State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
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90_SB1386eng

      755 ILCS 5/11-7.1         from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11-7.1
          Amends the Probate Act of 1975.  Prohibits a  court  from
      entering an order providing visitation rights to a parent who
      has been convicted of first degree murder of the other parent
      of the child who is the subject of the order unless the child
      is  of  suitable age to signify his or her assent and assents
      to the order. Also provides that until an order  is  entered,
      no person may visit the parent with the child present without
      the consent of the child's guardian.
                                                     LRB9011263RCpc
SB1386 Engrossed                               LRB9011263RCpc
 1        AN  ACT  in relation to visitation rights, amending named
 2    Acts.
 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section  5.   The  Illinois  Marriage  and Dissolution of
 6    Marriage Act is amended by changing Section 607 as follows:
 7        (750 ILCS 5/607) (from Ch. 40, par. 607)
 8        Sec. 607. Visitation.
 9        (a)  A  parent  not  granted  custody  of  the  child  is
10    entitled to reasonable visitation  rights  unless  the  court
11    finds,  after  a  hearing,  that  visitation  would  endanger
12    seriously  the  child's  physical, mental, moral or emotional
13    health.  If the custodian's street address is not identified,
14    pursuant to Section 708, the court shall require the  parties
15    to   identify   reasonable   alternative   arrangements   for
16    visitation  by  a  non-custodial  parent,  including  but not
17    limited to visitation of the minor child at the residence  of
18    another person or at a local public or private facility.
19        (b) (1)  The   court   may  grant  reasonable  visitation
20    privileges to a grandparent, great-grandparent, or sibling of
21    any  minor  child  upon  petition  to  the   court   by   the
22    grandparents  or  great-grandparents  or  on  behalf  of  the
23    sibling,  with  notice to the parties required to be notified
24    under Section 601 of this Act, if the court  determines  that
25    it is in the best interests and welfare of the child, and may
26    issue   any  necessary  orders  to  enforce  such  visitation
27    privileges.  Except as provided  in  paragraph  (2)  of  this
28    subsection  (b),  a petition for visitation privileges may be
29    filed under this subsection (b) whether  or  not  a  petition
30    pursuant  to  this  Act  has  been  previously  filed  or  is
31    currently   pending   if   one   or  more  of  the  following
SB1386 Engrossed            -2-                LRB9011263RCpc
 1    circumstances exist:
 2             (A)  the parents are not currently cohabiting  on  a
 3        permanent or an indefinite basis;
 4             (B)  one  of  the  parents  has been absent from the
 5        marital abode for more than one month without the  spouse
 6        knowing his or her whereabouts;
 7             (C)  one of the parents is deceased;
 8             (D)  one  of  the parents joins in the petition with
 9        the grandparents, great-grandparents, or sibling; or
10             (E)  a sibling is in State custody.
11        (2)(A)  A petition for visitation privileges shall not be
12    filed pursuant to this  subsection  (b)  by  the  parents  or
13    grandparents  of  a  putative  father if the paternity of the
14    putative father has not been legally established.
15        (B)  A petition for  visitation  privileges  may  not  be
16    filed  under  this  subsection  (b)  if  the child who is the
17    subject of the grandparents' or great-grandparents'  petition
18    has  been  voluntarily  surrendered by the parent or parents,
19    except for a surrender to the Illinois Department of Children
20    and Family Services or a foster care facility,  or  has  been
21    previously  adopted  by  an individual or individuals who are
22    not related to the biological parents of the child or is  the
23    subject  of  a  pending adoption petition by an individual or
24    individuals who are not related to the biological parents  of
25    the child.
26        (3)  When  one  parent  is deceased, the surviving parent
27    shall  not  interfere  with  the  visitation  rights  of  the
28    grandparents.
29        (c)  The court may modify an order  granting  or  denying
30    visitation  rights whenever modification would serve the best
31    interest of the child; but the court shall   not  restrict  a
32    parent's   visitation   rights   unless  it  finds  that  the
33    visitation would endanger  seriously  the  child's  physical,
34    mental, moral or emotional health.
SB1386 Engrossed            -3-                LRB9011263RCpc
 1        (d)  If  any  court  has  entered  an order prohibiting a
 2    non-custodial parent of a child from any contact with a child
 3    or restricting the non-custodial parent's  contact  with  the
 4    child, the following provisions shall apply:
 5             (1)  If   an   order   has   been  entered  granting
 6        visitation privileges with the child to a grandparent  or
 7        great-grandparent who is related to the child through the
 8        non-custodial  parent,  the  visitation privileges of the
 9        grandparent or great-grandparent may be revoked if:
10                  (i)  a court has entered an  order  prohibiting
11             the  non-custodial  parent from any contact with the
12             child, and the grandparent or  great-grandparent  is
13             found  to have used his or her visitation privileges
14             to facilitate contact  between  the  child  and  the
15             non-custodial parent; or
16                  (ii)  a  court has entered an order restricting
17             the non-custodial parent's contact with  the  child,
18             and the grandparent or great-grandparent is found to
19             have  used  his  or  her  visitation  privileges  to
20             facilitate   contact   between  the  child  and  the
21             non-custodial parent in a manner that  violates  the
22             terms  of  the  order  restricting the non-custodial
23             parent's contact with the child.
24             Nothing in this subdivision (1) limits the authority
25        of  the  court  to  enforce  its  orders  in  any  manner
26        permitted by law.
27             (2)  Any order granting visitation  privileges  with
28        the  child  to  a grandparent or great-grandparent who is
29        related to the child  through  the  non-custodial  parent
30        shall contain the following provision:
31             "If the (grandparent or great-grandparent, whichever
32        is applicable) who has been granted visitation privileges
33        under  this  order  uses  the  visitation  privileges  to
34        facilitate  contact  between  the  child  and the child's
SB1386 Engrossed            -4-                LRB9011263RCpc
 1        non-custodial parent, the visitation  privileges  granted
 2        under this order shall be permanently revoked."
 3        (e)  No  parent,  not  granted  custody  of the child, or
 4    grandparent, or great-grandparent, or sibling  of  any  minor
 5    child,  convicted of any offense involving an illegal sex act
 6    perpetrated upon a victim less than 18 years of age including
 7    but not limited to offenses for violations of Article  12  of
 8    the  Criminal  Code of 1961, is entitled to visitation rights
 9    while incarcerated or while on parole or mandatory supervised
10    release  for  that   offense,   and   upon   discharge   from
11    incarceration  for  a  misdemeanor  offense or upon discharge
12    from parole or mandatory  supervised  release  for  a  felony
13    offense,   visitation  shall  be  denied  until  said  person
14    successfully completes a treatment program  approved  by  the
15    court.
16        (f)  Unless  the court determines that it would be in the
17    best interests of the child to allow visitation or the  child
18    is  of  suitable age to signify his or her assent and assents
19    to the  order,  no  court  shall  enter  an  order  providing
20    visitation   rights   and   shall  revoke  visitation  rights
21    previously granted to  any  person  who  would  otherwise  be
22    entitled to petition for visitation rights under this Section
23    who  has been convicted of first degree murder of the parent,
24    grandparent, great-grandparent, or sibling of the  child  who
25    is  the  subject of the order.  Until an order is entered, no
26    person shall visit, with the child present, a person who  has
27    been   convicted  of  first  degree  murder  of  the  parent,
28    grandparent,  great-grandparent,  or  sibling  of  the  child
29    without  the  consent  of  the  child's  custodian  or  legal
30    guardian.
31    (Source: P.A. 88-23; 88-267; 88-670,  eff.  12-2-94;  89-488,
32    eff. 6-21-96.)
33        Section  10.   The  Probate  Act  of  1975  is amended by
SB1386 Engrossed            -5-                LRB9011263RCpc
 1    changing Section 11-7.1 as follows:
 2        (755 ILCS 5/11-7.1) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11-7.1)
 3        Sec. 11-7.1. Visitation rights.
 4        (a) Whenever both natural or adoptive parents of a  minor
 5    are  deceased,  visitation  rights  shall  be  granted to the
 6    grandparents of the minor who are the parents of the  minor's
 7    legal  parents  unless it is shown that such visitation would
 8    be detrimental to the  best  interests  and  welfare  of  the
 9    minor.  In the discretion of the court, reasonable visitation
10    rights  may  be granted to any other relative of the minor or
11    other person having an interest in the welfare of the  child.
12    However,  the  court shall not grant visitation privileges to
13    any person who otherwise  might  have  visitation  privileges
14    under   this   Section  where  the  minor  has  been  adopted
15    subsequent to the death of  both  his  legal  parents  except
16    where  such adoption is by a close relative.  For the purpose
17    of this Section, "close relative" shall include, but  not  be
18    limited  to,  a  grandparent,  aunt,  uncle, first cousin, or
19    adult brother or sister.
20        Where such adoption is by a  close  relative,  the  court
21    shall  not  grant  visitation  privileges  under this Section
22    unless the petitioner alleges and proves that he or  she  has
23    been  unreasonably  denied  visitation  with  the child.  The
24    court may grant reasonable visitation privileges upon finding
25    that such visitation would be in the  best  interest  of  the
26    child.
27        An order denying visitation rights to grandparents of the
28    minor  shall  be  in  writing and shall state the reasons for
29    denial. An order denying visitation rights is a  final  order
30    for purposes of appeal.
31        (b)  Unless  the court determines that it would be in the
32    best interests of the child to allow visitation or the  child
33    is  of  suitable age to signify his or her assent and assents
SB1386 Engrossed            -6-                LRB9011263RCpc
 1    to the  order,  no  court  shall  enter  an  order  providing
 2    visitation   rights   and   shall  revoke  visitation  rights
 3    previously granted to  any  person  who  would  otherwise  be
 4    entitled to petition for visitation rights under this Section
 5    who  has been convicted of first degree murder of the parent,
 6    grandparent, great-grandparent, or sibling of the  child  who
 7    is  the  subject of the order.  Until an order is entered, no
 8    person shall visit, with the child present, a person who  has
 9    been   convicted  of  first  degree  murder  of  the  parent,
10    grandparent,  great-grandparent,  or  sibling  of  the  child
11    without  the  consent  of  the  child's  custodian  or  legal
12    guardian.
13    (Source: P.A. 85-1274.)

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