98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB4626

 

Introduced , by Rep. Robert F. Martwick

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
705 ILCS 405/2-18  from Ch. 37, par. 802-18

    Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that proof that a minor has a constellation of injuries is prima facie evidence of abuse. Effective immediately.


LRB098 19506 RLC 54681 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4626LRB098 19506 RLC 54681 b

1    AN ACT concerning courts.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Juvenile Court Act of 1987 is amended by
5changing Section 2-18 as follows:
 
6    (705 ILCS 405/2-18)  (from Ch. 37, par. 802-18)
7    Sec. 2-18. Evidence.
8    (1) At the adjudicatory hearing, the court shall first
9consider only the question whether the minor is abused,
10neglected or dependent. The standard of proof and the rules of
11evidence in the nature of civil proceedings in this State are
12applicable to proceedings under this Article. If the petition
13also seeks the appointment of a guardian of the person with
14power to consent to adoption of the minor under Section 2-29,
15the court may also consider legally admissible evidence at the
16adjudicatory hearing that one or more grounds of unfitness
17exists under subdivision D of Section 1 of the Adoption Act.
18    (2) In any hearing under this Act, the following shall
19constitute prima facie evidence of abuse or neglect, as the
20case may be:
21        (a) proof that a minor has a medical diagnosis of
22    battered child syndrome or has a constellation of injuries
23    is prima facie evidence of abuse;

 

 

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1        (b) proof that a minor has a medical diagnosis of
2    failure to thrive syndrome is prima facie evidence of
3    neglect;
4        (c) proof that a minor has a medical diagnosis of fetal
5    alcohol syndrome is prima facie evidence of neglect;
6        (d) proof that a minor has a medical diagnosis at birth
7    of withdrawal symptoms from narcotics or barbiturates is
8    prima facie evidence of neglect;
9        (e) proof of injuries sustained by a minor or of the
10    condition of a minor of such a nature as would ordinarily
11    not be sustained or exist except by reason of the acts or
12    omissions of the parent, custodian or guardian of such
13    minor shall be prima facie evidence of abuse or neglect, as
14    the case may be;
15        (f) proof that a parent, custodian or guardian of a
16    minor repeatedly used a drug, to the extent that it has or
17    would ordinarily have the effect of producing in the user a
18    substantial state of stupor, unconsciousness,
19    intoxication, hallucination, disorientation or
20    incompetence, or a substantial impairment of judgment, or a
21    substantial manifestation of irrationality, shall be prima
22    facie evidence of neglect;
23        (g) proof that a parent, custodian, or guardian of a
24    minor repeatedly used a controlled substance, as defined in
25    subsection (f) of Section 102 of the Illinois Controlled
26    Substances Act, in the presence of the minor or a sibling

 

 

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1    of the minor is prima facie evidence of neglect. "Repeated
2    use", for the purpose of this subsection, means more than
3    one use of a controlled substance as defined in subsection
4    (f) of Section 102 of the Illinois Controlled Substances
5    Act;
6        (h) proof that a newborn infant's blood, urine, or
7    meconium contains any amount of a controlled substance as
8    defined in subsection (f) of Section 102 of the Illinois
9    Controlled Substances Act, or a metabolite of a controlled
10    substance, with the exception of controlled substances or
11    metabolites of those substances, the presence of which is
12    the result of medical treatment administered to the mother
13    or the newborn, is prime facie evidence of neglect;
14        (i) proof that a minor was present in a structure or
15    vehicle in which the minor's parent, custodian, or guardian
16    was involved in the manufacture of methamphetamine
17    constitutes prima facie evidence of abuse and neglect;
18        (j) proof that a parent, custodian, or guardian of a
19    minor allows, encourages, or requires a minor to perform,
20    offer, or agree to perform any act of sexual penetration as
21    defined in Section 11-0.1 of the Criminal Code of 2012 for
22    any money, property, token, object, or article or anything
23    of value, or any touching or fondling of the sex organs of
24    one person by another person, for any money, property,
25    token, object, or article or anything of value, for the
26    purpose of sexual arousal or gratification, constitutes

 

 

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1    prima facie evidence of abuse and neglect;
2        (k) proof that a parent, custodian, or guardian of a
3    minor commits or allows to be committed the offense of
4    involuntary servitude, involuntary sexual servitude of a
5    minor, or trafficking in persons as defined in Section 10-9
6    of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012,
7    upon such minor, constitutes prima facie evidence of abuse
8    and neglect.
9    (3) In any hearing under this Act, proof of the abuse,
10neglect or dependency of one minor shall be admissible evidence
11on the issue of the abuse, neglect or dependency of any other
12minor for whom the respondent is responsible.
13    (4) (a) Any writing, record, photograph or x-ray of any
14hospital or public or private agency, whether in the form of an
15entry in a book or otherwise, made as a memorandum or record of
16any condition, act, transaction, occurrence or event relating
17to a minor in an abuse, neglect or dependency proceeding, shall
18be admissible in evidence as proof of that condition, act,
19transaction, occurrence or event, if the court finds that the
20document was made in the regular course of the business of the
21hospital or agency and that it was in the regular course of
22such business to make it, at the time of the act, transaction,
23occurrence or event, or within a reasonable time thereafter. A
24certification by the head or responsible employee of the
25hospital or agency that the writing, record, photograph or
26x-ray is the full and complete record of the condition, act,

 

 

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1transaction, occurrence or event and that it satisfies the
2conditions of this paragraph shall be prima facie evidence of
3the facts contained in such certification. A certification by
4someone other than the head of the hospital or agency shall be
5accompanied by a photocopy of a delegation of authority signed
6by both the head of the hospital or agency and by such other
7employee. All other circumstances of the making of the
8memorandum, record, photograph or x-ray, including lack of
9personal knowledge of the maker, may be proved to affect the
10weight to be accorded such evidence, but shall not affect its
11admissibility.
12    (b) Any indicated report filed pursuant to the Abused and
13Neglected Child Reporting Act shall be admissible in evidence.
14    (c) Previous statements made by the minor relating to any
15allegations of abuse or neglect shall be admissible in
16evidence. However, no such statement, if uncorroborated and not
17subject to cross-examination, shall be sufficient in itself to
18support a finding of abuse or neglect.
19    (d) There shall be a rebuttable presumption that a minor is
20competent to testify in abuse or neglect proceedings. The court
21shall determine how much weight to give to the minor's
22testimony, and may allow the minor to testify in chambers with
23only the court, the court reporter and attorneys for the
24parties present.
25    (e) The privileged character of communication between any
26professional person and patient or client, except privilege

 

 

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1between attorney and client, shall not apply to proceedings
2subject to this Article.
3    (f) Proof of the impairment of emotional health or
4impairment of mental or emotional condition as a result of the
5failure of the respondent to exercise a minimum degree of care
6toward a minor may include competent opinion or expert
7testimony, and may include proof that such impairment lessened
8during a period when the minor was in the care, custody or
9supervision of a person or agency other than the respondent.
10    (5) In any hearing under this Act alleging neglect for
11failure to provide education as required by law under
12subsection (1) of Section 2-3, proof that a minor under 13
13years of age who is subject to compulsory school attendance
14under the School Code is a chronic truant as defined under the
15School Code shall be prima facie evidence of neglect by the
16parent or guardian in any hearing under this Act and proof that
17a minor who is 13 years of age or older who is subject to
18compulsory school attendance under the School Code is a chronic
19truant shall raise a rebuttable presumption of neglect by the
20parent or guardian. This subsection (5) shall not apply in
21counties with 2,000,000 or more inhabitants.
22    (6) In any hearing under this Act, the court may take
23judicial notice of prior sworn testimony or evidence admitted
24in prior proceedings involving the same minor if (a) the
25parties were either represented by counsel at such prior
26proceedings or the right to counsel was knowingly waived and

 

 

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1(b) the taking of judicial notice would not result in admitting
2hearsay evidence at a hearing where it would otherwise be
3prohibited.
4(Source: P.A. 96-1464, eff. 8-20-10; 97-897, eff. 1-1-13;
597-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)
 
6    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
7becoming law.