|
|
|||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | AN ACT concerning children.
| ||||||
| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
| ||||||
| 3 | represented in the General Assembly:
| ||||||
| 4 | Section 5. The Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act is | ||||||
| 5 | amended by changing Section 35 as follows: | ||||||
| 6 | (325 ILCS 2/35)
| ||||||
| 7 | Sec. 35. Information for relinquishing person. | ||||||
| 8 | (a) A hospital, police
station, fire station,
or emergency
| ||||||
| 9 | medical facility that receives a newborn infant relinquished in | ||||||
| 10 | accordance with
this
Act must offer an information packet to | ||||||
| 11 | the relinquishing person and, if
possible, must clearly inform | ||||||
| 12 | the relinquishing person that his or her
acceptance of the
| ||||||
| 13 | information is completely voluntary, that registration with | ||||||
| 14 | the Illinois
Adoption Registry and Medical Information | ||||||
| 15 | Exchange is voluntary, that the
person will remain anonymous if | ||||||
| 16 | he or she completes a Denial of Information
Exchange, and that | ||||||
| 17 | the person has the option to provide medical information
only | ||||||
| 18 | and still remain anonymous. The
information packet must include | ||||||
| 19 | all of
the following:
| ||||||
| 20 | (1) Blank All Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical | ||||||
| 21 | Information Exchange
application forms, including the | ||||||
| 22 | Medical Information
Exchange Questionnaire and
the web | ||||||
| 23 | site address and toll-free phone number of the Registry.
| ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | (2) Written notice of the following:
| ||||||
| 2 | (A) No sooner than 60 days following the date of | ||||||
| 3 | the
initial relinquishment of the infant to a hospital, | ||||||
| 4 | police station,
fire station, or emergency medical | ||||||
| 5 | facility, the child-placing agency or the
Department | ||||||
| 6 | will
commence proceedings for the termination of
| ||||||
| 7 | parental rights and placement of the infant for
| ||||||
| 8 | adoption.
| ||||||
| 9 | (B) Failure of a parent of the
infant to contact | ||||||
| 10 | the Department and
petition for the return of custody | ||||||
| 11 | of the
infant before termination of parental rights
| ||||||
| 12 | bars any future action asserting legal rights
with | ||||||
| 13 | respect to the infant.
| ||||||
| 14 | (3) A resource list of providers of counseling
services | ||||||
| 15 | including grief counseling, pregnancy counseling, and
| ||||||
| 16 | counseling regarding adoption and other available options | ||||||
| 17 | for placement of the
infant.
| ||||||
| 18 | Upon request of a parent, the Department of Public Health | ||||||
| 19 | shall provide the
application forms for the Illinois Adoption | ||||||
| 20 | Registry and Medical Information
Exchange to hospitals, police | ||||||
| 21 | stations, fire stations, and emergency
medical facilities.
| ||||||
| 22 | (b) The information packet given to a relinquishing parent | ||||||
| 23 | in accordance with this Act shall include, in addition to other | ||||||
| 24 | information required under this Act, the following: | ||||||
| 25 | (1) A brochure (with a self-mailer attached) that | ||||||
| 26 | describes this Act and the rights of birth parents, | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | including an optional section for the parent to complete | ||||||
| 2 | and mail to the Department of Children and Family Services, | ||||||
| 3 | that shall ask for basic anonymous background information | ||||||
| 4 | about the relinquished child. This brochure shall be | ||||||
| 5 | maintained by the Department on its website. | ||||||
| 6 | (2) A brochure that describes the Illinois Adoption | ||||||
| 7 | Registry, including a toll-free number and website | ||||||
| 8 | information. This brochure shall be maintained on the | ||||||
| 9 | Office of Vital Records website. | ||||||
| 10 | (3) A brochure describing postpartum health | ||||||
| 11 | information for the mother. | ||||||
| 12 | The information packet shall be designed in coordination | ||||||
| 13 | between the Office of Vital Records and the Department of | ||||||
| 14 | Children and Family Services, with the exception of the | ||||||
| 15 | resource list of providers of counseling services and adoption | ||||||
| 16 | agencies, which shall be provided by the hospital, fire | ||||||
| 17 | station, police station, sheriff's office, or emergency | ||||||
| 18 | medical facility. | ||||||
| 19 | (Source: P.A. 92-408, eff. 8-17-01; 92-432, eff. 8-17-01; | ||||||
| 20 | 93-820, eff. 7-27-04.)
| ||||||
| 21 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
| 22 | becoming law.
| ||||||