SB0031eng 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB0031 Engrossed LRB104 03436 RLC 13459 b

AN ACT concerning courts.

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

Section 5. The Juvenile Court Act of 1987 is amended by changing Section 5-745 as follows:

(705 ILCS 405/5-745)

Sec. 5-745. Court review.

(1) The court may require any legal custodian or guardian of the person appointed under this Act, including the Department of Juvenile Justice for youth committed under Section 5-750 of this Act, to report periodically to the court or may cite the legal custodian or guardian into court and require the legal custodian or guardian, or the legal custodian's or guardian's agency, to make a full and accurate report of the doings of the legal custodian, guardian, or agency on behalf of the minor, including efforts to secure post-release placement of the youth after release from the Department's facilities. The legal custodian or guardian, within 10 days after the citation, shall make the report, either in writing verified by affidavit or orally under oath in open court, or otherwise as the court directs. Upon the hearing of the report the court may remove the legal custodian or guardian and appoint another in the legal custodian's or guardian's stead or restore the minor to the custody of the minor's parents or former guardian or legal custodian.

(2) If the Department of Children and Family Services is appointed legal custodian or guardian of a minor under Section 5-740 of this Act, the Department of Children and Family Services shall file updated case plans with the court every 6 months. Every agency which has guardianship of a child shall file a supplemental petition for court review, or review by an administrative body appointed or approved by the court and further order within 18 months of the sentencing order and each 18 months thereafter. The petition shall state facts relative to the child's present condition of physical, mental and emotional health as well as facts relative to the minor's present custodial or foster care. The petition shall be set for hearing and the clerk shall mail 10 days notice of the hearing by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the person or agency having the physical custody of the child, the minor and other interested parties unless a written waiver of notice is filed with the petition.

If the minor is in the custody of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, pursuant to an order entered under this Article, the court shall conduct permanency hearings as set out in subsections (1), (1.5), (1.6), (2), (2.5), and (3) of Section 2-28 of Article II of this Act.

Rights of wards of the court under this Act are enforceable against any public agency by complaints for relief by mandamus filed in any proceedings brought under this Act.

(3) The minor or any person interested in the minor may apply to the court for a change in custody of the minor and the appointment of a new custodian or guardian of the person or for the restoration of the minor to the custody of the minor's parents or former guardian or custodian. In the event that the minor has attained 18 years of age and the guardian or custodian petitions the court for an order terminating the minor's guardianship or custody, guardianship or legal custody shall terminate automatically 30 days after the receipt of the petition unless the court orders otherwise. No legal custodian or guardian of the person may be removed without the legal custodian's or guardian's consent until given notice and an opportunity to be heard by the court.

(4) If the minor is committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice under Section 5-750 of this Act, the Department shall notify the court in writing of the occurrence of any of the following:

(a) a critical incident involving a youth committed to the Department; as used in this paragraph (a), "critical incident" means any incident that involves a serious risk to the life, health, or well-being of the youth and includes, but is not limited to, an accident or suicide attempt resulting in serious bodily harm or hospitalization, psychiatric hospitalization, alleged or suspected abuse, or escape or attempted escape from custody, filed within 10 days of the occurrence;

(b) a youth who has been released by the Prisoner Review Board but remains in a Department facility solely because the youth does not have an approved aftercare release host site, filed within 10 days of the occurrence;

(c) a youth, except a youth who has been adjudicated a habitual or violent juvenile offender under Section 5-815 or 5-820 of this Act or committed for first degree murder, who has been held in a Department facility for over one consecutive year; or

(d) if a report has been filed under paragraph (c) of this subsection, a supplemental report shall be filed every 6 months thereafter. The notification required by this subsection (4) shall contain a brief description of the incident or situation and a summary of the youth's current physical, mental, and emotional health and the actions the Department took in response to the incident or to identify an aftercare release host site, as applicable. Upon receipt of the notification, the court may require the Department to make a full report under subsection (1) of this Section.

(5) With respect to any report required to be filed with the court under this Section, the Independent Juvenile Ombudsperson shall provide a copy to the minor's court appointed guardian ad litem, if the Department has received written notice of the appointment, and to the minor's attorney, if the Department has received written notice of representation from the attorney. If the Department has a record that a guardian has been appointed for the minor and a record of the last known address of the minor's court appointed guardian, the Independent Juvenile Ombudsperson shall send a notice to the guardian that the report is available and will be provided by the Independent Juvenile Ombudsperson upon request. If the Department has no record regarding the appointment of a guardian for the minor, and the Department's records include the last known addresses of the minor's parents, the Independent Juvenile Ombudsperson shall send a notice to the parents that the report is available and will be provided by the Independent Juvenile Ombudsperson upon request.

(Source: P.A. 103-22, eff. 8-8-23.)