101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB2786
 
Introduced , by Rep. John M. Cabello
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 

 



325 ILCS 5/7.6  from Ch. 23, par. 2057.6

     Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Permits school-aged children under the age of 18 to use the
statewide toll-free telephone number established under the Act to report alleged incidents of bullying or
hazing that occur at their school. Provides that children who report an alleged incident of bullying or hazing to the statewide toll-free telephone number may
remain anonymous. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to  provide callers with information
on how to handle an alleged incident of bullying or hazing, which may include a list of available resources
developed or provided by other federal or State agencies
concerning bullying or hazing prevention. Provides that upon receipt of a
child's report of bullying or hazing, the Department shall report the incident as soon as possible to the superintendent of the school district in which the child resides or, if the child attends a non-public school, the administrator of the non-public school. Provides that reports of bullying or hazing made to the statewide toll-free telephone number shall not initiate a child abuse
or neglect investigation under the Act. Requires the Department to (i) inform all school districts  and non-public schools of the statewide toll-free telephone number and its function to receive reports of bullying or hazing and (ii) post on its website, in a relevant and conspicuous place, information on how a child can report an alleged incident of bullying or hazing to the statewide toll-free telephone number.
  


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
 
 
A BILL FOR
 

  
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1    AN ACT concerning children.
  
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
3represented in the General Assembly:
  
 
 
4    Section 5. The Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act is 
5amended  by changing Section 7.6 as follows:
 



6    (325 ILCS 5/7.6)  (from Ch. 23, par. 2057.6)



7    Sec. 7.6. 
 
8    (a) There shall be a single State-wide, toll-free telephone 
9number
established and maintained by the Department which all 
10persons, whether
or not mandated by law, may use to report 
11suspected child abuse
or neglect at any hour of the day or 
12night, on any day of the week.  Immediately
upon receipt of such 
13reports, the Department shall transmit the contents
of the 
14report, either orally or electronically, to the appropriate 
15Child
Protective Service Unit.  Any other person may use the 
16State-wide number
to obtain assistance or information 
17concerning the handling of child abuse
and neglect cases.

18    Wherever the Statewide number is posted, there shall also 
19be posted the
following notice:

20    "Any person who knowingly transmits a false report to the 
21Department
commits the offense of disorderly conduct under 
22subsection (a)(7) of
Section 26-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012.  
23A violation of this subsection is a Class 4 felony."

 
 
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1    (b) As used in this subsection:
2    "Bullying" has the meaning ascribed to that term in Section 
327-23.7 of the School Code.
4    "Hazing" means an act of hazing as described in Section 
512C-50 of the Criminal Code of 2012. 
6    School-aged children under the age of 18 may use the 
7statewide toll-free telephone number established under 
8subsection (a) to report alleged incidents of bullying or 
9hazing that occur at their school. Children who call the 
10statewide toll-free telephone number to report an alleged 
11incident of bullying or hazing may remain anonymous. Through 
12the statewide toll-free telephone number, the Department shall 
13provide callers with information on how to handle an alleged 
14incident of bullying or hazing.  The information provided may 
15include a list of available resources developed or provided by 
16other federal or State agencies concerning bullying or hazing 
17prevention. Upon receipt of a child's report of bullying or 
18hazing, the Department shall report the incident as soon as 
19possible to the superintendent of the school district in which 
20the child resides or, if the child attends a non-public school, 
21the administrator of the non-public school.  Reports made to the 
22statewide toll-free telephone number concerning an alleged 
23incident of bullying or hazing shall not initiate a child abuse 
24or neglect investigation under this Act and shall not be 
25transmitted to any Child Protective Services Unit. 
26    The Department shall inform all school districts and 
 
 
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1non-public schools in the State that school-aged children under 
2the age of 18 may call the statewide toll-free telephone number 
3established  under subsection (a) to report alleged incidents of 
4bullying or hazing. The Department shall also post on its 
5website, in a relevant and conspicuous place, information on 
6how a child can report an alleged incident of bullying or 
7hazing to the statewide toll-free telephone number. 
8(Source: P.A. 97-189, eff. 7-22-11; 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)