufficiency.
"State human services agency" means the following:
(1) The Citizens Council on Mental Health and     Developmental Disabilities created under Article 11A of the Legislative Commission Reorganization Act of 1984.
(2) Advisory councils created by the Department of     Human Rights under Section 7-107 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.
(3) The Guardianship and Advocacy Commission created     under the Guardianship and Advocacy Act.
(4) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 100-866, eff. 8-14-18.)
(20 ILCS 4007/15)
Sec. 15. 
		Membership on boards. 
		To ensure opportunities for
participation by persons with disabilities and their families in the
development of policies, support, and services that affect them:
(a) Persons with one or more disabilities, or members of their families,
who receive the services and support shall be included in the membership of
every State human service agency's advisory boards, committees, commissions,
task forces, or ad hoc committees.
(b) Persons with one or more disabilities, or members of their families,
shall be included in the membership of local community based agency
governing boards that receive funds from State human services agencies to
provide services and support to persons with disabilities and their families.
(c) Persons with one or more disabilities, or members of their families,
shall be included in the membership of legislative commissions, boards, and
assemblies whose purpose is to serve an advisory function concerning
services to persons with disabilities.
(d) Persons with one or more disabilities, or members of their families,
shall be included in the membership of any advisory committee, board, or
commission whose mission or purpose is to establish eligibility criteria for
services and support for persons with disabilities or to develop standards
that govern the services and support funded or administered by State human
services agencies.
(Source: P.A. 87-977.)
(20 ILCS 4007/49)
Sec. 49. 
		This Act takes effect upon becoming law.
(Source: P.A. 87-977.)