Public Act 098-0807
 
HB4916 EnrolledLRB098 17055 KTG 52140 b

    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 Sections 7.8, 7.14, and 7.22 as follows:
 
    (325 ILCS 5/7.8)  (from Ch. 23, par. 2057.8)
    Sec. 7.8. Upon receiving an oral or written report of
suspected child abuse or neglect, the Department shall
immediately notify, either orally or electronically, the Child
Protective Service Unit of a previous report concerning a
subject of the present report or other pertinent information.
In addition, upon satisfactory identification procedures, to
be established by Department regulation, any person authorized
to have access to records under Section 11.1 relating to child
abuse and neglect may request and shall be immediately provided
the information requested in accordance with this Act. However,
no information shall be released unless it prominently states
the report is "indicated", and only information from
"indicated" reports shall be released, except that information
concerning pending reports may be released pursuant to Sections
7.14 and 7.22 of this Act to the attorney or guardian ad litem
appointed under Section 2-17 of the Juvenile Court Act and to
any person authorized under paragraphs (1), (2), (3) and (11)
of Section 11.1. In addition, State's Attorneys are authorized
to receive unfounded reports for prosecution purposes related
to the transmission of false reports of child abuse or neglect
in violation of subsection (a), paragraph (7) of Section 26-1
of the Criminal Code of 2012 and attorneys and guardians ad
litem appointed under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of
1987 shall receive the classified reports set forth in Section
7.14 of this Act in conformance with paragraph (19) of Section
11.1 and Section 7.14 of this Act. The names and other
identifying data and the dates and the circumstances of any
persons requesting or receiving information from the central
register shall be entered in the register record.
(Source: P.A. 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)
 
    (325 ILCS 5/7.14)  (from Ch. 23, par. 2057.14)
    Sec. 7.14. All reports in the central register shall be
classified in one of three categories: "indicated",
"unfounded" or "undetermined", as the case may be. Prior to
classifying After the report is classified, the person making
the classification shall determine whether the child named in
the report is the subject of an action under Article II of the
Juvenile Court Act of 1987. If the child is the subject of an
action under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act and , the
Department intends to classify the report as indicated, the
Department shall, within 45 days of classification of the
report, transmit a copy of the report to the attorney or
guardian ad litem appointed for the child under Section 2-17 of
the Juvenile Court Act. If the child is the subject of an
action under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act and the
Department intends to classify the report as unfounded, the
Department shall, within 45 days of deciding its intent to
classify the report as unfounded, transmit a copy of the report
and written notice of the Department's intent to the attorney
or guardian ad litem appointed for the child under Section 2-17
of the Juvenile Court Act. All information identifying the
subjects of an unfounded report shall be expunged from the
register forthwith, except as provided in Section 7.7.
Unfounded reports may only be made available to the Child
Protective Service Unit when investigating a subsequent report
of suspected abuse or maltreatment involving a child named in
the unfounded report; and to the subject of the report,
provided the Department has not expunged the file in accordance
with Section 7.7. The Child Protective Service Unit shall not
indicate the subsequent report solely based upon the existence
of the prior unfounded report or reports. Notwithstanding any
other provision of law to the contrary, an unfounded report
shall not be admissible in any judicial or administrative
proceeding or action. Identifying information on all other
records shall be removed from the register no later than 5
years after the report is indicated. However, if another report
is received involving the same child, his sibling or offspring,
or a child in the care of the persons responsible for the
child's welfare, or involving the same alleged offender, the
identifying information may be maintained in the register until
5 years after the subsequent case or report is closed.
    Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section,
identifying information in indicated reports involving serious
physical injury to a child as defined by the Department in
rules, may be retained longer than 5 years after the report is
indicated or after the subsequent case or report is closed, and
may not be removed from the register except as provided by the
Department in rules. Identifying information in indicated
reports involving sexual penetration of a child, sexual
molestation of a child, sexual exploitation of a child, torture
of a child, or the death of a child, as defined by the
Department in rules, shall be retained for a period of not less
than 50 years after the report is indicated or after the
subsequent case or report is closed.
    For purposes of this Section "child" includes an adult
resident as defined in this Act.
(Source: P.A. 97-333, eff. 8-12-11; 98-453, eff. 8-16-13.)
 
    (325 ILCS 5/7.22)
    Sec. 7.22. Reviews of unfounded reports.
    (a) Whenever the Department determines that a reported
incident of child abuse or neglect will be is "unfounded", the
Department shall forward a copy of the report and written
notice of the Department's intent to classify the report as
unfounded to the minor's attorney or guardian ad litem
appointed under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. The minor's
attorney or guardian ad litem may request a review of the
investigation within 10 days of receipt of the report and
written notice notification of the Department's intent to
classify the report as unfounded final finding and receipt of
the report, as provided in Section 7.14 of this Act, if the
subject of the report is also the minor for whom the attorney
or guardian ad litem has been appointed.
    (b) Reviews requested under subsection (a) may be requested
by sending a request via U.S. Mail, postmarked within 10 days
after notice of the Department's intent to classify the report
as unfounded the final finding, or by faxing a request within
10 days after notice of the Department's intent to classify the
report as unfounded final finding. The date of notification of
the Department's intent to classify the report as unfounded
final finding is the date the attorney or guardian ad litem
received a copy of the report and written notice from the
Department. Following the review, the Department shall inform
the minor's attorney or guardian ad litem as to whether the
report will be classified as indicated or unfounded. The
minor's attorney or guardian ad litem shall also receive a
final finding notice from the State Central Register.
    (c) By January 1, 2014, the Department shall promulgate
rules addressing reviews requested under subsection (a). The
rules shall provide that a review requested under subsection
(a) must occur before the report is classified and a final
finding is entered in the central register and that the review
must be conducted by a Department employee outside the
supervisory chain of the assigned investigator.
(Source: P.A. 98-453, eff. 8-16-13.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.