101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB4084

 

Introduced 1/16/2020, by Rep. John M. Cabello

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
325 ILCS 5/7.6  from Ch. 23, par. 2057.6

    Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Permits school-aged children under the age of 18 to use the statewide toll-free telephone number established under the Act to report alleged incidents of bullying or hazing that occur at their school. Provides that children who report an alleged incident of bullying or hazing to the statewide toll-free telephone number may remain anonymous. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to provide callers with information on how to handle an alleged incident of bullying or hazing, which may include a list of available resources developed or provided by other federal or State agencies concerning bullying or hazing prevention. Provides that upon receipt of a child's report of bullying or hazing, the Department shall report the incident as soon as possible to the superintendent of the school district in which the child resides or, if the child attends a non-public school, the administrator of the non-public school. Provides that reports of bullying or hazing made to the statewide toll-free telephone number shall not initiate a child abuse or neglect investigation under the Act. Requires the Department to (i) inform all school districts and non-public schools of the statewide toll-free telephone number and its function to receive reports of bullying or hazing and (ii) post on its website, in a relevant and conspicuous place, information on how a child can report an alleged incident of bullying or hazing to the statewide toll-free telephone number.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning children.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act is
5amended by changing Section 7.6 as follows:
 
6    (325 ILCS 5/7.6)  (from Ch. 23, par. 2057.6)
7    Sec. 7.6. (a) There shall be a single State-wide, toll-free
8telephone number established and maintained by the Department
9which all persons, whether or not mandated by law, may use to
10report suspected child abuse or neglect at any hour of the day
11or night, on any day of the week. Immediately upon receipt of
12such reports, the Department shall transmit the contents of the
13report, either orally or electronically, to the appropriate
14Child Protective Service Unit. Any other person may use the
15State-wide number to obtain assistance or information
16concerning the handling of child abuse and neglect cases.
17    Wherever the Statewide number is posted, there shall also
18be posted the following notice:
19    "Any person who knowingly transmits a false report to the
20Department commits the offense of disorderly conduct under
21subsection (a)(7) of Section 26-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012.
22A violation of this subsection is a Class 4 felony."
23    (b) As used in this subsection:

 

 

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1    "Bullying" has the meaning ascribed to that term in Section
227-23.7 of the School Code.
3    "Hazing" means an act of hazing as described in Section
412C-50 of the Criminal Code of 2012.
5    School-aged children under the age of 18 may use the
6statewide toll-free telephone number established under
7subsection (a) to report alleged incidents of bullying or
8hazing that occur at their school. Children who call the
9statewide toll-free telephone number to report an alleged
10incident of bullying or hazing may remain anonymous. Through
11the statewide toll-free telephone number, the Department shall
12provide callers with information on how to handle an alleged
13incident of bullying or hazing. The information provided may
14include a list of available resources developed or provided by
15other federal or State agencies concerning bullying or hazing
16prevention. Upon receipt of a child's report of bullying or
17hazing, the Department shall report the incident as soon as
18possible to the superintendent of the school district in which
19the child resides or, if the child attends a non-public school,
20the administrator of the non-public school. Reports made to the
21statewide toll-free telephone number concerning an alleged
22incident of bullying or hazing shall not initiate a child abuse
23or neglect investigation under this Act and shall not be
24transmitted to any Child Protective Services Unit.
25    The Department shall inform all school districts and
26non-public schools in the State that school-aged children under

 

 

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1the age of 18 may call the statewide toll-free telephone number
2established under subsection (a) to report alleged incidents of
3bullying or hazing. The Department shall also post on its
4website, in a relevant and conspicuous place, information on
5how a child can report an alleged incident of bullying or
6hazing to the statewide toll-free telephone number.
7(Source: P.A. 97-189, eff. 7-22-11; 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)