HB4916enr 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB4916 Enrolled LRB098 17055 KTG 52140 b

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 Sections 7.8, 7.14, and 7.22 as follows:

(325 ILCS 5/7.8) (from Ch. 23, par. 2057.8)

Sec. 7.8. Upon receiving an oral or written report of suspected child abuse or neglect, the Department shall immediately notify, either orally or electronically, the Child Protective Service Unit of a previous report concerning a subject of the present report or other pertinent information. In addition, upon satisfactory identification procedures, to be established by Department regulation, any person authorized to have access to records under Section 11.1 relating to child abuse and neglect may request and shall be immediately provided the information requested in accordance with this Act. However, no information shall be released unless it prominently states the report is "indicated", and only information from "indicated" reports shall be released, except that information concerning pending reports may be released pursuant to Sections 7.14 and 7.22 of this Act to the attorney or guardian ad litem appointed under Section 2-17 of the Juvenile Court Act and to any person authorized under paragraphs (1), (2), (3) and (11) of Section 11.1. In addition, State's Attorneys are authorized to receive unfounded reports for prosecution purposes related to the transmission of false reports of child abuse or neglect in violation of subsection (a), paragraph (7) of Section 26-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012 and attorneys and guardians ad litem appointed under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 shall receive the classified reports set forth in Section 7.14 of this Act in conformance with paragraph (19) of Section 11.1 and Section 7.14 of this Act. The names and other identifying data and the dates and the circumstances of any persons requesting or receiving information from the central register shall be entered in the register record.

(Source: P.A. 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)

(325 ILCS 5/7.14) (from Ch. 23, par. 2057.14)

Sec. 7.14. All reports in the central register shall be classified in one of three categories: "indicated", "unfounded" or "undetermined", as the case may be. Prior to classifying After the report is classified, the person making the classification shall determine whether the child named in the report is the subject of an action under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. If the child is the subject of an action under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act and , the Department intends to classify the report as indicated, the Department shall, within 45 days of classification of the report, transmit a copy of the report to the attorney or guardian ad litem appointed for the child under Section 2-17 of the Juvenile Court Act. If the child is the subject of an action under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act and the Department intends to classify the report as unfounded, the Department shall, within 45 days of deciding its intent to classify the report as unfounded, transmit a copy of the report and written notice of the Department's intent to the attorney or guardian ad litem appointed for the child under Section 2-17 of the Juvenile Court Act. All information identifying the subjects of an unfounded report shall be expunged from the register forthwith, except as provided in Section 7.7. Unfounded reports may only be made available to the Child Protective Service Unit when investigating a subsequent report of suspected abuse or maltreatment involving a child named in the unfounded report; and to the subject of the report, provided the Department has not expunged the file in accordance with Section 7.7. The Child Protective Service Unit shall not indicate the subsequent report solely based upon the existence of the prior unfounded report or reports. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, an unfounded report shall not be admissible in any judicial or administrative proceeding or action. Identifying information on all other records shall be removed from the register no later than 5 years after the report is indicated. However, if another report is received involving the same child, his sibling or offspring, or a child in the care of the persons responsible for the child's welfare, or involving the same alleged offender, the identifying information may be maintained in the register until 5 years after the subsequent case or report is closed.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, identifying information in indicated reports involving serious physical injury to a child as defined by the Department in rules, may be retained longer than 5 years after the report is indicated or after the subsequent case or report is closed, and may not be removed from the register except as provided by the Department in rules. Identifying information in indicated reports involving sexual penetration of a child, sexual molestation of a child, sexual exploitation of a child, torture of a child, or the death of a child, as defined by the Department in rules, shall be retained for a period of not less than 50 years after the report is indicated or after the subsequent case or report is closed.

For purposes of this Section "child" includes an adult resident as defined in this Act.

(Source: P.A. 97-333, eff. 8-12-11; 98-453, eff. 8-16-13.)

(325 ILCS 5/7.22)

Sec. 7.22. Reviews of unfounded reports.

(a) Whenever the Department determines that a reported incident of child abuse or neglect will be is "unfounded", the Department shall forward a copy of the report and written notice of the Department's intent to classify the report as unfounded to the minor's attorney or guardian ad litem appointed under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. The minor's attorney or guardian ad litem may request a review of the investigation within 10 days of receipt of the report and written notice notification of the Department's intent to classify the report as unfounded final finding and receipt of the report, as provided in Section 7.14 of this Act, if the subject of the report is also the minor for whom the attorney or guardian ad litem has been appointed.

(b) Reviews requested under subsection (a) may be requested by sending a request via U.S. Mail, postmarked within 10 days after notice of the Department's intent to classify the report as unfounded the final finding, or by faxing a request within 10 days after notice of the Department's intent to classify the report as unfounded final finding. The date of notification of the Department's intent to classify the report as unfounded final finding is the date the attorney or guardian ad litem received a copy of the report and written notice from the Department. Following the review, the Department shall inform the minor's attorney or guardian ad litem as to whether the report will be classified as indicated or unfounded. The minor's attorney or guardian ad litem shall also receive a final finding notice from the State Central Register.

(c) By January 1, 2014, the Department shall promulgate rules addressing reviews requested under subsection (a). The rules shall provide that a review requested under subsection (a) must occur before the report is classified and a final finding is entered in the central register and that the review must be conducted by a Department employee outside the supervisory chain of the assigned investigator.

(Source: P.A. 98-453, eff. 8-16-13.)

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