94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
SB2707

 

Introduced 1/20/2006, by Sen. Mattie Hunter

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
325 ILCS 5/3   from Ch. 23, par. 2053
325 ILCS 5/4   from Ch. 23, par. 2054

    Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Provides that an information technology professional is a mandated reporter of suspected child abuse or neglect, and defines "information technology professional" to mean a person who is employed as a computer provider, computer installer, computer repair person, or Internet service provider.


LRB094 18803 DRJ 54211 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB2707 LRB094 18803 DRJ 54211 b

1     AN ACT concerning children.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act is
5 amended by changing Sections 3 and 4 as follows:
 
6     (325 ILCS 5/3)  (from Ch. 23, par. 2053)
7     Sec. 3. As used in this Act unless the context otherwise
8 requires:
9     "Child" means any person under the age of 18 years, unless
10 legally emancipated by reason of marriage or entry into a
11 branch of the United States armed services.
12     "Department" means Department of Children and Family
13 Services.
14     "Local law enforcement agency" means the police of a city,
15 town, village or other incorporated area or the sheriff of an
16 unincorporated area or any sworn officer of the Illinois
17 Department of State Police.
18     "Abused child" means a child whose parent or immediate
19 family member, or any person responsible for the child's
20 welfare, or any individual residing in the same home as the
21 child, or a paramour of the child's parent:
22         (a) inflicts, causes to be inflicted, or allows to be
23     inflicted upon such child physical injury, by other than
24     accidental means, which causes death, disfigurement,
25     impairment of physical or emotional health, or loss or
26     impairment of any bodily function;
27         (b) creates a substantial risk of physical injury to
28     such child by other than accidental means which would be
29     likely to cause death, disfigurement, impairment of
30     physical or emotional health, or loss or impairment of any
31     bodily function;
32         (c) commits or allows to be committed any sex offense

 

 

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1     against such child, as such sex offenses are defined in the
2     Criminal Code of 1961, as amended, and extending those
3     definitions of sex offenses to include children under 18
4     years of age;
5         (d) commits or allows to be committed an act or acts of
6     torture upon such child;
7         (e) inflicts excessive corporal punishment;
8         (f) commits or allows to be committed the offense of
9     female genital mutilation, as defined in Section 12-34 of
10     the Criminal Code of 1961, against the child; or
11         (g) causes to be sold, transferred, distributed, or
12     given to such child under 18 years of age, a controlled
13     substance as defined in Section 102 of the Illinois
14     Controlled Substances Act in violation of Article IV of the
15     Illinois Controlled Substances Act or in violation of the
16     Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act,
17     except for controlled substances that are prescribed in
18     accordance with Article III of the Illinois Controlled
19     Substances Act and are dispensed to such child in a manner
20     that substantially complies with the prescription.
21     A child shall not be considered abused for the sole reason
22 that the child has been relinquished in accordance with the
23 Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act.
24     "Neglected child" means any child who is not receiving the
25 proper or necessary nourishment or medically indicated
26 treatment including food or care not provided solely on the
27 basis of the present or anticipated mental or physical
28 impairment as determined by a physician acting alone or in
29 consultation with other physicians or otherwise is not
30 receiving the proper or necessary support or medical or other
31 remedial care recognized under State law as necessary for a
32 child's well-being, or other care necessary for his or her
33 well-being, including adequate food, clothing and shelter; or
34 who is abandoned by his or her parents or other person
35 responsible for the child's welfare without a proper plan of
36 care; or who is a newborn infant whose blood, urine, or

 

 

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1 meconium contains any amount of a controlled substance as
2 defined in subsection (f) of Section 102 of the Illinois
3 Controlled Substances Act or a metabolite thereof, with the
4 exception of a controlled substance or metabolite thereof whose
5 presence in the newborn infant is the result of medical
6 treatment administered to the mother or the newborn infant. A
7 child shall not be considered neglected for the sole reason
8 that the child's parent or other person responsible for his or
9 her welfare has left the child in the care of an adult relative
10 for any period of time. A child shall not be considered
11 neglected for the sole reason that the child has been
12 relinquished in accordance with the Abandoned Newborn Infant
13 Protection Act. A child shall not be considered neglected or
14 abused for the sole reason that such child's parent or other
15 person responsible for his or her welfare depends upon
16 spiritual means through prayer alone for the treatment or cure
17 of disease or remedial care as provided under Section 4 of this
18 Act. A child shall not be considered neglected or abused solely
19 because the child is not attending school in accordance with
20 the requirements of Article 26 of The School Code, as amended.
21     "Child Protective Service Unit" means certain specialized
22 State employees of the Department assigned by the Director to
23 perform the duties and responsibilities as provided under
24 Section 7.2 of this Act.
25     "Person responsible for the child's welfare" means the
26 child's parent; guardian; foster parent; relative caregiver;
27 any person responsible for the child's welfare in a public or
28 private residential agency or institution; any person
29 responsible for the child's welfare within a public or private
30 profit or not for profit child care facility; or any other
31 person responsible for the child's welfare at the time of the
32 alleged abuse or neglect, or any person who came to know the
33 child through an official capacity or position of trust,
34 including but not limited to health care professionals,
35 educational personnel, recreational supervisors, members of
36 the clergy, and volunteers or support personnel in any setting

 

 

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1 where children may be subject to abuse or neglect.
2     "Temporary protective custody" means custody within a
3 hospital or other medical facility or a place previously
4 designated for such custody by the Department, subject to
5 review by the Court, including a licensed foster home, group
6 home, or other institution; but such place shall not be a jail
7 or other place for the detention of criminal or juvenile
8 offenders.
9     "An unfounded report" means any report made under this Act
10 for which it is determined after an investigation that no
11 credible evidence of abuse or neglect exists.
12     "An indicated report" means a report made under this Act if
13 an investigation determines that credible evidence of the
14 alleged abuse or neglect exists.
15     "An undetermined report" means any report made under this
16 Act in which it was not possible to initiate or complete an
17 investigation on the basis of information provided to the
18 Department.
19     "Subject of report" means any child reported to the central
20 register of child abuse and neglect established under Section
21 7.7 of this Act and his or her parent, guardian or other person
22 responsible who is also named in the report.
23     "Perpetrator" means a person who, as a result of
24 investigation, has been determined by the Department to have
25 caused child abuse or neglect.
26     "Member of the clergy" means a clergyman or practitioner of
27 any religious denomination accredited by the religious body to
28 which he or she belongs.
29     "Information technology professional" means a person who
30 is employed as a computer provider, computer installer,
31 computer repair person, or Internet service provider.
32 (Source: P.A. 94-556, eff. 9-11-05.)
 
33     (325 ILCS 5/4)  (from Ch. 23, par. 2054)
34     Sec. 4. Persons required to report; privileged
35 communications; transmitting false report. Any physician,

 

 

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1 resident, intern, hospital, hospital administrator and
2 personnel engaged in examination, care and treatment of
3 persons, surgeon, dentist, dentist hygienist, osteopath,
4 chiropractor, podiatrist, physician assistant, substance abuse
5 treatment personnel, funeral home director or employee,
6 coroner, medical examiner, emergency medical technician,
7 acupuncturist, crisis line or hotline personnel, school
8 personnel, educational advocate assigned to a child pursuant to
9 the School Code, truant officers, social worker, social
10 services administrator, domestic violence program personnel,
11 registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, genetic counselor,
12 respiratory care practitioner, advanced practice nurse, home
13 health aide, director or staff assistant of a nursery school or
14 a child day care center, recreational program or facility
15 personnel, information technology professional, law
16 enforcement officer, licensed professional counselor, licensed
17 clinical professional counselor, registered psychologist and
18 assistants working under the direct supervision of a
19 psychologist, psychiatrist, or field personnel of the Illinois
20 Department of Healthcare and Family Services Public Aid, Public
21 Health, Human Services (acting as successor to the Department
22 of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities,
23 Rehabilitation Services, or Public Aid), Corrections, Human
24 Rights, or Children and Family Services, supervisor and
25 administrator of general assistance under the Illinois Public
26 Aid Code, probation officer, or any other foster parent,
27 homemaker or child care worker having reasonable cause to
28 believe a child known to them in their professional or official
29 capacity may be an abused child or a neglected child shall
30 immediately report or cause a report to be made to the
31 Department.
32     Any member of the clergy having reasonable cause to believe
33 that a child known to that member of the clergy in his or her
34 professional capacity may be an abused child as defined in item
35 (c) of the definition of "abused child" in Section 3 of this
36 Act shall immediately report or cause a report to be made to

 

 

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1 the Department.
2     Whenever such person is required to report under this Act
3 in his capacity as a member of the staff of a medical or other
4 public or private institution, school, facility or agency, or
5 as a member of the clergy, he shall make report immediately to
6 the Department in accordance with the provisions of this Act
7 and may also notify the person in charge of such institution,
8 school, facility or agency, or church, synagogue, temple,
9 mosque, or other religious institution, or his designated agent
10 that such report has been made. Under no circumstances shall
11 any person in charge of such institution, school, facility or
12 agency, or church, synagogue, temple, mosque, or other
13 religious institution, or his designated agent to whom such
14 notification has been made, exercise any control, restraint,
15 modification or other change in the report or the forwarding of
16 such report to the Department.
17     The privileged quality of communication between any
18 professional person required to report and his patient or
19 client shall not apply to situations involving abused or
20 neglected children and shall not constitute grounds for failure
21 to report as required by this Act.
22     A member of the clergy may claim the privilege under
23 Section 8-803 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
24     In addition to the above persons required to report
25 suspected cases of abused or neglected children, any other
26 person may make a report if such person has reasonable cause to
27 believe a child may be an abused child or a neglected child.
28     Any person who enters into employment on and after July 1,
29 1986 and is mandated by virtue of that employment to report
30 under this Act, shall sign a statement on a form prescribed by
31 the Department, to the effect that the employee has knowledge
32 and understanding of the reporting requirements of this Act.
33 The statement shall be signed prior to commencement of the
34 employment. The signed statement shall be retained by the
35 employer. The cost of printing, distribution, and filing of the
36 statement shall be borne by the employer.

 

 

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1     The Department shall provide copies of this Act, upon
2 request, to all employers employing persons who shall be
3 required under the provisions of this Section to report under
4 this Act.
5     Any person who knowingly transmits a false report to the
6 Department commits the offense of disorderly conduct under
7 subsection (a)(7) of Section 26-1 of the "Criminal Code of
8 1961". Any person who violates this provision a second or
9 subsequent time shall be guilty of a Class 3 felony.
10     Any person who knowingly and willfully violates any
11 provision of this Section other than a second or subsequent
12 violation of transmitting a false report as described in the
13 preceding paragraph, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor for a
14 first violation and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent
15 violation; except that if the person acted as part of a plan or
16 scheme having as its object the prevention of discovery of an
17 abused or neglected child by lawful authorities for the purpose
18 of protecting or insulating any person or entity from arrest or
19 prosecution, the person is guilty of a Class 4 felony for a
20 first offense and a Class 3 felony for a second or subsequent
21 offense (regardless of whether the second or subsequent offense
22 involves any of the same facts or persons as the first or other
23 prior offense).
24     A child whose parent, guardian or custodian in good faith
25 selects and depends upon spiritual means through prayer alone
26 for the treatment or cure of disease or remedial care may be
27 considered neglected or abused, but not for the sole reason
28 that his parent, guardian or custodian accepts and practices
29 such beliefs.
30     A child shall not be considered neglected or abused solely
31 because the child is not attending school in accordance with
32 the requirements of Article 26 of the School Code, as amended.
33 (Source: P.A. 92-16, eff. 6-28-01; 92-801, eff. 8-16-02;
34 93-137, eff. 7-10-03; 93-356, eff. 7-24-03; 93-431, eff.
35 8-5-03; 93-1041, eff. 9-29-04; revised 12-15-05.)