HB5586 EngrossedLRB097 18283 AJO 63509 b

1    AN ACT concerning civil law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Mental Health and Developmental
5Disabilities Code is amended by changing Section 2-103 as
6follows:
 
7    (405 ILCS 5/2-103)  (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 2-103)
8    Sec. 2-103. Except as provided in this Section, a recipient
9who resides in a mental health or developmental disabilities
10facility shall be permitted unimpeded, private, and uncensored
11communication with persons of his choice by mail, telephone and
12visitation.
13    (a) The facility director shall ensure that correspondence
14can be conveniently received and mailed, that telephones are
15reasonably accessible, and that space for visits is available.
16Writing materials, postage and telephone usage funds shall be
17provided in reasonable amounts to recipients who reside in
18Department facilities and who are unable to procure such items.
19    (b) Reasonable times and places for the use of telephones
20and for visits may be established in writing by the facility
21director.
22    (c) Unimpeded, private and uncensored communication by
23mail, telephone, and visitation may be reasonably restricted by

 

 

HB5586 Engrossed- 2 -LRB097 18283 AJO 63509 b

1the facility director only in order to protect the recipient or
2others from harm, harassment or intimidation, provided that
3notice of such restriction shall be given to all recipients
4upon admission. When communications are restricted, the
5facility shall advise the recipient that he has the right to
6require the facility to notify the affected parties of the
7restriction, and to notify such affected party when the
8restrictions are no longer in effect. However, all letters
9addressed by a recipient to the Governor, members of the
10General Assembly, Attorney General, judges, state's attorneys,
11Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, or the Agency designated
12pursuant to "An Act in relation to the protection and advocacy
13of the rights of persons with developmental disabilities, and
14amending Acts therein named", approved September 20, 1985,
15officers of the Department, or licensed attorneys at law must
16be forwarded at once to the persons to whom they are addressed
17without examination by the facility authorities. Letters in
18reply from the officials and attorneys mentioned above must be
19delivered to the recipient without examination by the facility
20authorities.
21    (d) No facility shall prevent any attorney who represents a
22recipient or who has been requested to do so by any relative or
23family member of the recipient, from visiting a recipient
24during normal business hours, unless that recipient refuses to
25meet with the attorney.
26    (e) Whenever, as the result of the closing or the reduction

 

 

HB5586 Engrossed- 3 -LRB097 18283 AJO 63509 b

1in the number of units or available beds of any mental health
2facility operated by the Department of Human Services, the
3State determines to enter into a contract with any mental
4health facility to provide hospitalization to persons who would
5otherwise be served by the State-operated mental health
6facility, the resident shall be entitled to the same rights
7under this Section.
8(Source: P.A. 86-1417.)
 
9    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
10becoming law.