Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for HB0254

Amends the Elder Abuse and Neglect Act. Authorizes the Department on Aging or any other State or county agency to establish regional interagency elder abuse fatality review teams composed of representatives of entities and individuals including, but not limited to, the Department on Aging, the Department of Public Health, coroners or medical examiners (or both), State's Attorneys, local police departments, forensic units, and providers of services for persons age 60 or older. Requires the teams to review cases of deaths (i) involving blunt force trauma or an undetermined or suspicious cause of death, (ii) if requested by the deceased's attending physician, (iii) upon referral by a health care provider, or (iv) constituting an open or closed case from a senior protective services agency, law enforcement agency, or State's Attorney's office that involves alleged or suspected abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation. Authorizes the teams to review other cases. Requires the Department on Aging, in consultation with coroners, medical examiners, and law enforcement agencies, to use data gathered by the teams and recommendations made by the teams to create an annual report, and provides that the Department, in consultation with those others, may use the data and recommendations to develop education, prevention, prosecution, or other strategies. Authorizes creation of a database of at-risk individuals.

Provides that a State agency other than the Department on Aging, or a county agency, may establish regional interagency elder abuse fatality review teams with the approval of the Department on Aging. Limits the review teams' functions to consideration of deaths of elderly persons residing in domestic living situations. Deletes a provision requiring a representative of the Department of Public Health on review teams. Provides that each review team, with the advice and consent of the Department on Aging (instead of the Department or other State or county agency), shall establish criteria to be used by review teams in performing their functions. Provides that release of confidential communication between domestic violence advocates and a domestic violence victim shall follow the provisions of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 which allows for the waiver of privilege afforded to guardians, executors, or administrators of the estate of the domestic violence victim, excluding adult protective service providers.

Provides that an elder abuse fatality review team may review cases of deaths of persons age 60 or older if the alleged abuse or neglect occurred while the person was residing in a domestic living situation (instead of may review all cases of deaths of persons age 60 or older residing in domestic living situations).

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