HB5293 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 18644 RLC 32087 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB5293

Introduced 2/10/2026, by Rep. Rita Mayfield

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 2310/2310-544 new
720 ILCS 5/11-27 new

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall conduct a Grooming Awareness Public Educational and Outreach Program, which is a public education and outreach program concerning the grooming of children, including, but not limited to, grooming behaviors and how to recognize, prevent, and report grooming behaviors. Provides that the Department of Public Health may work with other organizations to help conduct the Program which may include, but is not limited to, the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA) or the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE). Provides that the Department of Public Health may adopt rules that are necessary to conduct the Program. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Creates the offense of failure to report grooming of a child. Provides that a person 18 years of age or older commits the offense when he or she personally observes the grooming between a person whom he or she knows is 18 years of age or older and a person he or she knows is a child under 17 years of age, and knowingly fails to report the grooming to law enforcement. Provides that the offense does not apply to a person who makes timely and reasonable efforts to stop the sex offense or unlawful sexual conduct by reporting the grooming or sexual conduct in conformance with the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act or by reporting the sex offense or causing a report to be made, to medical or law enforcement authorities or anyone who is a mandated reporter under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Provides that a person who commits failure to report grooming of a child is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor for the first violation and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent violation. Provides that nothing in the provision shall be construed to allow prosecution of a person who personally observes the act of grooming and assists with an investigation and any subsequent prosecution of the offender.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning grooming.

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

Section 5. The Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by adding Section 2310-544 as follows:

(20 ILCS 2310/2310-544 new)

Sec. 2310-544. Grooming Awareness Public Educational and Outreach Program.

(a) As used in this Section, "grooming" has the meaning ascribed to that term in Section 11-25 of the Criminal Code of 2012.

(b) The Department of Public Health shall conduct a Grooming Awareness Public Educational and Outreach Program, which is a public education and outreach program concerning the grooming of children, including, but not limited to, grooming behaviors and how to recognize, prevent, and report grooming behaviors. The Department of Public Health may work with other organizations to help conduct the Program which may include, but is not limited to, the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA) or the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE).

(c) The Department of Public Health may adopt rules that are necessary to conduct the Program.

Section 10. The Criminal Code of 2012 is amended by adding Section 11-27 as follows:

(720 ILCS 5/11-27 new)

Sec. 11-27. Failure to report grooming of a child.

(a) As used in this Section:

"Child" means any person under 17 years of age.

"Grooming" has the same meaning for that term in Section 11-25 of this Code.

"Sex offense" means any violation of Article 11 of this Code, including grooming.

"Sexual conduct" means masturbation, sexual conduct, or sexual penetration as defined in Section 11-0.1 of this Code.

(b) A person 18 years of age or older commits failure to report grooming of a child when he or she personally observes the grooming between a person whom he or she knows is 18 years of age or older and a person he or she knows is a child, and knowingly fails to report the grooming to law enforcement.

(c) This Section does not apply to a person who makes timely and reasonable efforts to stop the sex offense or unlawful sexual conduct by reporting the grooming or sexual conduct in conformance with the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act or by reporting the sex offense or causing a report to be made, to medical or law enforcement authorities or anyone who is a mandated reporter under Section 4 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.

(d) A person may not be charged with the offense of failure to report grooming of a child until the person who committed the offense is charged with grooming, criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault, predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, criminal sexual abuse, or aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

(e) It is an affirmative defense to a charge of failure to report grooming of a child that the person who personally observed the grooming had a reasonable apprehension that timely action to stop the sex offense or unlawful sexual conduct would result in the imminent infliction of death, great bodily harm, permanent disfigurement, or permanent disability to that person or another in retaliation for reporting.

(f) Sentence. A person who commits failure to report grooming of a child is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor for the first violation and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent violation.

(g) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to allow prosecution of a person who personally observes the act of grooming and assists with an investigation and any subsequent prosecution of the offender.