101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB2786

 

Introduced , by Rep. John M. Cabello

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
325 ILCS 5/7.6  from Ch. 23, par. 2057.6

    Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Permits school-aged children under the age of 18 to use the statewide toll-free telephone number established under the Act to report alleged incidents of bullying or hazing that occur at their school. Provides that children who report an alleged incident of bullying or hazing to the statewide toll-free telephone number may remain anonymous. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to provide callers with information on how to handle an alleged incident of bullying or hazing, which may include a list of available resources developed or provided by other federal or State agencies concerning bullying or hazing prevention. Provides that upon receipt of a child's report of bullying or hazing, the Department shall report the incident as soon as possible to the superintendent of the school district in which the child resides or, if the child attends a non-public school, the administrator of the non-public school. Provides that reports of bullying or hazing made to the statewide toll-free telephone number shall not initiate a child abuse or neglect investigation under the Act. Requires the Department to (i) inform all school districts and non-public schools of the statewide toll-free telephone number and its function to receive reports of bullying or hazing and (ii) post on its website, in a relevant and conspicuous place, information on how a child can report an alleged incident of bullying or hazing to the statewide toll-free telephone number.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning children.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act is
5amended by changing Section 7.6 as follows:
 
6    (325 ILCS 5/7.6)  (from Ch. 23, par. 2057.6)
7    Sec. 7.6.
8    (a) There shall be a single State-wide, toll-free telephone
9number established and maintained by the Department which all
10persons, whether or not mandated by law, may use to report
11suspected child abuse or neglect at any hour of the day or
12night, on any day of the week. Immediately upon receipt of such
13reports, the Department shall transmit the contents of the
14report, either orally or electronically, to the appropriate
15Child Protective Service Unit. Any other person may use the
16State-wide number to obtain assistance or information
17concerning the handling of child abuse and neglect cases.
18    Wherever the Statewide number is posted, there shall also
19be posted the following notice:
20    "Any person who knowingly transmits a false report to the
21Department commits the offense of disorderly conduct under
22subsection (a)(7) of Section 26-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012.
23A violation of this subsection is a Class 4 felony."

 

 

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1    (b) As used in this subsection:
2    "Bullying" has the meaning ascribed to that term in Section
327-23.7 of the School Code.
4    "Hazing" means an act of hazing as described in Section
512C-50 of the Criminal Code of 2012.
6    School-aged children under the age of 18 may use the
7statewide toll-free telephone number established under
8subsection (a) to report alleged incidents of bullying or
9hazing that occur at their school. Children who call the
10statewide toll-free telephone number to report an alleged
11incident of bullying or hazing may remain anonymous. Through
12the statewide toll-free telephone number, the Department shall
13provide callers with information on how to handle an alleged
14incident of bullying or hazing. The information provided may
15include a list of available resources developed or provided by
16other federal or State agencies concerning bullying or hazing
17prevention. Upon receipt of a child's report of bullying or
18hazing, the Department shall report the incident as soon as
19possible to the superintendent of the school district in which
20the child resides or, if the child attends a non-public school,
21the administrator of the non-public school. Reports made to the
22statewide toll-free telephone number concerning an alleged
23incident of bullying or hazing shall not initiate a child abuse
24or neglect investigation under this Act and shall not be
25transmitted to any Child Protective Services Unit.
26    The Department shall inform all school districts and

 

 

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1non-public schools in the State that school-aged children under
2the age of 18 may call the statewide toll-free telephone number
3established under subsection (a) to report alleged incidents of
4bullying or hazing. The Department shall also post on its
5website, in a relevant and conspicuous place, information on
6how a child can report an alleged incident of bullying or
7hazing to the statewide toll-free telephone number.
8(Source: P.A. 97-189, eff. 7-22-11; 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)