New Illinois Laws 2016: CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

More than 200 new Illinois laws scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1. Here are the new laws governing Children and Families:

• Adoption Registry-Grandparents (HB 3967/PA 99-0345): Amends the Adoption Act to give birth grandparents access to the Adoption Registry and a confidential intermediary.
• Breastfeeding Airport Accommodations (SB 344/PA 99-0228): Requires airports that have more than 1,000,000 enplanements a year to provide a location, by Jan. 1, 2017, at each terminal behind the security screening area for women to express breast milk in private. The location must include a chair and an electrical outlet and be outside the confines of a public restroom. Requires smaller airports that have fewer than 1,000,000 enplanements a year to comply with this requirement upon new terminal construction, expansion or renovation. Upon construction of a new terminal, expansion or renovation, the airport must provide a sink in any room designated for nursing mothers.
• Child Welfare Agencies (SB 13/PA 99-0346): Changes the duties and membership of the current Children and Family Services Advisory Council to improve monitoring standards for DCFS-licensed childcare facilities and review calls and reports of abuse/neglect investigations.
• Conversion Therapy (HB 217/PA 99-0411): Prohibits mental health providers from engaging in sexual orientation change efforts with a person younger than age 18. Prohibits advertising that represents homosexuality as a mental disease, disorder or illness, and provides that violation is an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Codifies that a provider who engages in sexual orientation efforts may be subject to discipline by the licensing entity or disciplinary review board with competent jurisdiction.
• DCFS Notification (HB 2543/PA 99-0340): Provides that when DCFS first assumes custody of a child, in placing that child, the Department shall make reasonable efforts to identify, locate, and provide notice to all adult grandparents and other adult relatives of the child.
• Family Law Re-Write (SB 57/PA 99-0090): Technical clean-up of language. Re-writes access to school and medical records section to prohibit parent who is denied parenting time from having access to records. Includes all sources of both private and public income when considering eligibility for maintenance awards.
• Foster Children’s Bill of Rights (HB 3684/PA 99-0344): Provides that children in the care of DCFS who is placed in foster care have certain rights.
• Parentage Act of 2015 (HB 1531/PA 99-0085): Comprehensive re-write of Illinois parentage law. The Illinois Parentage Act of 2015 is created to guide establishment of a parent-child relationship, to authorize genetic testing, to establish procedures regarding parentage of a child of assisted reproduction, and to provide for establishment of child support obligations. The Illinois Parentage Act and the Illinois Parentage Act of 1984 are repealed.
• Uniform Interstate Family Support Act Updates (HB 3512/PA 99-0119): Updates the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act in accordance with the 2008 amendments recommended by the Uniform Law Commission.
• Youth Shelters (HB 1530/PA 99-0339): Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to implement additional protocols for its temporary residential shelters.

Check Out More New Illinois Laws in 2016

Review ALL 237 new laws that take effect on Jan. 1:

• AGRICULTURE, ANIMALS AND HUNTING

• BUSINESS, COMMERCE, LABOR AND REGULATION

• CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

• CONSUMERS

• CRIME, COURTS, CORRECTIONS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT

• SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION

• ENERGY, UTILITIES, ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION

• ETHICS, TRANSPARENCY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

• TRANSPORTATION AND VEHICLE REGULATION