SB3947 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 19470 KTG 32918 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB3947

Introduced 2/6/2026, by Sen. Erica Harriss

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

325 ILCS 5/7.16

from Ch. 23, par. 2057.16

Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Provides that for any expedited appeal to amend or remove an indicated report from the State Central Register that is initiated or pending on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Director of the Department of Children and Family Services shall issue its final decision on the abuse or neglect report within 60 days after receipt of a timely sufficient request for an expedited appeal, unless extended by action of the appellant. Provides that within the same 60 day time period, the Director shall receive and accept, reject, amend, or return to the Administrative Hearings Unit for further proceedings the Administrative Law Judge's recommendation with respect to the expedited appeal. Provides that the Director's decision is the final administrative decision of the Department.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning children.

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

Section 5. The Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act is amended by changing Section 7.16 as follows:

(325 ILCS 5/7.16) (from Ch. 23, par. 2057.16)

Sec. 7.16. For any investigation or appeal initiated on or after, or pending on July 1, 1998, the following time frames shall apply. Within 60 days after the notification of the completion of the Child Protective Service Unit investigation, determined by the date of the notification sent by the Department, the perpetrator named in the notification may request the Department to amend the record or remove the record of the report from the register, except that the 60-day deadline for filing a request to amend the record or remove the record of the report from the State Central Register shall be tolled until after the conclusion of any criminal court action in the circuit court or after adjudication in any juvenile court action concerning the circumstances that give rise to an indicated report. Such request shall be in writing and directed to such person as the Department designates in the notification letter notifying the perpetrator of the indicated finding. The perpetrator shall have the right to a timely hearing within the Department to determine whether the record of the report should be amended or removed on the grounds that it is inaccurate or it is being maintained in a manner inconsistent with this Act, except that there shall be no such right to a hearing on the ground of the report's inaccuracy if there has been a court finding of child abuse or neglect or a criminal finding of guilt as to the perpetrator. Expect as otherwise provided in this Section, such Such hearing shall be held within a reasonable time after the perpetrator's request and at a reasonable place and hour. The appropriate Child Protective Service Unit shall be given notice of the hearing. If the minor, who is the victim named in the report sought to be amended or removed from the State Central Register, is the subject of a pending action under Article V of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and is in the custody or guardianship of the Department or has an open intact family services case with the Department or is the subject of a pending action under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, and the report was made while a guardian ad litem was appointed for the minor under Section 5-610 or 2-17 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, then the minor shall, through the minor's attorney or guardian ad litem appointed under Section 5-610 or 2-17 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, have the right to participate and be heard in such hearing as defined under the Department's rules. The Department's obligation under this Section to provide a minor with a guardian ad litem appointed under Section 5-610 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and an open intact family services case with the right to participate and be heard applies only if the guardian ad litem notified the Department in writing of the representation. In such hearings, the burden of proving the accuracy and consistency of the record shall be on the Department and the appropriate Child Protective Service Unit. The hearing shall be conducted by the Director or the Director's designee, who is hereby authorized and empowered to order the amendment or removal of the record to make it accurate and consistent with this Act. The decision shall be made, in writing, at the close of the hearing, or within 60 days thereof, and shall state the reasons upon which it is based. Decisions of the Department under this Section are administrative decisions subject to judicial review under the Administrative Review Law.

For any expedited appeal initiated or pending on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly, the Director of the Department shall issue the final decision within 60 days after receipt of a timely sufficient request for an expedited appeal, unless extended by action of the appellant. Within the same 60 day time period, the Director shall receive and accept, reject, amend, or return to the Administrative Hearings Unit for further proceedings the Administrative Law Judge's recommendation with respect to the expedited appeal. The Director's decision is the final administrative decision of the Department.

Should the Department grant the request of the perpetrator pursuant to this Section either on administrative review or after an administrative hearing to amend an indicated report to an unfounded report, the report shall be released and expunged in accordance with the standards set forth in Section 7.14 of this Act.

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