093_HB2078eng
HB2078 Engrossed LRB093 02498 LCB 02508 b
1 AN ACT concerning family law.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Adoption Act is amended by changing
5 Section 18 as follows:
6 (750 ILCS 50/18) (from Ch. 40, par. 1522)
7 Sec. 18. Records confidential.
8 (a) The word "illegitimate", the words "born out of
9 wedlock", and words of similar import shall not be used in
10 any adoption proceeding in any respect.
11 (b) The court call of adoption proceedings shall not
12 identify any of the parties by name. The parties may be
13 identified by initials or pseudonyms. The case shall be
14 identified by its general number. The names of the lawyers
15 representing the parties may appear on the court call, and
16 the type of application that is being made to the court may
17 also be identified.
18 (c) All adoption records maintained by each circuit
19 clerk shall be impounded in accordance with the procedures
20 provided by the Illinois Supreme Court's General
21 Administrative Order on Recordkeeping and shall be opened for
22 examination only upon specific order of the court. The,
23 which order of the court shall name the person or persons who
24 are to be permitted to examine the file. Certified copies of
25 all papers and documents contained in any file so impounded
26 shall be made only on like order. The guardian ad litem for a
27 minor sought to be adopted shall have the right to inspect
28 the court file without leave of court during the pendency of
29 the proceeding. The attorney of record for the petitioners
30 and other parties may inspect the file only with leave of
31 court. The petitioners to the adoption, the attorney of
HB2078 Engrossed -2- LRB093 02498 LCB 02508 b
1 record for the petitioners, and the guardian ad litem of the
2 person who is the subject of the proceeding are shall be
3 entitled to receive certified copies of the order of adoption
4 in the proceeding at any time within 30 days after the entry
5 of the judgment of adoption without order of court. After 30
6 days from the entry of the judgment of adoption, no copies
7 may be obtained without prior order of court, but good cause
8 is not necessary to be shown by one of the petitioners to the
9 adoption.
10 (d) If an appeal is taken from an adoption proceeding,
11 the papers filed in the court of review and the opinion of
12 the reviewing court shall not identify the true names of the
13 parties; instead, initials or pseudonyms shall be used to
14 identify the parties.
15 (Source: P.A. 86-493; 87-620.)