HB4368 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 17682 JRC 31113 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB4368

Introduced 1/14/2026, by Rep. Maurice A. West, II

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

750 ILCS 62/35
750 ILCS 62/40
750 ILCS 62/65

Amends the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Act. Changes the Statewide Committee quorum from 7 voting members to a simple majority of voting members. Requires that Statewide Committee's annual report is due no later than September 1 instead of March 1 of each year. Requires that the biennial report is due no later than June 1 instead of April 1 of each odd year.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning domestic violence.

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

Section 5. The Domestic Violence Fatality Review Act is amended by changing Sections 35, 40, and 65 as follows:

(750 ILCS 62/35)

Sec. 35. Statewide Committee quorum; meetings; compensation.

(a) A quorum shall consist of a simple majority 7 of the voting members of the Statewide Committee.

(b) The first meeting of the Statewide Committee shall occur by January 15, 2022. At the first meeting and at subsequent meetings when terms expire, the voting members shall elect 2 co-chairs and a secretary from among the voting members and may elect any other officers and other officers the voting members deem necessary to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the Statewide Committee.

(c) The Statewide Committee shall meet at least quarterly each State fiscal year. Additional meetings may be called by the co-chairs, after at least 7 days prior notice to the Statewide Committee members, or upon a written request signed by at least 5 Statewide Committee members to the co-chairs for a meeting request. Meetings may be held by a virtual meeting format during a public health emergency or disaster proclamation declared by the Governor, or at the discretion of the co-chairs.

(d) The meetings of the Statewide Committee are subject to the Open Meetings Act, except the following shall occur in closed executive sessions not subject to the requirements of the Open Meetings Act:

(1) discussions about personnel matters, confidential information as defined by Section 5, or cases eligible for review under Section 70; and

(2) conducting a domestic violence fatality review.

(e) The members shall receive no compensation for their service as members of the Statewide Committee, but may receive reimbursement for actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, subject to the availability of funds for that purpose.

(Source: P.A. 102-520, eff. 8-20-21.)

(750 ILCS 62/40)

Sec. 40. Duties and responsibilities of the Statewide Committee.

(a) The Statewide Committee shall carry out the following duties and responsibilities:

(1) Subject to available funds, hire or assign a full-time Program Manager to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the Statewide Committee and the purposes of this Act. The Program Manager may hire additional staff, subject to the availability of funds for that purpose and subject to the approval of the Board. The Statewide Committee and regional review teams can operate without an acting Program Manager.

(2) Establish and maintain an Internet website.

(3) Prepare an annual budget that includes compensation for the Program Manager and staff, and financial reimbursement to regional review team members or teams for actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, subject to the availability of funds for that purpose.

(4) Facilitate the establishment and implementation of regional review teams across the State over 6 years after the effective date of this Act and collaboratively develop regional implementation plans and procedures.

(5) Provide training and ongoing technical assistance to regional review teams.

(6) Conduct, or assist in conducting, regional domestic violence fatality reviews if requested by regional review teams in specific cases.

(7) Develop model confidentiality agreement, policies, and procedures for the use of regional review teams.

(8) Develop guidelines for the annual and biennial reports of the Statewide Committee and the regional review teams pursuant to this Section and Section 65.

(9) Appoint the initial members of each regional review team in accordance with Section 50 or designate a founding member of a regional review team to form the remainder of the regional review team in accordance with Section 50, unless the regional review team has been formed prior to the effective date of this Act or elects to form without the involvement of the Statewide Committee.

(10) Create a process whereby the Statewide Committee shall annually officially recognize regional review teams that are formed and operated in substantial compliance with the requirements of this Act, and nonrecognize those regional review teams that are substantially out of compliance after reasonable efforts are made by the Statewide Committee to engage the regional review team's co-chairs and other regional stakeholders to facilitate corrective actions to bring the regional review team into substantial compliance. A nonrecognized regional review team no longer has the authority to operate under this Act, however, nonrecognition would not preclude the formation of a new regional review team for the affected region.

(11) Review, analyze, maintain, and securely store regional review team reports and recommendations submitted by each regional review team as required by Section 65.

(12) File an annual report with the Governor and the General Assembly on the operations and activities of the Statewide Committee and of the regional review teams. The first report shall be due no later than March 1, 2023, and each subsequent report shall be due no later than September March 1 of each year thereafter. The annual report shall be made publicly available on the Statewide Committee's Internet website.

(13) In even numbered years, file a substantive biennial report reviewing and analyzing the data and recommendations collected from the reports of the regional review teams. The biennial report shall include specific recommendations for legislative, systemic, policy, and any other changes to reduce domestic violence and domestic violence related fatalities and near-fatalities. The first report shall be due no later than April 1, 2024, and each subsequent report shall be due no later than April 1 of each even year thereafter. The biennial report shall be made publicly available on the Statewide Committee's Internet website.

(b) The Statewide Committee may carry out the following duties and responsibilities:

(1) After a vote by the majority of the voting Statewide Committee members or a decision by the co-chairs, establish one or more subcommittees or task forces to address specific issues regarding domestic violence, domestic violence fatalities and near-fatalities, domestic violence fatality review, or other related issues or subject matters, and may invite nonmembers with expertise on the issue or subject matter to serve on the subcommittee or task force. Each subcommittee or task force shall be chaired by a member of the Statewide Committee.

(2) Advise the Governor and General Assembly on domestic violence, domestic violence fatalities and near-fatalities, domestic violence fatality review, data, and related topics or policies.

(3) Engage nonmember stakeholders in reviewing selected recommendations from the regional review teams in accordance with notions of fairness, equity, justice, due process, and practicality.

(4) Analyze data and identify trends related to domestic violence and domestic violence related fatalities and near-fatalities, and develop mechanisms for collecting, analyzing, and storing data that it collects or that is provided by the regional review teams.

(5) Adopt administrative rules in order to implement this Act.

(6) Subject to the availability of funding and approval by a vote of the majority of the Statewide Committee members, engage with and enter into contracts with a higher education institution or research entity for research, analysis, training, and educational purposes in furtherance of the purposes of this Act. Statewide Committee members or Statewide Committee staff shall not share information with contractors that would disclose the identities of victims, survivors, deceased, offenders, and their family members or by which their identities can be determined by a reasonably diligent inquiry.

(7) Support the implementation of systemic and community reform recommendations in order to advance the purposes of this Act.

(8) Adopt notice of funding opportunities, award grants, or enter into contracts with statewide or local organizations that advocate on behalf of survivors.

(9) Assign any responsibilities under this Section.

(10) Engage in any other activities that enable the Statewide Committee, its staff, and the regional review teams to carry out the purposes of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-520, eff. 8-20-21.)

(750 ILCS 62/65)

Sec. 65. Duties and responsibilities of the regional domestic violence fatality review team.

(a) Each regional review team shall carry out the following duties and responsibilities:

(1) Form a regional review team in accordance with Sections 50 and 55.

(2) Report the names, professional titles, if applicable, and business contact information of each review team member to the Statewide Committee and inform the Statewide Committee in a timely manner of any changes to the membership of the regional review team.

(3) Create a secure system of maintaining and storing minutes, correspondence, and confidential information related to the regional review team and the domestic violence fatality reviews.

(4) Ensure that each member of the regional review team participates in trainings and technical assistance provided by the Statewide Committee and other professionals.

(5) Meet at least quarterly and maintain minutes of the business conducted by the regional review team at each meeting.

(6) Establish priorities for reviewing eligible cases that consider, in part, demographic and case type diversity.

(7) Based upon information available from a variety of sources, consider cases eligible for review in accordance with Section 70.

(8) Vote by a majority of the regional review team members to review a specific case based upon various factors, including the priorities by the regional review team.

(9) Invite and coordinate with the specific people designated in Section 50 who were involved in the selected domestic violence related fatality or near-fatality to participate in the domestic violence fatality review. Members of the regional review team may also participate directly in the domestic violence fatality review.

(10) Execute a confidentiality agreement with each member of the regional review team and participant of a domestic violence fatality review in accordance with Section 75.

(11) Conduct a domestic violence fatality review of at least 2 eligible cases per calendar year, or, if the regional review team is unable to complete at least 2 reviews in a given year, provide an explanation to the Statewide Committee in the regional review team's annual report pursuant to paragraph (12).

(12) Prepare and submit an annual report to the Statewide Committee on the operations and activities of the regional review team in accordance with guidelines established by the Statewide Committee. The initial report shall be due on March 1 following the formation of the regional review team and subsequent reports shall be submitted no later than March 1 of each year thereafter.

(13) On odd numbered years, prepare and submit to the Statewide Committee a biennial report based upon the domestic violence fatality reviews of the corresponding time period. The biennial report shall include specific recommendations for legislative, systemic, policy, and any other changes to reduce domestic violence and domestic violence related fatalities and near-fatalities. These recommendations will be reviewed by the Statewide Committee according to Section 40 and will, in part, inform the Statewide Committee's biennial report on even years. Any information that identifies the victims, survivors, deceased, or offenders, or their family members or any information by which their identities can be determined by a reasonably diligent inquiry shall not be disclosed in any domestic violence fatality review biennial report or by any other means. Any narrative of nonidentifying facts will be limited to those essential and indispensable to the explanation of data analysis or a recommendation for reform. Aggregate and nonidentifying data, including demographics, may be included in the biennial report. The first biennial report shall be due no later than April 1, 2023, and each subsequent report shall be due no later than June April 1 of each odd year thereafter.

(b) Each regional review team may carry out the following duties and responsibilities:

(1) Collect and analyze data from its regional area regarding cases eligible for review that were and were not reviewed by the regional review team for purposes of identifying patterns and making recommendations for community and systemic reforms.

(2) Subject to the availability of funding and approval by a vote of the majority of the regional review team members, engage with and enter into contracts with a higher education institution or research entity for research, analysis, training, and educational purposes in furtherance of the purposes of this Act. Regional review team members shall not share information with contractors that would disclose the identities of victims, survivors, deceased, offenders, and their family members or by which their identities can be determined by a reasonably diligent inquiry.

(3) Seek funds to support the operations of the regional review team and the facilitation of domestic violence fatality reviews.

(4) Support the implementation of systemic and community reform recommendations in order to advance the purposes of this Act.

(5) Engage in any other activities that enable the regional review team to carry out the purposes of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-520, eff. 8-20-21.)