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1 AN ACT concerning State government.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 1. The Illinois Police Training Act is amended by
5changing Section 7 as follows:
6 (50 ILCS 705/7) (from Ch. 85, par. 507)
7 Sec. 7. Rules and standards for schools. The Board shall
8adopt rules and minimum standards for such schools which shall
9include, but not be limited to, the following:
10 a. The curriculum for probationary police officers
11 which shall be offered by all certified schools shall
12 include, but not be limited to, courses of procedural
13 justice, arrest and use and control tactics, search and
14 seizure, including temporary questioning, civil rights,
15 human rights, human relations, cultural competency,
16 including implicit bias and racial and ethnic sensitivity,
17 criminal law, law of criminal procedure, constitutional
18 and proper use of law enforcement authority, vehicle and
19 traffic law including uniform and non-discriminatory
20 enforcement of the Illinois Vehicle Code, traffic control
21 and accident investigation, techniques of obtaining
22 physical evidence, court testimonies, statements, reports,
23 firearms training, training in the use of electronic

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1 control devices, including the psychological and
2 physiological effects of the use of those devices on
3 humans, first-aid (including cardiopulmonary
4 resuscitation), training in the administration of opioid
5 antagonists as defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (e)
6 of Section 5-23 of the Substance Use Disorder Act, handling
7 of juvenile offenders, recognition of mental conditions
8 and crises, including, but not limited to, the disease of
9 addiction, which require immediate assistance and response
10 and methods to safeguard and provide assistance to a person
11 in need of mental treatment, recognition of abuse, neglect,
12 financial exploitation, and self-neglect of adults with
13 disabilities and older adults, as defined in Section 2 of
14 the Adult Protective Services Act, crimes against the
15 elderly, law of evidence, the hazards of high-speed police
16 vehicle chases with an emphasis on alternatives to the
17 high-speed chase, and physical training. The curriculum
18 shall include specific training in techniques for
19 immediate response to and investigation of cases of
20 domestic violence and of sexual assault of adults and
21 children, including cultural perceptions and common myths
22 of sexual assault and sexual abuse as well as interview
23 techniques that are age sensitive and are trauma informed,
24 victim centered, and victim sensitive. The curriculum
25 shall include training in techniques designed to promote
26 effective communication at the initial contact with crime

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1 victims and ways to comprehensively explain to victims and
2 witnesses their rights under the Rights of Crime Victims
3 and Witnesses Act and the Crime Victims Compensation Act.
4 The curriculum shall also include training in effective
5 recognition of and responses to stress, trauma, and
6 post-traumatic stress experienced by police officers. The
7 curriculum shall include a block of instruction addressing
8 the mandatory reporting requirements under the Abused and
9 Neglected Child Reporting Act. The curriculum shall also
10 include a block of instruction aimed at identifying and
11 interacting with persons with autism and other
12 developmental or physical disabilities, reducing barriers
13 to reporting crimes against persons with autism, and
14 addressing the unique challenges presented by cases
15 involving victims or witnesses with autism and other
16 developmental disabilities. The curriculum for permanent
17 police officers shall include, but not be limited to: (1)
18 refresher and in-service training in any of the courses
19 listed above in this subparagraph, (2) advanced courses in
20 any of the subjects listed above in this subparagraph, (3)
21 training for supervisory personnel, and (4) specialized
22 training in subjects and fields to be selected by the
23 board. The training in the use of electronic control
24 devices shall be conducted for probationary police
25 officers, including University police officers.
26 b. Minimum courses of study, attendance requirements

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1 and equipment requirements.
2 c. Minimum requirements for instructors.
3 d. Minimum basic training requirements, which a
4 probationary police officer must satisfactorily complete
5 before being eligible for permanent employment as a local
6 law enforcement officer for a participating local
7 governmental agency. Those requirements shall include
8 training in first aid (including cardiopulmonary
9 resuscitation).
10 e. Minimum basic training requirements, which a
11 probationary county corrections officer must
12 satisfactorily complete before being eligible for
13 permanent employment as a county corrections officer for a
14 participating local governmental agency.
15 f. Minimum basic training requirements which a
16 probationary court security officer must satisfactorily
17 complete before being eligible for permanent employment as
18 a court security officer for a participating local
19 governmental agency. The Board shall establish those
20 training requirements which it considers appropriate for
21 court security officers and shall certify schools to
22 conduct that training.
23 A person hired to serve as a court security officer
24 must obtain from the Board a certificate (i) attesting to
25 his or her successful completion of the training course;
26 (ii) attesting to his or her satisfactory completion of a

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1 training program of similar content and number of hours
2 that has been found acceptable by the Board under the
3 provisions of this Act; or (iii) attesting to the Board's
4 determination that the training course is unnecessary
5 because of the person's extensive prior law enforcement
6 experience.
7 Individuals who currently serve as court security
8 officers shall be deemed qualified to continue to serve in
9 that capacity so long as they are certified as provided by
10 this Act within 24 months of June 1, 1997 (the effective
11 date of Public Act 89-685). Failure to be so certified,
12 absent a waiver from the Board, shall cause the officer to
13 forfeit his or her position.
14 All individuals hired as court security officers on or
15 after June 1, 1997 (the effective date of Public Act
16 89-685) shall be certified within 12 months of the date of
17 their hire, unless a waiver has been obtained by the Board,
18 or they shall forfeit their positions.
19 The Sheriff's Merit Commission, if one exists, or the
20 Sheriff's Office if there is no Sheriff's Merit Commission,
21 shall maintain a list of all individuals who have filed
22 applications to become court security officers and who meet
23 the eligibility requirements established under this Act.
24 Either the Sheriff's Merit Commission, or the Sheriff's
25 Office if no Sheriff's Merit Commission exists, shall
26 establish a schedule of reasonable intervals for

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1 verification of the applicants' qualifications under this
2 Act and as established by the Board.
3 g. Minimum in-service training requirements, which a
4 police officer must satisfactorily complete every 3 years.
5 Those requirements shall include constitutional and proper
6 use of law enforcement authority, procedural justice,
7 civil rights, human rights, mental health awareness and
8 response, reporting child abuse and neglect, and cultural
9 competency.
10 h. Minimum in-service training requirements, which a
11 police officer must satisfactorily complete at least
12 annually. Those requirements shall include law updates and
13 use of force training which shall include scenario based
14 training, or similar training approved by the Board.
15(Source: P.A. 99-352, eff. 1-1-16; 99-480, eff. 9-9-15; 99-642,
16eff. 7-28-16; 99-801, eff. 1-1-17; 100-121, eff. 1-1-18;
17100-247, eff. 1-1-18; 100-759, eff. 1-1-19; 100-863, eff.
188-14-18; 100-910, eff. 1-1-19; revised 9-28-19.)
19 Section 5. The Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act is
20amended by changing Sections 4 and 11.5 as follows:
21 (325 ILCS 5/4)
22 Sec. 4. Persons required to report; privileged
23communications; transmitting false report.
24 (a) The following persons are required to immediately

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1report to the Department when they have reasonable cause to
2believe that a child known to them in their professional or
3official capacities may be an abused child or a neglected
4child:
5 (1) Medical personnel, including any: physician
6 licensed to practice medicine in any of its branches
7 (medical doctor or doctor of osteopathy); resident;
8 intern; medical administrator or personnel engaged in the
9 examination, care, and treatment of persons; psychiatrist;
10 surgeon; dentist; dental hygienist; chiropractic
11 physician; podiatric physician; physician assistant;
12 emergency medical technician; acupuncturist; registered
13 nurse; licensed practical nurse; advanced practice
14 registered nurse; genetic counselor; respiratory care
15 practitioner; home health aide; or certified nursing
16 assistant.
17 (2) Social services and mental health personnel,
18 including any: licensed professional counselor; licensed
19 clinical professional counselor; licensed social worker;
20 licensed clinical social worker; licensed psychologist or
21 assistant working under the direct supervision of a
22 psychologist; associate licensed marriage and family
23 therapist; licensed marriage and family therapist; field
24 personnel of the Departments of Healthcare and Family
25 Services, Public Health, Human Services, Human Rights, or
26 Children and Family Services; supervisor or administrator

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1 of the General Assistance program established under
2 Article VI of the Illinois Public Aid Code; social services
3 administrator; or substance abuse treatment personnel.
4 (3) Crisis intervention personnel, including any:
5 crisis line or hotline personnel; or domestic violence
6 program personnel.
7 (4) Education personnel, including any: school
8 personnel (including administrators and certified and
9 non-certified school employees); personnel of institutions
10 of higher education; educational advocate assigned to a
11 child in accordance with the School Code; member of a
12 school board or the Chicago Board of Education or the
13 governing body of a private school (but only to the extent
14 required under subsection (d)); or truant officer.
15 (5) Recreation or athletic program or facility
16 personnel.
17 (6) Child care personnel, including any: early
18 intervention provider as defined in the Early Intervention
19 Services System Act; director or staff assistant of a
20 nursery school or a child day care center; or foster
21 parent, homemaker, or child care worker.
22 (7) Law enforcement personnel, including any: law
23 enforcement officer; field personnel of the Department of
24 Juvenile Justice; field personnel of the Department of
25 Corrections; probation officer; or animal control officer
26 or field investigator of the Department of Agriculture's

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1 Bureau of Animal Health and Welfare.
2 (8) Any funeral home director; funeral home director
3 and embalmer; funeral home employee; coroner; or medical
4 examiner.
5 (9) Any member of the clergy.
6 (10) Any physician, physician assistant, registered
7 nurse, licensed practical nurse, medical technician,
8 certified nursing assistant, licensed social worker,
9 licensed clinical social worker, or licensed professional
10 counselor of any office, clinic, or any other physical
11 location that provides abortions, abortion referrals, or
12 contraceptives.
13 (b) When 2 or more persons who work within the same
14workplace and are required to report under this Act share a
15reasonable cause to believe that a child may be an abused or
16neglected child, one of those reporters may be designated to
17make a single report. The report shall include the names and
18contact information for the other mandated reporters sharing
19the reasonable cause to believe that a child may be an abused
20or neglected child. The designated reporter must provide
21written confirmation of the report to those mandated reporters
22within 48 hours. If confirmation is not provided, those
23mandated reporters are individually responsible for
24immediately ensuring a report is made. Nothing in this Section
25precludes or may be used to preclude any person from reporting
26child abuse or child neglect.

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1 (c)(1) As used in this Section, "a child known to them in
2their professional or official capacities" means:
3 (A) the mandated reporter comes into contact with the
4 child in the course of the reporter's employment or
5 practice of a profession, or through a regularly scheduled
6 program, activity, or service;
7 (B) the mandated reporter is affiliated with an agency,
8 institution, organization, school, school district,
9 regularly established church or religious organization, or
10 other entity that is directly responsible for the care,
11 supervision, guidance, or training of the child; or
12 (C) a person makes a specific disclosure to the
13 mandated reporter that an identifiable child is the victim
14 of child abuse or child neglect, and the disclosure happens
15 while the mandated reporter is engaged in his or her
16 employment or practice of a profession, or in a regularly
17 scheduled program, activity, or service.
18 (2) Nothing in this Section requires a child to come before
19the mandated reporter in order for the reporter to make a
20report of suspected child abuse or child neglect.
21Any physician, resident, intern, hospital, hospital
22administrator and personnel engaged in examination, care and
23treatment of persons, surgeon, dentist, dentist hygienist,
24osteopath, chiropractor, podiatric physician, physician
25assistant, substance abuse treatment personnel, funeral home
26director or employee, coroner, medical examiner, emergency

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1medical technician, acupuncturist, crisis line or hotline
2personnel, school personnel (including administrators and both
3certified and non-certified school employees), personnel of
4institutions of higher education, educational advocate
5assigned to a child pursuant to the School Code, member of a
6school board or the Chicago Board of Education or the governing
7body of a private school (but only to the extent required in
8accordance with other provisions of this Section expressly
9concerning the duty of school board members to report suspected
10child abuse), truant officers, social worker, social services
11administrator, domestic violence program personnel, registered
12nurse, licensed practical nurse, genetic counselor,
13respiratory care practitioner, advanced practice registered
14nurse, home health aide, director or staff assistant of a
15nursery school or a child day care center, recreational or
16athletic program or facility personnel, early intervention
17provider as defined in the Early Intervention Services System
18Act, law enforcement officer, licensed professional counselor,
19licensed clinical professional counselor, registered
20psychologist and assistants working under the direct
21supervision of a psychologist, psychiatrist, or field
22personnel of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services,
23Juvenile Justice, Public Health, Human Services (acting as
24successor to the Department of Mental Health and Developmental
25Disabilities, Rehabilitation Services, or Public Aid),
26Corrections, Human Rights, or Children and Family Services,

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1supervisor and administrator of general assistance under the
2Illinois Public Aid Code, probation officer, animal control
3officer or Illinois Department of Agriculture Bureau of Animal
4Health and Welfare field investigator, or any other foster
5parent, homemaker or child care worker having reasonable cause
6to believe a child known to them in their professional or
7official capacity may be an abused child or a neglected child
8shall immediately report or cause a report to be made to the
9Department.
10 Any member of the clergy having reasonable cause to believe
11that a child known to that member of the clergy in his or her
12professional capacity may be an abused child as defined in item
13(c) of the definition of "abused child" in Section 3 of this
14Act shall immediately report or cause a report to be made to
15the Department.
16 Any physician, physician's assistant, registered nurse,
17licensed practical nurse, medical technician, certified
18nursing assistant, social worker, or licensed professional
19counselor of any office, clinic, or any other physical location
20that provides abortions, abortion referrals, or contraceptives
21having reasonable cause to believe a child known to him or her
22in his or her professional or official capacity may be an
23abused child or a neglected child shall immediately report or
24cause a report to be made to the Department.
25 (d) If an allegation is raised to a school board member
26during the course of an open or closed school board meeting

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1that a child who is enrolled in the school district of which he
2or she is a board member is an abused child as defined in
3Section 3 of this Act, the member shall direct or cause the
4school board to direct the superintendent of the school
5district or other equivalent school administrator to comply
6with the requirements of this Act concerning the reporting of
7child abuse. For purposes of this paragraph, a school board
8member is granted the authority in his or her individual
9capacity to direct the superintendent of the school district or
10other equivalent school administrator to comply with the
11requirements of this Act concerning the reporting of child
12abuse.
13 Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, if an
14employee of a school district has made a report or caused a
15report to be made to the Department under this Act involving
16the conduct of a current or former employee of the school
17district and a request is made by another school district for
18the provision of information concerning the job performance or
19qualifications of the current or former employee because he or
20she is an applicant for employment with the requesting school
21district, the general superintendent of the school district to
22which the request is being made must disclose to the requesting
23school district the fact that an employee of the school
24district has made a report involving the conduct of the
25applicant or caused a report to be made to the Department, as
26required under this Act. Only the fact that an employee of the

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1school district has made a report involving the conduct of the
2applicant or caused a report to be made to the Department may
3be disclosed by the general superintendent of the school
4district to which the request for information concerning the
5applicant is made, and this fact may be disclosed only in cases
6where the employee and the general superintendent have not been
7informed by the Department that the allegations were unfounded.
8An employee of a school district who is or has been the subject
9of a report made pursuant to this Act during his or her
10employment with the school district must be informed by that
11school district that if he or she applies for employment with
12another school district, the general superintendent of the
13former school district, upon the request of the school district
14to which the employee applies, shall notify that requesting
15school district that the employee is or was the subject of such
16a report.
17 (e) Whenever such person is required to report under this
18Act in his capacity as a member of the staff of a medical or
19other public or private institution, school, facility or
20agency, or as a member of the clergy, he shall make report
21immediately to the Department in accordance with the provisions
22of this Act and may also notify the person in charge of such
23institution, school, facility or agency, or church, synagogue,
24temple, mosque, or other religious institution, or his
25designated agent that such report has been made. Under no
26circumstances shall any person in charge of such institution,

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1school, facility or agency, or church, synagogue, temple,
2mosque, or other religious institution, or his designated agent
3to whom such notification has been made, exercise any control,
4restraint, modification or other change in the report or the
5forwarding of such report to the Department.
6 (f) In addition to the persons required to report suspected
7cases of child abuse or child neglect under this Section, any
8other person may make a report if such person has reasonable
9cause to believe a child may be an abused child or a neglected
10child.
11 (g) The privileged quality of communication between any
12professional person required to report and his patient or
13client shall not apply to situations involving abused or
14neglected children and shall not constitute grounds for failure
15to report as required by this Act or constitute grounds for
16failure to share information or documents with the Department
17during the course of a child abuse or neglect investigation. If
18requested by the professional, the Department shall confirm in
19writing that the information or documents disclosed by the
20professional were gathered in the course of a child abuse or
21neglect investigation.
22 The reporting requirements of this Act shall not apply to
23the contents of a privileged communication between an attorney
24and his or her client or to confidential information within the
25meaning of Rule 1.6 of the Illinois Rules of Professional
26Conduct relating to the legal representation of an individual

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1client.
2 A member of the clergy may claim the privilege under
3Section 8-803 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
4 (h) Any office, clinic, or any other physical location that
5provides abortions, abortion referrals, or contraceptives
6shall provide to all office personnel copies of written
7information and training materials about abuse and neglect and
8the requirements of this Act that are provided to employees of
9the office, clinic, or physical location who are required to
10make reports to the Department under this Act, and instruct
11such office personnel to bring to the attention of an employee
12of the office, clinic, or physical location who is required to
13make reports to the Department under this Act any reasonable
14suspicion that a child known to him or her in his or her
15professional or official capacity may be an abused child or a
16neglected child. In addition to the above persons required to
17report suspected cases of abused or neglected children, any
18other person may make a report if such person has reasonable
19cause to believe a child may be an abused child or a neglected
20child.
21 (i) Any person who enters into employment on and after July
221, 1986 and is mandated by virtue of that employment to report
23under this Act, shall sign a statement on a form prescribed by
24the Department, to the effect that the employee has knowledge
25and understanding of the reporting requirements of this Act. On
26and after January 1, 2019, the statement shall also include

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1information about available mandated reporter training
2provided by the Department. The statement shall be signed prior
3to commencement of the employment. The signed statement shall
4be retained by the employer. The cost of printing,
5distribution, and filing of the statement shall be borne by the
6employer.
7 (j) Persons Within one year of initial employment and at
8least every 5 years thereafter, school personnel required to
9report child abuse or child neglect as provided under this
10Section must complete an initial mandated reporter training
11within 3 months of their date of engagement in a professional
12or official capacity as a mandated reporter, or within the time
13frame of any other applicable State law that governs training
14requirements for a specific profession, and at least every 3
15years thereafter. The initial requirement only applies to the
16first time they engage in their professional or official
17capacity. In lieu of training every 3 years, medical personnel,
18as listed in paragraph (1) of subsection (a), must meet the
19requirements described in subsection (k).
20 The trainings shall be in-person or web-based, and shall
21include, at a minimum, information on the following topics: (i)
22indicators for recognizing child abuse and child neglect, as
23defined under this Act; (ii) the process for reporting
24suspected child abuse and child neglect in Illinois as required
25by this Act and the required documentation; (iii) responding to
26a child in a trauma-informed manner; and (iv) understanding the

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1response of child protective services and the role of the
2reporter after a call has been made. Child-serving
3organizations are encouraged to provide in-person annual
4trainings.
5 The mandated reporter training shall be provided through
6the Department, through an entity authorized to provide
7continuing education for professionals licensed through the
8Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the State
9Board of Education, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training
10Standards Board, or the Department of State Police, or through
11an organization approved by the Department to provide mandated
12reporter training. The Department must make available a free
13web-based training for reporters.
14 Each mandated reporter shall report to his or her employer
15and, when applicable, to his or her licensing or certification
16board that he or she received the mandated reporter training.
17The mandated reporter shall maintain records of completion.
18 Beginning January 1, 2021, if a mandated reporter receives
19licensure from the Department of Financial and Professional
20Regulation or the State Board of Education, and his or her
21profession has continuing education requirements, the training
22mandated under this Section shall count toward meeting the
23licensee's required continuing education hours.
24by a provider or agency with expertise in recognizing and
25reporting child abuse.
26 (k)(1) Medical personnel, as listed in paragraph (1) of

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1subsection (a), who work with children in their professional or
2official capacity, must complete mandated reporter training at
3least every 6 years. Such medical personnel, if licensed, must
4attest at each time of licensure renewal on their renewal form
5that they understand they are a mandated reporter of child
6abuse and neglect, that they are aware of the process for
7making a report, that they know how to respond to a child in a
8trauma-informed manner, and that they are aware of the role of
9child protective services and the role of a reporter after a
10call has been made.
11 (2) In lieu of repeated training, medical personnel, as
12listed in paragraph (1) of subsection (a), who do not work with
13children in their professional or official capacity, may
14instead attest each time at licensure renewal on their renewal
15form that they understand they are a mandated reporter of child
16abuse and neglect, that they are aware of the process for
17making a report, that they know how to respond to a child in a
18trauma-informed manner, and that they are aware of the role of
19child protective services and the role of a reporter after a
20call has been made. Nothing in this paragraph precludes medical
21personnel from completing mandated reporter training and
22receiving continuing education credits for that training.
23 (l) The Department shall provide copies of this Act, upon
24request, to all employers employing persons who shall be
25required under the provisions of this Section to report under
26this Act.

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1 (m) Any person who knowingly transmits a false report to
2the Department commits the offense of disorderly conduct under
3subsection (a)(7) of Section 26-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012.
4A violation of this provision is a Class 4 felony.
5 Any person who knowingly and willfully violates any
6provision of this Section other than a second or subsequent
7violation of transmitting a false report as described in the
8preceding paragraph, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor for a
9first violation and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent
10violation; except that if the person acted as part of a plan or
11scheme having as its object the prevention of discovery of an
12abused or neglected child by lawful authorities for the purpose
13of protecting or insulating any person or entity from arrest or
14prosecution, the person is guilty of a Class 4 felony for a
15first offense and a Class 3 felony for a second or subsequent
16offense (regardless of whether the second or subsequent offense
17involves any of the same facts or persons as the first or other
18prior offense).
19 (n) A child whose parent, guardian or custodian in good
20faith selects and depends upon spiritual means through prayer
21alone for the treatment or cure of disease or remedial care may
22be considered neglected or abused, but not for the sole reason
23that his parent, guardian or custodian accepts and practices
24such beliefs.
25 (o) A child shall not be considered neglected or abused
26solely because the child is not attending school in accordance

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1with the requirements of Article 26 of the School Code, as
2amended.
3 (p) Nothing in this Act prohibits a mandated reporter who
4reasonably believes that an animal is being abused or neglected
5in violation of the Humane Care for Animals Act from reporting
6animal abuse or neglect to the Department of Agriculture's
7Bureau of Animal Health and Welfare.
8 (q) A home rule unit may not regulate the reporting of
9child abuse or neglect in a manner inconsistent with the
10provisions of this Section. This Section is a limitation under
11subsection (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois
12Constitution on the concurrent exercise by home rule units of
13powers and functions exercised by the State.
14 (r) For purposes of this Section "child abuse or neglect"
15includes abuse or neglect of an adult resident as defined in
16this Act.
17(Source: P.A. 100-513, eff. 1-1-18; 100-1071, eff. 1-1-19.)
18 (325 ILCS 5/11.5) (from Ch. 23, par. 2061.5)
19 Sec. 11.5. Public awareness program.
20 (a) No later than 6 months after the effective date of this
21amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, the Department of
22Children and Family Services shall develop culturally
23sensitive materials on child abuse and child neglect, the
24statewide toll-free telephone number established under Section
257.6, and the process for reporting any reasonable suspicion of

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1child abuse or child neglect.
2 The Department shall reach out to businesses and
3organizations to seek assistance in raising awareness about
4child abuse and child neglect and the statewide toll-free
5telephone number established under Section 7.6, including
6posting notices. The Department shall make a model notice
7available for download on the Department's website. The model
8notice shall:
9 (1) be available in English, Spanish, and the 2 other
10 languages most widely spoken in the State;
11 (2) be at least 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches in size and
12 written in a 16-point font;
13 (3) include the following statement:
14 "Protecting children is a responsibility we all
15 share. It is important for every person to take child
16 abuse and child neglect seriously, to be able to
17 recognize when it happens, and to know what to do next.
18 If you have reason to believe a child you know is being
19 abused or neglected, call the State's child abuse
20 hotline; and
21 (4) include the statewide toll-free telephone number
22 established under Section 7.6, and the Department's
23 website address where more information about child abuse
24 and child neglect is available.
25 (b) Within the appropriation available, the Department
26shall conduct a continuing education and training program for

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1State and local staff, persons and officials required to
2report, the general public, and other persons engaged in or
3intending to engage in the prevention, identification, and
4treatment of child abuse and neglect. The program shall be
5designed to encourage the fullest degree of reporting of known
6and suspected child abuse and neglect, and to improve
7communication, cooperation, and coordination among all
8agencies in the identification, prevention, and treatment of
9child abuse and neglect. The program shall inform the general
10public and professionals of the nature and extent of child
11abuse and neglect and their responsibilities, obligations,
12powers and immunity from liability under this Act. It may
13include information on the diagnosis of child abuse and neglect
14and the roles and procedures of the Child Protective Service
15Unit, the Department and central register, the courts and of
16the protective, treatment, and ameliorative services available
17to children and their families. Such information may also
18include special needs of mothers at risk of delivering a child
19whose life or development may be threatened by a disabling
20condition, to ensure informed consent to treatment of the
21condition and understanding of the unique child care
22responsibilities required for such a child. The program may
23also encourage parents and other persons having responsibility
24for the welfare of children to seek assistance on their own in
25meeting their child care responsibilities and encourage the
26voluntary acceptance of available services when they are

SB1778 Enrolled- 24 -LRB101 09333 KTG 54429 b
1needed. It may also include publicity and dissemination of
2information on the existence and number of the 24 hour,
3State-wide, toll-free telephone service to assist persons
4seeking assistance and to receive reports of known and
5suspected abuse and neglect.
6 (c) Within the appropriation available, the Department
7also shall conduct a continuing education and training program
8for State and local staff involved in investigating reports of
9child abuse or neglect made under this Act. The program shall
10be designed to train such staff in the necessary and
11appropriate procedures to be followed in investigating cases
12which it appears may result in civil or criminal charges being
13filed against a person. Program subjects shall include but not
14be limited to the gathering of evidence with a view toward
15presenting such evidence in court and the involvement of State
16or local law enforcement agencies in the investigation. The
17program shall be conducted in cooperation with State or local
18law enforcement agencies, State's Attorneys and other
19components of the criminal justice system as the Department
20deems appropriate.
21(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)