HB5459 Engrossed

LRB096 18646 KTG 34029 b





  
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    AN ACT concerning children.
  
 
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    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
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represented in the General Assembly:
  
 
 
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    Section 5. The Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act is 
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amended  by changing Section 35 as follows:
 
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    (325 ILCS 2/35)


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    Sec. 35. Information for relinquishing person.  
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    (a) A hospital, police
station, fire station,
or emergency

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medical facility that receives a newborn infant relinquished in 
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accordance with
this
Act must offer an information packet to 
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the relinquishing person and, if
possible, must clearly inform 
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the relinquishing person that his or her
acceptance of the

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information is completely voluntary, that registration with 
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the Illinois
Adoption Registry and Medical Information 
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Exchange is voluntary, that the
person will remain anonymous if 
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he or she completes a Denial of Information
Exchange, and that 
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the person has the option to provide medical information
only 
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and still remain anonymous.  The
information packet must include 
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all of
the following:


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        (1) Blank All Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical 
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    Information Exchange
application forms, including the 
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    Medical Information
Exchange Questionnaire and
the web 
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    site address and toll-free phone number of the Registry.


 


 






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        (2) Written notice of the following:


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            (A) No sooner than 60 days following the date of 
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        the
initial relinquishment of the infant to a hospital, 
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        police station,
fire station, or emergency medical 
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        facility, the child-placing agency or the
Department 
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        will
commence proceedings for the termination of

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        parental rights and placement of the infant for

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        adoption.


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            (B) Failure of a parent of the
infant to contact 
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        the Department and
petition for the return of custody 
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        of the
infant before termination of parental rights

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        bars any future action asserting legal rights
with 
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        respect to the infant.


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        (3) A resource list of providers of counseling
services 
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    including grief counseling, pregnancy counseling, and

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    counseling regarding adoption and other available options 
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    for placement of the
infant.


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    Upon request of a parent, the Department of Public Health 
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shall provide the
application forms for the Illinois Adoption 
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Registry and Medical Information
Exchange to hospitals, police 
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stations, fire stations, and emergency
medical facilities. 

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    (b) The information packet given to a relinquishing parent 
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in accordance with this Act shall include, in addition to other 
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information required under this Act, the following: 
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        (1) A brochure (with a self-mailer attached) that 
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    describes this Act and the rights of birth parents, 
 


 






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LRB096 18646 KTG 34029 b




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    including an optional section for the parent to complete 
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    and mail to the Department of Children and Family Services, 
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    that shall ask for basic anonymous background information 
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    about the relinquished child.  This brochure shall be 
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    maintained by the Department on its website. 
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        (2) A brochure that describes the Illinois Adoption 
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    Registry, including a toll-free number and website 
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    information. This brochure shall be maintained on the 
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    Office of Vital Records website. 
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        (3) A brochure describing postpartum health 
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    information for the mother. 
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    The information packet shall be designed in coordination 
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between the Office of Vital Records and the Department of 
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Children and Family Services, with the exception of the 
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resource list of providers of counseling services and adoption 
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agencies, which shall be provided by the hospital, fire 
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station, police station, sheriff's office, or emergency 
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medical facility. 
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(Source: P.A. 92-408, eff. 8-17-01; 92-432, eff. 8-17-01; 
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93-820, eff. 7-27-04.)

  
 
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    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
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becoming law.