Public Act 90-0239 of the 90th General Assembly

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90th General Assembly

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Public Act 90-0239

HB1426 Enrolled                                LRB9002518SMpk

    AN ACT regarding abused and neglected children.

    Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:

    Section 5.  The Child Death Review Team Act is amended by
changing Sections 10 and 20 as follows:

    (20 ILCS 515/10)
    Sec.  10.   Definitions.  As used in this Act, unless the
context requires otherwise:
    "Child" means any person under the age of 18 years unless
legally emancipated by reason of marriage  or  entry  into  a
branch of the United States armed services.
    "Department"  means the Department of Children and Family
Services.
    "Director" means the  Director  of  Children  and  Family
Services.
(Source: P.A. 88-614, eff. 9-7-94.)

    (20 ILCS 515/20)
    Sec. 20.  Reviews of child deaths.
    (a)  Every  child  death shall be reviewed by the team in
the   subregion   which   has   primary    case    management
responsibility.   The  deceased  child  must  be  one  of the
following A child death review team shall review every  death
of  a  child that occurs in the subregion served by that team
in which the deceased child was any of the following:
         (1)  A ward of the Department.
         (2)  The subject of an open service case  maintained
    by the Department.
         (3)  The subject of a pending child abuse or neglect
    investigation.
         (4)  A  child  who  was  the  subject of an abuse or
    neglect investigation at any time during  the  12  months
    preceding the child's death.
    A  child death review team may, at its discretion, review
other sudden, unexpected, or unexplained child deaths.
    (b)  A child death review team's  purpose  in  conducting
reviews of child deaths is to do the following:
         (1)  Assist  in  determining the cause and manner of
    the child's death, when requested.
         (2)  Evaluate means by which the  death  might  have
    been prevented.
         (3)  Report its findings to appropriate agencies and
    make  recommendations  that may help to reduce the number
    of child deaths caused by abuse or neglect.
         (4)  Promote continuing education for  professionals
    involved in investigating, treating, and preventing child
    abuse  and  neglect as a means of preventing child deaths
    due to abuse or neglect.
         (5)  Make specific recommendations to  the  Director
    and  the  Inspector  General of the Department concerning
    the prevention of child deaths due to  abuse  or  neglect
    and  the  establishment  of  protocols  for investigating
    child deaths.
    (c)  A child death review team shall review a child death
as soon as practical and not later than 90 days following the
completion by the Department  of  the  investigation  of  the
death  under  the  Abused  and Neglected Child Reporting Act.
When there has been no investigation by the  Department,  the
child  death  review team shall review a child's death within
90 days after obtaining the information necessary to complete
the review from the coroner, pathologist,  medical  examiner,
or  law  enforcement  agency,  depending on the nature of the
case the child's death.  A child death review team shall meet
at least once in each calendar quarter.
    (d)  The Director shall, within 90 days, review and reply
to  recommendations  made  by  a  team  under  item  (5)   of
subsection (b).  The Director shall implement recommendations
as  feasible  and appropriate and shall respond in writing to
explain  the  implementation  or  nonimplementation  of   the
recommendations.
(Source: P.A. 88-614, eff. 9-7-94.)

    Section 10.  The Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act
is amended by changing Sections 3 and 7.21 as follows:

    (325 ILCS 5/3) (from Ch. 23, par. 2053)
    Sec. 3.  As used in this Act unless the context otherwise
requires:
    "Child"  means  any  person  under  the  age of 18 years,
unless legally emancipated by reason  of  marriage  or  entry
into a branch of the United States armed services.
    "Department"  means  Department  of  Children  and Family
Services.
    "Local law enforcement agency"  means  the  police  of  a
city, town, village or other incorporated area or the sheriff
of  an  unincorporated  area  or  any  sworn  officer  of the
Illinois Department of State Police.
    "Abused child" means a child whose  parent  or  immediate
family  member,  or  any  person  responsible for the child's
welfare,  or any individual residing in the same home as  the
child, or a paramour of the child's parent:
         a.  inflicts,  causes  to be inflicted, or allows to
    be inflicted upon such child physical  injury,  by  other
    than accidental means, which causes death, disfigurement,
    impairment  of  physical  or emotional health, or loss or
    impairment of any bodily function;
         b.  creates a substantial risk of physical injury to
    such child by other than accidental means which would  be
    likely  to  cause  death,  disfigurement,  impairment  of
    physical  or  emotional  health, or loss or impairment of
    any bodily function;
         c.  commits  or  allows  to  be  committed  any  sex
    offense against such child,  as  such  sex  offenses  are
    defined  in  the  Criminal  Code of 1961, as amended, and
    extending those definitions of sex  offenses  to  include
    children under 18 years of age;
         d.  commits or allows to be committed an act or acts
    of torture upon such child; or
         e.  inflicts excessive corporal punishment.
    "Neglected  child"  means  any child who is not receiving
the proper or necessary nourishment  or  medically  indicated
treatment  including  food or care not provided solely on the
basis of  the  present  or  anticipated  mental  or  physical
impairment  as  determined  by a physician acting alone or in
consultation  with  other  physicians  or  otherwise  is  not
receiving the proper or necessary support or medical or other
remedial care recognized under State law as necessary  for  a
child's  well-being,  or  other care necessary for his or her
well-being, including adequate food, clothing and shelter; or
who is abandoned by  his  or  her  parents  or  other  person
responsible  for the child's welfare without a proper plan of
care; or who is a newborn infant whose blood,  or  urine,  or
meconium  contains  any  amount  of a controlled substance as
defined in subsection (f) of  Section  102  of  the  Illinois
Controlled  Substances  Act or a metabolite thereof, with the
exception of a controlled  substance  or  metabolite  thereof
whose presence in the newborn infant is the result of medical
treatment administered to the mother or the newborn infant. A
child  shall  not be considered neglected for the sole reason
that the child's parent or other person responsible  for  his
or  her  welfare  has  left the child in the care of an adult
relative for any  period  of  time.  A  child  shall  not  be
considered  neglected or abused for the sole reason that such
child's parent or other person responsible  for  his  or  her
welfare depends upon spiritual means through prayer alone for
the treatment or cure of disease or remedial care as provided
under Section 4 of this Act.  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.
    "Child Protective Service Unit" means certain specialized
State employees of the Department assigned by the Director to
perform the duties and  responsibilities  as  provided  under
Section 7.2 of this Act.
    "Person  responsible  for  the child's welfare" means the
child's parent; guardian; foster parent; relative  caregiver;
any person responsible for the child's welfare in a public or
private   residential   agency  or  institution;  any  person
responsible for  the  child's  welfare  within  a  public  or
private  profit or not for profit child care facility; or any
other person responsible for the child's welfare at the  time
of  the  alleged  abuse or neglect, or any person who came to
know the child through an official capacity  or  position  of
trust,   including   but   not   limited   to   health   care
professionals,     educational     personnel,    recreational
supervisors, and  volunteers  or  support  personnel  in  any
setting where children may be subject to abuse or neglect.
    "Temporary  protective  custody"  means  custody within a
hospital or other medical  facility  or  a  place  previously
designated  for  such  custody  by the Department, subject to
review by the Court, including a licensed foster home,  group
home,  or  other  institution;  but such place shall not be a
jail or other place for the detention of criminal or juvenile
offenders.
    "An unfounded report" means any report  made  under  this
Act for which it is determined after an investigation that no
credible evidence of abuse or neglect exists.
    "An  indicated report" means a report made under this Act
if an investigation determines that credible evidence of  the
alleged abuse or neglect exists.
    "An undetermined report" means any report made under this
Act  in  which it was not possible to initiate or complete an
investigation on the basis of  information  provided  to  the
Department.
    "Subject  of  report"  means  any  child  reported to the
central register of child abuse and neglect established under
Section 7.7 of this Act and his or her  parent,  guardian  or
other person responsible who is also named in the report.
    "Perpetrator"   means  a  person  who,  as  a  result  of
investigation, has been determined by the Department to  have
caused child abuse or neglect.
(Source: P.A. 88-85; 89-21, eff. 7-1-95.)

    (325 ILCS 5/7.21)
    Sec. 7.21.  Multidisciplinary Review Committee.
    (a)  The   Department   may  establish  multidisciplinary
review committees in each region of the State to assure  that
mandated   reporters  have  the  ability  to  have  a  review
conducted on any situation where a  child  abuse  or  neglect
report  made  by them was "unfounded", and they have concerns
about the adequacy of  the  investigation.  These  committees
shall draw upon the expertise of the Child Death Review Teams
as  necessary  and  practicable.  These committees will serve
under the auspices of the Child  Death  Review  Teams.   Each
committee  will  be composed of the following:  a health care
professional,  a  Department  employee,  a  law   enforcement
official,  a  licensed social worker, and a representative of
the State's attorney's office.  In appointing  members  of  a
committee,   primary   consideration  shall  be  given  to  a
prospective member's prior experience in dealing  with  cases
of suspected child abuse or neglect.
    (b)  Whenever  the  Department determines that a reported
incident of child abuse or neglect from a  mandated  reporter
is "unfounded", the mandated reporter may request a review of
the  investigation  within 10 days of the notification of the
final  finding.   This  review  will  be  conducted  by   the
committee.   The  Department  shall  make  available  to  the
committee  all  information  in  the  Department's possession
concerning   the   case.    The    committee    shall    make
recommendations  to  the Department as to the adequacy of the
investigation and  of  the  accuracy  of  the  final  finding
determination.   These  findings  shall  be  forwarded to the
Regional Child Protection Manager.
    (c)  The Department shall  provide  complete  records  of
these  investigations  to the committee.  Records provided to
the committee and recommendation  reports  generated  by  the
committee shall not be public record.
    (d)  The  Department  shall adopt rules to implement this
Section.
(Source: P.A. 89-269, eff. 1-1-96.)

    Section 15.  The Juvenile Court Act of 1987 is amended by
changing Section 2-3 as follows:

    (705 ILCS 405/2-3) (from Ch. 37, par. 802-3)
    Sec. 2-3.  Neglected or abused minor.
    (1)  Those who are neglected include:
         (a)  any minor under 18 years  of  age  who  is  not
    receiving  the  proper or necessary support, education as
    required by  law,  or  medical  or  other  remedial  care
    recognized  under  State  law  as necessary for a minor's
    well-being, or  other  care  necessary  for  his  or  her
    well-being,   including   adequate   food,  clothing  and
    shelter, or who is abandoned by his  or  her  parents  or
    other  person responsible for the minor's welfare, except
    that a minor shall not be considered  neglected  for  the
    sole  reason  that  the  minor's  parent  or other person
    responsible for the minor's welfare has left the minor in
    the care of an adult relative for any period of time; or
         (b)  any  minor  under  18  years   of   age   whose
    environment is injurious to his or her welfare; or
         (c)  any  newborn  infant  whose blood, or urine, or
    meconium contains any amount of a controlled substance as
    defined in subsection (f) of Section 102 of the  Illinois
    Controlled  Substances  Act, as now or hereafter amended,
    or a metabolite  of  a  controlled  substance,  with  the
    exception of controlled substances or metabolites of such
    substances,  the  presence of which in the newborn infant
    is the result of medical treatment  administered  to  the
    mother or the newborn infant; or
         (d)  any  minor  under  the  age  of  14 years whose
    parent  or  other  person  responsible  for  the  minor's
    welfare leaves  the  minor  without  supervision  for  an
    unreasonable period of time without regard for the mental
    or physical health, safety, or welfare of that minor.
    Whether  the minor was left without regard for the mental
or physical health, safety, or welfare of that minor  or  the
period  of  time  was  unreasonable  shall  be  determined by
considering the following factors, including but not  limited
to:
         (1)  the age of the minor;
         (2)  the number of minors left at the location;
         (3)  special  needs  of the minor, including whether
    the minor  is  physically  or  mentally  handicapped,  or
    otherwise in need of ongoing prescribed medical treatment
    such as periodic doses of insulin or other medications;
         (4)  the  duration  of  time  in which the minor was
    left without supervision;
         (5)  the condition and location of the  place  where
    the minor was left without supervision;
         (6)  the  time  of  day  or night when the minor was
    left without supervision;
         (7)  the weather conditions, including  whether  the
    minor  was  left  in  a location with adequate protection
    from the natural elements such as adequate heat or light;
         (8)  the location of the parent or guardian  at  the
    time the minor was left without supervision, the physical
    distance the minor was from the parent or guardian at the
    time the minor was without supervision;
         (9)  whether the minor's movement was restricted, or
    the  minor  was  otherwise  locked within a room or other
    structure;
         (10)  whether the minor was given a phone number  of
    a person or location to call in the event of an emergency
    and  whether the minor was capable of making an emergency
    call;
         (11)  whether there was  food  and  other  provision
    left for the minor;
         (12)  whether  any of the conduct is attributable to
    economic hardship or illness and the parent, guardian  or
    other  person  having  physical custody or control of the
    child made a good faith effort to provide for the  health
    and safety of the minor;
         (13)  the  age  and physical and mental capabilities
    of the person or persons who provided supervision for the
    minor;
         (14)  whether  the  minor   was   left   under   the
    supervision of another person;
         (15)  any  other  factor  that  would  endanger  the
    health and safety of that particular minor.
    (2)  Those  who  are  abused  include  any minor under 18
years of age whose parent or immediate family member, or  any
person responsible for the minor's welfare, or any person who
is  in  the  same  family  or  household as the minor, or any
individual residing in the same  home  as  the  minor,  or  a
paramour of the minor's parent:
              (i)  inflicts,   causes  to  be  inflicted,  or
         allows to be  inflicted  upon  such  minor  physical
         injury, by other than accidental means, which causes
         death,  disfigurement,  impairment  of  physical  or
         emotional  health,  or  loss  or  impairment  of any
         bodily function;
              (ii)  creates a substantial  risk  of  physical
         injury  to such minor by other than accidental means
         which would be likely to cause death, disfigurement,
         impairment  of  emotional   health,   or   loss   or
         impairment of any bodily function;
              (iii)  commits  or  allows  to be committed any
         sex offense against such minor, as such sex offenses
         are  defined  in  the  Criminal  Code  of  1961,  as
         amended, and  extending  those  definitions  of  sex
         offenses to include minors under 18 years of age;
              (iv)  commits  or allows to be committed an act
         or acts of torture upon such minor; or
              (v)  inflicts excessive corporal punishment.
    (3)  This Section does not apply to a minor who would  be
included  herein  solely  for  the  purpose of qualifying for
financial assistance for himself, his  parents,  guardian  or
custodian.
(Source:  P.A.  88-85;  88-479;  88-670, eff. 12-2-94; 89-21,
eff. 7-1-95.)

    Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
becoming law.

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