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90_HB0236eng 750 ILCS 5/601 from Ch. 40, par. 601 Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act with respect to a child custody proceeding commenced by a person other than a parent. Provides that, in determining whether a child is in the physical custody of one of his parents, for purposes of determining a nonparental petitioner's standing to commence the proceeding, the court shall consider all relevant factors, including the child's age, the circumstances of the transfer to the nonparental petitioners including any conditions placed on the transfer by the transferring parent, the integration of the child into the petitioner's family setting, whether either parent voluntarily relinquished custody, whether the father's paternity has been established, and other factors, with the weight of each factor to be determined by the court, and the basis for granting or denying standing included in the court's decision. Effective immediately. LRB9001669SMdv HB0236 Engrossed LRB9001669SMdv 1 AN ACT to amend the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of 2 Marriage Act by changing Section 601. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of 6 Marriage Act is amended by changing Section 601 as follows: 7 (750 ILCS 5/601) (from Ch. 40, par. 601) 8 Sec. 601. Jurisdiction; Commencement of Proceeding. 9 (a) A court of this State competent to decide child 10 custody matters has jurisdiction to make a child custody 11 determination in original or modification proceedings as 12 provided in Section 4 of the Uniform Child Custody 13 Jurisdiction Act as adopted by this State. 14 (b) A child custody proceeding is commenced in the 15 court: 16 (1) by a parent, by filing a petition: 17 (i) for dissolution of marriage or legal 18 separation or declaration of invalidity of marriage; 19 or 20 (ii) for custody of the child, in the county 21 in which he is permanently resident or found; or 22 (2) by a person other than a parent, by filing a 23 petition for custody of the child in the county in which 24 he is permanently resident or found, but only if he is 25 not in the physical custody of one of his parents. In 26 determining whether a child is in the physical custody of 27 one of his parents, the court shall consider all relevant 28 factors, including: the child's age; the circumstances of 29 the transfer to the nonparental petitioners including any 30 conditions placed thereon by the transferring parent; 31 whether the transfer was attributable to economic HB0236 Engrossed -2- LRB9001669SMdv 1 hardship or illness; the integration of the child into 2 the family setting of the nonparental petitioner; the 3 length of time the child has spent in the family setting 4 of the nonparental petitioner; whether either or both of 5 the child's parents have voluntarily relinquished custody 6 of the child; and whether the child's father, if not 7 married to the child's mother, has acknowledged that he 8 is the child's father or been declared to be the child's 9 father by a court of competent jurisdiction. The weight 10 to be given each of these factors is in the court's sound 11 discretion. The court shall state in its decision 12 specific findings of fact in support of its decision to 13 grant or deny standing. 14 (c) Notice of a child custody proceeding, including an 15 action for modification of a previous custody order, shall be 16 given to the child's parents, guardian and custodian, who may 17 appear, be heard, and file a responsive pleading. The court, 18 upon showing of good cause, may permit intervention of other 19 interested parties. 20 (d) Proceedings for modification of a previous custody 21 order commenced more than 30 days following the entry of a 22 previous custody order must be initiated by serving a written 23 notice and a copy of the petition for modification upon the 24 child's parent, guardian and custodian at least 30 days prior 25 to hearing on the petition. Nothing in this Section shall 26 preclude a party in custody modification proceedings from 27 moving for a temporary order under Section 603 of this Act. 28 (e) In a custody proceeding involving an out-of-state 29 party, the court, prior to granting or modifying a custody 30 judgment, shall consult the registry of out-of-state 31 judgments to determine whether there exists any 32 communications or documents alleging that the child who is 33 the subject of custody proceedings may have been improperly 34 removed from the physical custody of the person entitled to HB0236 Engrossed -3- LRB9001669SMdv 1 custody or may have been improperly retained after a visit or 2 other temporary relinquishment of physical custody. Where, 3 on the basis of such documents or communications contained in 4 the registry of out-of-state judgments, the court determines 5 that the child who is the subject of custody may have been 6 improperly removed or retained, the court shall notify the 7 person or agency who submitted such communications as to the 8 location of the child, as soon as is practicable. 9 (Source: P.A. 87-1255.) 10 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 11 becoming law.