HB5548 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 38744 JRC 68881 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB5548

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Rep. Mary Beth Canty

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

750 ILCS 5/600
750 ILCS 5/602.5
750 ILCS 5/602.7
750 ILCS 5/603.10
750 ILCS 5/612 new
750 ILCS 36/102
750 ILCS 36/201
750 ILCS 36/204
750 ILCS 36/207
750 ILCS 36/208
750 ILCS 36/313.1 new

Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Excludes from the definition of "abuse" obtaining, seeking, or facilitating lawful health care for a minor child by a parent or person in loco parentis. Requires the court to consider in determining parental responsibilities and parenting time a parent's affirmation of the child's gender identity or gender expression in a way that promotes the child's overall health and well-being, including accessing lawful health care. Allows a court to modify an order restricting parental responsibilities if it finds persistent, continuing interference with the child's ability to access lawful health care. Declares it to it is against the public policy of this State and shall not be enforced if a law of another state authorizes the removal of a child from the parent or acting as a parent for allowing a child to receive lawful health care. Amends the Uniform Child-Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. Provides that the presence of a child in this State for the purpose of obtaining lawful health care is sufficient to meet the jurisdiction of this State for an initial child custody determination for temporary emergency matters. Provides that this State is not an inconvenient forum if lawful health care to the child is at issue in which the law or policy of the other state that may take jurisdiction limits the ability of a parent or person acting as a parent to obtain lawful health care for the child. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning civil law.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act is amended by changing Sections 600, 602.5, 602.7, and 603.10 and by adding Section 612 as follows:

(750 ILCS 5/600)

Sec. 600. Definitions. For purposes of this Part VI:

(a) "Abuse" has the meaning ascribed to that term in Section 103 of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. "Abuse" does not include obtaining, seeking, or facilitating lawful health care for a minor child by a parent or person in loco parentis.

(b) "Allocation judgment" means a judgment allocating parental responsibilities.

(c) "Caretaking functions" means tasks that involve interaction with a child or that direct, arrange, and supervise the interaction with and care of a child provided by others, or for obtaining the resources allowing for the provision of these functions. The term includes, but is not limited to, the following:

(1) satisfying a child's nutritional needs; managing a child's bedtime and wake-up routines; caring for a child when the child is sick or injured; being attentive to a child's personal hygiene needs, including washing, grooming, and dressing; playing with a child and ensuring the child attends scheduled extracurricular activities; protecting a child's physical safety; and providing transportation for a child;

(2) directing a child's various developmental needs, including the acquisition of motor and language skills, toilet training, self-confidence, and maturation;

(3) providing discipline, giving instruction in manners, assigning and supervising chores, and performing other tasks that attend to a child's needs for behavioral control and self-restraint;

(4) ensuring the child attends school, including remedial and special services appropriate to the child's needs and interests, communicating with teachers and counselors, and supervising homework;

(5) helping a child develop and maintain appropriate interpersonal relationships with peers, siblings, and other family members;

(6) ensuring the child attends medical appointments and is available for medical follow-up and meeting the medical needs of the child in the home;

(7) providing moral and ethical guidance for a child; and

(8) arranging alternative care for a child by a family member, babysitter, or other child care provider or facility, including investigating such alternatives, communicating with providers, and supervising such care.

"Lawful health care" has the meaning ascribed to that term in the Lawful Health Care Activity Act.

(e) (d) "Parental responsibilities" means both parenting time and significant decision-making responsibilities with respect to a child.

(f) (e) "Parenting time" means the time during which a parent is responsible for exercising caretaking functions and non-significant decision-making responsibilities with respect to the child.

(g) (f) "Parenting plan" means a written agreement that allocates significant decision-making responsibilities, parenting time, or both.

(h) (g) "Relocation" means:

(1) a change of residence from the child's current primary residence located in the county of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, or Will to a new residence within this State that is more than 25 miles from the child's current residence, as measured by an Internet mapping service;

(2) a change of residence from the child's current primary residence located in a county not listed in paragraph (1) to a new residence within this State that is more than 50 miles from the child's current primary residence, as measured by an Internet mapping service; or

(3) a change of residence from the child's current primary residence to a residence outside the borders of this State that is more than 25 miles from the current primary residence, as measured by an Internet mapping service.

(i) (h) "Religious upbringing" means the choice of religion or denomination of a religion, religious schooling, religious training, or participation in religious customs or practices.

(j) (i) "Restriction of parenting time" means any limitation or condition placed on parenting time, including supervision.

(k) (j) "Right of first refusal" has the meaning provided in subsection (b) of Section 602.3 of this Act.

(l) (k) "Significant decision-making" means deciding issues of long-term importance in the life of a child.

(m) (l) "Step-parent" means a person married to a child's parent, including a person married to the child's parent immediately prior to the parent's death.

(n) (m) "Supervision" means the presence of a third party during a parent's exercise of parenting time.

(Source: P.A. 99-90, eff. 1-1-16; 99-763, eff. 1-1-17.)

(750 ILCS 5/602.5)

Sec. 602.5. Allocation of parental responsibilities: decision-making.

(a) Generally. The court shall allocate decision-making responsibilities according to the child's best interests. Nothing in this Act requires that each parent be allocated decision-making responsibilities.

(b) Allocation of significant decision-making responsibilities. Unless the parents otherwise agree in writing on an allocation of significant decision-making responsibilities, or the issue of the allocation of parental responsibilities has been reserved under Section 401, the court shall make the determination. The court shall allocate to one or both of the parents the significant decision-making responsibility for each significant issue affecting the child. Those significant issues shall include, without limitation, the following:

(1) Education, including the choice of schools and tutors.

(2) Health, including all decisions relating to the medical, dental, and psychological needs of the child and to the treatments arising or resulting from those needs.

(3) Religion, subject to the following provisions:

(A) The court shall allocate decision-making responsibility for the child's religious upbringing in accordance with any express or implied agreement between the parents.

(B) The court shall consider evidence of the parents' past conduct as to the child's religious upbringing in allocating decision-making responsibilities consistent with demonstrated past conduct in the absence of an express or implied agreement between the parents.

(C) The court shall not allocate any aspect of the child's religious upbringing if it determines that the parents do not or did not have an express or implied agreement for such religious upbringing or that there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate a course of conduct regarding the child's religious upbringing that could serve as a basis for any such order.

(4) Extracurricular activities.

(c) Determination of child's best interests. In determining the child's best interests for purposes of allocating significant decision-making responsibilities, the court shall consider all relevant factors, including, without limitation, the following:

(1) the wishes of the child, taking into account the child's maturity and ability to express reasoned and independent preferences as to decision-making;

(2) the child's adjustment to his or her home, school, and community;

(3) the mental and physical health of all individuals involved;

(4) a parent's affirmation of the child's gender identity or gender expression in a way that promotes the child's overall health and well-being, including accessing lawful health care;

(5) (4) the ability of the parents to cooperate to make decisions, or the level of conflict between the parties that may affect their ability to share decision-making;

(6) (5) the level of each parent's participation in past significant decision-making with respect to the child;

(7) (6) any prior agreement or course of conduct between the parents relating to decision-making with respect to the child;

(8) (7) the wishes of the parents;

(9) (8) the child's needs;

(10) (9) the distance between the parents' residences, the cost and difficulty of transporting the child, each parent's and the child's daily schedules, and the ability of the parents to cooperate in the arrangement;

(11) (10) whether a restriction on decision-making is appropriate under Section 603.10;

(12) (11) the willingness and ability of each parent to facilitate and encourage a close and continuing relationship between the other parent and the child;

(13) (12) the physical violence or threat of physical violence by the child's parent directed against the child;

(14) (13) the occurrence of abuse against the child or other member of the child's household;

(15) (14) whether one of the parents is a sex offender, and if so, the exact nature of the offense and what, if any, treatment in which the parent has successfully participated; and

(16) (15) any other factor that the court expressly finds to be relevant.

(d) A parent shall have sole responsibility for making routine decisions with respect to the child and for emergency decisions affecting the child's health and safety during that parent's parenting time.

(e) In allocating significant decision-making responsibilities, the court shall not consider conduct of a parent that does not affect that parent's relationship to the child.

(Source: P.A. 99-90, eff. 1-1-16.)

(750 ILCS 5/602.7)

Sec. 602.7. Allocation of parental responsibilities: parenting time.

(a) Best interests. The court shall allocate parenting time according to the child's best interests.

(b) Allocation of parenting time. Unless the parents present a mutually agreed written parenting plan and that plan is approved by the court, the court shall allocate parenting time. It is presumed both parents are fit and the court shall not place any restrictions on parenting time as defined in Section 600 and described in Section 603.10, unless it finds by a preponderance of the evidence that a parent's exercise of parenting time would seriously endanger the child's physical, mental, moral, or emotional health.

In determining the child's best interests for purposes of allocating parenting time, the court shall consider all relevant factors, including, without limitation, the following:

(1) the wishes of each parent seeking parenting time;

(2) the wishes of the child, taking into account the child's maturity and ability to express reasoned and independent preferences as to parenting time;

(3) the amount of time each parent spent performing caretaking functions with respect to the child in the 24 months preceding the filing of any petition for allocation of parental responsibilities or, if the child is under 2 years of age, since the child's birth;

(4) any prior agreement or course of conduct between the parents relating to caretaking functions with respect to the child;

(5) the interaction and interrelationship of the child with his or her parents and siblings and with any other person who may significantly affect the child's best interests;

(6) the child's adjustment to his or her home, school, and community;

(7) the mental and physical health of all individuals involved;

(8) the child's needs;

(9) the distance between the parents' residences, the cost and difficulty of transporting the child, each parent's and the child's daily schedules, and the ability of the parents to cooperate in the arrangement;

(10) whether a restriction on parenting time is appropriate;

(11) the physical violence or threat of physical violence by the child's parent directed against the child or other member of the child's household;

(12) the willingness and ability of each parent to place the needs of the child ahead of his or her own needs;

(13) the willingness and ability of each parent to facilitate and encourage a close and continuing relationship between the other parent and the child;

(14) the occurrence of abuse against the child or other member of the child's household;

(15) whether one of the parents is a convicted sex offender or lives with a convicted sex offender and, if so, the exact nature of the offense and what if any treatment the offender has successfully participated in; the parties are entitled to a hearing on the issues raised in this paragraph (15);

(16) the terms of a parent's military family-care plan that a parent must complete before deployment if a parent is a member of the United States Armed Forces who is being deployed; and

(17) a parent's affirmation of the child's gender identity or gender expression in a way that promotes the child's overall health and well-being, including accessing lawful health care; and

(18) (17) any other factor that the court expressly finds to be relevant.

(c) In allocating parenting time, the court shall not consider conduct of a parent that does not affect that parent's relationship to the child.

(d) Upon motion, the court may allow a parent who is deployed or who has orders to be deployed as a member of the United States Armed Forces to designate a person known to the child to exercise reasonable substitute visitation on behalf of the deployed parent, if the court determines that substitute visitation is in the best interests of the child. In determining whether substitute visitation is in the best interests of the child, the court shall consider all of the relevant factors listed in subsection (b) of this Section and apply those factors to the person designated as a substitute for the deployed parent for visitation purposes. Visitation orders entered under this subsection are subject to subsections (e) and (f) of Section 602.9 and subsections (c) and (d) of Section 603.10.

(e) If the street address of a parent is not identified pursuant to Section 708 of this Act, the court shall require the parties to identify reasonable alternative arrangements for parenting time by the other parent including, but not limited to, parenting time of the minor child at the residence of another person or at a local public or private facility.

(Source: P.A. 99-90, eff. 1-1-16.)

(750 ILCS 5/603.10)

Sec. 603.10. Restriction of parental responsibilities.

(a) After a hearing, if the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that a parent engaged in any conduct that seriously endangered the child's mental, moral, or physical health or that significantly impaired the child's emotional development, the court shall enter orders as necessary to protect the child. Such orders may include, but are not limited to, orders for one or more of the following:

(1) a reduction, elimination, or other adjustment of the parent's decision-making responsibilities or parenting time, or both decision-making responsibilities and parenting time;

(2) supervision, including ordering the Department of Children and Family Services to exercise continuing supervision under Section 5 of the Children and Family Services Act;

(3) requiring the exchange of the child between the parents through an intermediary or in a protected setting;

(4) restraining a parent's communication with or proximity to the other parent or the child;

(5) requiring a parent to abstain from possessing or consuming alcohol or non-prescribed drugs while exercising parenting time with the child and within a specified period immediately preceding the exercise of parenting time;

(6) restricting the presence of specific persons while a parent is exercising parenting time with the child;

(7) requiring a parent to post a bond to secure the return of the child following the parent's exercise of parenting time or to secure other performance required by the court;

(8) requiring a parent to complete a treatment program for perpetrators of abuse, for drug or alcohol abuse, or for other behavior that is the basis for restricting parental responsibilities under this Section; and

(9) any other constraints or conditions that the court deems necessary to provide for the child's safety or welfare.

(b) The court may modify an order restricting parental responsibilities if, after a hearing, the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that a modification is in the child's best interests based on (i) a change of circumstances that occurred after the entry of an order restricting parental responsibilities; or (ii) conduct of which the court was previously unaware that seriously endangers the child. In determining whether to modify an order under this subsection, the court must consider factors that include, but need not be limited to, the following:

(1) abuse, neglect, or abandonment of the child;

(2) abusing or allowing abuse of another person that had an impact upon the child;

(3) use of drugs, alcohol, or any other substance in a way that interferes with the parent's ability to perform caretaking functions with respect to the child; and

(4) persistent continuing interference with the other parent's access to the child, except for actions taken with a reasonable, good-faith belief that they are necessary to protect the child's safety pending adjudication of the facts underlying that belief, provided that the interfering parent initiates a proceeding to determine those facts as soon as practicable; and .

(5) persistent continuing interference with the child's ability to access lawful health care.

(c) An order granting parenting time to a parent or visitation to another person may be revoked by the court if that parent or other person is found to have knowingly used his or her parenting time or visitation to facilitate contact between the child and a parent who has been barred from contact with the child or to have knowingly used his or her parenting time or visitation to facilitate contact with the child that violates any restrictions imposed on a parent's parenting time by a court of competent jurisdiction. Nothing in this subsection limits a court's authority to enforce its orders in any other manner authorized by law.

(d) If parenting time of a parent is restricted, an order granting visitation to a non-parent with a child or an order granting parenting time to the other parent shall contain the following language:

"If a person granted parenting time or visitation under this order uses that time to facilitate contact between the child and a parent whose parenting time is restricted, or if such a person violates any restrictions placed on parenting time or visitation by the court, the parenting time or visitation granted under this order shall be revoked until further order of court."

(e) A parent who, after a hearing, is determined by the court to have been convicted of any offense involving an illegal sex act perpetrated upon a victim less than 18 years of age, including but not limited to an offense under Article 11 of the Criminal Code of 2012, is not entitled to parenting time while incarcerated or while on parole, probation, conditional discharge, periodic imprisonment, or mandatory supervised release for a felony offense, until the parent complies with such terms and conditions as the court determines are in the child's best interests, taking into account the exact nature of the offense and what, if any, treatment in which the parent successfully participated.

(f) A parent may not, while the child is present, visit any person granted visitation or parenting time who has been convicted of first degree murder, unless the court finds, after considering all relevant factors, including those set forth in subsection (b) of Section 602.7, that it would be in the child's best interests to allow the child to be present during such a visit.

(Source: P.A. 99-90, eff. 1-1-16.)

(750 ILCS 5/612 new)

Sec. 612. Legislative declaration of public policy. A law of another state that authorizes the removal of a child from a parent or person acting as a parent based on the parent or person acting as a parent allowing a child to receive lawful health care is against the public policy of this State and shall not be enforced or applied in a case pending in a court in this State.

Section 10. The Uniform Child-Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act is amended by changing Sections 102, 201, 204, 207, and 208 and by adding Section 313.1 as follows:

(750 ILCS 36/102)

Sec. 102. Definitions. In this Act:

(1) "Abandoned" means left without provision for reasonable and necessary care or supervision.

(2) "Child" means an individual who has not attained 18 years of age.

(3) "Child-custody determination" means a judgment, decree, or other order of a court providing for the legal custody, physical custody, or visitation with respect to a child. The term includes a permanent, temporary, initial, and modification order. The term does not include an order relating to child support or other monetary obligation of an individual.

(4) "Child-custody proceeding" means a proceeding in which legal custody, physical custody, or visitation with respect to a child is an issue. The term includes a proceeding for divorce, separation, neglect, abuse, dependency, guardianship, paternity, termination of parental rights, and protection from domestic violence, in which the issue may appear. The term does not include a proceeding involving juvenile delinquency, contractual emancipation, or enforcement under Article 3.

(5) "Commencement" means the filing of the first pleading in a proceeding.

(6) "Court" means an entity authorized under the law of a state to establish, enforce, or modify a child-custody determination.

(7) "Home state" means the state in which a child lived with a parent or a person acting as a parent for at least six consecutive months immediately before the commencement of a child-custody proceeding. In the case of a child less than six months of age, the term means the state in which the child lived from birth with any of the persons mentioned. A period of temporary absence of any of the mentioned persons is part of the period.

(8) "Initial determination" means the first child-custody determination concerning a particular child.

(9) "Issuing court" means the court that makes a child-custody determination for which enforcement is sought under this Act.

(10) "Issuing state" means the state in which a child-custody determination is made.

(11) "Lawful health care" has the meaning ascribed to that term in the Lawful Health Care Activity Act.

(12) (11) "Modification" means a child-custody determination that changes, replaces, supersedes, or is otherwise made after a previous determination concerning the same child, whether or not it is made by the court that made the previous determination.

(13) (12) "Person" means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government; governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality; public corporation; or any other legal or commercial entity.

(14) (13) "Person acting as a parent" means a person, other than a parent, who:

(A) has physical custody of the child or has had physical custody for a period of six consecutive months, including any temporary absence, within one year immediately before the commencement of a child-custody proceeding; and

(B) has been awarded legal custody by a court or claims a right to legal custody under the law of this State.

(15) (14) "Physical custody" means the physical care and supervision of a child.

(16) (15) "State" means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

(17) (16) "Tribe" means an Indian tribe or band, or Alaskan Native village, which is recognized by federal law or formally acknowledged by a state.

(18) (17) "Warrant" means an order issued by a court authorizing law enforcement officers to take physical custody of a child.

(Source: P.A. 93-108, eff. 1-1-04.)

(750 ILCS 36/201)

Sec. 201. Initial Child-Custody Jurisdiction.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 204, a court of this State has jurisdiction to make an initial child-custody determination only if:

(1) this State is the home state of the child on the date of the commencement of the proceeding, or was the home state of the child within six months before the commencement of the proceeding and the child is absent from this State but a parent or person acting as a parent continues to live in this State;

(2) a court of another state does not have jurisdiction under paragraph (1), or a court of the home state of the child has declined to exercise jurisdiction on the ground that this State is the more appropriate forum under Section 207 or 208, and:

(A) the child and the child's parents, or the child and at least one parent or a person acting as a parent, have a significant connection with this State other than mere physical presence; and

(B) substantial evidence is available in this State concerning the child's care, protection, training, and personal relationships;

(3) all courts having jurisdiction under paragraph (1) or (2) have declined to exercise jurisdiction on the ground that a court of this State is the more appropriate forum to determine the custody of the child under Section 207 or 208; or

(4) no court of any other state would have jurisdiction under the criteria specified in paragraph (1), (2), or (3).

(b) Subsection (a) is the exclusive jurisdictional basis for making a child-custody determination by a court of this State.

(c) Physical presence of, or personal jurisdiction over, a party or a child is not necessary or sufficient to make a child-custody determination.

(d) The presence of a child in this State for the purpose of obtaining lawful health care is sufficient to meet the requirements of paragraphs 2(A) and (B) of subsection (a).

(Source: P.A. 93-108, eff. 1-1-04.)

(750 ILCS 36/204)

Sec. 204. Temporary Emergency Jurisdiction.

(a) A court of this State has temporary emergency jurisdiction if the child is present in this State and the child has been abandoned or it is necessary in an emergency to protect the child because the child, or a sibling or parent of the child, is subjected to or threatened with mistreatment or abuse, or the child is present in this state because the child has been unable to obtain lawful health care in another state..

(b) If there is no previous child-custody determination that is entitled to be enforced under this Act and a child-custody proceeding has not been commenced in a court of a state having jurisdiction under Sections 201 through 203, a child-custody determination made under this Section remains in effect until an order is obtained from a court of a state having jurisdiction under Sections 201 through 203. If a child-custody proceeding has not been or is not commenced in a court of a state having jurisdiction under Sections 201 through 203, a child-custody determination made under this Section becomes a final determination, if it so provides and this State becomes the home state of the child.

(c) If there is a previous child-custody determination that is entitled to be enforced under this Act, or a child-custody proceeding has been commenced in a court of a state having jurisdiction under Sections 201 through 203, any order issued by a court of this State under this Section must specify in the order a period that the court considers adequate to allow the person seeking an order to obtain an order from the state having jurisdiction under Sections 201 through 203. The order issued in this State remains in effect until an order is obtained from the other state within the period specified or the period expires.

(d) A court of this State which has been asked to make a child-custody determination under this Section, upon being informed that a child-custody proceeding has been commenced in, or a child-custody determination has been made by, a court of a state having jurisdiction under Sections 201 through 203, shall immediately communicate with the other court. A court of this State which is exercising jurisdiction pursuant to Sections 201 through 203, upon being informed that a child-custody proceeding has been commenced in, or a child-custody determination has been made by, a court of another state under a statute similar to this Section shall immediately communicate with the court of that state to resolve the emergency, protect the safety of the parties and the child, and determine a period for the duration of the temporary order.

(Source: P.A. 93-108, eff. 1-1-04.)

(750 ILCS 36/207)

Sec. 207. Inconvenient Forum.

(a) A court of this State which has jurisdiction under this Act to make a child-custody determination may decline to exercise its jurisdiction at any time if it determines that it is an inconvenient forum under the circumstances and that a court of another state is a more appropriate forum. The issue of inconvenient forum may be raised upon motion of a party, the court's own motion, or request of another court.

(b) Before determining whether it is an inconvenient forum, a court of this State shall consider whether it is appropriate for a court of another state to exercise jurisdiction. For this purpose, the court shall allow the parties to submit information and shall consider all relevant factors, including:

(1) whether domestic violence has occurred and is likely to continue in the future and which state could best protect the parties and the child;

(2) the length of time the child has resided outside this State;

(3) the distance between the court in this State and the court in the state that would assume jurisdiction;

(4) the relative financial circumstances of the parties;

(5) any agreement of the parties as to which state should assume jurisdiction;

(6) the nature and location of the evidence required to resolve the pending litigation, including testimony of the child;

(7) the ability of the court of each state to decide the issue expeditiously and the procedures necessary to present the evidence; and

(8) the familiarity of the court of each state with the facts and issues in the pending litigation.

(c) If a court of this State determines that it is an inconvenient forum and that a court of another state is a more appropriate forum, it shall stay the proceedings upon condition that a child-custody proceeding be promptly commenced in another designated state and may impose any other condition the court considers just and proper.

(d) A court of this State may decline to exercise its jurisdiction under this Act if a child-custody determination is incidental to an action for divorce or another proceeding while still retaining jurisdiction over the divorce or other proceeding.

(e) In a case where the provision of lawful health care to the child is at issue, a court of this State shall not determine that it is an inconvenient forum and must find that it is a more appropriate forum where the law or policy of the other state that may take jurisdiction limits the ability of a parent or person acting as a parent to obtain lawful health care for their child.

(Source: P.A. 93-108, eff. 1-1-04.)

(750 ILCS 36/208)

Sec. 208. Jurisdiction Declined By Reason Of Conduct.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 204 or by other law of this State, if a court of this State has jurisdiction under this Act because a person seeking to invoke its jurisdiction has engaged in unjustifiable conduct, the court shall decline to exercise its jurisdiction unless:

(1) the parents and all persons acting as parents have acquiesced in the exercise of jurisdiction;

(2) a court of the state otherwise having jurisdiction under Sections 201 through 203 determines that this State is a more appropriate forum under Section 207; or

(3) no court of any other state would have jurisdiction under the criteria specified in Sections 201 through 203.

(b) If a court of this State declines to exercise its jurisdiction pursuant to subsection (a), it may fashion an appropriate remedy to ensure the safety of the child and prevent a repetition of the unjustifiable conduct, including staying the proceeding until a child-custody proceeding is commenced in a court having jurisdiction under Sections 201 through 203.

(c) If a court dismisses a petition or stays a proceeding because it declines to exercise its jurisdiction pursuant to subsection (a), it shall assess against the party seeking to invoke its jurisdiction necessary and reasonable expenses including costs, communication expenses, attorney's fees, investigative fees, expenses for witnesses, travel expenses, and child care during the course of the proceedings, unless the party from whom fees are sought establishes that the assessment would be clearly inappropriate. The court may not assess fees, costs, or expenses against this State unless authorized by law other than this Act.

(d) In making a determination under this Section, a court shall not consider as a factor weighing against the petitioner any taking of the child, or retention of the child after a visit or other temporary relinquishment of physical custody, from the person who has legal custody, if there is a finding that the taking or retention of the child was to protect the petitioner from domestic violence or the child or sibling from mistreatment or abuse, or for the purposes of obtaining lawful health care for the child and the law or policy of the other state limits the ability of a parent to obtain such lawful health care for their child.

(Source: P.A. 93-108, eff. 1-1-04.)

(750 ILCS 36/313.1 new)

Sec. 313.1. Legislative declaration of public policy. A law of another state that authorizes the removal of a child from a parent or person acting as a parent based on the parent or person acting as a parent allowing a child to receive lawful health care is against the public policy of this State and shall not be enforced or applied in a case pending in a court in this State.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.