HB0579 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB094 04165 AMC 34187 b

94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB0579

Introduced 1/27/2005, by Rep. Sara Feigenholtz

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/10-21.9	from Ch. 122, par. 10-21.9
105 ILCS 5/34-18.5	from Ch. 122, par. 34-18.5
210 ILCS 85/10.9 new
325 ILCS 5/11.1	from Ch. 23, par. 2061.1

Amends the School Code. Requires employees with a school district to authorize an investigation of the central register established in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act to ascertain if the employee has been determined to be a perpetrator in an indicated report of child abuse or neglect. Provides for confidentiality of the information. Provides for a criminal penalty for any employee of the Department of Children and Family Services who gives or causes to be given any confidential information concerning any child abuse or neglect reports about an employee, unless release of such information is authorized by the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Amends the Hospital Licensing Act to require employees of a facility who have any possible contact with children in the course of their duties, as a condition of such employment, to authorize an investigation of the central register established in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act to ascertain if the employee has been determined to be a perpetrator in an indicated report of child abuse or neglect. Provides for confidentiality of the information. Provides for a criminal penalty for any employee of the Department of Children and Family Services who gives or causes to be given any confidential information concerning any child abuse or neglect reports about an employee, unless release of such information is authorized by the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act to give the chief administrator of a hospital the access to information received pursuant to the Act.

CORRECTIONAL BUDGET AND IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning children.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/10-21.9) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-21.9)

Sec. 10-21.9. Criminal history records checks; investigation of central register of child abuse and neglect.

(a) Certified and noncertified applicants for employment with a school district, except school bus driver applicants, are required as a condition of employment to authorize a fingerprint-based criminal history records check to determine if such applicants have been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) of this Section or have been convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State. Authorization for the check shall be furnished by the applicant to the school district, except that if the applicant is a substitute teacher seeking employment in more than one school district, a teacher seeking concurrent part-time employment positions with more than one school district (as a reading specialist, special education teacher or otherwise), or an educational support personnel employee seeking employment positions with more than one district, any such district may require the applicant to furnish authorization for the check to the regional superintendent of the educational service region in which are located the school districts in which the applicant is seeking employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee. Upon receipt of this authorization, the school district or the appropriate regional superintendent, as the case may be, shall submit the applicant's name, sex, race, date of birth, social security number, fingerprint images, and other identifiers, as prescribed by the Department of State Police, to the Department. The regional superintendent submitting the requisite information to the Department of State Police shall promptly notify the school districts in which the applicant is seeking employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee that the check of the applicant has been requested. The Department of State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a fingerprint-based criminal history records check, records of convictions, until expunged, to the president of the school board for the school district that requested the check, or to the regional superintendent who requested the check. The Department shall charge the school district or the appropriate regional superintendent a fee for conducting such check, which fee shall be deposited in the State Police Services Fund and shall not exceed the cost of the inquiry; and the applicant shall not be charged a fee for such check by the school district or by the regional superintendent. Subject to appropriations for these purposes, the State Superintendent of Education shall reimburse school districts and regional superintendents for fees paid to obtain criminal history records checks under this Section.

(b) Any information concerning the record of convictions obtained by the president of the school board or the regional superintendent shall be confidential and may only be transmitted to the superintendent of the school district or his designee, the appropriate regional superintendent if the check was requested by the school district, the presidents of the appropriate school boards if the check was requested from the Department of State Police by the regional superintendent, the State Superintendent of Education, the State Teacher Certification Board or any other person necessary to the decision of hiring the applicant for employment. A copy of the record of convictions obtained from the Department of State Police shall be provided to the applicant for employment. If a check of an applicant for employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee in more than one school district was requested by the regional superintendent, and the Department of State Police upon a check ascertains that the applicant has not been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or has not been convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State and so notifies the regional superintendent, then the regional superintendent shall issue to the applicant a certificate evidencing that as of the date specified by the Department of State Police the applicant has not been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or has not been convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State. The school board of any school district located in the educational service region served by the regional superintendent who issues such a certificate to an applicant for employment as a substitute teacher in more than one such district may rely on the certificate issued by the regional superintendent to that applicant, or may initiate its own criminal history records check of the applicant through the Department of State Police as provided in subsection (a). Any person who releases any confidential information concerning any criminal convictions of an applicant for employment shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, unless the release of such information is authorized by this Section.

(c) No school board shall knowingly employ a person who has been convicted for committing attempted first degree murder or for committing or attempting to commit first degree murder or a Class X felony or any one or more of the following offenses: (i) those defined in Sections 11-6, 11-9, 11-14, 11-15, 11-15.1, 11-16, 11-17, 11-18, 11-19, 11-19.1, 11-19.2, 11-20, 11-20.1, 11-21, 12-13, 12-14, 12-14.1, 12-15 and 12-16 of the "Criminal Code of 1961"; (ii) those defined in the "Cannabis Control Act" except those defined in Sections 4(a), 4(b) and 5(a) of that Act; (iii) those defined in the "Illinois Controlled Substances Act"; and (iv) any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States, which if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as one or more of the foregoing offenses. Further, no school board shall knowingly employ a person who has been found to be the perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse of any minor under 18 years of age pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

(d) No school board shall knowingly employ a person for whom a criminal history records check has not been initiated.

(d-5) Certified and noncertified employees with a school district must authorize in writing on a form prescribed by the Department of Children and Family Services an investigation of the central register established in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act to ascertain if the employee has been determined to be a perpetrator in an indicated report of child abuse or neglect. All school districts must maintain the information that demonstrates that all current employees have authorized an investigation of the central register as required in this Section. Such information concerning an employee obtained by the superintendent of a school district is confidential and exempt from public inspection and copying as provided under Section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act and may not be transmitted to any other person, except as otherwise provided in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act and except as needed to evaluate the employee for employment purposes. Any employee of the Department of Children and Family Services who gives or causes to be given any confidential information concerning any child abuse or neglect reports about a district employee is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, unless release of such information is authorized by the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Any school district that is informed by the Department of Children and Family Services, pursuant to Section 7.4 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, that a formal investigation has commenced relating to an employee of the school district must take all reasonable action necessary to ensure that the employee is restricted during the pendency of the investigation from contact with children whose care has been entrusted to the school district.

(e) Upon receipt of the record of a conviction of or a finding of child abuse by a holder of any certificate issued pursuant to Article 21 or Section 34-8.1 or 34-83 of the School Code, the appropriate regional superintendent of schools or the State Superintendent of Education shall initiate the certificate suspension and revocation proceedings authorized by law.

(f) After January 1, 1990 the provisions of this Section shall apply to all employees of persons or firms holding contracts with any school district including, but not limited to, food service workers, school bus drivers and other transportation employees, who have direct, daily contact with the pupils of any school in such district. For purposes of criminal history records checks on employees of persons or firms holding contracts with more than one school district and assigned to more than one school district, the regional superintendent of the educational service region in which the contracting school districts are located may, at the request of any such school district, be responsible for receiving the authorization for a check prepared by each such employee and submitting the same to the Department of State Police. Any information concerning the record of conviction of any such employee obtained by the regional superintendent shall be promptly reported to the president of the appropriate school board or school boards.

(Source: P.A. 93-418, eff. 1-1-04; 93-909, eff. 8-12-04.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.5) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-18.5)

Sec. 34-18.5. Criminal history records checks; investigation of central register of child abuse and neglect.

(a) Certified and noncertified applicants for employment with the school district are required as a condition of employment to authorize a fingerprint-based criminal history records check to determine if such applicants have been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) of this Section or have been convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State. Authorization for the check shall be furnished by the applicant to the school district, except that if the applicant is a substitute teacher seeking employment in more than one school district, or a teacher seeking concurrent part-time employment positions with more than one school district (as a reading specialist, special education teacher or otherwise), or an educational support personnel employee seeking employment positions with more than one district, any such district may require the applicant to furnish authorization for the check to the regional superintendent of the educational service region in which are located the school districts in which the applicant is seeking employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee. Upon receipt of this authorization, the school district or the appropriate regional superintendent, as the case may be, shall submit the applicant's name, sex, race, date of birth, social security number, fingerprint images, and other identifiers, as prescribed by the Department of State Police, to the Department. The regional superintendent submitting the requisite information to the Department of State Police shall promptly notify the school districts in which the applicant is seeking employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee that the check of the applicant has been requested. The Department of State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a fingerprint-based criminal history records check, records of convictions, until expunged, to the president of the school board for the school district that requested the check, or to the regional superintendent who requested the check. The Department shall charge the school district or the appropriate regional superintendent a fee for conducting such check, which fee shall be deposited in the State Police Services Fund and shall not exceed the cost of the inquiry; and the applicant shall not be charged a fee for such check by the school district or by the regional superintendent. Subject to appropriations for these purposes, the State Superintendent of Education shall reimburse the school district and regional superintendent for fees paid to obtain criminal history records checks under this Section.

(b) Any information concerning the record of convictions obtained by the president of the board of education or the regional superintendent shall be confidential and may only be transmitted to the general superintendent of the school district or his designee, the appropriate regional superintendent if the check was requested by the board of education for the school district, the presidents of the appropriate board of education or school boards if the check was requested from the Department of State Police by the regional superintendent, the State Superintendent of Education, the State Teacher Certification Board or any other person necessary to the decision of hiring the applicant for employment. A copy of the record of convictions obtained from the Department of State Police shall be provided to the applicant for employment. If a check of an applicant for employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee in more than one school district was requested by the regional superintendent, and the Department of State Police upon a check ascertains that the applicant has not been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or has not been convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State and so notifies the regional superintendent, then the regional superintendent shall issue to the applicant a certificate evidencing that as of the date specified by the Department of State Police the applicant has not been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or has not been convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State. The school board of any school district located in the educational service region served by the regional superintendent who issues such a certificate to an applicant for employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee in more than one such district may rely on the certificate issued by the regional superintendent to that applicant, or may initiate its own criminal history records check of the applicant through the Department of State Police as provided in subsection (a). Any person who releases any confidential information concerning any criminal convictions of an applicant for employment shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, unless the release of such information is authorized by this Section.

(c) The board of education shall not knowingly employ a person who has been convicted for committing attempted first degree murder or for committing or attempting to commit first degree murder or a Class X felony or any one or more of the following offenses: (i) those defined in Sections 11-6, 11-9, 11-14, 11-15, 11-15.1, 11-16, 11-17, 11-18, 11-19, 11-19.1, 11-19.2, 11-20, 11-20.1, 11-21, 12-13, 12-14, 12-14.1, 12-15 and 12-16 of the Criminal Code of 1961; (ii) those defined in the Cannabis Control Act, except those defined in Sections 4(a), 4(b) and 5(a) of that Act; (iii) those defined in the Illinois Controlled Substances Act; and (iv) any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States, which if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as one or more of the foregoing offenses. Further, the board of education shall not knowingly employ a person who has been found to be the perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse of any minor under 18 years of age pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

(d) The board of education shall not knowingly employ a person for whom a criminal history records check has not been initiated.

(d-5) Certified and noncertified employees with the school district must authorize in writing on a form prescribed by the Department of Children and Family Services an investigation of the central register established in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act to ascertain if the employee has been determined to be a perpetrator in an indicated report of child abuse or neglect. The school district must maintain the information that demonstrates that all current employees have authorized an investigation of the central register as required in this Section. Such information concerning an employee obtained by the general superintendent of schools is confidential and exempt from public inspection and copying as provided under Section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act and may not be transmitted to any other person, except as otherwise provided in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act and except as needed to evaluate the employee for employment purposes. Any employee of the Department of Children and Family Services who gives or causes to be given any confidential information concerning any child abuse or neglect reports about a district employee is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, unless release of such information is authorized by the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. If the school district is informed by the Department of Children and Family Services, pursuant to Section 7.4 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, that a formal investigation has commenced relating to an employee of the school district, it must take all reasonable action necessary to ensure that the employee is restricted during the pendency of the investigation from contact with children whose care has been entrusted to the school district.

(e) Upon receipt of the record of a conviction of or a finding of child abuse by a holder of any certificate issued pursuant to Article 21 or Section 34-8.1 or 34-83 of the School Code, the board of education or the State Superintendent of Education shall initiate the certificate suspension and revocation proceedings authorized by law.

(f) After March 19, 1990, the provisions of this Section shall apply to all employees of persons or firms holding contracts with any school district including, but not limited to, food service workers, school bus drivers and other transportation employees, who have direct, daily contact with the pupils of any school in such district. For purposes of criminal history records checks on employees of persons or firms holding contracts with more than one school district and assigned to more than one school district, the regional superintendent of the educational service region in which the contracting school districts are located may, at the request of any such school district, be responsible for receiving the authorization for a check prepared by each such employee and submitting the same to the Department of State Police. Any information concerning the record of conviction of any such employee obtained by the regional superintendent shall be promptly reported to the president of the appropriate school board or school boards.

(Source: P.A. 93-418, eff. 1-1-04; 93-909, eff. 8-12-04.)

Section 10. The Hospital Licensing Act is amended by adding Section 10.9 as follows:

(210 ILCS 85/10.9 new)

Sec. 10.9. Investigation of the central register of child abuse and neglect. All employees of a facility who have any possible contact with children in the course of their duties, as a condition of such employment, must authorize in writing on a form prescribed by the Department of Children and Family Services an investigation of the central register established in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act to ascertain if the employee has been determined to be a perpetrator in an indicated report of child abuse or neglect. All facilities, as a condition of licensure pursuant to this Act, must maintain the information that demonstrates that all employees who have any possible contact with children in the course of their duties have authorized an investigation of the central register as required in this Section. Only those employees who have no possible contact with children as part of their employment may be excluded from the requirement that authorization of an investigation be given. Such information concerning an employee obtained by the chief administrator of a hospital is confidential and exempt from public inspection and copying as provided under Section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act and may not be transmitted to any other person, except as provided in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act and except as needed to evaluate the employee for employment purposes. Any employee of the Department of Children and Family Services who gives or causes to be given any confidential information concerning any child abuse or neglect reports about a facility employee is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, unless release of such information is authorized by the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Any licensee that is informed by the Department of Children and Family Services, pursuant to Section 7.4 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, that a formal investigation has commenced relating to an employee of the facility must take all reasonable action necessary to ensure that the employee is restricted during the pendency of the investigation from contact with children whose care has been entrusted to the facility.

Section 15. The Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act is amended by changing Section 11.1 as follows:

(325 ILCS 5/11.1) (from Ch. 23, par. 2061.1)

Sec. 11.1. Access to records.

(a) A person shall have access to the records described in Section 11 only in furtherance of purposes directly connected with the administration of this Act or the Intergovernmental Missing Child Recovery Act of 1984. Those persons and purposes for access include:

(1) Department staff in the furtherance of their responsibilities under this Act, or for the purpose of completing background investigations on persons or agencies licensed by the Department or with whom the Department contracts for the provision of child welfare services.

(2) A law enforcement agency investigating known or suspected child abuse or neglect, known or suspected involvement with child pornography, known or suspected criminal sexual assault, known or suspected criminal sexual abuse, or any other sexual offense when a child is alleged to be involved.

(3) The Department of State Police when administering the provisions of the Intergovernmental Missing Child Recovery Act of 1984.

(4) A physician who has before him a child whom he reasonably suspects may be abused or neglected.

(5) A person authorized under Section 5 of this Act to place a child in temporary protective custody when such person requires the information in the report or record to determine whether to place the child in temporary protective custody.

(6) A person having the legal responsibility or authorization to care for, treat, or supervise a child or a parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the child's welfare who is the subject of a report.

(7) Except in regard to harmful or detrimental information as provided in Section 7.19, any subject of the report, and if the subject of the report is a minor, his guardian or guardian ad litem.

(8) A court, upon its finding that access to such records may be necessary for the determination of an issue before such court; however, such access shall be limited to in camera inspection, unless the court determines that public disclosure of the information contained therein is necessary for the resolution of an issue then pending before it.

(8.1) A probation officer or other authorized representative of a probation or court services department conducting an investigation ordered by a court under the Juvenile Court Act of l987.

(9) A grand jury, upon its determination that access to such records is necessary in the conduct of its official business.

(10) Any person authorized by the Director, in writing, for audit or bona fide research purposes.

(11) Law enforcement agencies, coroners or medical examiners, physicians, courts, school superintendents and child welfare agencies in other states who are responsible for child abuse or neglect investigations or background investigations.

(12) The Department of Professional Regulation, the State Board of Education and school superintendents in Illinois, who may use or disclose information from the records as they deem necessary to conduct investigations or take disciplinary action, as provided by law.

(13) A coroner or medical examiner who has reason to believe that a child has died as the result of abuse or neglect.

(14) The Director of a State-operated facility when an employee of that facility is the perpetrator in an indicated report.

(15) The operator of a licensed child care facility or a facility licensed by the Department of Human Services (as successor to the Department of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse) in which children reside when a current or prospective employee of that facility is the perpetrator in an indicated child abuse or neglect report, pursuant to Section 4.3 of the Child Care Act of 1969.

(16) Members of a multidisciplinary team in the furtherance of its responsibilities under subsection (b) of Section 7.1. All reports concerning child abuse and neglect made available to members of such multidisciplinary teams and all records generated as a result of such reports shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed, except as specifically authorized by this Act or other applicable law. It is a Class A misdemeanor to permit, assist or encourage the unauthorized release of any information contained in such reports or records. Nothing contained in this Section prevents the sharing of reports or records relating or pertaining to the death of a minor under the care of or receiving services from the Department of Children and Family Services and under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court with the juvenile court, the State's Attorney, and the minor's attorney.

(17) The Department of Human Services, as provided in Section 17 of the Disabled Persons Rehabilitation Act.

(18) Any other agency or investigative body, including the Department of Public Health and a local board of health, authorized by State law to conduct an investigation into the quality of care provided to children in hospitals and other State regulated care facilities. The access to and release of information from such records shall be subject to the approval of the Director of the Department or his designee.

(19) The person appointed, under Section 2-17 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, as the guardian ad litem of a minor who is the subject of a report or records under this Act.

(20) The Department of Human Services, as provided in Section 10 of the Early Intervention Services System Act, and the operator of a facility providing early intervention services pursuant to that Act, for the purpose of determining whether a current or prospective employee who provides or may provide direct services under that Act is the perpetrator in an indicated report of child abuse or neglect filed under this Act.

(21) The chief administrator of a hospital licensed under the Hospital Licensing Act, who may use or disclose information from the records as he or she deems necessary to conduct investigations or take disciplinary action, as provided by law.

(b) Nothing contained in this Act prevents the sharing or disclosure of information or records relating or pertaining to juveniles subject to the provisions of the Serious Habitual Offender Comprehensive Action Program when that information is used to assist in the early identification and treatment of habitual juvenile offenders.

(c) To the extent that persons or agencies are given access to information pursuant to this Section, those persons or agencies may give this information to and receive this information from each other in order to facilitate an investigation conducted by those persons or agencies.

(Source: P.A. 93-147, eff. 1-1-04.)