HB3799 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 25525 KTG 51874 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB3799

Introduced 2/17/2023, by Rep. Carol Ammons

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

325 ILCS 5/3

from Ch. 23, par. 2053

Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. In the definition of "blatant disregard", provides that "blatant disregard" is not present when an incident involving a failure to provide food, shelter, or clothing that otherwise would be characterized as "blatant disregard" is solely attributable to the financial inability of the child's parent or the other person responsible for the child's welfare. In the definition of "neglected child", adds that "neglected child" means any child who is not receiving care necessary for his or her well-being, including adequate food, clothing, and shelter, even when the parent or person responsible for the child is financially able to do so or has been offered financial or other means to do so. Provides that a child shall not be considered neglected for the sole reason that the parent or other person responsible for the child in need of supportive services is unable to provide the care necessary for his or her well-being based exclusively on the parent's, or other responsible person's, financial inability. Defines "child in need of supportive services". Sets forth certain requirements the Department of Children and Family Services must complete before considering a child to be a neglected child, including evaluating the family's financial circumstances and offering appropriate family preservation services or referring the family for a child welfare services referral.

A BILL FOR

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 Section 3 as follows:

(325 ILCS 5/3) (from Ch. 23, par. 2053)

Sec. 3. As used in this Act unless the context otherwise requires:

"Adult resident" means any person between 18 and 22 years of age who resides in any facility licensed by the Department under the Child Care Act of 1969. For purposes of this Act, the criteria set forth in the definitions of "abused child" and "neglected child" shall be used in determining whether an adult resident is abused or neglected.

"Agency" means a child care facility licensed under Section 2.05 or Section 2.06 of the Child Care Act of 1969 and includes a transitional living program that accepts children and adult residents for placement who are in the guardianship of the Department.

"Blatant disregard" means an incident where the real, significant, and imminent risk of harm would be so obvious to a reasonable parent or caretaker that it is unlikely that a reasonable parent or caretaker would have exposed the child to the danger without exercising precautionary measures to protect the child from harm. "Blatant disregard" is not present when an incident involving a failure to provide food, shelter, or clothing that otherwise would be characterized as "blatant disregard" is solely attributable to the financial inability of the child's parent or the other person responsible for the child's welfare. With respect to a person working at an agency in his or her professional capacity with a child or adult resident, "blatant disregard" includes a failure by the person to perform job responsibilities intended to protect the child's or adult resident's health, physical well-being, or welfare, and, when viewed in light of the surrounding circumstances, evidence exists that would cause a reasonable person to believe that the child was neglected. With respect to an agency, "blatant disregard" includes a failure to implement practices that ensure the health, physical well-being, or welfare of the children and adult residents residing in the facility.

"Child" means any person under the age of 18 years, unless legally emancipated by reason of marriage or entry into a branch of the United States armed services.

"Department" means Department of Children and Family Services.

"Local law enforcement agency" means the police of a city, town, village or other incorporated area or the sheriff of an unincorporated area or any sworn officer of the Illinois State Police.

"Abused child" means a child whose parent or immediate family member, or any person responsible for the child's welfare, or any individual residing in the same home as the child, or a paramour of the child's parent:

(a) inflicts, causes to be inflicted, or allows to be inflicted upon such child physical injury, by other than accidental means, which causes death, disfigurement, impairment of physical or emotional health, or loss or impairment of any bodily function;

(b) creates a substantial risk of physical injury to such child by other than accidental means which would be likely to cause death, disfigurement, impairment of physical or emotional health, or loss or impairment of any bodily function;

(c) commits or allows to be committed any sex offense against such child, as such sex offenses are defined in the Criminal Code of 2012 or in the Wrongs to Children Act, and extending those definitions of sex offenses to include children under 18 years of age;

(d) commits or allows to be committed an act or acts of torture upon such child;

(e) inflicts excessive corporal punishment or, in the case of a person working for an agency who is prohibited from using corporal punishment, inflicts corporal punishment upon a child or adult resident with whom the person is working in his or her professional capacity;

(f) commits or allows to be committed the offense of female genital mutilation, as defined in Section 12-34 of the Criminal Code of 2012, against the child;

(g) causes to be sold, transferred, distributed, or given to such child under 18 years of age, a controlled substance as defined in Section 102 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act in violation of Article IV of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act or in violation of the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act, except for controlled substances that are prescribed in accordance with Article III of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act and are dispensed to such child in a manner that substantially complies with the prescription;

(h) commits or allows to be committed the offense of involuntary servitude, involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, or trafficking in persons as defined in Section 10-9 of the Criminal Code of 2012 against the child; or

(i) commits the offense of grooming, as defined in Section 11-25 of the Criminal Code of 2012, against the child.

A child shall not be considered abused for the sole reason that the child has been relinquished in accordance with the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act.

"Child in need of supportive services" means a child whose parent or caretaker has been identified by themselves, a member in the household, or a mandated reporter as needing a child welfare services referral to address needs such as, but not limited to, a parent's or caretaker's financial inability to provide adequate food, clothing, and shelter, unless the hotline worker identifies that there is an indication that the child is at imminent risk of harm and requires a formal child abuse or neglect investigation.

"Neglected child" means any child who:

(1) is not receiving the proper or necessary nourishment or medically indicated treatment including food or care not provided solely on the basis of the present or anticipated mental or physical impairment as determined by a physician acting alone or in consultation with other physicians or otherwise is not receiving the proper or necessary support or medical or other remedial care recognized under State law as necessary for a child's well-being; ,

(2) is not receiving care necessary for his or her well-being, including adequate food, clothing, and shelter, even when the parent or person responsible for the child is financially able to do so or has been offered financial or other means to do so; or other care necessary for his or her well-being, including adequate food, clothing and shelter; or who

(3) is subjected to an environment which is injurious insofar as (i) the child's environment creates a likelihood of harm to the child's health, physical well-being, or welfare and (ii) the likely harm to the child is the result of a blatant disregard of parent, caretaker, person responsible for the child's welfare, or agency responsibilities;

(4) or who is abandoned by his or her parents or other person responsible for the child's welfare without a proper plan of care;

(5) or who has been provided with interim crisis intervention services under Section 3-5 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and whose parent, guardian, or custodian refuses to permit the child to return home and no other living arrangement agreeable to the parent, guardian, or custodian can be made, and the parent, guardian, or custodian has not made any other appropriate living arrangement for the child; or

(6) who is a newborn infant whose blood, urine, or meconium contains any amount of a controlled substance as defined in subsection (f) of Section 102 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act or a metabolite thereof, with the exception of a controlled substance or metabolite thereof whose presence in the newborn infant is the result of medical treatment administered to the mother or the newborn infant.

A child shall not be considered neglected for:

(A) the sole reason that the child's parent or other person responsible for his or her welfare has left the child in the care of an adult relative for any period of time; .

(B) A child shall not be considered neglected for the sole reason that the child has been relinquished in accordance with the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act ; .

(C) A child shall not be considered neglected or abused for the sole reason that such child's parent or other person responsible for his or her welfare depends upon spiritual means through prayer alone for the treatment or cure of disease or remedial care as provided under Section 4 of this Act; .

(D) the sole reason that A child shall not be considered neglected or abused solely because the child is not attending school in accordance with the requirements of Article 26 of The School Code, as amended; or .

(E) the sole reason that the parent or other person responsible for the child in need of supportive services is unable to provide the care necessary for his or her well-being based exclusively on the parent's, or other responsible person's, financial inability.

A child shall not be considered neglected unless the Department:

(i) has evaluated the family's financial circumstances;

(ii) has assessed the family's need for services; and

(iii) has made demonstrable efforts to assist the family, including, but not limited to, offering appropriate family preservation services or recommending the family for a child welfare services referral, unless the Department has determined that family preservation services would not be appropriate.

"Child Protective Service Unit" means certain specialized State employees of the Department assigned by the Director to perform the duties and responsibilities as provided under Section 7.2 of this Act.

"Near fatality" means an act that, as certified by a physician, places the child in serious or critical condition, including acts of great bodily harm inflicted upon children under 13 years of age, and as otherwise defined by Department rule.

"Great bodily harm" includes bodily injury which creates a high probability of death, or which causes serious permanent disfigurement, or which causes a permanent or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ, or other serious bodily harm.

"Person responsible for the child's welfare" means the child's parent; guardian; foster parent; relative caregiver; any person responsible for the child's welfare in a public or private residential agency or institution; any person responsible for the child's welfare within a public or private profit or not for profit child care facility; or any other person responsible for the child's welfare at the time of the alleged abuse or neglect, including any person who commits or allows to be committed, against the child, the offense of involuntary servitude, involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, or trafficking in persons for forced labor or services, as provided in Section 10-9 of the Criminal Code of 2012, including, but not limited to, the custodian of the minor, or any person who came to know the child through an official capacity or position of trust, including, but not limited to, health care professionals, educational personnel, recreational supervisors, members of the clergy, and volunteers or support personnel in any setting where children may be subject to abuse or neglect.

"Temporary protective custody" means custody within a hospital or other medical facility or a place previously designated for such custody by the Department, subject to review by the Court, including a licensed foster home, group home, or other institution; but such place shall not be a jail or other place for the detention of criminal or juvenile offenders.

"An unfounded report" means any report made under this Act for which it is determined after an investigation that no credible evidence of abuse or neglect exists.

"An indicated report" means a report made under this Act if an investigation determines that credible evidence of the alleged abuse or neglect exists.

"An undetermined report" means any report made under this Act in which it was not possible to initiate or complete an investigation on the basis of information provided to the Department.

"Subject of report" means any child reported to the central register of child abuse and neglect established under Section 7.7 of this Act as an alleged victim of child abuse or neglect and the parent or guardian of the alleged victim or other person responsible for the alleged victim's welfare who is named in the report or added to the report as an alleged perpetrator of child abuse or neglect.

"Perpetrator" means a person who, as a result of investigation, has been determined by the Department to have caused child abuse or neglect.

"Member of the clergy" means a clergyman or practitioner of any religious denomination accredited by the religious body to which he or she belongs.

(Source: P.A. 102-567, eff. 1-1-22; 102-676, eff. 12-3-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)