(20 ILCS 1310/3a)

(This Section may contain text from a Public Act with a delayed effective date)

Sec. 3a. Domestic Violence Hotline.

(a) The Department of Human Services shall be responsible for the provision of a single, easy to use telephone number for public access to information and referral for domestic violence services. Subject to subsection (e), the Department is authorized to identify and enter into a contract with a lead entity to provide governance and oversight, including the ability to design, implement, support, and coordinate a State-wide Domestic Violence Hotline system.

(b) Qualifications for identification of the lead entity shall include:

(1) Ability to provide statewide, toll-free, 24-hour, 7 day-a-week, multi-lingual, confidential referral services to victims and perpetrators of domestic violence and information to people calling on behalf of a victim, including friends or family of the domestic violence victim and first responders such as the police.

(2) Has a record of providing effective, victim-centered referral services to victims of domestic violence for at least 2 years prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly.

(3) Has provided 40 hours of training in domestic violence to all of its direct staff and volunteers. Staff trained after July 1, 2004, must be trained by a site approved by the Illinois Certified Domestic Violence Professionals.

(4) Must be an Illinois 501(c)(3) non-profit agency or organization.

(5) Ability to provide an independent audit at the time of application.

(6) Provides 24-hour telephone accessibility by personnel trained in domestic violence without requiring the victim to make a second phone call or wait for a return phone call.

(7) Provides victims' access and direct referrals to the Department's funded domestic violence providers via a three-way phone linkage.

(8) Has adequate staffing to make referrals to domestic violence service agencies, identify non-traditional domestic violence services, provide safety planning or tips, and help victims explore service options including for those living in remote areas of the State and for those for whom English is not their primary language.

(9) Provides the most up-to-date technology to increase access to domestic violence services for the deaf and hard of hearing.

(10) Demonstrated expertise or experience, or both, in planning for a statewide information and referral system.

(c) The lead entity shall encourage the orderly and efficient use of the Domestic Violence Hotline to:

(1) provide access to referrals for domestic violence services 24/7; and

(2) collect needed information about the demand for and delivery of domestic violence services across Illinois.

(d) The lead entity shall provide periodic programmatic and fiscal reports on activities, accomplishments, and other issues to the Department.

(e) In awarding the contract under subsection (a), the Department shall ensure that the Domestic Violence Hotline lead entity has the organizational capacity to carry out the terms of the contract.

(f) Nothing in this Act is intended to limit sources of funding to support the operation of the Domestic Violence Hotline.

(Source: P.A. 104-247, eff. 1-1-26.)