Bill Text: IL HB5791 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that a court appointed special advocate or guardian ad litem may be removed by the court from a case upon finding that the court appointed special advocate or guardian ad litem has made a materially false statement under oath.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2019-01-08 - Session Sine Die [HB5791 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2017-HB5791-Introduced.html
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| 1 | AN ACT concerning courts.
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| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| 3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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| 4 | Section 5. The Juvenile Court Act of 1987 is amended by | |||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | changing Section 2-17.1 as follows:
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| 6 | (705 ILCS 405/2-17.1)
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| 7 | Sec. 2-17.1. Court appointed special advocate.
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| 8 | (1) The court may appoint a special advocate
upon the | |||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | filing of a petition under this Article or
at any time during | |||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | the pendency of a proceeding under this Article.
Except in | |||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | counties with a population over 3,000,000, the
court appointed | |||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | special advocate may also serve as guardian ad litem by
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| 13 | appointment of the court under Section 2-17 of this Act.
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| 14 | (2) The court appointed special advocate shall act as a | |||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | monitor and
shall be notified of all
administrative case | |||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | reviews pertaining to the minor and work with the
parties' | |||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | attorneys, the guardian ad litem, and others assigned to the
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| 18 | minor's case to protect the minor's health, safety and best | |||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | interests and
insure the proper
delivery of child welfare | |||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | services.
The court may consider, at its discretion, testimony | |||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | of the court
appointed special advocate pertaining to the | |||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | well-being of the child.
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| 23 | (3) Court appointed special advocates shall serve as | |||||||||||||||||||
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| 1 | volunteers without
compensation and shall receive training | ||||||
| 2 | consistent with nationally developed standards.
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| 3 | (4) No person convicted of a criminal offense as specified
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| 4 | in Section 4.2 of the Child Care Act of 1969 and no person | ||||||
| 5 | identified as a
perpetrator of an act of child abuse or neglect | ||||||
| 6 | as reflected in the
Department of Children and Family Services | ||||||
| 7 | State Central Register shall serve
as a court appointed special | ||||||
| 8 | advocate.
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| 9 | (5) All costs associated with the appointment and duties of | ||||||
| 10 | the court
appointed special advocate shall be paid by the court | ||||||
| 11 | appointed special
advocate or an organization of court | ||||||
| 12 | appointed special advocates.
In no event shall the court | ||||||
| 13 | appointed special advocate be liable for any
costs of services | ||||||
| 14 | provided to the child.
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| 15 | (6) The court may remove the court appointed special | ||||||
| 16 | advocate or the
guardian ad litem from a case upon finding that | ||||||
| 17 | the court appointed special
advocate or the guardian ad litem | ||||||
| 18 | has acted in a manner contrary to the
child's best interest, | ||||||
| 19 | made a materially false statement under oath, or if the court | ||||||
| 20 | otherwise deems continued service is
unwanted or unnecessary.
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| 21 | (7) In any county in which a program of court appointed | ||||||
| 22 | special
advocates is in operation, the provisions
of this | ||||||
| 23 | Section shall apply unless the county board of that county, by
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| 24 | resolution, determines that the county shall not be governed by | ||||||
| 25 | this Section.
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| 26 | (8) Any court appointed
special advocate acting in good | ||||||
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| 1 | faith within the scope of his or her
appointment shall have | ||||||
| 2 | immunity from any civil or criminal liability that
otherwise | ||||||
| 3 | might result by reason of his or her actions, except in cases | ||||||
| 4 | of
willful and wanton misconduct. For the purpose of any
civil | ||||||
| 5 | or criminal proceedings, the good faith of any court appointed | ||||||
| 6 | special
advocate shall be presumed.
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| 7 | (Source: P.A. 90-28, eff. 1-1-98; 90-608, eff. 6-30-98; 91-357, | ||||||
| 8 | eff.
7-29-99.)
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