Rep. Sue Scherer

Filed: 2/22/2022

 

 


 

 


 
10200HB4305ham002LRB102 22342 RLC 36581 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 4305

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 4305 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 1. Legislative findings. The General Assembly
5finds that:
6    (1) There has been a longstanding misinterpretation of
7Illinois law regarding when and under what conditions children
8left home alone may be considered to be neglected pursuant to
9the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and regarding the conditions
10under which parents and guardians may be charged criminally
11with abandonment.
12    (2) Illinois law has been widely misinterpreted as stating
13that children cannot be left home alone, under any
14circumstances, unless the children are at least 14 years old.
15This interpretation is inaccurate.
16    (3) Whether a child is sufficiently mature to be safely
17left home alone varies based on the circumstances and many

 

 

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1factors, including, but not limited to, the age of the child,
2the child's individual developmental capacity, the length of
3time the child will be alone, and the safety conditions of the
4home.
 
5    Section 5. The Juvenile Court Act of 1987 is amended by
6changing Section 2-3 as follows:
 
7    (705 ILCS 405/2-3)  (from Ch. 37, par. 802-3)
8    Sec. 2-3. Neglected or abused minor.
9    (1) Those who are neglected include:
10        (a) any minor under 18 years of age or a minor 18 years
11    of age or older for whom the court has made a finding of
12    probable cause to believe that the minor is abused,
13    neglected, or dependent under subsection (1) of Section
14    2-10 prior to the minor's 18th birthday who is not
15    receiving the proper or necessary support, education as
16    required by law, or medical or other remedial care
17    recognized under State law as necessary for a minor's
18    well-being, or other care necessary for his or her
19    well-being, including adequate food, clothing and shelter,
20    or who is abandoned by his or her parent or parents or
21    other person or persons responsible for the minor's
22    welfare, except that a minor shall not be considered
23    neglected for the sole reason that the minor's parent or
24    parents or other person or persons responsible for the

 

 

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1    minor's welfare have left the minor in the care of an adult
2    relative for any period of time, who the parent or parents
3    or other person responsible for the minor's welfare know
4    is both a mentally capable adult relative and physically
5    capable adult relative, as defined by this Act; or
6        (b) any minor under 18 years of age or a minor 18 years
7    of age or older for whom the court has made a finding of
8    probable cause to believe that the minor is abused,
9    neglected, or dependent under subsection (1) of Section
10    2-10 prior to the minor's 18th birthday whose environment
11    is injurious to his or her welfare; or
12        (c) any newborn infant whose blood, urine, or meconium
13    contains any amount of a controlled substance as defined
14    in subsection (f) of Section 102 of the Illinois
15    Controlled Substances Act, as now or hereafter amended, or
16    a metabolite of a controlled substance, with the exception
17    of controlled substances or metabolites of such
18    substances, the presence of which in the newborn infant is
19    the result of medical treatment administered to the mother
20    or the newborn infant; or
21        (d) any minor under the age of 14 years whose parent or
22    other person responsible for the minor's welfare leaves
23    the minor without supervision for an unreasonable period
24    of time without regard for the mental or physical health,
25    safety, or welfare of that minor. Whether the minor was
26    left without regard for the mental or physical health,

 

 

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1    safety, or welfare of that minor or the period of time was
2    unreasonable shall be determined by considering the
3    following factors, including but not limited to:
4            (1) the age of the minor;
5            (2) the number of minors left at the location; ; or
6            (3) special needs of the minor, including whether
7        the minor is a person with a physical or mental
8        disability, or otherwise in need of ongoing prescribed
9        medical treatment such as periodic doses of insulin or
10        other medications;
11            (4) the duration of time in which the minor was
12        left without supervision;
13            (5) the condition and location of the place where
14        the minor was left without supervision;
15            (6) the time of day or night when the minor was
16        left without supervision;
17            (7) the weather conditions, including whether the
18        minor was left in a location with adequate protection
19        from the natural elements such as adequate heat or
20        light;
21            (8) the location of the parent or guardian at the
22        time the minor was left without supervision, the
23        physical distance the minor was from the parent or
24        guardian at the time the minor was without
25        supervision;
26            (9) whether the minor's movement was restricted,

 

 

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1        or the minor was otherwise locked within a room or
2        other structure;
3            (10) whether the minor was given a phone number of
4        a person or location to call in the event of an
5        emergency and whether the minor was capable of making
6        an emergency call;
7            (11) whether there was food and other provision
8        left for the minor;
9            (12) whether any of the conduct is attributable to
10        economic hardship or illness and the parent, guardian
11        or other person having physical custody or control of
12        the child made a good faith effort to provide for the
13        health and safety of the minor;
14            (13) the age and physical and mental capabilities
15        of the person or persons who provided supervision for
16        the minor;
17            (14) whether the minor was left under the
18        supervision of another person;
19            (15) any other factor that would endanger the
20        health and safety of that particular minor; or
21        (e) any minor who has been provided with interim
22    crisis intervention services under Section 3-5 of this Act
23    and whose parent, guardian, or custodian refuses to permit
24    the minor to return home unless the minor is an immediate
25    physical danger to himself, herself, or others living in
26    the home.

 

 

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1    Whether the minor was left without regard for the mental
2or physical health, safety, or welfare of that minor or the
3period of time was unreasonable shall be determined by
4considering the following factors, including but not limited
5to:
6        (1) the age of the minor;
7        (2) the number of minors left at the location;
8        (3) special needs of the minor, including whether the
9    minor is a person with a physical or mental disability, or
10    otherwise in need of ongoing prescribed medical treatment
11    such as periodic doses of insulin or other medications;
12        (4) the duration of time in which the minor was left
13    without supervision;
14        (5) the condition and location of the place where the
15    minor was left without supervision;
16        (6) the time of day or night when the minor was left
17    without supervision;
18        (7) the weather conditions, including whether the
19    minor was left in a location with adequate protection from
20    the natural elements such as adequate heat or light;
21        (8) the location of the parent or guardian at the time
22    the minor was left without supervision, the physical
23    distance the minor was from the parent or guardian at the
24    time the minor was without supervision;
25        (9) whether the minor's movement was restricted, or
26    the minor was otherwise locked within a room or other

 

 

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1    structure;
2        (10) whether the minor was given a phone number of a
3    person or location to call in the event of an emergency and
4    whether the minor was capable of making an emergency call;
5        (11) whether there was food and other provision left
6    for the minor;
7        (12) whether any of the conduct is attributable to
8    economic hardship or illness and the parent, guardian or
9    other person having physical custody or control of the
10    child made a good faith effort to provide for the health
11    and safety of the minor;
12        (13) the age and physical and mental capabilities of
13    the person or persons who provided supervision for the
14    minor;
15        (14) whether the minor was left under the supervision
16    of another person;
17        (15) any other factor that would endanger the health
18    and safety of that particular minor.
19    A minor shall not be considered neglected for the sole
20reason that the minor has been relinquished in accordance with
21the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act.
22    (1.5) A minor shall not be considered neglected for the
23sole reason that the minor's parent or other person
24responsible for the minor's welfare permits the minor to
25engage in independent activities unless the minor was
26permitted to engage in independent activities under

 

 

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1circumstances presenting unreasonable risk of harm to the
2minor's mental or physical health, safety, or well-being.
3"Independent activities" includes, but is not limited to:
4        (a) traveling to and from school including by walking,
5    running, or bicycling;
6        (b) traveling to and from nearby commercial or
7    recreational facilities;
8        (c) engaging in outdoor play;
9        (d) remaining in a vehicle unattended, except as
10    otherwise provided by law;
11        (e) remaining at home or at a similarly appropriate
12    location unattended; or
13        (f) engaging in a similar independent activity alone
14    or with other children.
15    In determining whether an independent activity presented
16unreasonable risk of harm, the court shall consider:
17        (1) whether the activity is generally accepted as
18    suitable for minors of the same age, maturity level, and
19    developmental capacity as the involved minor;
20        (2) the factors listed in items (1) through (15) of
21    paragraph (d) of subsection (1); and
22        (3) any other factor the court deems relevant.
23    (2) Those who are abused include any minor under 18 years
24of age or a minor 18 years of age or older for whom the court
25has made a finding of probable cause to believe that the minor
26is abused, neglected, or dependent under subsection (1) of

 

 

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1Section 2-10 prior to the minor's 18th birthday whose parent
2or immediate family member, or any person responsible for the
3minor's welfare, or any person who is in the same family or
4household as the minor, or any individual residing in the same
5home as the minor, or a paramour of the minor's parent:
6        (i) inflicts, causes to be inflicted, or allows to be
7    inflicted upon such minor physical injury, by other than
8    accidental means, which causes death, disfigurement,
9    impairment of physical or emotional health, or loss or
10    impairment of any bodily function;
11        (ii) creates a substantial risk of physical injury to
12    such minor by other than accidental means which would be
13    likely to cause death, disfigurement, impairment of
14    emotional health, or loss or impairment of any bodily
15    function;
16        (iii) commits or allows to be committed any sex
17    offense against such minor, as such sex offenses are
18    defined in the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code
19    of 2012, or in the Wrongs to Children Act, and extending
20    those definitions of sex offenses to include minors under
21    18 years of age;
22        (iv) commits or allows to be committed an act or acts
23    of torture upon such minor;
24        (v) inflicts excessive corporal punishment;
25        (vi) commits or allows to be committed the offense of
26    involuntary servitude, involuntary sexual servitude of a

 

 

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1    minor, or trafficking in persons as defined in Section
2    10-9 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of
3    2012, upon such minor; or
4        (vii) allows, encourages or requires a minor to commit
5    any act of prostitution, as defined in the Criminal Code
6    of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, and extending those
7    definitions to include minors under 18 years of age.
8    A minor shall not be considered abused for the sole reason
9that the minor has been relinquished in accordance with the
10Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act.
11    (3) This Section does not apply to a minor who would be
12included herein solely for the purpose of qualifying for
13financial assistance for himself, his parents, guardian or
14custodian.
15    (4) The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 101st
16General Assembly apply to a case that is pending on or after
17the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General
18Assembly.
19(Source: P.A. 101-79, eff. 7-12-19.)
 
20    Section 10. The Criminal Code of 2012 is amended by
21changing Section 12C-10 as follows:
 
22    (720 ILCS 5/12C-10)   (was 720 ILCS 5/12-21.5)
23    Sec. 12C-10. Child abandonment.
24    (a) A person commits child abandonment when he or she, as a

 

 

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1parent, guardian, or other person having physical custody or
2control of a child, without regard for the mental or physical
3health, safety, or welfare of that child, knowingly permits a
4child to engage in independent activities that were
5unreasonable under the circumstances or for an unreasonable
6period of time without regard for the minor's mental or
7physical health, safety, or well-being. For the purposes of
8this Section, no specific age shall be determinative of
9reasonableness. Reasonableness shall be determined by the
10maturity of each individual child leaves that child who is
11under the age of 13 without supervision by a responsible
12person over the age of 14 for a period of 24 hours or more. It
13is not a violation of this Section for a person to relinquish a
14child in accordance with the Abandoned Newborn Infant
15Protection Act.
16    (b) For the purposes of determining whether the child was
17left without regard for the mental or physical health, safety,
18or welfare of that child, the trier of fact shall consider the
19following factors:
20        (1) the age of the child;
21        (2) the number of children left at the location;
22        (3) special needs of the child, including whether the
23    child is a person with a physical or mental disability, or
24    otherwise in need of ongoing prescribed medical treatment
25    such as periodic doses of insulin or other medications;
26        (4) the duration of time in which the child was left

 

 

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1    without supervision;
2        (5) the condition and location of the place where the
3    child was left without supervision;
4        (6) the time of day or night when the child was left
5    without supervision;
6        (7) the weather conditions, including whether the
7    child was left in a location with adequate protection from
8    the natural elements such as adequate heat or light;
9        (8) the location of the parent, guardian, or other
10    person having physical custody or control of the child at
11    the time the child was left without supervision, the
12    physical distance the child was from the parent, guardian,
13    or other person having physical custody or control of the
14    child at the time the child was without supervision;
15        (9) whether the child's movement was restricted, or
16    the child was otherwise locked within a room or other
17    structure;
18        (10) whether the child was given a phone number of a
19    person or location to call in the event of an emergency and
20    whether the child was capable of making an emergency call;
21        (11) whether there was food and other provision left
22    for the child;
23        (12) whether any of the conduct is attributable to
24    economic hardship or illness and the parent, guardian or
25    other person having physical custody or control of the
26    child made a good faith effort to provide for the health

 

 

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1    and safety of the child;
2        (13) the age and physical and mental capabilities of
3    the person or persons who provided supervision for the
4    child;
5        (14) any other factor that would endanger the health
6    or safety of that particular child;
7        (15) whether the child was left under the supervision
8    of another person.
9    (c) Child abandonment is a Class 4 felony. A second or
10subsequent offense after a prior conviction is a Class 3
11felony. A parent, who is found to be in violation of this
12Section with respect to his or her child, may be sentenced to
13probation for this offense pursuant to Section 12C-15.
14(Source: P.A. 98-756, eff. 7-16-14; 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)".