SB2895eng 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2895 Engrossed LRB104 15319 KTG 28473 b

AN ACT concerning State government.

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

Section 5. The Adoption Act is amended by changing Section 18.4 as follows:

(750 ILCS 50/18.4) (from Ch. 40, par. 1522.4)

Sec. 18.4. Information provided to adoptive parents. (a) The agency, Department of Children and Family Services, Court Supportive Services, Juvenile Division of the Circuit Court, or the Probation Officers of the Circuit Court involved in the adoption proceedings shall give in writing the following non-identifying information, if known, to the adoptive parents not later than the date of placement with the petitioning adoptive parents: (i) age of biological parents; (ii) their race, religion and ethnic background; (iii) general physical appearance of biological parents; (iv) their education, occupation, hobbies, interests and talents; (v) existence of any other children born to the biological parents; (vi) information about biological grandparents; reason for emigrating into the United States, if applicable, and country of origin; (vii) relationship between biological parents; (viii) detailed medical and mental health histories of the child, the biological parents, and their immediate relatives; (ix) the actual date and place of birth of the adopted person; and (x) the reason or reasons the birth parent or parents stated for placing the child for adoption, how and why the adoptive parent or parents were selected and who selected the adoptive parent or parents, and whether the birth parent or parents requested or agreed to post-adoption contact with the child at the time of placement, and, if so, the frequency and type of contact; and (xi) whether the child was placed in foster care before adoption, and if so, available information about significant developmental milestones observed or documented that occurred while the child was placed under the custody and guardianship of the Department. This information may include, but is not limited to, the child's first steps, first words, toilet training, and other notable developmental progress. However, no information provided under this subsection shall disclose the name or last known address of the biological parents, grandparents, the siblings of the biological parents, the adopted person, or any other relative of the adopted person. Disclosure under this subsection is subject to applicable State or federal confidentiality laws. On or before January 1, 2027, the Department of Children and Family Services shall adopt any rules necessary to implement the changes made to this subsection by this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly.

(b) Any adoptee 18 years of age or over shall be given the information in subsection (a) upon request.

(c) The Illinois Adoption Registry shall release any non-identifying information listed in (a) of this Section that appears on the certified copy of the original birth certificate or the Certificate of Adoption to an adopted person, adoptive parent, or legal guardian who is a registrant of the Illinois Adoption Registry.

(d) The Illinois Adoption Registry shall release the actual date and place of birth of an adopted person who is 21 years of age or over to the birth parent if the birth parent is a registrant of the Illinois Adoption Registry and has completed a Medical Information Exchange Authorization.

(e) The Illinois Adoption Registry shall release information regarding the date the adoption was finalized and the county in which the adoption was finalized to a certified confidential intermediary upon submission of a court order.

(f) In cases where the Illinois Adoption Registry possesses information indicating that an adopted person who is 21 years of age or over was adopted in a state other than Illinois or a country other than the United States, the Illinois Adoption Registry shall release the name of the state or country where the adoption was finalized and, if available, the agency involved in the adoption to a registrant of the Illinois Adoption Registry, provided the registrant is not the subject of a Denial of Information Exchange and the registrant has completed a Medical Information Exchange Authorization.

(g) Any of the above available information for any adoption proceedings completed before the effective date of this Act shall be supplied to the adoptive parents or an adoptee 18 years of age or over upon request.

(h) The agency, Department of Children and Family Services, Court Supportive Services, Juvenile Division of the Circuit Court, the Probation Officers of the Circuit Court and any other governmental bodies having any of the above information shall retain the file until the adoptee would have reached the age of 99 years.

(Source: P.A. 99-832, eff. 1-1-17.)