Public Act 096-0494
 
HB0562 Enrolled LRB096 04824 DRJ 14889 b

    AN ACT concerning abuse.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Humane Care for Animals Act is amended by
adding Section 18 as follows:
 
    (510 ILCS 70/18 new)
    Sec. 18. Cross-reporting.
    (a) An animal control officer, Department investigator, or
approved humane investigator who has reasonable cause to
suspect or believe that a child is being abused or neglected or
is in danger of being abused or neglected must immediately make
a written or oral report to the Department of Children and
Family Services.
    (b) Investigation Specialists, Intact Family Specialists,
and Placement Specialists employed by the Department of
Children and Family Services who reasonably believe that an
animal observed by them when in their professional or official
capacity is being abused or neglected in violation of this Act
must immediately make a written or oral report to the
Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Health and
Welfare. However, the Department of Children and Family
Services may not discipline an Investigation Specialist, an
Intact Family Specialist, or a Placement Specialist for failing
to make such a report if the Specialist determines that making
the report would interfere with the performance of his or her
child welfare protection duties.
    (c) Except for willful and wanton misconduct, any person,
institution, or agency described in subsection (a) or (b),
participating in good faith in the making of a report or
referral, or in the investigation of such a report or referral,
or in making a disclosure of information concerning reports of
abuse or neglect under this Act, shall have immunity from any
liability, civil, criminal, or otherwise, that might result by
reason of such actions.
    (d) The identity of any person who reports animal abuse or
neglect under subsection (a) or (b) shall be confidential and
shall not be disclosed except as specifically authorized by
this Act or other applicable law.
    (e) A home rule unit may not regulate the reporting of
child abuse or neglect in a manner inconsistent with the
provisions of this Section. This Section is a limitation under
subsection (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois
Constitution on the concurrent exercise by home rule units of
powers and functions exercised by the State.
 
    Section 10. The Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act is
amended by changing Section 4 and by adding Section 11.8 as
follows:
 
    (325 ILCS 5/4)  (from Ch. 23, par. 2054)
    Sec. 4. Persons required to report; privileged
communications; transmitting false report. Any physician,
resident, intern, hospital, hospital administrator and
personnel engaged in examination, care and treatment of
persons, surgeon, dentist, dentist hygienist, osteopath,
chiropractor, podiatrist, physician assistant, substance abuse
treatment personnel, funeral home director or employee,
coroner, medical examiner, emergency medical technician,
acupuncturist, crisis line or hotline personnel, school
personnel (including administrators and both certified and
non-certified school employees), educational advocate assigned
to a child pursuant to the School Code, member of a school
board or the Chicago Board of Education or the governing body
of a private school (but only to the extent required in
accordance with other provisions of this Section expressly
concerning the duty of school board members to report suspected
child abuse), truant officers, social worker, social services
administrator, domestic violence program personnel, registered
nurse, licensed practical nurse, genetic counselor,
respiratory care practitioner, advanced practice nurse, home
health aide, director or staff assistant of a nursery school or
a child day care center, recreational program or facility
personnel, law enforcement officer, licensed professional
counselor, licensed clinical professional counselor,
registered psychologist and assistants working under the
direct supervision of a psychologist, psychiatrist, or field
personnel of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services,
Juvenile Justice, Public Health, Human Services (acting as
successor to the Department of Mental Health and Developmental
Disabilities, Rehabilitation Services, or Public Aid),
Corrections, Human Rights, or Children and Family Services,
supervisor and administrator of general assistance under the
Illinois Public Aid Code, probation officer, animal control
officer or Illinois Department of Agriculture Bureau of Animal
Health and Welfare field investigator, or any other foster
parent, homemaker or child care worker having reasonable cause
to believe a child known to them in their professional or
official capacity may be an abused child or a neglected child
shall immediately report or cause a report to be made to the
Department.
    Any member of the clergy having reasonable cause to believe
that a child known to that member of the clergy in his or her
professional capacity may be an abused child as defined in item
(c) of the definition of "abused child" in Section 3 of this
Act shall immediately report or cause a report to be made to
the Department.
    If an allegation is raised to a school board member during
the course of an open or closed school board meeting that a
child who is enrolled in the school district of which he or she
is a board member is an abused child as defined in Section 3 of
this Act, the member shall direct or cause the school board to
direct the superintendent of the school district or other
equivalent school administrator to comply with the
requirements of this Act concerning the reporting of child
abuse. For purposes of this paragraph, a school board member is
granted the authority in his or her individual capacity to
direct the superintendent of the school district or other
equivalent school administrator to comply with the
requirements of this Act concerning the reporting of child
abuse.
    Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, if an
employee of a school district has made a report or caused a
report to be made to the Department under this Act involving
the conduct of a current or former employee of the school
district and a request is made by another school district for
the provision of information concerning the job performance or
qualifications of the current or former employee because he or
she is an applicant for employment with the requesting school
district, the general superintendent of the school district to
which the request is being made must disclose to the requesting
school district the fact that an employee of the school
district has made a report involving the conduct of the
applicant or caused a report to be made to the Department, as
required under this Act. Only the fact that an employee of the
school district has made a report involving the conduct of the
applicant or caused a report to be made to the Department may
be disclosed by the general superintendent of the school
district to which the request for information concerning the
applicant is made, and this fact may be disclosed only in cases
where the employee and the general superintendent have not been
informed by the Department that the allegations were unfounded.
An employee of a school district who is or has been the subject
of a report made pursuant to this Act during his or her
employment with the school district must be informed by that
school district that if he or she applies for employment with
another school district, the general superintendent of the
former school district, upon the request of the school district
to which the employee applies, shall notify that requesting
school district that the employee is or was the subject of such
a report.
    Whenever such person is required to report under this Act
in his capacity as a member of the staff of a medical or other
public or private institution, school, facility or agency, or
as a member of the clergy, he shall make report immediately to
the Department in accordance with the provisions of this Act
and may also notify the person in charge of such institution,
school, facility or agency, or church, synagogue, temple,
mosque, or other religious institution, or his designated agent
that such report has been made. Under no circumstances shall
any person in charge of such institution, school, facility or
agency, or church, synagogue, temple, mosque, or other
religious institution, or his designated agent to whom such
notification has been made, exercise any control, restraint,
modification or other change in the report or the forwarding of
such report to the Department.
    The privileged quality of communication between any
professional person required to report and his patient or
client shall not apply to situations involving abused or
neglected children and shall not constitute grounds for failure
to report as required by this Act.
    A member of the clergy may claim the privilege under
Section 8-803 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
    In addition to the above persons required to report
suspected cases of abused or neglected children, any other
person may make a report if such person has reasonable cause to
believe a child may be an abused child or a neglected child.
    Any person who enters into employment on and after July 1,
1986 and is mandated by virtue of that employment to report
under this Act, shall sign a statement on a form prescribed by
the Department, to the effect that the employee has knowledge
and understanding of the reporting requirements of this Act.
The statement shall be signed prior to commencement of the
employment. The signed statement shall be retained by the
employer. The cost of printing, distribution, and filing of the
statement shall be borne by the employer.
    The Department shall provide copies of this Act, upon
request, to all employers employing persons who shall be
required under the provisions of this Section to report under
this Act.
    Any person who knowingly transmits a false report to the
Department commits the offense of disorderly conduct under
subsection (a)(7) of Section 26-1 of the "Criminal Code of
1961". Any person who violates this provision a second or
subsequent time shall be guilty of a Class 3 felony.
    Any person who knowingly and willfully violates any
provision of this Section other than a second or subsequent
violation of transmitting a false report as described in the
preceding paragraph, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor for a
first violation and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent
violation; except that if the person acted as part of a plan or
scheme having as its object the prevention of discovery of an
abused or neglected child by lawful authorities for the purpose
of protecting or insulating any person or entity from arrest or
prosecution, the person is guilty of a Class 4 felony for a
first offense and a Class 3 felony for a second or subsequent
offense (regardless of whether the second or subsequent offense
involves any of the same facts or persons as the first or other
prior offense).
    A child whose parent, guardian or custodian in good faith
selects and depends upon spiritual means through prayer alone
for the treatment or cure of disease or remedial care may be
considered neglected or abused, but not for the sole reason
that his parent, guardian or custodian accepts and practices
such beliefs.
    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.
    Nothing in this Act prohibits a mandated reporter who
reasonably believes that an animal is being abused or neglected
in violation of the Humane Care for Animals Act from reporting
animal abuse or neglect to the Department of Agriculture's
Bureau of Animal Health and Welfare.
    A home rule unit may not regulate the reporting of child
abuse or neglect in a manner inconsistent with the provisions
of this Section. This Section is a limitation under subsection
(i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on
the concurrent exercise by home rule units of powers and
functions exercised by the State.
(Source: P.A. 94-888, eff. 6-20-06; 95-10, eff. 6-30-07;
95-461, eff. 8-27-07; 95-876, eff. 8-21-08; 95-908, eff.
8-26-08.)
 
    (325 ILCS 5/11.8 new)
    Sec. 11.8. Cross-reporting.
    (a) Investigation Specialists, Intact Family Specialists,
and Placement Specialists employed by the Department of
Children and Family Services who reasonably believe that an
animal observed by them when in their professional or official
capacity is being abused or neglected in violation of the
Humane Care for Animals Act must immediately make a written or
oral report to the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal
Health and Welfare. However, the Department of Children and
Family Services may not discipline an Investigation
Specialist, an Intact Family Specialist, or a Placement
Specialist for failing to make such a report if the Specialist
determines that making the report would interfere with the
performance of his or her child welfare protection duties.
    (b) A home rule unit may not regulate the reporting of
child abuse or neglect in a manner inconsistent with the
provisions of this Section. This Section is a limitation under
subsection (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois
Constitution on the concurrent exercise by home rule units of
powers and functions exercised by the State.
 
    Section 15. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding
Section 8.33 as follows:
 
    (30 ILCS 805/8.33 new)
    Sec. 8.33. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8
of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the
implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory Act of
the 96th General Assembly.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.