SB1681 Engrossed LRB094 08103 LCB 38288 b

1     AN ACT concerning courts.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Court
5 Grandparent Awareness Training Act.
 
6     Section 5. Course development. The Administrative Office
7 of the Illinois Courts shall develop and approve a training
8 course that addresses and sensitizes judges and judicial
9 personnel to the unique problems and issues faced by
10 grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. The training
11 course shall be reviewed at least every 2 years and modified by
12 the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts from time to
13 time as needed.
 
14     Section 10. Attendance. The Administrative Office of the
15 Illinois Courts shall be responsible for ensuring that all
16 judges and judicial personnel attend initial training within 90
17 days after the effective date of this Act or within 90 days
18 after their appointment or transfer or date of hire, as
19 appropriate, as well as an annual in-service training.
 
20     Section 15. Course contents. The training course shall, at
21 a minimum, include training that would:
22         (1) increase the awareness on the part of judges and
23     judicial personnel of the social, psychological,
24     financial, and physical problems and issues faced by
25     grandparents who are raising their grandchildren; and
26         (2) provide judges and judicial personnel with
27     guidelines for dealing with these grandparents sensitively
28     and in a manner that facilitates their gaining access to
29     the legal rights and remedies available to them through the
30     judicial system.