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| | 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB2710 Introduced 10/14/2025, by Sen. Michael E. Hastings SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
| | | Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in consultation with the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, to conduct a comprehensive study on parenting-time presumptions in child custody proceedings. Provides that the study examine how statutory presumptions and judicial practices affect fairness, parental involvement, and child outcomes in custody cases. Requires that the review pay particular attention to ensuring that both parents, regardless of gender, are given equitable opportunities to maintain meaningful relationships with their children. Requires that the Department submit a final report to the General Assembly and the Governor no later than December 31, 2026 and include findings, recommendations, and potential statutory language to update Illinois law. Repeals the Act on December 31, 2027. |
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| | A BILL FOR |
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| | SB2710 | | LRB104 15671 JRC 28843 b |
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| 1 | | AN ACT concerning civil law.
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| 2 | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, |
| 3 | | represented in the General Assembly:
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| 4 | | Section 5. The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of |
| 5 | | Marriage Act is amended by adding Section 610.7 as follows:
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| 6 | | (750 ILCS 5/610.7 new) |
| 7 | | Sec. 610.7. Study on parenting-time presumptions. |
| 8 | | (a) Creation of study. The Department of Healthcare and |
| 9 | | Family Services, in consultation with the Administrative |
| 10 | | Office of the Illinois Courts, shall conduct a comprehensive |
| 11 | | study on parenting-time presumptions in child custody |
| 12 | | proceedings. |
| 13 | | (b) Purpose. The study shall examine how statutory |
| 14 | | presumptions and judicial practices affect fairness, parental |
| 15 | | involvement, and child outcomes in custody cases. The review |
| 16 | | shall pay particular attention to ensuring that both parents, |
| 17 | | regardless of gender, are given equitable opportunities to |
| 18 | | maintain meaningful relationships with their children. |
| 19 | | (c) Scope of study. The study shall include, but not be |
| 20 | | limited to, the following components: |
| 21 | | (1) A review of other states parenting-time |
| 22 | | presumptions, including but not limited to: the presumptions |
| 23 | | outlined in the laws of Alabama, Arizona, Kentucky, Minnesota, |
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| | SB2710 | - 2 - | LRB104 15671 JRC 28843 b |
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| 1 | | Mississippi, New York, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington; |
| 2 | | (2) An impact analysis that compare outcomes for |
| 3 | | children, parental satisfaction, litigation rates, and |
| 4 | | financial equity across states with presumptive shared |
| 5 | | parenting versus states without such provisions; |
| 6 | | (3) An assessment of how Illinois' current statutory |
| 7 | | framework measures against national trends, and whether the |
| 8 | | current reliance on "overnight counts" creates inequities; and |
| 9 | | (4) Policy recommendations that identify whether |
| 10 | | Illinois should consider adopting a presumption of equal |
| 11 | | parenting time (50/50) or an 8-hour parenting time equivalency |
| 12 | | standard to prevent financial and legal disparities between |
| 13 | | parents. |
| 14 | | (d) Stakeholder input. The Department shall solicit input |
| 15 | | from family law practitioners, judges, parent advocacy groups, |
| 16 | | child welfare experts, and parents with lived experience. |
| 17 | | (e) Report. The Department shall submit a final report to |
| 18 | | the General Assembly and the Governor no later than December |
| 19 | | 31, 2026. The report shall include findings, recommendations, |
| 20 | | and potential statutory language to update Illinois law. |
| 21 | | (f) Repeal. This Section is repealed on December 31, 2027. |
