Public Act 095-0908
 
HB4252 Enrolled LRB095 14406 RAS 40309 b

    AN ACT concerning children.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act is
amended by changing Sections 4, 7.4, and 9 as follows:
 
    (325 ILCS 5/4)  (from Ch. 23, par. 2054)
    Sec. 4. Persons required to report; privileged
communications; transmitting false report. Any physician,
resident, intern, hospital, hospital administrator and
personnel engaged in examination, care and treatment of
persons, surgeon, dentist, dentist hygienist, osteopath,
chiropractor, podiatrist, physician assistant, substance abuse
treatment personnel, funeral home director or employee,
coroner, medical examiner, emergency medical technician,
acupuncturist, crisis line or hotline personnel, school
personnel (including administrators and both certified and
non-certified school employees), educational advocate assigned
to a child pursuant to the School Code, member of a school
board or the Chicago Board of Education or the governing body
of a private school (but only to the extent required in
accordance with other provisions of this Section expressly
concerning the duty of school board members to report suspected
child abuse), truant officers, social worker, social services
administrator, domestic violence program personnel, registered
nurse, licensed practical nurse, genetic counselor,
respiratory care practitioner, advanced practice nurse, home
health aide, director or staff assistant of a nursery school or
a child day care center, recreational program or facility
personnel, law enforcement officer, licensed professional
counselor, licensed clinical professional counselor,
registered psychologist and assistants working under the
direct supervision of a psychologist, psychiatrist, or field
personnel of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services,
Juvenile Justice, Public Health, Human Services (acting as
successor to the Department of Mental Health and Developmental
Disabilities, Rehabilitation Services, or Public Aid),
Corrections, Human Rights, or Children and Family Services,
supervisor and administrator of general assistance under the
Illinois Public Aid Code, probation officer, or any other
foster parent, homemaker or child care worker having reasonable
cause to believe a child known to them in their professional or
official capacity may be an abused child or a neglected child
shall immediately report or cause a report to be made to the
Department.
    Any member of the clergy having reasonable cause to believe
that a child known to that member of the clergy in his or her
professional capacity may be an abused child as defined in item
(c) of the definition of "abused child" in Section 3 of this
Act shall immediately report or cause a report to be made to
the Department.
    If an allegation is raised to a school board member during
the course of an open or closed school board meeting that a
child who is enrolled in the school district of which he or she
is a board member is an abused child as defined in Section 3 of
this Act, the member shall direct or cause the school board to
direct the superintendent of the school district or other
equivalent school administrator to comply with the
requirements of this Act concerning the reporting of child
abuse. For purposes of this paragraph, a school board member is
granted the authority in his or her individual capacity to
direct the superintendent of the school district or other
equivalent school administrator to comply with the
requirements of this Act concerning the reporting of child
abuse.
    Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, if an
employee of a school district has made a report or caused a
report to be made to the Department under this Act involving
the conduct of a current or former employee of the school
district and a request is made by another school district for
the provision of information concerning the job performance or
qualifications of the current or former employee because he or
she is an applicant for employment with the requesting school
district, the general superintendent of the school district to
which the request is being made must disclose to the requesting
school district the fact that an employee of the school
district has made a report involving the conduct of the
applicant or caused a report to be made to the Department, as
required under this Act. Only the fact that an employee of the
school district has made a report involving the conduct of the
applicant or caused a report to be made to the Department may
be disclosed by the general superintendent of the school
district to which the request for information concerning the
applicant is made, and this fact may be disclosed only in cases
where the employee and the general superintendent have not been
informed by the Department that the allegations were unfounded.
An employee of a school district who is or has been the subject
of a report made pursuant to this Act during his or her
employment with the school district must be informed by that
school district that if he or she applies for employment with
another school district, the general superintendent of the
former school district, upon the request of the school district
to which the employee applies, shall notify that requesting
school district that the employee is or was the subject of such
a report.
    Whenever such person is required to report under this Act
in his capacity as a member of the staff of a medical or other
public or private institution, school, facility or agency, or
as a member of the clergy, he shall make report immediately to
the Department in accordance with the provisions of this Act
and may also notify the person in charge of such institution,
school, facility or agency, or church, synagogue, temple,
mosque, or other religious institution, or his designated agent
that such report has been made. Under no circumstances shall
any person in charge of such institution, school, facility or
agency, or church, synagogue, temple, mosque, or other
religious institution, or his designated agent to whom such
notification has been made, exercise any control, restraint,
modification or other change in the report or the forwarding of
such report to the Department.
    The privileged quality of communication between any
professional person required to report and his patient or
client shall not apply to situations involving abused or
neglected children and shall not constitute grounds for failure
to report as required by this Act.
    A member of the clergy may claim the privilege under
Section 8-803 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
    In addition to the above persons required to report
suspected cases of abused or neglected children, any other
person may make a report if such person has reasonable cause to
believe a child may be an abused child or a neglected child.
    Any person who enters into employment on and after July 1,
1986 and is mandated by virtue of that employment to report
under this Act, shall sign a statement on a form prescribed by
the Department, to the effect that the employee has knowledge
and understanding of the reporting requirements of this Act.
The statement shall be signed prior to commencement of the
employment. The signed statement shall be retained by the
employer. The cost of printing, distribution, and filing of the
statement shall be borne by the employer.
    The Department shall provide copies of this Act, upon
request, to all employers employing persons who shall be
required under the provisions of this Section to report under
this Act.
    Any person who knowingly transmits a false report to the
Department commits the offense of disorderly conduct under
subsection (a)(7) of Section 26-1 of the "Criminal Code of
1961". Any person who violates this provision a second or
subsequent time shall be guilty of a Class 3 felony.
    Any person who knowingly and willfully violates any
provision of this Section other than a second or subsequent
violation of transmitting a false report as described in the
preceding paragraph, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor for a
first violation and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent
violation; except that if the person acted as part of a plan or
scheme having as its object the prevention of discovery of an
abused or neglected child by lawful authorities for the purpose
of protecting or insulating any person or entity from arrest or
prosecution, the person is guilty of a Class 4 felony for a
first offense and a Class 3 felony for a second or subsequent
offense (regardless of whether the second or subsequent offense
involves any of the same facts or persons as the first or other
prior offense).
    A child whose parent, guardian or custodian in good faith
selects and depends upon spiritual means through prayer alone
for the treatment or cure of disease or remedial care may be
considered neglected or abused, but not for the sole reason
that his parent, guardian or custodian accepts and practices
such beliefs.
    A child shall not be considered neglected or abused solely
because the child is not attending school in accordance with
the requirements of Article 26 of the School Code, as amended.
(Source: P.A. 94-888, eff. 6-20-06; 95-10, eff. 6-30-07;
95-461, eff. 8-27-07; revised 11-15-07.)
 
    (325 ILCS 5/7.4)  (from Ch. 23, par. 2057.4)
    Sec. 7.4. (a) The Department shall be capable of receiving
reports of suspected child abuse or neglect 24 hours a day, 7
days a week. Whenever the Department receives a report alleging
that a child is a truant as defined in Section 26-2a of The
School Code, as now or hereafter amended, the Department shall
notify the superintendent of the school district in which the
child resides and the appropriate superintendent of the
educational service region. The notification to the
appropriate officials by the Department shall not be considered
an allegation of abuse or neglect under this Act.
    (b) (1) The following procedures shall be followed in the
    investigation of all reports of suspected abuse or neglect
    of a child, except as provided in subsection (c) of this
    Section.
        (2) If it appears that the immediate safety or
    well-being of a child is endangered, that the family may
    flee or the child disappear, or that the facts otherwise so
    warrant, the Child Protective Service Unit shall commence
    an investigation immediately, regardless of the time of day
    or night. In all other cases, investigation shall be
    commenced within 24 hours of receipt of the report. Upon
    receipt of a report, the Child Protective Service Unit
    shall make an initial investigation and an initial
    determination whether the report is a good faith indication
    of alleged child abuse or neglect.
        (3) If the Unit determines the report is a good faith
    indication of alleged child abuse or neglect, then a formal
    investigation shall commence and, pursuant to Section 7.12
    of this Act, may or may not result in an indicated report.
    The formal investigation shall include: direct contact
    with the subject or subjects of the report as soon as
    possible after the report is received; an evaluation of the
    environment of the child named in the report and any other
    children in the same environment; a determination of the
    risk to such children if they continue to remain in the
    existing environments, as well as a determination of the
    nature, extent and cause of any condition enumerated in
    such report; the name, age and condition of other children
    in the environment; and an evaluation as to whether there
    would be an immediate and urgent necessity to remove the
    child from the environment if appropriate family
    preservation services were provided. After seeing to the
    safety of the child or children, the Department shall
    forthwith notify the subjects of the report in writing, of
    the existence of the report and their rights existing under
    this Act in regard to amendment or expungement. To fulfill
    the requirements of this Section, the Child Protective
    Service Unit shall have the capability of providing or
    arranging for comprehensive emergency services to children
    and families at all times of the day or night.
        (4) If (i) at the conclusion of the Unit's initial
    investigation of a report, the Unit determines the report
    to be a good faith indication of alleged child abuse or
    neglect that warrants a formal investigation by the Unit,
    the Department, any law enforcement agency or any other
    responsible agency and (ii) the person who is alleged to
    have caused the abuse or neglect is employed or otherwise
    engaged in an activity resulting in frequent contact with
    children and the alleged abuse or neglect are in the course
    of such employment or activity, then the Department shall,
    except in investigations where the Director determines
    that such notification would be detrimental to the
    Department's investigation, inform the appropriate
    supervisor or administrator of that employment or activity
    that the Unit has commenced a formal investigation pursuant
    to this Act, which may or may not result in an indicated
    report. The Department shall also notify the person being
    investigated, unless the Director determines that such
    notification would be detrimental to the Department's
    investigation.
    (c) In an investigation of a report of suspected abuse or
neglect of a child by a school employee at a school or on
school grounds, the Department shall make reasonable efforts to
follow the following procedures:
        (1) Investigations involving teachers shall not, to
    the extent possible, be conducted when the teacher is
    scheduled to conduct classes. Investigations involving
    other school employees shall be conducted so as to minimize
    disruption of the school day. The school employee accused
    of child abuse or neglect may have his superior, his
    association or union representative and his attorney
    present at any interview or meeting at which the teacher or
    administrator is present. The accused school employee
    shall be informed by a representative of the Department, at
    any interview or meeting, of the accused school employee's
    due process rights and of the steps in the investigation
    process. The information shall include, but need not
    necessarily be limited to the right, subject to the
    approval of the Department, of the school employee to
    confront the accuser, if the accuser is 14 years of age or
    older, or the right to review the specific allegations
    which gave rise to the investigation, and the right to
    review all materials and evidence that have been submitted
    to the Department in support of the allegation. These due
    process rights shall also include the right of the school
    employee to present countervailing evidence regarding the
    accusations.
        (2) If a report of neglect or abuse of a child by a
    teacher or administrator does not involve allegations of
    sexual abuse or extreme physical abuse, the Child
    Protective Service Unit shall make reasonable efforts to
    conduct the initial investigation in coordination with the
    employee's supervisor.
        If the Unit determines that the report is a good faith
    indication of potential child abuse or neglect, it shall
    then commence a formal investigation under paragraph (3) of
    subsection (b) of this Section.
        (3) If a report of neglect or abuse of a child by a
    teacher or administrator involves an allegation of sexual
    abuse or extreme physical abuse, the Child Protective Unit
    shall commence an investigation under paragraph (2) of
    subsection (b) of this Section.
    (c-5) In any instance in which a report is made or caused
to made by a school district employee involving the conduct of
a person employed by the school district, at the time the
report was made, as required under Section 4 of this Act, the
Child Protective Service Unit shall send a copy of its final
finding report to the general superintendent of that school
district.
    (d) If the Department has contact with an employer, or with
a religious institution or religious official having
supervisory or hierarchical authority over a member of the
clergy accused of the abuse of a child, in the course of its
investigation, the Department shall notify the employer or the
religious institution or religious official, in writing, when a
report is unfounded so that any record of the investigation can
be expunged from the employee's or member of the clergy's
personnel or other records. The Department shall also notify
the employee or the member of the clergy, in writing, that
notification has been sent to the employer or to the
appropriate religious institution or religious official
informing the employer or religious institution or religious
official that the Department's investigation has resulted in an
unfounded report.
    (e) Upon request by the Department, the Department of State
Police and law enforcement agencies are authorized to provide
criminal history record information as defined in the Illinois
Uniform Conviction Information Act and information maintained
in the adjudicatory and dispositional record system as defined
in Section 2605-355 of the Department of State Police Law (20
ILCS 2605/2605-355) to properly designated employees of the
Department of Children and Family Services if the Department
determines the information is necessary to perform its duties
under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, the Child
Care Act of 1969, and the Children and Family Services Act. The
request shall be in the form and manner required by the
Department of State Police. Any information obtained by the
Department of Children and Family Services under this Section
is confidential and may not be transmitted outside the
Department of Children and Family Services other than to a
court of competent jurisdiction or unless otherwise authorized
by law. Any employee of the Department of Children and Family
Services who transmits confidential information in violation
of this Section or causes the information to be transmitted in
violation of this Section is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor
unless the transmittal of the information is authorized by this
Section or otherwise authorized by law.
(Source: P.A. 91-239, eff. 1-1-00; 92-801, eff. 8-16-02.)
 
    (325 ILCS 5/9)  (from Ch. 23, par. 2059)
    Sec. 9. Any person, institution or agency, under this Act,
participating in good faith in the making of a report or
referral, or in the investigation of such a report or referral
or in the taking of photographs and x-rays or in the retaining
a child in temporary protective custody or in making a
disclosure of information concerning reports of child abuse and
neglect in compliance with Sections 4.2 and 11.1 of this Act or
Section 4 of this Act, as it relates to disclosure by school
personnel and except in cases of wilful or wanton misconduct,
shall have immunity from any liability, civil, criminal or that
otherwise might result by reason of such actions. For the
purpose of any proceedings, civil or criminal, the good faith
of any persons required to report or refer, or permitted to
report, cases of suspected child abuse or neglect or permitted
to refer individuals under this Act or required to disclose
information concerning reports of child abuse and neglect in
compliance with Sections 4.2 and 11.1 of this Act, shall be
presumed.
(Source: P.A. 90-15, eff. 6-13-97.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.
INDEX
Statutes amended in order of appearance
    325 ILCS 5/4 from Ch. 23, par. 2054
    325 ILCS 5/7.4 from Ch. 23, par. 2057.4
    325 ILCS 5/9 from Ch. 23, par. 2059

Effective Date: 8/26/2008