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| Public Act 094-0228 |
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AN ACT concerning children.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Shaken | ||||
Baby Prevention Act. | ||||
Section 5. Definitions. In this Act: | ||||
"Department" means the Department of Public Health. | ||||
"Director" means the Director of Public Health. | ||||
"Parent" means a biological mother or father, | ||||
foster-mother or father, adoptive mother or father, or | ||||
step-mother or step-father. | ||||
"Primary caregiver" means any person who is not a parent, | ||||
but who provides temporary care to an infant or child, | ||||
including but not limited to, a babysitter, child care | ||||
provider, extended family member, nanny, or custodian.
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"Shaken baby" means the vigorous shaking of an infant or a | ||||
young child that may result in bleeding inside the head and | ||||
cause one or more of the following conditions: irreversible | ||||
brain damage; blindness, retinal hemorrhage, or eye damage; | ||||
cerebral palsy; hearing loss; spinal cord injury, including | ||||
paralysis; seizures; learning disability; central nervous | ||||
system injury; closed head injury; rib fracture; subdural | ||||
hematoma; or death. | ||||
Section 10. Shaken Baby Prevention Program. Subject to | ||||
appropriation, the Director shall establish a statewide Shaken | ||||
Baby Prevention Program to educate parents and primary | ||||
caregivers about the dangers of shaken baby and to provide | ||||
alternative techniques to venting anger and frustration. The | ||||
program shall allow for voluntary participation and use | ||||
multimedia educational vehicles, such as a video recording, to | ||||
target the parents and primary caregivers of babies from birth | ||||
through 3 years of age. Parents of newborns may choose to sign | ||
a participation form and fill out an evaluation form to record | ||
their participation in the program after viewing the multimedia | ||
educational materials. The Director, or the Director's | ||
designee, shall develop companion written materials, a program | ||
participation form, and an evaluation form. The Director shall | ||
designate and enter into contracts with experts, health care | ||
providers, and other State agencies to design and implement the | ||
program in all hospitals and child care facilities. | ||
Section 15. Local health departments. Local health | ||
departments shall assist the Director in implementing and | ||
administering the Shaken Baby Prevention Program in local | ||
hospitals and child care facilities. Local health departments' | ||
specific duties may include, but are not limited to, | ||
distributing the multimedia program materials and assisting in | ||
the collection of the data on program participation and the | ||
program evaluation forms for the Department's annual report | ||
required under Section 30. | ||
Section 20. Responsibilities of hospitals, health care | ||
providers, and child care providers. | ||
(a) Every hospital, maternal or pediatric health care | ||
provider, and child care provider shall encourage parents and | ||
primary caregivers to participate in the voluntary Shaken Baby | ||
Prevention Program by: | ||
(1) informing parents of all newborn children about the | ||
program;
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(2) making available to parents the shaken baby | ||
awareness and prevention multimedia materials provided by | ||
the Department; | ||
(3) making program participation forms developed by | ||
the Department available for signing by parents after | ||
viewing the multimedia materials; and | ||
(4) keeping all program participation forms and | ||
evaluation forms on file. | ||
(b) Hospitals shall report to the Department by no later | ||
than the first of November of each year: (i) the total number | ||
of births that occurred at the hospital that year; (ii) the | ||
total number of viewings of the shaken baby multimedia | ||
educational materials; and (iii) the total number of Shaken | ||
Baby Prevention Program participation forms signed at the | ||
hospital. All evaluation forms filled out during the year shall | ||
be forwarded to the Department with that data. | ||
Section 25. Parent support service. The Department may | ||
establish and operate a voluntary support service for parents | ||
who struggle with infant crying. The support service may | ||
include, but need not be limited to, telephone consultation and | ||
referrals to appropriate professional assistance. | ||
Section 30. Annual report. The Department shall make an | ||
annual report to the General Assembly of its findings and | ||
recommendations concerning the effectiveness, impact, and | ||
benefits derived from the Shaken Baby Prevention Program. The | ||
report shall contain evaluations of the program and | ||
recommendations for legislation deemed necessary and proper. | ||
The Department shall submit the report on or before the first | ||
day of January, beginning in 2007.
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January | ||
1, 2006.
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