IL HB2157

Creates the Respond, Innovate, Succeed, and Empower Act requiring all Illinois public institutions of higher education to adopt policies accepting specified disability documentation as sufficient proof of student disability status.

Requires institutions to accept documentation including prior individualized education programs (IEPs), Section 504 plans, Americans with Disabilities Act service records, evaluations from licensed professionals, disability records from other higher education institutions, and military service-related disability documentation.

Mandates institutions make disability accommodation eligibility processes transparent and explicit, disseminating information to students, parents, and faculty in accessible formats and on public websites, including during student orientation.

Allows institutions to establish less burdensome criteria than those listed in the bill for determining disability status.

Requires institutions to engage in an interactive process with students to establish reasonable accommodations in compliance with the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.