750 ILCS 62/40

(750 ILCS 62/40)

Sec. 40. Duties and responsibilities of the Statewide Committee.

(a) The Statewide Committee shall carry out the following duties and responsibilities:

(1) Subject to available funds, hire or assign a full-time Program Manager to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the Statewide Committee and the purposes of this Act. The Program Manager may hire additional staff, subject to the availability of funds for that purpose and subject to the approval of the Board. The Statewide Committee and regional review teams can operate without an acting Program Manager.

(2) Establish and maintain an Internet website.

(3) Prepare an annual budget that includes compensation for the Program Manager and staff, and financial reimbursement to regional review team members or teams for actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, subject to the availability of funds for that purpose.

(4) Facilitate the establishment and implementation of regional review teams across the State over 6 years after the effective date of this Act and collaboratively develop regional implementation plans and procedures.

(5) Provide training and ongoing technical assistance to regional review teams.

(6) Conduct, or assist in conducting, regional domestic violence fatality reviews if requested by regional review teams in specific cases.

(7) Develop model confidentiality agreement, policies, and procedures for the use of regional review teams.

(8) Develop guidelines for the annual and biennial reports of the Statewide Committee and the regional review teams pursuant to this Section and Section 65.

(9) Appoint the initial members of each regional review team in accordance with Section 50 or designate a founding member of a regional review team to form the remainder of the regional review team in accordance with Section 50, unless the regional review team has been formed prior to the effective date of this Act or elects to form without the involvement of the Statewide Committee.

(10) Create a process whereby the Statewide Committee shall annually officially recognize regional review teams that are formed and operated in substantial compliance with the requirements of this Act, and nonrecognize those regional review teams that are substantially out of compliance after reasonable efforts are made by the Statewide Committee to engage the regional review team's co-chairs and other regional stakeholders to facilitate corrective actions to bring the regional review team into substantial compliance. A nonrecognized regional review team no longer has the authority to operate under this Act, however, nonrecognition would not preclude the formation of a new regional review team for the affected region.

(11) Review, analyze, maintain, and securely store regional review team reports and recommendations submitted by each regional review team as required by Section 65.

(12) File an annual report with the Governor and the General Assembly on the operations and activities of the Statewide Committee and of the regional review teams. The first report shall be due no later than March 1, 2023, and each subsequent report shall be due no later than March 1 of each year thereafter. The annual report shall be made publicly available on the Statewide Committee's Internet website.

(13) In even numbered years, file a substantive biennial report reviewing and analyzing the data and recommendations collected from the reports of the regional review teams. The biennial report shall include specific recommendations for legislative, systemic, policy, and any other changes to reduce domestic violence and domestic violence related fatalities and near-fatalities. The first report shall be due no later than April 1, 2024, and each subsequent report shall be due no later than April 1 of each even year thereafter. The biennial report shall be made publicly available on the Statewide Committee's Internet website.

(b) The Statewide Committee may carry out the following duties and responsibilities:

(1) After a vote by the majority of the voting Statewide Committee members or a decision by the co-chairs, establish one or more subcommittees or task forces to address specific issues regarding domestic violence, domestic violence fatalities and near-fatalities, domestic violence fatality review, or other related issues or subject matters, and may invite nonmembers with expertise on the issue or subject matter to serve on the subcommittee or task force. Each subcommittee or task force shall be chaired by a member of the Statewide Committee.

(2) Advise the Governor and General Assembly on domestic violence, domestic violence fatalities and near-fatalities, domestic violence fatality review, data, and related topics or policies.

(3) Engage nonmember stakeholders in reviewing selected recommendations from the regional review teams in accordance with notions of fairness, equity, justice, due process, and practicality.

(4) Analyze data and identify trends related to domestic violence and domestic violence related fatalities and near-fatalities, and develop mechanisms for collecting, analyzing, and storing data that it collects or that is provided by the regional review teams.

(5) Adopt administrative rules in order to implement this Act.

(6) Subject to the availability of funding and approval by a vote of the majority of the Statewide Committee members, engage with and enter into contracts with a higher education institution or research entity for research, analysis, training, and educational purposes in furtherance of the purposes of this Act. Statewide Committee members or Statewide Committee staff shall not share information with contractors that would disclose the identities of victims, survivors, deceased, offenders, and their family members or by which their identities can be determined by a reasonably diligent inquiry.

(7) Support the implementation of systemic and community reform recommendations in order to advance the purposes of this Act.

(8) Adopt notice of funding opportunities, award grants, or enter into contracts with statewide or local organizations that advocate on behalf of survivors.

(9) Assign any responsibilities under this Section.

(10) Engage in any other activities that enable the Statewide Committee, its staff, and the regional review teams to carry out the purposes of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-520, eff. 8-20-21.)