99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
SB3032

 

Introduced 2/18/2016, by Sen. Julie A. Morrison

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
See Index

    Amends the Child Death Review Team Act. Transfers the administration of child death review teams from the Department of Children and Family Services to the Department of Public Health. Provides that the Director of Public Health (rather than the Director of Children and Family Services), in consultation with the Illinois Child Death Review Teams Executive Council and specified persons who work in the field of investigating, treating, or preventing child deaths (rather than abuse or neglect in that subregion), shall appoint members to a child death review team in each of the Department of Children and Family Services' administrative regions (rather than subregions) of the State outside Cook County and at least one child death review team in Cook County. Provides that the staff of each child death review team must have complete access to the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) and any other Child Abuse Reporting systems; and that the Department of Public Health must provide one full-time statewide liaison to attend in person at all Executive Council meetings and team meetings throughout the State. Changes provisions concerning child death reviews; a child death review team's access to records and information held by the Department of Public Health and the Department of Children and Family Services; annual reports by the Illinois Child Death Review Teams Executive Council; and the establishment of a special Child Death Investigation Task Force.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Child Death Review Team Act is amended by
5changing Sections 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 40, and 45 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 515/5)
7    Sec. 5. State policy. The following statements are the
8policy of this State:
9    (1) Every child is entitled to live in safety and in health
10and to survive into adulthood.
11    (2) Responding to child deaths is a State and a community
12responsibility.
13    (3) When a child dies, the response by the State and the
14community to the death must include an accurate and complete
15determination of the cause of death, the provision of services
16to surviving family members, and the development and
17implementation of measures to prevent future deaths from
18similar causes. The response may include court action,
19including prosecution of persons who may be responsible for the
20death and juvenile proceedings to protect other children in the
21care of the person responsible for the care of the child who
22died.
23    (4) Professionals from disparate disciplines and agencies

 

 

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1who have responsibilities for children and expertise that can
2promote child safety and well-being should share their
3expertise and knowledge so that the goals of determining the
4causes of children's deaths, planning and providing services to
5surviving children and non-offending nonoffending family
6members, and preventing future child deaths can be achieved.
7    (5) A greater understanding of the incidence and causes of
8child deaths is necessary if the State is to prevent future
9child deaths.
10    (6) Multidisciplinary and multiagency reviews of child
11deaths can assist the State and counties in (i) investigating
12child deaths, (ii) developing a greater understanding of the
13incidence and causes of child deaths and the methods for
14preventing those deaths, and (iii) identifying gaps in services
15to children and families.
16    (7) Access to information regarding deceased children and
17their families by multidisciplinary and multiagency child
18death review teams is necessary for those teams to achieve
19their purposes and duties.
20(Source: P.A. 88-614, eff. 9-7-94.)
 
21    (20 ILCS 515/10)
22    Sec. 10. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the
23context requires otherwise:
24    "Child" means any person under the age of 18 years unless
25legally emancipated by reason of marriage or entry into a

 

 

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1branch of the United States armed services.
2    "Department" means the Department of Children and Family
3Services.
4    "Director" means the Director of Children and Family
5Services.
6    "Executive Council" means the Illinois Child Death Review
7Teams Executive Council.
8(Source: P.A. 92-468, eff. 8-22-01.)
 
9    (20 ILCS 515/15)
10    Sec. 15. Child death review teams; establishment.
11    (a) The Director of Public Health, in consultation with the
12Executive Council, law enforcement, and other professionals
13who work in the field of investigating, treating, or preventing
14child deaths abuse or neglect in that subregion, shall appoint
15members to a child death review team in each of the Department
16of Children and Family Services' Department's administrative
17regions subregions of the State outside Cook County and at
18least one child death review team in Cook County. The members
19of a team shall be appointed for 2-year terms and shall be
20eligible for reappointment upon the expiration of the terms.
21The Director of Public Health must fill any vacancy in a team
22within 60 days after that vacancy occurs.
23    (b) Each child death review team shall consist of at least
24one member from each of the following categories:
25        (1) Pediatrician or other physician knowledgeable

 

 

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1    about child abuse and neglect.
2        (2) Representative of the Department of Public Health.
3        (3) State's attorney or State's attorney's
4    representative.
5        (4) Representative of a local law enforcement agency.
6        (5) Psychologist or psychiatrist.
7        (6) Representative of a local health department.
8        (7) Representative of a school district or other
9    education or child care interests.
10        (8) Coroner or forensic pathologist.
11        (9) Representative of a child welfare agency or child
12    advocacy organization.
13        (10) Representative of a local hospital, trauma
14    center, or provider of emergency medical services.
15        (11) Representative of the Department of State Police.
16        (12) Representative of the Department of Children and
17    Family Services.
18    Each child death review team may make recommendations to
19the Director of Public Health concerning additional
20appointments.
21    Each child death review team member must have demonstrated
22experience and an interest in investigating, treating, or
23preventing child deaths abuse or neglect.
24    (c) Each child death review team shall select a chairperson
25from among its members. The chairperson shall also serve on the
26Illinois Child Death Review Teams Executive Council.

 

 

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1    (d) The child death review teams shall be funded under a
2separate line item in the Department of Public Health's
3Department's annual budget.
4    (e) Child death review team staff must have complete access
5to the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System
6(SACWIS) and any other Child Abuse Reporting systems. The
7Department of Public Health must provide one full-time
8statewide liaison to attend in person at all Executive Council
9meetings and team meetings throughout the State.
10(Source: P.A. 95-527, eff. 6-1-08.)
 
11    (20 ILCS 515/20)
12    Sec. 20. Reviews of child deaths.
13    (a) Every child death shall be reviewed by the team in the
14subregion in which the death occurred has primary case
15management responsibility.
16    The Department of Public Health, through the child death
17review teams, shall review all deaths of children 17 years of
18age or younger, including all sudden, unexpected, or
19unexplained child deaths, and cases of serious or fatal
20injuries to a child. The deceased child must be one of the
21following:
22        (1) A ward of the Department.
23        (2) The subject of an open service case maintained by
24    the Department.
25        (3) The subject of a pending child abuse or neglect

 

 

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1    investigation.
2        (4) A child who was the subject of an abuse or neglect
3    investigation at any time during the 12 months preceding
4    the child's death.
5        (5) Any other child whose death is reported to the
6    State central register as a result of alleged child abuse
7    or neglect which report is subsequently indicated.
8    A child death review team may, at its discretion, review
9other sudden, unexpected, or unexplained child deaths, and
10cases of serious or fatal injuries to a child identified under
11the Children's Advocacy Center Act.
12    (b) A child death review team's purpose in conducting
13reviews of child deaths is to do the following:
14        (1) Assist in determining the cause and manner of the
15    child's death, when requested.
16        (2) Evaluate means by which the death might have been
17    prevented.
18        (3) Report its findings to appropriate State agencies
19    and make recommendations that may help to reduce the number
20    of child deaths. Within 90 days after receiving a child
21    death review team's report, each agency Director shall
22    review and reply to recommendations made by the team. Each
23    agency Director shall submit his or her reply both to the
24    chairperson of that team and to the chairperson of the
25    Executive Council. The reply from an agency's Director to
26    each recommendation must include a statement as to whether

 

 

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1    the agency Director intends to implement the
2    recommendation, and must set forth in detail the way, if
3    any, in which the Director will implement the
4    recommendation and the schedule for implementing the
5    recommendation. Each agency shall implement
6    recommendations as feasible and appropriate and shall
7    respond in writing within 180 days after receiving such
8    recommendations to explain the implementation or
9    nonimplementation of the recommendations and any changes
10    in the agency's policies and procedures that have been made
11    in response to the recommendations caused by abuse or
12    neglect.
13        (4) Promote continuing education for professionals
14    involved in investigating, treating, and preventing child
15    deaths abuse and neglect as a means of preventing child
16    deaths due to abuse or neglect.
17        (5) Make specific recommendations to the Director of
18    Public Health and the Inspector General of the Department
19    concerning the prevention of child deaths due to abuse or
20    neglect and the establishment of protocols for
21    investigating child deaths.
22    (c) A child death review team shall review a child death as
23soon as practical, and for deaths being investigated by the
24Department of Children and Family Services, and not later than
2590 days following the completion by the Department of Children
26and Family Services the Department of the investigation of the

 

 

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1death under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. When
2there has been no investigation by the Department of Children
3and Family Services, the child death review team shall review a
4child's death within 90 days after obtaining the information
5necessary to complete the review from the coroner, pathologist,
6medical examiner, or law enforcement agency, depending on the
7nature of the case. A child death review team shall meet at
8least once in each calendar quarter.
9    (d) (Blank). The Director shall, within 90 days, review and
10reply to recommendations made by a team under item (5) of
11subsection (b). With respect to each recommendation made by a
12team, the Director shall submit his or her reply both to the
13chairperson of that team and to the chairperson of the
14Executive Council. The Director's reply to each recommendation
15must include a statement as to whether the Director intends to
16implement the recommendation.
17    The Director shall implement recommendations as feasible
18and appropriate and shall respond in writing to explain the
19implementation or nonimplementation of the recommendations.
20    (e) (Blank). Within 90 days after the Director submits a
21reply with respect to a recommendation as required by
22subsection (d), the Director must submit an additional report
23that sets forth in detail the way, if any, in which the
24Director will implement the recommendation and the schedule for
25implementing the recommendation. The Director shall submit
26this report to the chairperson of the team that made the

 

 

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1recommendation and to the chairperson of the Executive Council.
2    (f) (Blank). Within 180 days after the Director submits a
3report under subsection (e) concerning the implementation of a
4recommendation, the Director shall submit a further report to
5the chairperson of the team that made the recommendation and to
6the chairperson of the Executive Council. This report shall set
7forth the specific changes in the Department's policies and
8procedures that have been made in response to the
9recommendation.
10(Source: P.A. 95-405, eff. 6-1-08; 95-527, eff. 6-1-08; 95-876,
11eff. 8-21-08; 96-328, eff. 8-11-09.)
 
12    (20 ILCS 515/25)
13    Sec. 25. Team access to information.
14    (a) The Department of Public Health shall provide to a
15child death review team, on the request of the team
16chairperson, all records and information in the Department's
17possession of the Department of Public Health that are relevant
18to the team's review of a child death and the Department of
19Children and Family Services shall provide the same records and
20information , including records and information concerning
21previous indicated or unfounded reports or investigations of
22suspected child abuse or neglect.
23    (b) A child death review team shall have access to all
24records and information that are relevant to its review of a
25child death and in the possession of a State or local

 

 

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1governmental agency, including, but not limited to,
2information gained through the Child Advocacy Center protocol
3for cases of serious or fatal injury to a child. These records
4and information include, without limitation, birth
5certificates, all relevant medical and mental health records,
6records of law enforcement agency investigations, records of
7coroner or medical examiner investigations, records of the
8Department of Corrections and Department of Juvenile Justice
9concerning a person's parole or aftercare release, records of a
10probation and court services department, and records of a
11social services agency that provided services to the child or
12the child's family.
13    The staff of a child death review team must have access to
14any unfounded death investigations from the Department of
15Children and Family Services. The staff of a child death review
16team must have access to reports and death certificates of all
17child fatalities from the Department of Public Health.
18(Source: P.A. 98-558, eff. 1-1-14.)
 
19    (20 ILCS 515/40)
20    Sec. 40. Illinois Child Death Review Teams Executive
21Council.
22    (a) The Illinois Child Death Review Teams Executive
23Council, consisting of the chairpersons of the 9 child death
24review teams in Illinois, is the coordinating and oversight
25body for child death review teams and activities in Illinois.

 

 

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1The vice-chairperson of a child death review team, as
2designated by the chairperson, may serve as a back-up member or
3an alternate member of the Executive Council, if the
4chairperson of the child death review team is unavailable to
5serve on the Executive Council. The Inspector General of the
6Department, ex officio, is a non-voting member of the Executive
7Council. The Director of Public Health may appoint to the
8Executive Council any ex-officio members deemed necessary.
9Persons with expertise needed by the Executive Council may be
10invited to meetings. The Executive Council must select from its
11members a chairperson and a vice-chairperson, each to serve a
122-year, renewable term.
13    The Executive Council must meet at least 4 times during
14each calendar year. At each such meeting, in addition to any
15other matters under consideration, the Executive Council shall
16review all replies and reports received from the agency
17Directors Director pursuant to subsections (d), (e), and (f) of
18Section 20 since the Executive Council's previous meeting. The
19Executive Council's review must include consideration of each
20agency the Director's proposed manner of and schedule for
21implementing each recommendation made by a child death review
22team.
23    (b) The Department of Public Health must provide or arrange
24for the staff support necessary for the Executive Council to
25carry out its duties. The Director of Public Health, in
26cooperation and consultation with the Executive Council, shall

 

 

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1appoint, reappoint, and remove team members. From funds
2available, the Director of Public Health may select from a list
3of 2 or more candidates recommended by the Executive Council to
4serve as the Child Death Review Teams Executive Director. The
5Child Death Review Teams Executive Director shall oversee the
6operations of the child death review teams and shall report
7directly to the Executive Council.
8    (c) The Executive Council has, but is not limited to, the
9following duties:
10        (1) To serve as the voice of child death review teams
11    in Illinois.
12        (2) To oversee the regional teams in order to ensure
13    that the teams' work is coordinated and in compliance with
14    the statutes and the operating protocol.
15        (3) To ensure that the data, results, findings, and
16    recommendations of the teams are adequately used to make
17    any necessary changes in the policies, procedures, and
18    statutes in order to protect children in a timely manner.
19        (4) To collaborate with the General Assembly, the
20    Department of Public Health, and others in order to develop
21    any legislation needed to prevent child fatalities and to
22    protect children.
23        (5) To assist in the development of quarterly and
24    annual reports based on the work and the findings of the
25    teams.
26        (6) To ensure that the regional teams' review processes

 

 

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1    are standardized in order to convey data, findings, and
2    recommendations in a usable format.
3        (7) To serve as a link with child death review teams
4    throughout the country and to participate in national child
5    death review team activities.
6        (8) To develop an annual statewide symposium to update
7    the knowledge and skills of child death review team members
8    and to promote the exchange of information between teams.
9        (9) To provide the child death review teams with the
10    most current information and practices concerning child
11    death review and related topics.
12        (10) To perform any other functions necessary to
13    enhance the capability of the child death review teams to
14    reduce and prevent child injuries and fatalities.
15    (c-5) The Executive Council shall prepare an annual report
16by July 1 of each year. The report must include, but need not
17be limited to, (i) each recommendation made by a child death
18review team pursuant to item (5) of subsection (b) of Section
1920 during the period covered by the report, (ii) each agency
20the Director's proposed schedule for implementing each such
21recommendation, and (iii) a description of the specific changes
22in any Department's the Department's policies and procedures
23that have been made in response to the recommendation. The
24Executive Council shall send a copy of its annual report to
25each of the following:
26        (1) The Governor.

 

 

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1        (2) Each member of the Senate or the House of
2    Representatives whose legislative district lies wholly or
3    partly within the region covered by any child death review
4    team whose recommendation is addressed in the annual
5    report.
6        (3) Each member of each child death review team in the
7    State.
8        (4) All coroners, medical examiners, and State's
9    Attorneys, and to the Attorney General.
10        (5) Any other person, agency, or group in the
11    discretion of the Executive Council.
12        (6) Any State agency to which a recommendation has been
13    made.
14    (d) In any instance when a child death review team does not
15operate in accordance with established protocol, the Director
16of Public Health, in consultation and cooperation with the
17Executive Council, must take any necessary actions to bring the
18team into compliance with the protocol.
19(Source: P.A. 95-405, eff. 6-1-08; 95-527, eff. 6-1-08; 95-876,
20eff. 8-21-08.)
 
21    (20 ILCS 515/45)
22    Sec. 45. Child Death Investigation Task Force; pilot
23program. The Child Death Review Teams Executive Council may,
24from funds appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly to the
25Department of Public Health and provided to the Child Death

 

 

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1Review Teams Executive Council for this purpose, or from funds
2that may otherwise be provided for this purpose from other
3public or private sources, establish an 18-month pilot program
4in the Southern Region of the State, as designated by the
5Department of Public Health, under which a special Child Death
6Investigation Task Force will be created by the Child Death
7Review Teams Executive Council to develop and implement a plan
8for the investigation of sudden, unexpected, or unexplained
9deaths of children under 18 years of age occurring within that
10region. The plan shall include a protocol to be followed by
11child death review teams in the review of child deaths
12authorized under paragraph (a)(5) of Section 20 of this Act.
13The plan must include provisions for local or State law
14enforcement agencies, hospitals, or coroners to promptly
15notify the Task Force of a death or serious life-threatening
16injury to a child, and for the Child Death Investigation Task
17Force to review the death and submit a report containing
18findings and recommendations to the Child Death Review Teams
19Executive Council, the Director of Public Health, the Director
20of Children and Family Services, the Department of Children and
21Family Services Inspector General, the appropriate State's
22Attorney, and the State Representative and State Senator in
23whose legislative districts the case arose. The plan may
24include coordination with any investigation conducted under
25the Children's Advocacy Center Act. On By July 1 of each year,
262011, the Child Death Review Teams Executive Council shall

 

 

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1submit a report to the Director of Public Health, the Director
2of Children and Family Services, the General Assembly, and the
3Governor summarizing the results of the pilot program together
4with any recommendations for statewide implementation of a
5protocol for the investigation of all sudden, unexpected, or
6unexplained child deaths.
7(Source: P.A. 95-527, eff. 6-1-08; 96-955, eff. 6-30-10;
896-1000, eff. 7-2-10.)

 

 

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1 INDEX
2 Statutes amended in order of appearance
3    20 ILCS 515/5
4    20 ILCS 515/10
5    20 ILCS 515/15
6    20 ILCS 515/20
7    20 ILCS 515/25
8    20 ILCS 515/40
9    20 ILCS 515/45