Amends the Children's Advocacy Center Act. Provides that Multidisciplinary Team members shall work together, share information, and maintain confidentiality throughout the investigative process. Provides that Multidisciplinary Team members shall coordinate, communicate, and keep nonoffending parents, caregivers, and their families aware of the status of child abuse investigations. Provides that Children's Advocacy Centers shall be (rather than may be) established to coordinate the activities of the various agencies involved in the investigation, prosecution, and treatment of child maltreatment. Provides that every Child Advocacy Center shall include a multidisciplinary systems approach that includes all Multidisciplinary Team members as equal partners in the investigation of child maltreatment. Provides that an investigation into child maltreatment shall include a comprehensive interagency notification procedure for all Multidisciplinary Team partners. Amends the Privacy of Child Victims of Criminal Sexual Offenses Act. Provides that a multidisciplinary team member shall not reveal the identity of any child who is the victim of a criminal sexual offense or is allegedly the victim of a criminal sexual offense in a criminal proceeding or a related investigation, unless permitted by a court order. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that certain exceptions to the hearsay rule shall apply to prosecutions for physical or sexual acts perpetrated upon or against a child or youth who is a victim of trafficking in persons, involuntary servitude, and related offenses. Amends the Bill of Rights for Children. Provides that every child reported to the Department of Children and Family Services to be a victim of a physical act, trafficking in person, involuntary servitude, and related offenses has the right to a forensic interview. Provides that notice of this right must be given by investigative personnel. Amends the Bill of Rights for children. Provides that every child reported to the Department of Children and Family services to be a victim of a physical act, trafficking in persons, involuntary servitude, and related offenses has the right to a forensic interview. Provides that notice of this right must be given by investigation personnel. Makes other changes.
Senate Floor Amendment No. 2: Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. In provisions amending the Children's Advocacy Center Act, provides that MDT members shall access and share relevant information related to an investigation to the extent authorized by applicable state and federal privacy and confidentiality laws, so that professionals involved in the investigation can coordinate effectively, ensure the safety and well-being of the child, and support a thorough and informed investigation while protecting sensitive information (rather than work together, share information, and maintain confidentiality throughout the investigative process.) Further provides that Children's Advocacy Centers shall have a multidisciplinary, coordinated systems approach to investigation of child maltreatment. Provides that this approach shall include policy on multidisciplinary team collaboration and communication that requires coordination among applicable MDT members and establishes procedures for the exchange of information pertinent to investigation and the safety of the child to the extent permitted under applicable state and federal privacy and confidentiality laws, through secure and confidential methods. Further provides that the policy shall require that MDT members have access to, and share, relevant information related to an investigation to the extent authorized by applicable state and federal privacy and confidentiality laws, to facilitate MDT coordination, support the investigative responsibilities of the agencies with statutory authority, promote the safety and well-being of the child, and support a thorough and informed investigation while protecting sensitive information. Further provides that the multidisciplinary, coordinated systems approach to the investigation of child maltreatment shall require that MDT members have access to, and share, relevant information related to an investigation to the extent authorized by applicable state and federal privacy and confidentiality laws and provide for that participation of appropriate MDT members, as relevant to the circumstances of the case. In provisions amending the Bill of Rights for Children, provides that the agency with statutory investigative authority shall notify a child and any parent or guardian of the right to request a forensic interview through the Children's Advocacy Center, subject to acceptance of the referral by the CAC, and that such right may be asserted by the child or the child's parent or guardian with the child's assent. Removes provisions amending the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. In provisions amending the Criminal Code of 2012, provides that a second or subsequent violation of provisions prohibiting endangering the life or safety of a child or a statute of any other state of an offense that is substantially equivalent to the offense of endangering the life or health of a child, is a Class 3 felony. In provisions amending the Bill of Rights for Children, makes changes to provisions concerning forensic interviews with children's advocacy centers.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 55 ILCS 80/2, 55 ILCS 80/4, 725 ILCS 5/115, 725 ILCS 115/3, 725 ILCS 190/3