SB3557sam001 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sen. Julie A. Morrison

Filed: 3/25/2026

10400SB3557sam001 LRB104 18242 SPS 35943 a

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 3557

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 3557 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 1. Findings. The General Assembly finds that:

(1) Illinois law recognizes that individuals with disabilities should have self-determination and retain the right to make decisions about their own lives and care to the maximum extent possible.

(2) Illinois has established, as a bedrock principle of public policy, that support and protection of persons with disabilities should be unbiased and free from conflicts of interest.

(3) Fifty years ago, the Governor's Commission for Revision of the Mental Health Code of Illinois released its report recommending revisions to the civil and criminal laws that advance the rights and interests of persons with disabilities. The report reflected the work of 36 Commission members, 47 advisory members, consultants, and staff, engaged in a process that presented a democratic forum that welded together the input of many dedicated people into a cohesive whole.

(4) In 1979, the General Assembly used the recommendations to address the far-reaching and comprehensive need for statutory reform that would reflect the historical and continued progress in the capacity of our people to rise above prejudice, superstition, and irrational fears, enabling persons with disabilities to participate more fully in the total life of our society.

(5) Part of the reform was the establishment of the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, which since then has served as a national leader in protecting the rights and advancing the rights and interests of persons with disabilities.

(6) Today, the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission provides critical services to some of the most vulnerable residents of this State in accordance with statutory mandates that are unmatched by any other single agency in the United States, including:

(A) serving as court-appointed guardian for nearly 5,000 adults with disabilities when no other suitable person is available;

(B) providing constitutionally mandated, direct legal representation in more than 7,000 involuntary mental health and developmental disability proceedings annually; and

(C) investigating allegations of disability rights violations by public and private disability service providers.

(7) Continued demographic pressures, including the aging population of this State and the deepening understanding that persons with disabilities are entitled to full human rights and equal participation in society, require modernization of the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission to respond to the increasing need for its services and the evolving recognition and affirmation of the inherent dignity, right, and societal value of persons with disabilities.

Section 3. Purpose. It is the purpose of this Act to support the modernization of the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission by establishing the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship as the successor agency to the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission. The Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship will maintain and strengthen this State's commitment to protecting and advancing the rights of persons with disabilities by retaining the core statutory duties, authorities, and functions assigned to the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission while adopting a governance structure that balances direct accountability with the independence necessary for effective advocacy.

Section 5. The State Budget Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by changing Section 50-28 as follows:

(15 ILCS 20/50-28)

Sec. 50-28. Youth Budget Commission.

(a) As used in this Section:

"Adolescent" or "youth" means a person between the ages of 8 and 25 years.

"Commission" means the Youth Budget Commission established under this Section.

"Service models" include the following tiers of service delivered to adolescents and their families:

(1) Prevention: support for at-risk youth (deterrence, prevention of harm, extra supports).

(2) Treatment/intervention: respond to significant challenges in need of direct intervention to change, resolve or reverse behaviors, conditions, or both.

(3) Corrective/rehabilitation: correct or rehabilitate acute behaviors or conditions that pose a physical or psychological danger or threat to adolescents.

(4) Positive Youth Development: build individual assets and increase competencies.

"Youth developmental goals" are defined as the outcomes of stable, safe, healthy, educated, employable, and connected, which align with the following Budgeting for Results goals:

(1) Stable: meeting the needs of the most vulnerable; increasing individual and family stability and self-sufficiency.

(2) Safe: creating safer communities.

(3) Healthy: improving the overall health of Illinoisans.

(4) Educated: improving school readiness and student success for all.

(5) Employable: increasing employment and attracting, retaining and growing businesses.

(6) Connected: strengthening cultural and environmental vitality.

(b) Subject to appropriation, the Governor shall establish the Youth Budget Commission with the goal of producing an annual fiscal scan. The fiscal scan, under the direction of the Commission, shall be used to advise the Governor and General Assembly, as well as State agencies, on ways to improve and expand existing policies, services, programs, and opportunities for adolescents. The Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall post a link to the fiscal scan on its website. For fiscal year 2019 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Commission established under this Section, shall complete an analysis of enacted State budget items which directly impact adolescents. This analysis will categorize budget items by the 6 identified youth developmental goals and 4 service models. The analysis will include State agency expenditures associated with these categories. General State Aid and federal funds such as Medicaid will be excluded from the analysis.

The Commission shall also be responsible for: (1) monitoring and commenting on existing and proposed legislation and programs designed to address the needs of adolescents; (2) assisting State agencies in developing programs, services, public policies, and research strategies that will expand and enhance the well-being of adolescents; (3) facilitating the participation of and representation of adolescents in the development, implementation, and planning of policies, programs, and community-based services; and (4) promoting research efforts to document the impact of policies and programs on adolescents.

(c) The Commission shall collaborate with State agencies, including the Illinois State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department of Public Health, the Illinois Community College Board, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, the Department of Military Affairs, the Illinois Arts Council, the Department of Corrections, the Board of Higher Education, Department of Disability Advocacy and Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, Department on Aging, and others.

(d) The Commission shall be comprised of 15 members appointed by the Governor. Each member shall have a working knowledge of youth development, human services, and economic public policy in Illinois. One chairperson shall be a representative of a statewide nonprofit children and family services organization who has previously completed a similar analysis of the Illinois State budget. The other chairperson shall be a member of the General Assembly. Of the remaining members:

(1) at least one member representing an organization that has expertise in the needs of low-income youth;

(2) at least one member representing an organization that has expertise in the needs of youth of color;

(3) at least one member representing an organization that has expertise in the needs of youth who are immigrants or are children of immigrants;

(4) at least one member representing an organization that has expertise in the needs of youth who identify as LGBTQ, gender non-conforming, or both;

(5) at least one member representing an organization that has expertise in the needs of youth who are disconnected from traditional educational systems;

(6) at least one member representing an organization that has expertise in the needs of youth who are experiencing homelessness; and

(7) at least one member representing an organization that has expertise in the needs of youth and young adults involved with the justice system.

Commission members shall reflect regional representation to ensure that the needs of adolescents throughout the State of Illinois are met. Members will serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for Commission-related expenses. Of the initial members appointed under this Section: 5 members shall serve for a 3-year term; 5 members shall serve for a 4-year term; and 5 members shall serve for a 5-year term. Their successors shall serve for 5-year terms.

(e) The Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall provide administrative support to the Commission.

(Source: P.A. 100-818, eff. 8-13-18.)

Section 10. The Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee Act is amended by changing Section 20 as follows:

(15 ILCS 60/20)

Sec. 20. Membership. The Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee shall include the following members:

(1) One representative from the Governor's office.

(2) The Director of the Department of Children and Family Services.

(3) The Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

(4) The Secretary of the Department of Human Services.

(5) The Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice.

(6) The Director of the Department of Corrections.

(7) The Director of the Department of Public Health.

(8) The Director of the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission.

(9) Four representatives from agencies serving homeless youth.

(10) One representative from a homeless advocacy organization.

(11) One representative from a juvenile justice advocacy organization.

(12) Four youth who have a lived experience with homelessness.

(Source: P.A. 101-98, eff. 1-1-20.)

Section 15. The Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by changing Sections 5-15 and 5-20 and by adding Sections 5-218, 5-348, and 5-543 as follows:

(20 ILCS 5/5-15) (was 20 ILCS 5/3)

Sec. 5-15. Departments of State government. The Departments of State government are created as follows:

The Department on Aging.

The Department of Agriculture.

The Department of Central Management Services.

The Department of Children and Family Services.

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

The Department of Corrections.

The Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship.

The Department of Early Childhood.

The Department of Employment Security.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

The Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

The Department of Human Rights.

The Department of Human Services.

The Department of Innovation and Technology.

The Department of Insurance.

The Department of Juvenile Justice.

The Department of Labor.

The Department of the Lottery.

The Department of Natural Resources.

The Department of Public Health.

The Department of Revenue.

The Illinois State Police.

The Department of Transportation.

The Department of Veterans Affairs.

(Source: P.A. 103-594, eff. 6-25-24; 104-234, eff. 8-15-25.)

(20 ILCS 5/5-20) (was 20 ILCS 5/4)

Sec. 5-20. Heads of departments. Each department shall have an officer as its head who shall be known as director or secretary and who shall, subject to the provisions of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, execute the powers and discharge the duties vested by law in his or her respective department.

The following officers are hereby created:

Director of Aging, for the Department on Aging.

Director of Agriculture, for the Department of Agriculture.

Director of Central Management Services, for the Department of Central Management Services.

Director of Children and Family Services, for the Department of Children and Family Services.

Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, for the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Director of Corrections, for the Department of Corrections.

Director of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship, for the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship.

Director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

Secretary of Early Childhood, for the Department of Early Childhood.

Director of Employment Security, for the Department of Employment Security.

Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation, for the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Director of Healthcare and Family Services, for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

Director of Human Rights, for the Department of Human Rights.

Secretary of Human Services, for the Department of Human Services.

Secretary of Innovation and Technology, for the Department of Innovation and Technology.

Director of Insurance, for the Department of Insurance.

Director of Juvenile Justice, for the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Director of Labor, for the Department of Labor.

Director of the Lottery, for the Department of the Lottery.

Director of Natural Resources, for the Department of Natural Resources.

Director of Public Health, for the Department of Public Health.

Director of Revenue, for the Department of Revenue.

Director of the Illinois State Police, for the Illinois State Police.

Secretary of Transportation, for the Department of Transportation.

Director of Veterans Affairs, for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

(Source: P.A. 103-594, eff. 6-25-24; 104-234, eff. 8-15-25.)

(20 ILCS 5/5-218 new)

Sec. 5-218. Director of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship. The Director of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship shall be a person thoroughly conversant with the purposes of the Guardianship and Advocacy Act, actively interested in the development of programs to advocate for individuals with disabilities, and not affiliated with any entity that provides services to individuals with disabilities.

(20 ILCS 5/5-348 new)

Sec. 5-348. In the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship. For terms beginning on or after July 1, 2027, the Director of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship shall receive an annual salary of $197,000 or as set by the Governor, whichever is higher. On each July 1 thereafter, the Director shall receive an increase in salary based on a cost-of-living adjustment as authorized by Senate Joint Resolution 192 of the 86th General Assembly.

(20 ILCS 5/5-543 new)

Sec. 5-543. In the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship. A Disability Advocacy and Guardianship Advisory Council composed and appointed as provided in the Guardianship and Advocacy Act.

Section 20. The Department of Innovation and Technology Act is amended by changing Section 1-5 as follows:

(20 ILCS 1370/1-5)

Sec. 1-5. Definitions. In this Act:

"Dedicated unit" means the dedicated bureau, division, office, or other unit within a transferred agency that is responsible for the information technology functions of the transferred agency.

"Department" means the Department of Innovation and Technology.

"Information technology" means technology, infrastructure, equipment, systems, software, networks, and processes used to create, send, receive, and store electronic or digital information, including, without limitation, computer systems and telecommunication services and systems. "Information technology" shall be construed broadly to incorporate future technologies that change or supplant those in effect as of the effective date of this Act.

"Information technology functions" means the development, procurement, installation, retention, maintenance, operation, possession, storage, and related functions of all information technology.

"Secretary" means the Secretary of Innovation and Technology.

"State agency" means each State agency, department, board, and commission under the jurisdiction of the Governor to which the Department provides services.

"Transferred agency" means the Department on Aging; the Departments of Agriculture, Central Management Services, Children and Family Services, Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Corrections, Employment Security, Financial and Professional Regulation, Healthcare and Family Services, Human Rights, Human Services, Insurance, Juvenile Justice, Labor, Lottery, Military Affairs, Natural Resources, Public Health, Revenue, Transportation, and Veterans' Affairs; the Illinois State Police; the Capital Development Board; the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission; the Environmental Protection Agency; the Governor's Office of Management and Budget; the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission; the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum; the Illinois Arts Council; the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities; the Illinois Emergency Management Agency; the Illinois Gaming Board; the Illinois Liquor Control Commission; the Office of the State Fire Marshal; the Prisoner Review Board; and the Department of Early Childhood.

(Source: P.A. 103-588, eff. 6-5-24; 104-195, eff. 1-1-26.)

Section 25. The Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act is amended by changing Sections 4.3 and 14 as follows:

(20 ILCS 1705/4.3) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 100-4.3)

Sec. 4.3. Site visits and inspections.

(a) (Blank).

(b) The Department shall establish a system of regular and ongoing on-site inspections that shall occur at least annually of each facility under its jurisdiction. The inspections shall be conducted by the Department's central office to:

(1) Determine facility compliance with Department policies and procedures;

(2) Determine facility compliance with audit recommendations;

(3) Evaluate facility compliance with applicable federal standards;

(4) Review and follow up on complaints made by community mental health agencies and advocates, and on findings of the Division of Disability Human Rights and Protections Authority division of the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission;

(5) Review administrative and management problems identified by other sources; and

(6) Identify and prevent abuse and neglect.

(Source: P.A. 95-427, eff. 1-1-08.)

(20 ILCS 1705/14) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 100-14)

Sec. 14. Chester Mental Health Center. To maintain and operate a facility for the care, custody, and treatment of persons with mental illness or habilitation of persons with developmental disabilities hereinafter designated, to be known as the Chester Mental Health Center.

Within the Chester Mental Health Center there shall be confined the following classes of persons, whose history, in the opinion of the Department, discloses dangerous or violent tendencies and who, upon examination under the direction of the Department, have been found a fit subject for confinement in that facility:

(a) Any male person who is charged with the commission of a crime but has been acquitted by reason of insanity as provided in Section 5-2-4 of the Unified Code of Corrections.

(b) Any male person who is charged with the commission of a crime but has been found unfit under Article 104 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963.

(c) Any male person with mental illness or developmental disabilities or person in need of mental treatment now confined under the supervision of the Department or hereafter admitted to any facility thereof or committed thereto by any court of competent jurisdiction.

If and when it shall appear to the facility director of the Chester Mental Health Center that it is necessary to confine persons in order to maintain security or provide for the protection and safety of recipients and staff, the Chester Mental Health Center may confine all persons on a unit to their rooms. This period of confinement shall not exceed 10 hours in a 24-hour 24 hour period, including the recipient's scheduled hours of sleep, unless approved by the Secretary of the Department. During the period of confinement, the persons confined shall be observed at least every 15 minutes. A record shall be kept of the observations. This confinement shall not be considered seclusion as defined in the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code.

The facility director of the Chester Mental Health Center may authorize the temporary use of handcuffs on a recipient for a period not to exceed 10 minutes when necessary in the course of transport of the recipient within the facility to maintain custody or security. Use of handcuffs is subject to the provisions of Section 2-108 of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. The facility shall keep a monthly record listing each instance in which handcuffs are used, circumstances indicating the need for use of handcuffs, and time of application of handcuffs and time of release therefrom. The facility director shall allow the Department of Disability Advocacy and Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, the agency designated by the Governor under Section 1 of the Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, and the Department to examine and copy such record upon request.

The facility director of the Chester Mental Health Center may authorize the temporary use of transport devices on a civil recipient when necessary in the course of transport of the civil recipient outside the facility to maintain custody or security. The decision whether to use any transport devices shall be reviewed and approved on an individualized basis by a physician, an advanced practice registered nurse, or a physician assistant based upon a determination of the civil recipient's: (1) history of violence, (2) history of violence during transports, (3) history of escapes and escape attempts, (4) history of trauma, (5) history of incidents of restraint or seclusion and use of involuntary medication, (6) current functioning level and medical status, and (7) prior experience during similar transports, and the length, duration, and purpose of the transport. The least restrictive transport device consistent with the individual's need shall be used. Staff transporting the individual shall be trained in the use of the transport devices, recognizing and responding to a person in distress, and shall observe and monitor the individual while being transported. The facility shall keep a monthly record listing all transports, including those transports for which use of transport devices was not sought, those for which use of transport devices was sought but denied, and each instance in which transport devices are used, circumstances indicating the need for use of transport devices, time of application of transport devices, time of release from those devices, and any adverse events. The facility director shall allow the Department of Disability Advocacy and Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, the agency designated by the Governor under Section 1 of the Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, and the Department to examine and copy the record upon request. This use of transport devices shall not be considered restraint as defined in the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. For the purpose of this Section "transport device" means ankle cuffs, handcuffs, waist chains or wrist-waist devices designed to restrict an individual's range of motion while being transported. These devices must be approved by the Division of Mental Health, used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, and used only by qualified staff members who have completed all training required to be eligible to transport patients and all other required training relating to the safe use and application of transport devices, including recognizing and responding to signs of distress in an individual whose movement is being restricted by a transport device.

If and when it shall appear to the satisfaction of the Department that any person confined in the Chester Mental Health Center is not or has ceased to be such a source of danger to the public as to require his subjection to the regimen of the center, the Department is hereby authorized to transfer such person to any State facility for treatment of persons with mental illness or habilitation of persons with developmental disabilities, as the nature of the individual case may require.

Subject to the provisions of this Section, the Department, except where otherwise provided by law, shall, with respect to the management, conduct and control of the Chester Mental Health Center and the discipline, custody and treatment of the persons confined therein, have and exercise the same rights and powers as are vested by law in the Department with respect to any and all of the State facilities for treatment of persons with mental illness or habilitation of persons with developmental disabilities, and the recipients thereof, and shall be subject to the same duties as are imposed by law upon the Department with respect to such facilities and the recipients thereof.

The Department may elect to place persons who have been ordered by the court to be detained under the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act in a distinct portion of the Chester Mental Health Center. The persons so placed shall be separated and shall not comingle with the recipients of the Chester Mental Health Center. The portion of Chester Mental Health Center that is used for the persons detained under the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act shall not be a part of the mental health facility for the enforcement and implementation of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code nor shall their care and treatment be subject to the provisions of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. The changes added to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly are inoperative on and after June 30, 2015.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15; 99-581, eff. 1-1-17; 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)

Section 30. The Guardianship and Advocacy Act is amended by changing the title of the Act and Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33.5, 34, and 36 and by adding Section 34.5 as follows:

(20 ILCS 3955/Act title)

An Act concerning the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship, created to safeguard the rights of and advocate for persons with disabilities to create the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, to safeguard the rights and to provide legal counsel and representation for eligible persons and to create the Office of State Guardian for persons with disabilities.

(20 ILCS 3955/2) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 702)

Sec. 2. As used in this Act, unless the context requires otherwise:

"Advisory Council" means the Disability Advocacy and Guardianship Advisory Council created by Section 5-543 of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.

(a) "Authority" means a Human Rights Authority.

(b) "Department Commission" means the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission.

(c) "Director" means the Director of the Department Guardianship and Advocacy Commission.

(d) "Guardian" means a court-appointed court appointed guardian for an adult or conservator.

(e) "Services" includes but is not limited to examination, diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, care, training, psychotherapy, pharmaceuticals, after-care, habilitation, and rehabilitation provided for an eligible person.

(f) "Person" means an individual, corporation, partnership, association, unincorporated organization, or a government or any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof.

(g) "Eligible persons" means individuals who have received, are receiving, have requested, or may be in need of mental health services, or are "persons with a "developmental disability" as defined in the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 15002(8)) Services and Facilities Construction Act (Public Law 94-103, Title II), as now or hereafter amended, or "persons "with one or more disabilities" as defined in the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act.

"Regional board" means a regional board of the Division of Disability Rights and Protections.

(h) "Rights" includes but is not limited to all rights, benefits, and privileges guaranteed by law, the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and the Constitution of the United States.

(i) "Legal Advocacy Service attorney" means an attorney employed by or under contract with the Division of Legal Advocacy Service.

(j) "Service provider" means any public or private facility, center, hospital, clinic, program, or any other person devoted in whole or in part to providing services to eligible persons.

(k) "State Guardian" means the Division Office of State Guardian.

(l) "Ward" means a ward as defined by the Probate Act of 1975, as now or hereafter amended, who is at least 18 years of age.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)

(20 ILCS 3955/3) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 703)

Sec. 3. The Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission is hereby created as an executive agency of state government. The Division of Legal Advocacy Service, the Division of Disability Rights and Protections, Human Rights Authority and the Division Office of State Guardian shall be established as divisions of the Department Commission.

(Source: P.A. 80-1487.)

(20 ILCS 3955/4) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 704)

Sec. 4. (a) The Advisory Council Commission shall consist of 11 members, one of whom shall be a senior citizen age 60 or over, who shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, taking into account the requirements of State and federal statutes. At least one member of the Advisory Council shall be a senior citizen age 60 or older. At least one member shall be a person with one or more disabilities or members of their families who receive services and support as required under Section 15 of the Persons with Disabilities on State Agency Boards Act. All appointments shall be filed with the Secretary of State by the appointing authority , with the advice and consent of the Senate.

All appointments shall be filed with the Secretary of State by the appointing authority.

(b) The terms of the original members of the Advisory Council shall be the immediate former members of the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission serving an unexpired term on the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission on the day before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly, who shall continue to serve out their immediate terms on the Advisory Council and may serve up to 2 full consecutive terms thereafter. Any terms as a member of the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission immediately preceding the creation of the Department shall be considered in determining term limits. The terms shall be 3 years beginning on July 1, with each member serving no more than 2 full consecutive terms. All terms shall continue until a successor is appointed 3 one year terms, 3 two year terms, and 3 three year terms, all terms to continue until a successor is appointed and qualified. The length of the terms of the original members shall be drawn by lot of the first meeting held by the Commission. The members first appointed under this amendatory Act of 1984 shall serve for a term of 3 years. Thereafter all terms shall be for 3 years, with each member serving no more than 2 consecutive terms. Vacancies in the membership are to be filled in the same manner as original appointments. Appointments to fill vacancies occurring before the expiration of a term are for the remainder of the unexpired term. A member of the Commission shall serve for a term ending on June 30 and until his successor is appointed and qualified.

(c) The Advisory Council Commission shall annually elect a Chair and a Vice-Chair Chairman and any other officers it deems necessary. The Advisory Council Commission shall meet at least once every 3 times annually. A majority of the members of the Advisory Council, excluding vacancies, constitutes a quorum months with the times and places of meetings determined by the Chairman. Additional meetings may be called by the Chairman upon written notice 7 days before the meeting or by written petition of 5 members to the Chairman. Six members of the Commission constitute a quorum.

(d) Members of the Advisory Council Commission are not entitled to compensation but shall receive reimbursement for actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

(e) The Advisory Council shall advise and make recommendations to the Department for the development of policies and operations that will aid in carrying out the purposes of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 83-1538.)

(20 ILCS 3955/5) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 705)

Sec. 5. (a) The Department Commission shall establish throughout the State such regions as it considers appropriate to effectuate the purposes of the Division of Disability Rights and Protections Authority under this Act, taking into account the requirements of State and federal statutes; population; civic, health and social service boundaries; and other pertinent factors.

(b) The Department may Commission shall act through its divisions as provided in this Act.

(c) The Department Commission shall establish general policy guidelines for the operation of the Division of Legal Advocacy Service, the Division of Disability Human Rights and Protections, Authority and the Division of State Guardian in furtherance of this Act. The policy guidelines shall ensure that each division makes decisions with an appropriate level of independence. Any action taken by a regional board authority is subject to the review and approval of the Director Commission. The Director Commission, acting on a request from the Director, may disapprove any action of a regional board authority, in which case the regional board authority shall cease such action.

(d) The Director Commission shall hire a Director and staff to carry out the powers and duties of the Department Commission and its divisions pursuant to this Act and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Department Commission. All staff, other than the Director, shall be subject to the Personnel Code.

(e) (Blank). The Commission shall review and evaluate the operations of the divisions.

(f) The Department Commission shall operate subject to the provisions of the Illinois Procurement Code.

(g) The Department Commission shall prepare its budget.

(h) The Department Commission shall prepare an annual report on its operations and submit the report to the Governor and the General Assembly.

The requirement for reporting to the General Assembly shall be satisfied by filing copies of the report as required by Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization Act, and filing such additional copies with the State Government Report Distribution Center for the General Assembly as is required under paragraph (t) of Section 7 of the State Library Act.

(i) The Department Commission shall establish rules and regulations for the conduct of the work of its divisions, including rules and regulations for the Division of Legal Advocacy Service and the Division of State Guardian in evaluating an eligible person's or ward's financial resources for the purpose of determining whether the eligible person or ward has the ability to pay for legal or guardianship services received. The determination of the eligible person's financial ability to pay for legal services shall be based upon the number of dependents in the eligible person's family unit and the income, liquid assets and necessary expenses, as prescribed by rule of the Department Commission of: (1) the eligible person; (2) the eligible person's spouse; and (3) the parents of minor eligible persons. The determination of a ward's ability to pay for guardianship services shall be based upon the ward's estate. An eligible person or ward found to have sufficient financial resources shall be required to pay the Department Commission in accordance with standards established by the Department Commission. No fees may be charged for legal services given unless the eligible person is given notice at the start of such services that such fees might be charged. No fees may be charged for guardianship services given unless the ward is given notice of the request for fees filed with the probate court and the court approves the amount of fees to be assessed. All fees collected shall be deposited with the State Treasurer and placed in the Guardianship and Advocacy Fund. The Department Commission shall establish rules and regulations regarding the procedures of appeal for clients prior to termination or suspension of legal services. Such rules and regulations shall include, but not be limited to, client notification procedures prior to the actual termination, the scope of issues subject to appeal, and procedures specifying when a final administrative decision is made.

(j) The Department Commission shall take such actions as it deems necessary and appropriate to receive private, federal and other public funds to help support the divisions and to safeguard the rights of eligible persons. Private funds and property may be accepted, held, maintained, administered and disposed of by the Department Commission, as trustee, for such purposes for the benefit of the People of the State of Illinois pursuant to the terms of the instrument granting the funds or property to the Department Commission.

(k) The Department Commission may expend funds under the State's plan to protect and advocate the rights of persons with a developmental disability established under the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 Services and Facilities Construction Act (Public Law 94-103, Title II). If the Governor designates the Department Commission to be the organization or agency to provide the services called for in the State plan, the Department Commission shall make these protection and advocacy services available to persons with a developmental disability by referral or by contracting for these services to the extent practicable. If the Department Commission is unable to so make available such protection and advocacy services, it shall provide them through persons in its own employ.

(l) The Department Commission shall, to the extent funds are available, monitor issues concerning the rights of eligible persons and the care and treatment provided to those persons, including but not limited to the incidence of abuse or neglect of eligible persons. For purposes of that monitoring the Department Commission shall have access to reports of suspected abuse or neglect and information regarding the disposition of such reports, subject to the provisions of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act.

(Source: P.A. 100-1148, eff. 12-10-18.)

(20 ILCS 3955/6) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 706)

Sec. 6. (a) The Department Commission may recommend to any State agency or service provider regulations or procedures for the purpose of safeguarding the rights of eligible persons. The State agency or service provider shall notify the Department Commission, within 60 days of the receipt of the recommendations, of the action taken thereon and the reason therefor. The Department Commission shall not make recommendations that which interfere with the proper practice of medical or other professions.

(b) The Department Commission may recommend to the General Assembly legislation for the purpose of safeguarding the rights of eligible persons.

(c) The Department Commission may take any other action as may be reasonable to carry out the purposes of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 80-1487.)

(20 ILCS 3955/7) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 707)

Sec. 7. The Director shall:

(1) carry out the policies and programs of the Department; Commission and

(2) coordinate the activities of the its divisions of the Department; and may delegate to the Human Rights Authority Director any duties described in Sections 14, 15, and 16 of this Act.

(3) organize and administer programs to provide legal counsel and representation for eligible persons to ensure that their legal rights are protected;

(4) examine and delineate the needs of eligible persons for legal counsel and representation and the resources necessary to meet those needs, subject to the approval of the Department; and

(5) institute or cause to be instituted legal proceedings as may be necessary to enforce and give effect to any of the duties or powers of the Department or its divisions.

(Source: P.A. 96-271, eff. 1-1-10.)

(20 ILCS 3955/8) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 708)

Sec. 8. The Director may delegate to employees of the Department any of the duties described in Section 7 of this Act. shall:

(1) Organize and administer programs to provide legal counsel and representation for eligible persons so as to ensure that their legal rights are protected;

(2) Examine and delineate the needs of eligible persons for legal counsel and representation and the resources necessary to meet those needs, subject to the approval of the Commission; and

(3) Institute or cause to be instituted such legal proceedings as may be necessary to enforce and give effect to any of the duties or powers of the Commission or its divisions.

(Source: P.A. 80-1487.)

(20 ILCS 3955/10) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 710)

Sec. 10. The Division of Legal Advocacy Service shall:

(1) Make available legal counsel to eligible persons in judicial proceedings arising out of the "Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code", enacted by the Eightieth General Assembly, as now or hereafter amended, including but not limited to admission, civil commitment, involuntary treatment, legal competency and discharge;

(2) Make available or provide legal counsel and representation to eligible persons to enforce rights or duties arising out of any mental health or related laws, local, State or federal.

(Source: P.A. 80-1487.)

(20 ILCS 3955/11) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 711)

Sec. 11. The Division of Legal Advocacy Service shall make available counsel for eligible persons by referral or by contracting for legal services to the extent practicable. The Division of Legal Advocacy Service shall make a good faith effort to assist eligible persons to engage private counsel, and to contact private counsel for eligible persons whose disabilities limit their capacity to independently contact private counsel. If the Division of Legal Advocacy Service is unable to so make available counsel, it shall provide attorneys in its own employ. Taking into consideration the availability of private counsel in the eligible person's local area, the Department Commission shall establish, by rule, the standards and procedures by which it will attempt to assist eligible persons to engage private counsel.

(Source: P.A. 84-1358.)

(20 ILCS 3955/12) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 712)

Sec. 12. A Legal Advocacy Service attorney shall:

(1) have ready access to view and copy all mental health records pertaining to his client, as provided in the "Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act", enacted by the Eightieth General Assembly, as now or hereafter amended, and such other records to which he is permitted access; and

(2) have the opportunity to consult with his client whenever necessary for the performance of his duties. Service providers shall provide adequate space and privacy for the purpose of attorney-client consultation. No attorney shall have the right to visit eligible persons or look at their records for the purpose of soliciting cases for representation.

(Source: P.A. 80-1487.)

(20 ILCS 3955/13) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 713)

Sec. 13. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit an eligible person from being represented by privately retained counsel or from waiving his right to an attorney in proceedings under the "Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code", approved by the Eightieth General Assembly, as now or hereafter amended, or as otherwise provided by law. If a Legal Advocacy Service attorney has been appointed by a court and the eligible person secures his own counsel or is permitted to self-represent, the court shall discharge the Legal Advocacy Service attorney.

(Source: P.A. 80-1487.)

(20 ILCS 3955/14) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 714)

Sec. 14. Each regional board authority shall consist of at least 7 members and no more than 9 members appointed by the Director, in accordance with this Section. Each regional board authority shall include insofar as possible one professionally knowledgeable and broadly experienced employee or officer of a provider of each of the following services: mental health, developmental disabilities, and vocational rehabilitation. No other employee or officer of a service provider shall be appointed to a regional board authority. In making appointments, the Director shall strive to ensure representation of minority groups and of eligible persons, and shall give due consideration to recommendations of persons and groups assisting eligible persons. The Director may remove for incompetence, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office any member of a regional board authority. Each member of a regional board shall become a member of a regional board while retaining the existing end date of the member's current term. All terms shall be for 3 years, with each member serving no more than 2 consecutive terms, including terms as a member of a regional authority of the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission immediately preceding the creation of the Department. No member shall serve for more than 2 full consecutive 3-year terms. A quorum shall consist of a majority of appointed members, excluding vacancies All actions taken by the Director to appoint or remove members shall be reported to the Commission at the next scheduled Commission meeting.

Each regional board authority shall annually elect a Chair chairman and any other officers it deems necessary. Members of the regional authorities shall serve for a term of 3 years, except that the terms of the first appointees shall be as follows: 3 members serving for a 1 year term; 3 members serving for a 2 year term; and 3 members serving for a 3 year term. Assignment of terms of such first appointees shall be by lot. No member shall serve for more than 2 consecutive 3 year terms. A quorum shall consist of a majority of appointed members.

Vacancies in the regional board authorities shall be filled by the Director. Appointments to fill vacancies occurring before the expiration of a term are for the remainder of the unexpired term in the same manner as original appointments.

Members of the regional board authorities shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

Each regional board authority shall meet not less than once every 2 months. Meetings may also be held upon call of the Regional Chair Chairman or upon written request of a majority of the appointed any 5 members of the regional board, excluding vacancies authority.

(Source: P.A. 104-273, eff. 1-1-26.)

(20 ILCS 3955/15) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 715)

Sec. 15. A regional board that authority which receives a complaint alleging that the rights of an eligible person have been violated in the region in which the regional board authority sits, shall conduct an investigation unless it determines that the complaint is frivolous or beyond the scope of its authority or competence, or unless the Director finds that a conflict of interest exists and directs another regional board authority to conduct the investigation. The regional board authority shall inform the complainant of whether it will conduct an investigation, and if not, the reason therefor. The regional board authority may advise a complainant as to other remedies which may be available. Reassignments of investigations for conflicts of interest and refusals to investigate shall be reviewed and approved by the Director and the Director may seek direction from the Commission.

(Source: P.A. 96-271, eff. 1-1-10.)

(20 ILCS 3955/16) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 716)

Sec. 16. A regional board authority may conduct investigations upon its own initiative if it has reason to believe that the rights of an eligible person have been violated in the region in which the regional board authority sits, unless the Director finds that a conflict of interest exists and directs another regional board authority to conduct the investigation.

(Source: P.A. 96-271, eff. 1-1-10.)

(20 ILCS 3955/17) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 717)

Sec. 17. In the course of an investigation, a regional board authority may enter and inspect the premises of a service provider or State agency and question privately any person therein within reasonable limits and in a reasonable manner. Whenever possible, prior notice shall be given the parties regarding the nature, location, and persons involved in a particular investigation.

(Source: P.A. 80-1416.)

(20 ILCS 3955/18) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 718)

Sec. 18. In the course of an investigation, a regional board authority may inspect and copy any materials relevant to the investigation in the possession of a service provider or state agency. However, a regional board authority may not inspect or copy materials containing personally identifiable data which cannot can not be removed without imposing an unreasonable burden on the service provider or State agency, except as provided herein. The regional board authority shall give written notice to the person entitled to give consent for the identifiable eligible person under Section 5 of the "Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act", enacted by the Eightieth General Assembly, as now or hereafter amended, or under any other relevant law, that it is conducting an investigation and indicating the nature and purpose of the investigation and the need to inspect and copy materials containing data that identifies the eligible person. If the person notified objects in writing to such inspection and copying, the regional board authority may not inspect or copy such materials. The service provider or State agency may not object on behalf of an eligible person.

(Source: P.A. 80-1487.)

(20 ILCS 3955/19) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 719)

Sec. 19. No regional board authority may disclose to any person any materials which identify an eligible person unless the eligible person or legally authorized person consents to such disclosure, except if and to the extent that disclosure may be necessary for the appointment of a guardian for such eligible person.

(Source: P.A. 80-1487.)

(20 ILCS 3955/20) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 720)

Sec. 20. A regional board authority may conduct hearings and compel by subpoena the attendance and testimony of such witnesses and the production of such materials as are necessary or desirable for its investigation.

(Source: P.A. 80-1487.)

(20 ILCS 3955/21) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 721)

Sec. 21. A regional board authority may, subject to the provisions of the Open Meetings Act, conduct closed meetings and hearings when necessary to ensure confidentiality or to protect the rights of any eligible person or provider of services or other person. However, it shall make public a summary of business conducted during any such meeting or hearing. Such summary shall not contain personally identifiable data.

(Source: P.A. 96-271, eff. 1-1-10.)

(20 ILCS 3955/22) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 722)

Sec. 22. During the course of an investigation, the regional board authority shall periodically inform the complainant, or provider and any eligible person involved of the status of the investigation.

(Source: P.A. 80-1487.)

(20 ILCS 3955/23) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 723)

Sec. 23. If a regional board authority finds that:

A. a matter should be further considered;

B. an act investigated should be modified or cancelled;

C. a statute or regulation should be altered;

D. reasons should be given for an act; or

E. any other action should be taken; it shall report its recommendations to the State agency, service provider or other person investigated. Such person investigated shall notify the regional board authority, within 30 days of the receipt of such recommendations, of the action taken thereon and the reason therefor.

(Source: P.A. 80-1416.)

(20 ILCS 3955/24) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 724)

Sec. 24. If a regional board authority determines that further action is required, it may refer a matter to the Director Commission or another division of the Department thereof, and any federal, State, or local agency, or other persons, as it may deem appropriate and as approved by the Director , as it may deem appropriate and as approved by the Director.

(Source: P.A. 96-271, eff. 1-1-10.)

(20 ILCS 3955/25) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 725)

Sec. 25. Within 10 days of the completion of its investigation, the regional board authority shall inform the complainant and the eligible person involved of the outcome of its investigation and of any action taken thereon.

(Source: P.A. 80-1487.)

(20 ILCS 3955/26) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 726)

Sec. 26. Subject to the provisions of Section 19, a regional board authority may make public its findings and recommendations. It shall include in any such public statement any reply made by the State agency, service provider, or other person investigated that has requested that the reply be so included. The State agency, service provider, or other person investigated provider or person shall have opportunity to review and object to any proposed public findings and recommendations. If the State agency, service provider, or other person investigated requests, the objections shall be included with public findings and recommendations issued by the regional board authority in the this matter.

(Source: P.A. 80-1416.)

(20 ILCS 3955/27) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 727)

Sec. 27. A regional board authority may, by acting through the Director, propose to the Department Commission legislation for the purpose of safeguarding the rights of eligible persons.

(Source: P.A. 96-271, eff. 1-1-10.)

(20 ILCS 3955/28) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 728)

Sec. 28. A regional board authority may take such other action as may be reasonable and appropriate to carry out the purposes of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 80-1416.)

(20 ILCS 3955/30) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 730)

Sec. 30. When appointed by the court pursuant to the "Probate Act of 1975", approved August 7, 1975, as now or hereafter amended, the Division of State Guardian shall serve as guardian, either plenary or limited; temporary guardian; testamentary guardian; or successor guardian; of the person or the estate, or both, of a ward. If nomination is testamentary the Division of State Guardian shall be notified in writing at the time of the death of the testator. The Division Office of State Guardian may file a petition for its own appointment, or for the appointment of any other person, if the Division of State Guardian determines that the filing of the petition may avoid the need for State guardianship. In addition, the Division of State Guardian may assist the court, as the court may request, in proceedings for the appointment of a guardian and in the supervision of persons and agencies which have been appointed as guardians.

(Source: P.A. 89-396, eff. 8-20-95.)

(20 ILCS 3955/31) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 731)

Sec. 31. Appointment; availability of Division of State Guardian; available private guardian.

(a) The Division of State Guardian shall not be appointed if another suitable person is available and willing to accept the guardianship appointment. In all cases where a court appoints the Division of State Guardian, the court shall indicate in the order appointing the guardian as a finding of fact that no other suitable and willing person could be found to accept the guardianship appointment. On and after the effective date of the this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, the court shall also indicate in the order, as a finding of fact, the reasons that the Division of State Guardian appointment, rather than the appointment of another interested party, is required. This requirement shall be waived where the Division Office of State Guardian petitions for its own appointment as guardian.

(b) In all cases in which the Division of State Guardian has been appointed to prior to or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly, the Division of State Guardian shall be recognized as a division of the Department. Any reference in law, regulation, order, or appointment to the State Guardian or Office of State Guardian as a division of the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission shall be deemed to refer to the State Guardian as a division of the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship. This subsection applies retroactively and prospectively to all appointments, actions, and proceedings involving the State Guardian or its wards.

(Source: P.A. 97-1093, eff. 1-1-13.)

(20 ILCS 3955/32) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 732)

Sec. 32. The Division of State Guardian shall have the same powers and duties as a private guardian as provided in Article XIa of the Probate Act of 1975, approved August 7, 1975. The State Guardian shall not provide direct residential services to its wards. The State Guardian shall visit and consult with its wards at least four times a year for as long as the guardianship continues.

(Source: P.A. 80-1416.)

(20 ILCS 3955/33.5)

Sec. 33.5. Guardianship training program. The State Guardian shall provide a training program that outlines the duties and responsibilities of guardians appointed under Article XIa of the Probate Act of 1975. The training program shall be offered to courts at no cost, and shall outline the duties responsibilities of a guardian and the rights of a person under guardianship. The training program shall have 2 components: one for guardians of the person and another for guardians of the estate. The State Guardian shall determine the content of the training. The component for guardians of the person shall include content regarding Alzheimer's disease and dementia, including, but not limited to, the following topics: effective communication strategies; best practices for interacting with people living with Alzheimer's disease or related forms of dementia; and strategies for supporting people living with Alzheimer's disease or related forms of dementia in exercising their rights. In developing the training program content, the State Guardian shall consult with the courts, State and national guardianship organizations, public guardians, advocacy organizations, and persons and family members with direct experience with adult guardianship. In the preparation and dissemination of training materials, the State Guardian shall give due consideration to making the training materials accessible to persons with disabilities.

(Source: P.A. 103-64, eff. 1-1-24; 104-237, eff. 1-1-26.)

(20 ILCS 3955/34) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 734)

Sec. 34. A person, including a private citizen or employee of a service provider, who, in good faith, files a complaint with or provides information to the Department or any of its divisions Commission or any division thereof, including private citizens and employees of service providers, shall not be subject to any penalties, sanctions, or restrictions as a consequence of filing the complaint or providing the information.

(Source: P.A. 80-1416.)

(20 ILCS 3955/34.5 new)

Sec. 34.5. Prohibit interference with Department. No person shall willfully interfere with the performance of a duty or the exercise of a power by the Department or an officer or employee of the Department.

(20 ILCS 3955/36) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 736)

Sec. 36. Rules and regulations adopted by the Department Commission pursuant to authority granted under this Act shall be subject to the provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

(Source: P.A. 84-1358.)

(20 ILCS 3955/35 rep.)

Section 33. The Guardianship and Advocacy Act is amended by repealing Section 35.

Section 35. The Persons with Disabilities on State Agency Boards Act is amended by changing Section 10 as follows:

(20 ILCS 4007/10)

Sec. 10. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the context requires otherwise:

"Disability" means a physical or mental characteristic resulting from disease, injury, congenital condition of birth, or functional disorder, the history of such a characteristic, or the perception of such a characteristic, when the characteristic results in substantial functional limitations in 3 or more of the following areas of major life activity: self care, fine motor skills, mobility, vision, respiration, learning, work, receptive and expressive language (hearing and speaking), self direction, capacity for independent living, and economic sufficiency.

"State human services agency" means the following:

(1) The Citizens Council on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities created under Article 11A of the Legislative Commission Reorganization Act of 1984.

(2) Advisory councils created by the Department of Human Rights under Section 7-107 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.

(3) The Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission created under the Guardianship and Advocacy Act.

(4) (Blank).

(Source: P.A. 100-866, eff. 8-14-18.)

Section 45. The State Finance Act is amended by changing Section 6z-22 as follows:

(30 ILCS 105/6z-22) (from Ch. 127, par. 142z-22)

Sec. 6z-22. All fees or other monies received by the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission incident to the provision of legal or guardianship services to eligible persons or wards pursuant to subsection (i) of Section 5 of the Guardianship and Advocacy Act shall be paid into the Guardianship and Advocacy Fund.

Appropriations for the improvement, development, addition or expansion of legal and guardianship services for eligible persons or wards pursuant to Section 5 of the Guardianship and Advocacy Act or for the financing of any program designed to provide such improvement, development, addition or expansion of services or for expenses incurred in administering the Division of Human Rights Authority, Legal Advocacy, the Division of Disability Rights and Protections, and the Division Service and Office of State Guardian are payable from the Guardianship and Advocacy Fund.

(Source: P.A. 86-448; 86-1028.)

Section 50. The Public Interest Attorney Assistance Act is amended by changing Section 15 as follows:

(110 ILCS 916/15)

Sec. 15. Definitions. For the purposes of this Act:

"Assistant State's Attorney" means a full-time employee of a State's Attorney in Illinois or the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor who is continually licensed to practice law and prosecutes or defends cases on behalf of the State or a county.

"Assistant Attorney General" means a full-time employee of the Illinois Attorney General who is continually licensed to practice law and prosecutes or defends cases on behalf of the State.

"Assistant Public Defender" means a full-time employee of a Public Defender in Illinois or the State Appellate Defender who is continually licensed to practice law and provides legal representation to indigent persons, as provided by statute.

"Assistant public guardian" means a full-time employee of a public guardian in Illinois who is continually licensed to practice law and provides legal representation pursuant to court appointment.

"Civil legal aid" means free or reduced-cost legal representation or advice to low-income clients in non-criminal matters.

"Civil legal aid attorney" means an attorney who is continually licensed to practice law and is employed full time as an attorney at a civil legal aid organization in Illinois.

"Civil legal aid organization" means a not-for-profit corporation in Illinois that (i) is exempt from the payment of federal income tax pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, (ii) is established for the purpose of providing legal services that include civil legal aid, (iii) employs 2 or more full-time attorneys who are licensed to practice law in this State and who directly provide civil legal aid, and (iv) is in compliance with registration and filing requirements that are applicable under the Charitable Trust Act and the Solicitation for Charity Act.

"Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

"Committee" means the advisory committee created under Section 20 of this Act.

"Eligible debt" means outstanding principal, interest, and related fees from loans obtained for undergraduate, graduate, or law school educational expenses made by government or commercial lending institutions or educational institutions. "Eligible debt" excludes loans made by a private individual or family member.

"Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship IGAC attorney" means a full-time employee of the Department of Disability Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy and Guardianship Commission, including the Division Office of State Guardian, the Division of Legal Advocacy Service, and the Division of Disability Human Rights and Protections Authority, who is continually licensed to practice law and provides legal representation to carry out the responsibilities of the Department of Disability Advocacy and Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission.

"Legislative attorney" means a full-time employee of the Illinois Senate, the Illinois House of Representatives, or the Illinois Legislative Reference Bureau who is continually licensed to practice law and provides legal advice to members of the General Assembly.

"Program" means the Public Interest Attorney Loan Repayment Assistance Program.

"Public interest attorney" means an attorney practicing in Illinois who is an assistant State's Attorney, assistant Public Defender, civil legal aid attorney, assistant Attorney General, assistant public guardian, Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship IGAC attorney, or legislative attorney.

"Qualifying employer" means (i) an Illinois State's Attorney or the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, (ii) an Illinois Public Defender or the State Appellate Defender, (iii) an Illinois civil legal aid organization, (iv) the Illinois Attorney General, (v) an Illinois public guardian, (vi) the Department of Disability Advocacy and Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, (vii) the Illinois Senate, (viii) the Illinois House of Representatives, or (ix) the Illinois Legislative Reference Bureau.

(Source: P.A. 96-615, eff. 1-1-10; 96-768, eff. 1-1-10.)

Section 55. The Abused and Neglected Long Term Care Facility Residents Reporting Act is amended by changing Sections 4 and 6 as follows:

(210 ILCS 30/4) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 4164)

Sec. 4. Any long term care facility administrator, agent or employee or any physician, hospital, surgeon, dentist, osteopath, chiropractor, podiatric physician, accredited religious practitioner who provides treatment by spiritual means alone through prayer in accordance with the tenets and practices of the accrediting church, coroner, social worker, social services administrator, registered nurse, law enforcement officer, field personnel of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, field personnel of the Illinois Department of Public Health and County or Municipal Health Departments, personnel of the Department of Human Services (acting as the successor to the Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities or the Department of Public Aid), personnel of the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship (acting as the successor to the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission), personnel of the State Fire Marshal, local fire department inspectors or other personnel, or personnel of the Illinois Department on Aging, or its subsidiary Agencies on Aging, or employee of a facility licensed under the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act, having reasonable cause to believe any resident with whom they have direct contact has been subjected to abuse or neglect shall immediately report or cause a report to be made to the Department. Persons required to make reports or cause reports to be made under this Section include all employees of the State of Illinois who are involved in providing services to residents, including professionals providing medical or rehabilitation services and all other persons having direct contact with residents; and further include all employees of community service agencies who provide services to a resident of a public or private long term care facility outside of that facility. Any long term care surveyor of the Illinois Department of Public Health who has reasonable cause to believe in the course of a survey that a resident has been abused or neglected and initiates an investigation while on site at the facility shall be exempt from making a report under this Section but the results of any such investigation shall be forwarded to the central register in a manner and form described by the Department.

The requirement of this Act shall not relieve any long-term long term care facility administrator, agent or employee of responsibility to report the abuse or neglect of a resident under Section 3-610 of the Nursing Home Care Act or under Section 3-610 of the ID/DD Community Care Act or under Section 3-610 of the MC/DD Act or under Section 2-107 of the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013.

In addition to the above persons required to report suspected resident abuse and neglect, any other person may make a report to the Department, or to any law enforcement officer, if such person has reasonable cause to suspect a resident has been abused or neglected.

This Section also applies to residents whose death occurs from suspected abuse or neglect before being found or brought to a hospital.

A person required to make reports or cause reports to be made under this Section who fails to comply with the requirements of this Section is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

(Source: P.A. 98-104, eff. 7-22-13; 98-214, eff. 8-9-13; 98-756, eff. 7-16-14; 99-180, eff. 7-29-15.)

(210 ILCS 30/6) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 4166)

Sec. 6. All reports of suspected abuse or neglect made under this Act shall be made immediately by telephone to the Department's central register established under Section 14 on the single, State-wide, toll-free telephone number established under Section 13, or in person or by telephone through the nearest Department office. No long-term long term care facility administrator, agent or employee, or any other person, shall screen reports or otherwise withhold any reports from the Department, and no long-term long term care facility, department of State government, or other agency shall establish any rules, criteria, standards or guidelines to the contrary. Every long-term long term care facility, department of State government and other agency whose employees are required to make or cause to be made reports under Section 4 shall notify its employees of the provisions of that Section and of this Section, and provide to the Department documentation that such notification has been given. The Department of Human Services shall train all of its mental health and developmental disabilities employees in the detection and reporting of suspected abuse and neglect of residents. Reports made to the central register through the State-wide, toll-free telephone number shall be transmitted to appropriate Department offices and municipal health departments that have responsibility for licensing long term care facilities under the Nursing Home Care Act, the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013, the ID/DD Community Care Act, or the MC/DD Act. All reports received through offices of the Department shall be forwarded to the central register, in a manner and form described by the Department. The Department shall be capable of receiving reports of suspected abuse and neglect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Reports shall also be made in writing deposited in the U.S. mail, postage prepaid, within 24 hours after having reasonable cause to believe that the condition of the resident resulted from abuse or neglect. Such reports may in addition be made to the local law enforcement agency in the same manner. However, in the event a report is made to the local law enforcement agency, the reporter also shall immediately so inform the Department. The Department shall initiate an investigation of each report of resident abuse and neglect under this Act, whether oral or written, as provided for in Section 3-702 of the Nursing Home Care Act, Section 2-208 of the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013, Section 3-702 of the ID/DD Community Care Act, or Section 3-702 of the MC/DD Act, except that reports of abuse which indicate that a resident's life or safety is in imminent danger shall be investigated within 24 hours of such report. The Department may delegate to law enforcement officials or other public agencies the duty to perform such investigation.

With respect to investigations of reports of suspected abuse or neglect of residents of mental health and developmental disabilities institutions under the jurisdiction of the Department of Human Services, the Department shall transmit copies of such reports to the Illinois State Police, the Department of Human Services, and the Inspector General appointed under Section 1-17 of the Department of Human Services Act. If the Department receives a report of suspected abuse or neglect of a recipient of services as defined in Section 1-123 of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code, the Department shall transmit copies of such report to the Inspector General and the Director Directors of the Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission and the agency designated by the Governor pursuant to the Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act. When requested by the Director of the Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, the agency designated by the Governor pursuant to the Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, or the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the Department, the Department of Human Services and the Illinois State Police shall make available a copy of the final investigative report regarding investigations conducted by their respective agencies on incidents of suspected abuse or neglect of residents of mental health and developmental disabilities institutions or individuals receiving services at community agencies under the jurisdiction of the Department of Human Services. Such final investigative report shall not contain witness statements, investigation notes, draft summaries, results of lie detector tests, investigative files or other raw data which was used to compile the final investigative report. Specifically, the final investigative report of the Illinois State Police shall mean the Director's final transmittal letter. The Department of Human Services shall also make available a copy of the results of disciplinary proceedings of employees involved in incidents of abuse or neglect to the Directors. All identifiable information in reports provided shall not be further disclosed except as provided by the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act. Nothing in this Section is intended to limit or construe the power or authority granted to the agency designated by the Governor pursuant to the Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, pursuant to any other State or federal statute.

With respect to investigations of reported resident abuse or neglect, the Department shall effect with appropriate law enforcement agencies formal agreements concerning methods and procedures for the conduct of investigations into the criminal histories of any administrator, staff assistant or employee of the nursing home or other person responsible for the residents care, as well as for other residents in the nursing home who may be in a position to abuse, neglect or exploit the patient. Pursuant to the formal agreements entered into with appropriate law enforcement agencies, the Department may request information with respect to whether the person or persons set forth in this paragraph have ever been charged with a crime and if so, the disposition of those charges. Unless the criminal histories of the subjects involved crimes of violence or resident abuse or neglect, the Department shall be entitled only to information limited in scope to charges and their dispositions. In cases where prior crimes of violence or resident abuse or neglect are involved, a more detailed report can be made available to authorized representatives of the Department, pursuant to the agreements entered into with appropriate law enforcement agencies. Any criminal charges and their disposition information obtained by the Department shall be confidential and may not be transmitted outside the Department, except as required herein, to authorized representatives or delegates of the Department, and may not be transmitted to anyone within the Department who is not duly authorized to handle resident abuse or neglect investigations.

The Department shall effect formal agreements with appropriate law enforcement agencies in the various counties and communities to encourage cooperation and coordination in the handling of resident abuse or neglect cases pursuant to this Act. The Department shall adopt and implement methods and procedures to promote statewide uniformity in the handling of reports of abuse and neglect under this Act, and those methods and procedures shall be adhered to by personnel of the Department involved in such investigations and reporting. The Department shall also make information required by this Act available to authorized personnel within the Department, as well as its authorized representatives.

The Department shall keep a continuing record of all reports made pursuant to this Act, including indications of the final determination of any investigation and the final disposition of all reports.

The Department shall report annually to the General Assembly on the incidence of abuse and neglect of long term care facility residents, with special attention to residents who are persons with mental disabilities. The report shall include but not be limited to data on the number and source of reports of suspected abuse or neglect filed under this Act, the nature of any injuries to residents, the final determination of investigations, the type and number of cases where abuse or neglect is determined to exist, and the final disposition of cases.

(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)

Section 60. The Community Living Facilities Licensing Act is amended by changing Section 5 as follows:

(210 ILCS 35/5) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 4185)

Sec. 5. Licensing standards. The Department shall promulgate rules and regulations establishing minimum standards for licensing of Community Living Facilities. These rules shall regulate:

(1) The location of Community Living Facilities. These provisions shall insure that the Community Living Facilities are in appropriate neighborhoods and shall prohibit concentration of these housing programs in communities.

(2) The operation and conduct of Community Living Facilities.

(3) The general financial ability, competence, character and qualifications of the applicant to provide appropriate care and comply with this Act.

(4) The appropriateness, safety, cleanliness and general adequacy of the premises, including maintenance of adequate fire protection and health standards, conforming to State laws and municipal codes, to provide for the physical comfort, well-being, care and protection of the residents.

(5) The number, character, training and qualifications of personnel directly responsible for the residents.

(6) Provisions for food, clothing, educational opportunities, social activities, home furnishings and personal property to insure the healthy physical, emotional and mental development of residents.

(7) Implementation of habilitation plans for each resident.

(8) Provisions for residents to receive appropriate programming and support services commensurate with their individual needs, and to participate in decisions regarding their use of programs and support services.

Such services should include educational opportunities, vocational training and other day activities aimed at promoting independence and improving basic living skills.

(9) Provisions and criteria for admission, discharge and transfers at Community Living Facilities.

(10) Provisions specifying the role and responsibilities of residents for upkeep of their rooms and the overall maintenance and care of the Community Living Facilities. These provisions shall allow the residents to participate in normal, daily activities associated with community living.

(11) Provisions to insure that residents are notified of their legal rights, as defined in the rules promulgated pursuant to subsection (12) of this Section and to assist them in exercising these rights. Upon admission to a Community Living Facility, residents shall be provided a copy of their rights and related rules, regulations and policies, and the name, address, and telephone number of the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission.

(12) Resident rights, which shall include, but need not be limited to, those guaranteed by the "Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code", as amended.

(13) Maintenance of records pertaining to the admission, habilitation, and discharge of residents, and to the general operation of Community Living Facilities.

(Source: P.A. 82-567.)

Section 65. The Nursing Home Care Act is amended by changing Sections 2-106 and 2-201 as follows:

(210 ILCS 45/2-106) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 4152-106)

Sec. 2-106. Restraints.

(a) For purposes of this Act, a physical restraint is any manual method or physical or mechanical device, material, or equipment attached or adjacent to a resident's body that the resident cannot remove easily and restricts freedom of movement or normal access to one's body, and a chemical restraint is any drug used for discipline or convenience and not required to treat medical symptoms.

Devices used for positioning, including, but not limited to, bed rails and gait belts, shall not be considered to be physical restraints for purposes of this Act unless the device is used to restrain or otherwise limit the patient's freedom to move. A device used for positioning must be requested by the resident or, if the resident is unable to consent, the resident's guardian or authorized representative, or the need for that device must be physically demonstrated by the resident and documented in the resident's care plan. The physically demonstrated need of the resident for a device used for positioning must be revisited in every comprehensive assessment of the resident.

The Department shall by rule, designate certain devices as restraints, including at least all those devices which have been determined to be restraints by the United States Department of Health and Human Services in interpretive guidelines issued for the purposes of administering Titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act.

(b) Neither restraints nor confinements shall be employed for the purpose of punishment or for the convenience of any facility personnel. No restraints or confinements shall be employed except as ordered by a physician who documents the need for such restraints or confinements in the resident's clinical record.

(c) A restraint may be used only with the informed consent of the resident, the resident's guardian, or other authorized representative. A restraint may be used only for specific periods, if it is the least restrictive means necessary to attain and maintain the resident's highest practicable physical, mental or psychosocial well-being, including brief periods of time to provide necessary life-saving treatment. A restraint may be used only after consultation with appropriate health professionals, such as occupational or physical therapists, and a trial of less restrictive measures has led to the determination that the use of less restrictive measures would not attain or maintain the resident's highest practicable physical, mental or psychosocial well-being. However, if the resident needs emergency care, restraints may be used for brief periods to permit medical treatment to proceed unless the facility has notice that the resident has previously made a valid refusal of the treatment in question.

(d) A restraint may be applied only by a person trained in the application of the particular type of restraint.

(e) Whenever a period of use of a restraint is initiated, the resident shall be advised of his or her right to have a person or organization of his or her choosing, including the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, notified of the use of the restraint. A recipient who is under guardianship may request that a person or organization of his or her choosing be notified of the restraint, whether or not the guardian approves the notice. If the resident so chooses, the facility shall make the notification within 24 hours, including any information about the period of time that the restraint is to be used. Whenever the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission is notified that a resident has been restrained, it shall contact the resident to determine the circumstances of the restraint and whether further action is warranted.

(f) Whenever a restraint is used on a resident whose primary mode of communication is sign language, the resident shall be permitted to have his or her hands free from restraint for brief periods each hour, except when this freedom may result in physical harm to the resident or others.

(g) The requirements of this Section are intended to control in any conflict with the requirements of Sections 1-126 and 2-108 of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code.

(Source: P.A. 103-489, eff. 1-1-24.)

(210 ILCS 45/2-201) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 4152-201)

Sec. 2-201. To protect the residents' funds, the facility:

(1) Shall at the time of admission provide, in order of priority, each resident, or the resident's guardian, if any, or the resident's representative, if any, or the resident's immediate family member, if any, with a written statement explaining to the resident and to the resident's spouse (a) their spousal impoverishment rights, as defined at Section 5-4 of the Illinois Public Aid Code, and at Section 303 of Title III of the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988 (P.L. 100-360), (b) their obligation to comply with the asset and income disclosure requirements of Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act and the regulations duly promulgated thereunder, except that this item (b) does not apply to facilities operated by the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs that do not participate in Medicaid, and (c) the resident's rights regarding personal funds and listing the services for which the resident will be charged. The facility shall obtain a signed acknowledgment from each resident or the resident's guardian, if any, or the resident's representative, if any, or the resident's immediate family member, if any, that such person has received the statement and understands that failure to comply with asset and income disclosure requirements may result in the denial of Medicaid eligibility.

(2) May accept funds from a resident for safekeeping and managing, if it receives written authorization from, in order of priority, the resident or the resident's guardian, if any, or the resident's representative, if any, or the resident's immediate family member, if any; such authorization shall be attested to by a witness who has no pecuniary interest in the facility or its operations, and who is not connected in any way to facility personnel or the administrator in any manner whatsoever.

(3) Shall maintain and allow, in order of priority, each resident or the resident's guardian, if any, or the resident's representative, if any, or the resident's immediate family member, if any, access to a written record of all financial arrangements and transactions involving the individual resident's funds.

(4) Shall provide, in order of priority, each resident, or the resident's guardian, if any, or the resident's representative, if any, or the resident's immediate family member, if any, with a written itemized statement at least quarterly, of all financial transactions involving the resident's funds.

(5) Shall purchase a surety bond, or otherwise provide assurance satisfactory to the Departments of Public Health and Insurance that all residents' personal funds deposited with the facility are secure against loss, theft, and insolvency.

(6) Shall keep any funds received from a resident for safekeeping in an account separate from the facility's funds, and shall at no time withdraw any part or all of such funds for any purpose other than to return the funds to the resident upon the request of the resident or any other person entitled to make such request, to pay the resident his allowance, or to make any other payment authorized by the resident or any other person entitled to make such authorization.

(7) Shall deposit any funds received from a resident in excess of $100 in an interest bearing account insured by agencies of, or corporations chartered by, the State or federal government. The account shall be in a form which clearly indicates that the facility has only a fiduciary interest in the funds and any interest from the account shall accrue to the resident. The facility may keep up to $100 of a resident's money in a non-interest bearing account or petty cash fund, to be readily available for the resident's current expenditures.

(8) Shall return to the resident, or the person who executed the written authorization required in subsection (2) of this Section, upon written request, all or any part of the resident's funds given the facility for safekeeping, including the interest accrued from deposits.

(9) Shall (a) place any monthly allowance to which a resident is entitled in that resident's personal account, or give it to the resident, unless the facility has written authorization from the resident or the resident's guardian or if the resident is a minor, his parent, to handle it differently, (b) take all steps necessary to ensure that a personal needs allowance that is placed in a resident's personal account is used exclusively by the resident or for the benefit of the resident, and (c) where such funds are withdrawn from the resident's personal account by any person other than the resident, require such person to whom funds constituting any part of a resident's personal needs allowance are released, to execute an affidavit that such funds shall be used exclusively for the benefit of the resident.

(10) Unless otherwise provided by State law, upon the death of a resident, shall provide the executor or administrator of the resident's estate with a complete accounting of all the resident's personal property, including any funds of the resident being held by the facility.

(11) If an adult resident is incapable of managing his funds and does not have a resident's representative, guardian, or an immediate family member, shall notify the Division Office of the State Guardian of the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission.

(12) If the facility is sold, shall provide the buyer with a written verification by a public accountant of all residents' monies and properties being transferred, and obtain a signed receipt from the new owner.

(Source: P.A. 104-234, eff. 8-15-25.)

Section 67. The Community-Integrated Living Arrangements Licensure and Certification Act is amended by changing Section 9.1 as follows:

(210 ILCS 135/9.1)

Sec. 9.1. Recipient's funds; protection.

(a) To protect a recipient's funds, a service provider:

(1) May accept funds from a recipient for safekeeping and management if the service provider receives written authorization from the recipient or the recipient's guardian.

(2) Shall maintain a written record of all financial arrangements and transactions involving each individual recipient's funds and shall allow each recipient, or the recipient's guardian, access to that written record.

(3) Shall provide, in order of priority, each recipient, or the recipient's guardian, if any, or the recipient's immediate family member, if any, with a written itemized statement of all financial transactions involving the recipient's funds or a copy of the recipient's checking or savings account register for the period. This information shall be provided at least quarterly.

(4) Shall purchase and maintain a surety bond or other commercial policy with crime coverage in an amount equal to or greater than all of the recipient's personal funds deposited with the service provider to which employees of the service provider have access to secure against loss, theft, and insolvency. The insurance company that provides the surety bond or commercial policy with crime coverage shall inform the Division of Developmental Disabilities of the Department of Human Services of any reduction or cancellation of the surety bond or commercial policy with crime coverage.

(5) Shall keep any funds received from a recipient in an account separate from the service provider's funds for safekeeping, and shall not withdraw all or any part of the recipient's funds unless the service provider is (i) returning the funds to the recipient upon the request of the recipient or any other person entitled to make the request, (ii) paying the recipient his or her allowance, or (iii) making any other payment authorized by the recipient or any other person entitled to make that authorization.

(6) Shall deposit any funds received from a recipient in excess of $100 in an interest-bearing account insured by agencies of, or corporations chartered by, the State or the federal government. The account shall be in a form that clearly indicates that the service provider has only a fiduciary interest in the funds and that any interest earned on funds in the account shall accrue to the recipient. The service provider may keep up to $100 of a recipient's funds in a non-interest-bearing account or petty cash fund, to be readily available for the recipient's current expenditures.

(7) Shall, upon written request of a recipient or the recipient's guardian, return to the recipient or the recipient's guardian of the estate all or any part of the recipient's funds given to the service provider for safekeeping, including the accrued interest earned on the deposits of the recipient's funds.

(8) Shall (i) place any monthly allowance that a recipient is entitled to in the recipient's personal account or give the monthly allowance directly to the recipient, unless the service provider has written authorization from the recipient, the recipient's guardian, or the recipient's parent if the recipient is a minor, to handle the monthly allowance differently, (ii) take all steps necessary to ensure that a monthly allowance that is placed in a recipient's personal account is used exclusively by the recipient or for the recipient's benefit, and (iii) require any person other than the recipient who withdraws funds from the recipient's personal account that constitute any portion of the recipient's monthly allowance to execute an affidavit that the funds will be used exclusively for the benefit of the recipient.

(9) If an adult recipient is incapable of managing his or her funds and does not have a guardian or immediate family member, the service provider shall notify the Division Office of the State Guardian of the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission.

(b) Upon the death of a recipient, unless otherwise provided by State law, the service provider shall provide the executor or administrator of the recipient's estate with a complete accounting of all the recipient's personal property, including any funds of the recipient being held by the service provider.

(c) If a recipient changes service providers, the former service provider shall provide the new service provider with a written verification by a public accountant of all the recipient's money and property being transferred and shall obtain a signed receipt for the money and property from the new service provider upon transfer of the recipient's money and property.

(d) If a service provider is sold, the service provider shall provide the new owner with a written verification by a public accountant of all the recipient's money and property being transferred and shall obtain a signed receipt for the money and property from the new owner upon transfer of the recipient's money and property.

(Source: P.A. 98-1073, eff. 8-26-14.)

Section 70. The MC/DD Act is amended by changing Sections 2-106 and 2-201 as follows:

(210 ILCS 46/2-106)

Sec. 2-106. Restraints and confinements.

(a) For purposes of this Act:

(i) A physical restraint is any manual method or physical or mechanical device, material, or equipment attached or adjacent to a resident's body that the resident cannot remove easily and restricts freedom of movement or normal access to one's body. Devices used for positioning, including but not limited to bed rails, gait belts, and cushions, shall not be considered to be restraints for purposes of this Section.

(ii) A chemical restraint is any drug used for discipline or convenience and not required to treat medical symptoms. The Department shall by rule, designate certain devices as restraints, including at least all those devices which have been determined to be restraints by the United States Department of Health and Human Services in interpretive guidelines issued for the purposes of administering Titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act.

(b) Neither restraints nor confinements shall be employed for the purpose of punishment or for the convenience of any facility personnel. No restraints or confinements shall be employed except as ordered by a physician who documents the need for such restraints or confinements in the resident's clinical record. Each facility licensed under this Act must have a written policy to address the use of restraints and seclusion. The Department shall establish by rule the provisions that the policy must include, which, to the extent practicable, should be consistent with the requirements for participation in the federal Medicare program. Each policy shall include periodic review of the use of restraints.

(c) A restraint may be used only with the informed consent of the resident, the resident's guardian, or other authorized representative. A restraint may be used only for specific periods, if it is the least restrictive means necessary to attain and maintain the resident's highest practicable physical, mental or psychosocial well-being well being, including brief periods of time to provide necessary lifesaving life saving treatment. A restraint may be used only after consultation with appropriate health professionals, such as occupational or physical therapists, and a trial of less restrictive measures has led to the determination that the use of less restrictive measures would not attain or maintain the resident's highest practicable physical, mental or psychosocial well-being well being. However, if the resident needs emergency care, restraints may be used for brief periods to permit medical treatment to proceed unless the facility has notice that the resident has previously made a valid refusal of the treatment in question.

(d) A restraint may be applied only by a person trained in the application of the particular type of restraint.

(e) Whenever a period of use of a restraint is initiated, the resident shall be advised of his or her right to have a person or organization of his or her choosing, including the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, notified of the use of the restraint. A recipient who is under guardianship may request that a person or organization of his or her choosing be notified of the restraint, whether or not the guardian approves the notice. If the resident so chooses, the facility shall make the notification within 24 hours, including any information about the period of time that the restraint is to be used. Whenever the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission is notified that a resident has been restrained, it shall contact the resident to determine the circumstances of the restraint and whether further action is warranted.

(f) Whenever a restraint is used on a resident whose primary mode of communication is sign language, the resident shall be permitted to have his or her hands free from restraint for brief periods each hour, except when this freedom may result in physical harm to the resident or others.

(g) The requirements of this Section are intended to control in any conflict with the requirements of Sections 1-126 and 2-108 of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code.

(Source: P.A. 99-180, eff. 7-29-15.)

(210 ILCS 46/2-201)

Sec. 2-201. Residents' funds. To protect the residents' funds, the facility:

(1) Shall at the time of admission provide, in order of priority, each resident, or the resident's guardian, if any, or the resident's representative, if any, or the resident's immediate family member, if any, with a written statement explaining to the resident and to the resident's spouse (a) their spousal impoverishment rights, as defined at Section 5-4 of the Illinois Public Aid Code, and at Section 303 of Title III of the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988 (P.L. 100-360), and (b) the resident's rights regarding personal funds and listing the services for which the resident will be charged. The facility shall obtain a signed acknowledgment from each resident or the resident's guardian, if any, or the resident's representative, if any, or the resident's immediate family member, if any, that such person has received the statement.

(2) May accept funds from a resident for safekeeping and managing, if it receives written authorization from, in order of priority, the resident or the resident's guardian, if any, or the resident's representative, if any, or the resident's immediate family member, if any; such authorization shall be attested to by a witness who has no pecuniary interest in the facility or its operations, and who is not connected in any way to facility personnel or the administrator in any manner whatsoever.

(3) Shall maintain and allow, in order of priority, each resident or the resident's guardian, if any, or the resident's representative, if any, or the resident's immediate family member, if any, access to a written record of all financial arrangements and transactions involving the individual resident's funds.

(4) Shall provide, in order of priority, each resident, or the resident's guardian, if any, or the resident's representative, if any, or the resident's immediate family member, if any, with a written itemized statement at least quarterly, of all financial transactions involving the resident's funds.

(5) Shall purchase a surety bond, or otherwise provide assurance satisfactory to the Departments of Public Health and Financial and Professional Regulation that all residents' personal funds deposited with the facility are secure against loss, theft, and insolvency.

(6) Shall keep any funds received from a resident for safekeeping in an account separate from the facility's funds, and shall at no time withdraw any part or all of such funds for any purpose other than to return the funds to the resident upon the request of the resident or any other person entitled to make such request, to pay the resident his or her allowance, or to make any other payment authorized by the resident or any other person entitled to make such authorization.

(7) Shall deposit any funds received from a resident in excess of $100 in an interest-bearing interest bearing account insured by agencies of, or corporations chartered by, the State or federal government. The account shall be in a form which clearly indicates that the facility has only a fiduciary interest in the funds and any interest from the account shall accrue to the resident. The facility may keep up to $100 of a resident's money in a non-interest-bearing account or petty cash fund, to be readily available for the resident's current expenditures.

(8) Shall return to the resident, or the person who executed the written authorization required in subsection (2) of this Section, upon written request, all or any part of the resident's funds given the facility for safekeeping, including the interest accrued from deposits.

(9) Shall (a) place any monthly allowance to which a resident is entitled in that resident's personal account, or give it to the resident, unless the facility has written authorization from the resident or the resident's guardian or if the resident is a minor, his parent, to handle it differently, (b) take all steps necessary to ensure that a personal needs allowance that is placed in a resident's personal account is used exclusively by the resident or for the benefit of the resident, and (c) where such funds are withdrawn from the resident's personal account by any person other than the resident, require such person to whom funds constituting any part of a resident's personal needs allowance are released, to execute an affidavit that such funds shall be used exclusively for the benefit of the resident.

(10) Unless otherwise provided by State law, upon the death of a resident, shall provide the executor or administrator of the resident's estate with a complete accounting of all the resident's personal property, including any funds of the resident being held by the facility.

(11) If an adult resident is incapable of managing his or her funds and does not have a resident's representative, guardian, or an immediate family member, shall notify the Division Office of the State Guardian of the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission.

(12) If the facility is sold, shall provide the buyer with a written verification by a public accountant of all residents' monies and properties being transferred, and obtain a signed receipt from the new owner.

(Source: P.A. 99-180, eff. 7-29-15.)

Section 75. The ID/DD Community Care Act is amended by changing Sections 2-106 and 2-201 as follows:

(210 ILCS 47/2-106)

Sec. 2-106. Restraints and confinements.

(a) For purposes of this Act:

(i) A physical restraint is any manual method or physical or mechanical device, material, or equipment attached or adjacent to a resident's body that the resident cannot remove easily and restricts freedom of movement or normal access to one's body. Devices used for positioning, including but not limited to bed rails, gait belts, and cushions, shall not be considered to be restraints for purposes of this Section.

(ii) A chemical restraint is any drug used for discipline or convenience and not required to treat medical symptoms. The Department shall by rule, designate certain devices as restraints, including at least all those devices which have been determined to be restraints by the United States Department of Health and Human Services in interpretive guidelines issued for the purposes of administering Titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act.

(b) Neither restraints nor confinements shall be employed for the purpose of punishment or for the convenience of any facility personnel. No restraints or confinements shall be employed except as ordered by a physician who documents the need for such restraints or confinements in the resident's clinical record. Each facility licensed under this Act must have a written policy to address the use of restraints and seclusion. The Department shall establish by rule the provisions that the policy must include, which, to the extent practicable, should be consistent with the requirements for participation in the federal Medicare program. Each policy shall include periodic review of the use of restraints.

(c) A restraint may be used only with the informed consent of the resident, the resident's guardian, or other authorized representative. A restraint may be used only for specific periods, if it is the least restrictive means necessary to attain and maintain the resident's highest practicable physical, mental or psychosocial well-being well being, including brief periods of time to provide necessary lifesaving life saving treatment. A restraint may be used only after consultation with appropriate health professionals, such as occupational or physical therapists, and a trial of less restrictive measures has led to the determination that the use of less restrictive measures would not attain or maintain the resident's highest practicable physical, mental or psychosocial well-being well being. However, if the resident needs emergency care, restraints may be used for brief periods to permit medical treatment to proceed unless the facility has notice that the resident has previously made a valid refusal of the treatment in question.

(d) A restraint may be applied only by a person trained in the application of the particular type of restraint.

(e) Whenever a period of use of a restraint is initiated, the resident shall be advised of his or her right to have a person or organization of his or her choosing, including the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, notified of the use of the restraint. A recipient who is under guardianship may request that a person or organization of his or her choosing be notified of the restraint, whether or not the guardian approves the notice. If the resident so chooses, the facility shall make the notification within 24 hours, including any information about the period of time that the restraint is to be used. Whenever the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission is notified that a resident has been restrained, it shall contact the resident to determine the circumstances of the restraint and whether further action is warranted.

(f) Whenever a restraint is used on a resident whose primary mode of communication is sign language, the resident shall be permitted to have his or her hands free from restraint for brief periods each hour, except when this freedom may result in physical harm to the resident or others.

(g) The requirements of this Section are intended to control in any conflict with the requirements of Sections 1-126 and 2-108 of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code.

(Source: P.A. 96-339, eff. 7-1-10.)

(210 ILCS 47/2-201)

Sec. 2-201. Residents' funds. To protect the residents' funds, the facility:

(1) Shall at the time of admission provide, in order of priority, each resident, or the resident's guardian, if any, or the resident's representative, if any, or the resident's immediate family member, if any, with a written statement explaining to the resident and to the resident's spouse (a) their spousal impoverishment rights, as defined at Section 5-4 of the Illinois Public Aid Code, and at Section 303 of Title III of the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988 (P.L. 100-360), and (b) the resident's rights regarding personal funds and listing the services for which the resident will be charged. The facility shall obtain a signed acknowledgment from each resident or the resident's guardian, if any, or the resident's representative, if any, or the resident's immediate family member, if any, that such person has received the statement.

(2) May accept funds from a resident for safekeeping and managing, if it receives written authorization from, in order of priority, the resident or the resident's guardian, if any, or the resident's representative, if any, or the resident's immediate family member, if any; such authorization shall be attested to by a witness who has no pecuniary interest in the facility or its operations, and who is not connected in any way to facility personnel or the administrator in any manner whatsoever.

(3) Shall maintain and allow, in order of priority, each resident or the resident's guardian, if any, or the resident's representative, if any, or the resident's immediate family member, if any, access to a written record of all financial arrangements and transactions involving the individual resident's funds.

(4) Shall provide, in order of priority, each resident, or the resident's guardian, if any, or the resident's representative, if any, or the resident's immediate family member, if any, with a written itemized statement at least quarterly, of all financial transactions involving the resident's funds.

(5) Shall purchase a surety bond, or otherwise provide assurance satisfactory to the Departments of Public Health and Financial and Professional Regulation that all residents' personal funds deposited with the facility are secure against loss, theft, and insolvency.

(6) Shall keep any funds received from a resident for safekeeping in an account separate from the facility's funds, and shall at no time withdraw any part or all of such funds for any purpose other than to return the funds to the resident upon the request of the resident or any other person entitled to make such request, to pay the resident his or her allowance, or to make any other payment authorized by the resident or any other person entitled to make such authorization.

(7) Shall deposit any funds received from a resident in excess of $100 in an interest-bearing interest bearing account insured by agencies of, or corporations chartered by, the State or federal government. The account shall be in a form which clearly indicates that the facility has only a fiduciary interest in the funds and any interest from the account shall accrue to the resident. The facility may keep up to $100 of a resident's money in a non-interest-bearing account or petty cash fund, to be readily available for the resident's current expenditures.

(8) Shall return to the resident, or the person who executed the written authorization required in subsection (2) of this Section, upon written request, all or any part of the resident's funds given the facility for safekeeping, including the interest accrued from deposits.

(9) Shall (a) place any monthly allowance to which a resident is entitled in that resident's personal account, or give it to the resident, unless the facility has written authorization from the resident or the resident's guardian or if the resident is a minor, his parent, to handle it differently, (b) take all steps necessary to ensure that a personal needs allowance that is placed in a resident's personal account is used exclusively by the resident or for the benefit of the resident, and (c) where such funds are withdrawn from the resident's personal account by any person other than the resident, require such person to whom funds constituting any part of a resident's personal needs allowance are released, to execute an affidavit that such funds shall be used exclusively for the benefit of the resident.

(10) Unless otherwise provided by State law, upon the death of a resident, shall provide the executor or administrator of the resident's estate with a complete accounting of all the resident's personal property, including any funds of the resident being held by the facility.

(11) If an adult resident is incapable of managing his or her funds and does not have a resident's representative, guardian, or an immediate family member, shall notify the Division Office of the State Guardian of the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission.

(12) If the facility is sold, shall provide the buyer with a written verification by a public accountant of all residents' monies and properties being transferred, and obtain a signed receipt from the new owner.

(Source: P.A. 96-339, eff. 7-1-10; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10.)

Section 80. The Hospital Licensing Act is amended by changing Section 9.6 as follows:

(210 ILCS 85/9.6)

Sec. 9.6. Patient protection from abuse.

(a) No administrator, agent, or employee of a hospital or a hospital affiliate, or a member of a hospital's medical staff, may abuse a patient in the hospital or in a facility operated by a hospital affiliate.

(b) Any hospital administrator, agent, employee, or medical staff member, or an administrator, employee, or physician employed by a hospital affiliate, who has reasonable cause to believe that any patient with whom he or she has direct contact has been subjected to abuse in the hospital or hospital affiliate shall promptly report or cause a report to be made to a designated hospital administrator responsible for providing such reports to the Department as required by this Section.

(c) Retaliation against a person who lawfully and in good faith makes a report under this Section is prohibited.

(d) Upon receiving a report under subsection (b) of this Section, the hospital or hospital affiliate shall submit the report to the Department within 24 hours of obtaining such report. In the event that the hospital receives multiple reports involving a single alleged instance of abuse, the hospital shall submit one report to the Department.

(e) Upon receiving a report under this Section, the hospital or hospital affiliate shall promptly conduct an internal review to ensure the alleged victim's safety. Measures to protect the alleged victim shall be taken as deemed necessary by the hospital's administrator and may include, but are not limited to, removing suspected violators from further patient contact during the hospital's or hospital affiliate's internal review. If the alleged victim lacks decision-making capacity under the Health Care Surrogate Act and no health care surrogate is available, the hospital or hospital affiliate may contact the Department of Disability Advocacy and Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission to determine the need for a temporary guardian of that person.

(f) All internal hospital and hospital affiliate reviews shall be conducted by a designated employee or agent who is qualified to detect abuse and is not involved in the alleged victim's treatment. All internal review findings must be documented and filed according to hospital or hospital affiliate procedures and shall be made available to the Department upon request.

(g) Any other person may make a report of patient abuse to the Department if that person has reasonable cause to believe that a patient has been abused in the hospital or hospital affiliate.

(h) The report required under this Section shall include: the name of the patient; the name and address of the hospital or hospital affiliate treating the patient; the age of the patient; the nature of the patient's condition, including any evidence of previous injuries or disabilities; and any other information that the reporter believes might be helpful in establishing the cause of the reported abuse and the identity of the person believed to have caused the abuse.

(i) Except for willful or wanton misconduct, any individual, person, institution, or agency participating in good faith in the making of a report under this Section, or in the investigation of such a report or in making a disclosure of information concerning reports of abuse under this Section, shall have immunity from any liability, whether civil, professional, or criminal, that otherwise might result by reason of such actions. For the purpose of any proceedings, whether civil, professional, or criminal, the good faith of any persons required to report cases of suspected abuse under this Section or who disclose information concerning reports of abuse in compliance with this Section, shall be presumed.

(j) No administrator, agent, or employee of a hospital or hospital affiliate shall adopt or employ practices or procedures designed to discourage good faith reporting of patient abuse under this Section.

(k) Every hospital and hospital affiliate shall ensure that all new and existing employees are trained in the detection and reporting of abuse of patients and retrained at least every 2 years thereafter.

(l) The Department shall investigate each report of patient abuse made under this Section according to the procedures of the Department, except that a report of abuse which indicates that a patient's life or safety is in imminent danger shall be investigated within 24 hours of such report. Under no circumstances may a hospital's or hospital affiliate's internal review of an allegation of abuse replace an investigation of the allegation by the Department.

(m) The Department shall keep a continuing record of all reports made pursuant to this Section, including indications of the final determination of any investigation and the final disposition of all reports. The Department shall inform the investigated hospital or hospital affiliate and any other person making a report under subsection (g) of its final determination or disposition in writing.

(n) The Department shall not disclose to the public any information regarding any reports and investigations under this Section unless and until the report of abuse is substantiated following a full and proper investigation.

(o) All patient identifiable information in any report or investigation under this Section shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed except as authorized by this Act or other applicable law.

(p) Nothing in this Section relieves a hospital or hospital affiliate administrator, employee, agent, or medical staff member from contacting appropriate law enforcement authorities as required by law.

(q) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to mean that a patient is a victim of abuse because of health care services provided or not provided by health care professionals.

(r) Nothing in this Section shall require a hospital or hospital affiliate, including its employees, agents, and medical staff members, to provide any services to a patient in contravention of his or her stated or implied objection thereto upon grounds that such services conflict with his or her religious beliefs or practices, nor shall such a patient be considered abused under this Section for the exercise of such beliefs or practices.

(s) The Department's implementation of this Section is subject to appropriations to the Department for that purpose.

(t) As used in this Section, the following terms have the following meanings:

"Abuse" means any physical or mental injury or sexual abuse intentionally inflicted by a hospital or hospital affiliate employee, agent, or medical staff member on a patient of the hospital or hospital affiliate and does not include any hospital or hospital affiliate, medical, health care, or other personal care services done in good faith in the interest of the patient according to established medical and clinical standards of care.

"Hospital affiliate" has the meaning given to that term in Section 10.8.

"Mental injury" means intentionally caused emotional distress in a patient from words or gestures that would be considered by a reasonable person to be humiliating, harassing, or threatening and which causes observable and substantial impairment.

"Sexual abuse" means any intentional act of sexual contact or sexual penetration of a patient in the hospital.

"Substantiated", with respect to a report of abuse, means that a preponderance of the evidence indicates that abuse occurred.

(Source: P.A. 103-803, eff. 1-1-25.)

Section 85. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by changing Section 3-1.2 as follows:

(305 ILCS 5/3-1.2) (from Ch. 23, par. 3-1.2)

Sec. 3-1.2. Need.

(a) Income available to the person, when added to contributions in money, substance, or services from other sources, including contributions from legally responsible relatives, must be insufficient to equal the grant amount established by Department regulation for such person. In determining earned income to be taken into account, consideration shall be given to any expenses reasonably attributable to the earning of such income. If federal law or regulations permit or require exemption of earned or other income and resources, the Illinois Department shall provide by rule and regulation that the amount of income to be disregarded be increased (1) to the maximum extent so required and (2) to the maximum extent permitted by federal law or regulation in effect as of the date this amendatory Act becomes law. The Illinois Department may also provide by rule and regulation that the amount of resources to be disregarded be increased to the maximum extent so permitted or required.

(b) Subject to federal approval, resources (for example, land, buildings, equipment, supplies, or tools), including farmland property and personal property used in the income-producing operations related to the farmland (for example, equipment and supplies, motor vehicles, or tools), necessary for self-support, up to $6,000 of the person's equity in the income-producing property, provided that the property produces a net annual income of at least 6% of the excluded equity value of the property, are exempt. Equity value in excess of $6,000 shall not be excluded. If the activity produces income that is less than 6% of the exempt equity due to reasons beyond the person's control (for example, the person's illness or crop failure) and there is a reasonable expectation that the property will again produce income equal to or greater than 6% of the equity value (for example, a medical prognosis that the person is expected to respond to treatment or that drought-resistant corn will be planted), the equity value in the property up to $6,000 is exempt. If the person owns more than one piece of property and each produces income, each piece of property shall be looked at to determine whether the 6% rule is met, and then the amounts of the person's equity in all of those properties shall be totaled to determine whether the total equity is $6,000 or less. The total equity value of all properties that is exempt shall be limited to $6,000.

(c) In determining the resources of an individual or any dependents, the Department shall exclude from consideration the value of funeral and burial spaces, funeral and burial insurance the proceeds of which can only be used to pay the funeral and burial expenses of the insured and funds specifically set aside for the funeral and burial arrangements of the individual or his or her dependents, including prepaid funeral and burial plans, to the same extent that such items are excluded from consideration under the federal Supplemental Security Income program (SSI). At any time prior to or after submitting an application for medical assistance and before a final determination of eligibility has been made by the Department, an applicant may use available resources to purchase one of the prepaid funeral or burial contracts exempted under this Section.

Prepaid funeral or burial contracts are exempt to the following extent:

(1) Funds in a revocable prepaid funeral or burial contract are exempt up to $1,500, except that any portion of a contract that clearly represents the purchase of burial space, as that term is defined for purposes of the Supplemental Security Income program, is exempt regardless of value.

(2) Funds in an irrevocable prepaid funeral or burial contract are exempt up to $7,248, except that any portion of a contract that clearly represents the purchase of burial space, as that term is defined for purposes of the Supplemental Security Income program, is exempt regardless of value. This amount shall be adjusted annually for any increase in the Consumer Price Index. The amount exempted shall be limited to the price of the funeral goods and services to be provided upon death. The contract must provide a complete description of the funeral goods and services to be provided and the price thereof. Any amount in the contract not so specified shall be treated as a transfer of assets for less than fair market value.

(3) A prepaid, guaranteed-price funeral or burial contract, funded by an irrevocable assignment of a person's life insurance policy to a trust or a funeral home, is exempt. The amount exempted shall be limited to the amount of the insurance benefit designated for the cost of the funeral goods and services to be provided upon the person's death. The contract must provide a complete description of the funeral goods and services to be provided and the price thereof. Any amount in the contract not so specified shall be treated as a transfer of assets for less than fair market value. The trust must include a statement that, upon the death of the person, the State will receive all amounts remaining in the trust, including any remaining payable proceeds under the insurance policy up to an amount equal to the total medical assistance paid on behalf of the person. The trust is responsible for ensuring that the provider of funeral services under the contract receives the proceeds of the policy when it provides the funeral goods and services specified under the contract. The irrevocable assignment of ownership of the insurance policy must be acknowledged by the insurance company.

(4) Existing life insurance policies are exempt if there has been an irrevocable assignment in compliance with Section 2b of the Illinois Funeral or Burial Funds Act. A person shall sign a contract with a funeral home, which is licensed under the Illinois Funeral or Burial Funds Act, that describes the cost of the funeral goods and services to be provided upon the person's death, up to $7,248, except that any portion of a contract that clearly represents the purchase of burial space, as that term is defined for purposes of the Supplemental Security Income program, is exempt regardless of value. This amount shall be adjusted annually for any increase in the Consumer Price Index. The contract must provide a complete description of the goods and services and any cash advances to be provided and the price thereof. The person shall sign an irrevocable designation of beneficiary form declaring that any amounts payable from the policies not used for goods and services and any cash advances as set forth in the contract shall be received by the State, up to an amount equal to the total medical assistance paid on behalf of the person; any funds remaining after payment to the State shall be paid to a secondary beneficiary (if any) listed on the policy, or to the estate of the purchaser if no secondary beneficiary is named on the policy in the event the proceeds exceed the prearranged costs of merchandise and services and any cash advances and the total medical assistance paid on behalf of the insured. More than one policy may be subject to this subsection if the total face value of the policies is necessary to pay the amount described in the contract with the funeral home; policies that are not necessary to pay the amount described in the contract are not exempt. The licensed funeral home to which the life insurance policy benefits have been irrevocably assigned shall retain copies for inspection by the Comptroller and shall report annually to the Comptroller the following: the name of the insured, the name of the insurance company and policy number, an itemized account of the amount of the contract for goods and services and any cash advances provided, and the current value of the policy of benefits designated with a record of all amounts paid back to the State or other beneficiary. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall adopt rules and forms to implement this Section.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code to the contrary, an irrevocable trust containing the resources of a person who is determined to have a disability shall be considered exempt from consideration. A pooled trust must be established and managed by a non-profit association that pools funds but maintains a separate account for each beneficiary. The trust may be established by the person, a parent, grandparent, legal guardian, or court. It must be established for the sole benefit of the person and language contained in the trust shall stipulate that any amount remaining in the trust (up to the amount expended by the Department on medical assistance) that is not retained by the trust for reasonable administrative costs related to wrapping up the affairs of the subaccount shall be paid to the Department upon the death of the person. After a person reaches age 65, any funding by or on behalf of the person to the trust shall be treated as a transfer of assets for less than fair market value unless the person is a ward of a county public guardian or the Division of State Guardian pursuant to Section 13-5 of the Probate Act of 1975 or Section 30 of the Guardianship and Advocacy Act and lives in the community, or the person is a ward of a county public guardian or the Division of State Guardian pursuant to Section 13-5 of the Probate Act of 1975 or Section 30 of the Guardianship and Advocacy Act and a court has found that any expenditures from the trust will maintain or enhance the person's quality of life. If the trust contains proceeds from a personal injury settlement, any Department charge must be satisfied in order for the transfer to the trust to be treated as a transfer for fair market value.

(e) The homestead shall be exempt from consideration except to the extent that it meets the income and shelter needs of the person. "Homestead" means the dwelling house and contiguous real estate owned and occupied by the person, regardless of its value. Subject to federal approval, a person shall not be eligible for long-term care services, however, if the person's equity interest in his or her homestead exceeds the minimum home equity as allowed and increased annually under federal law. Subject to federal approval, on and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, homestead property transferred to a trust shall no longer be considered homestead property.

(f) Occasional or irregular gifts in cash, goods or services from persons who are not legally responsible relatives which are of nominal value or which do not have significant effect in meeting essential requirements shall be disregarded.

(g) The eligibility of any applicant for or recipient of public aid under this Article is not affected by the payment of any grant under the "Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief Act" or any distributions or items of income described under subparagraph (X) of paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of Section 203 of the Illinois Income Tax Act.

(h) The Illinois Department may, after appropriate investigation, establish and implement a consolidated standard to determine need and eligibility for and amount of benefits under this Article or a uniform cash supplement to the federal Supplemental Security Income program for all or any part of the then current recipients under this Article; provided, however, that the establishment or implementation of such a standard or supplement shall not result in reductions in benefits under this Article for the then current recipients of such benefits.

(i) The provisions under paragraph (4) of subsection (c) are subject to federal approval. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall apply for any necessary federal waivers or approvals to implement by January 1, 2023 the changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 102-959, eff. 5-27-22.)

Section 90. The Adult Protective Services Act is amended by changing Sections 2 and 3.5 as follows:

(320 ILCS 20/2) (from Ch. 23, par. 6602)

Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the context requires otherwise:

(a) "Abandonment" means the desertion or willful forsaking of an eligible adult by an individual responsible for the care and custody of that eligible adult under circumstances in which a reasonable person would continue to provide care and custody. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to mean that an eligible adult is a victim of abandonment because of health care services provided or not provided by licensed health care professionals.

(a-1) "Abuse" means causing any physical, mental or sexual injury to an eligible adult, including exploitation of such adult's financial resources, and abandonment or subjecting an eligible adult to an environment which creates a likelihood of harm to the eligible adult's health, physical and emotional well-being, or welfare.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to mean that an eligible adult is a victim of abuse, abandonment, neglect, or self-neglect for the sole reason that he or she is being furnished with or relies upon treatment by spiritual means through prayer alone, in accordance with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious denomination.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to mean that an eligible adult is a victim of abuse because of health care services provided or not provided by licensed health care professionals.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to mean that an eligible adult is a victim of abuse in cases of criminal activity by strangers, telemarketing scams, consumer fraud, internet fraud, home repair disputes, complaints against a homeowners' association, or complaints between landlords and tenants.

(a-5) "Abuser" means a person who is a family member, caregiver, or another person who has a continuing relationship with the eligible adult and abuses, abandons, neglects, or financially exploits an eligible adult.

(a-6) "Adult with disabilities" means a person aged 18 through 59 who resides in a domestic living situation and whose disability as defined in subsection (c-5) impairs his or her ability to seek or obtain protection from abuse, abandonment, neglect, or exploitation.

(a-7) "Caregiver" means a person who either as a result of a family relationship, voluntarily, or in exchange for compensation has assumed responsibility for all or a portion of the care of an eligible adult who needs assistance with activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living.

(b) "Department" means the Department on Aging of the State of Illinois.

(c) "Director" means the Director of the Department.

(c-5) "Disability" means a physical or mental disability, including, but not limited to, a developmental disability, an intellectual disability, a mental illness as defined under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code, or dementia as defined under the Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Act.

(d) "Domestic living situation" means a residence where the eligible adult at the time of the report lives alone or with his or her family or a caregiver, or others, or other community-based unlicensed facility, but is not:

(1) A licensed facility as defined in Section 1-113 of the Nursing Home Care Act;

(1.5) A facility licensed under the ID/DD Community Care Act;

(1.6) A facility licensed under the MC/DD Act;

(1.7) A facility licensed under the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013;

(2) A "life care facility" as defined in the Life Care Facilities Act;

(3) A home, institution, or other place operated by the federal government or agency thereof or by the State of Illinois;

(4) A hospital, sanitarium, or other institution, the principal activity or business of which is the diagnosis, care, and treatment of human illness through the maintenance and operation of organized facilities therefor, which is required to be licensed under the Hospital Licensing Act;

(5) A "community living facility" as defined in the Community Living Facilities Licensing Act;

(6) (Blank);

(7) A "community-integrated living arrangement" as defined in the Community-Integrated Living Arrangements Licensure and Certification Act or a "community residential alternative" as licensed under that Act;

(8) An assisted living or shared housing establishment as defined in the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act; or

(9) A supportive living facility as described in Section 5-5.01a of the Illinois Public Aid Code.

(e) "Eligible adult" means either an adult with disabilities aged 18 through 59 or a person aged 60 or older who resides in a domestic living situation and is, or is alleged to be, abused, abandoned, neglected, or financially exploited by another individual or who neglects himself or herself. "Eligible adult" also includes an adult who resides in any of the facilities that are excluded from the definition of "domestic living situation" under paragraphs (1) through (9) of subsection (d), if either: (i) the alleged abuse, abandonment, or neglect occurs outside of the facility and not under facility supervision and the alleged abuser is a family member, caregiver, or another person who has a continuing relationship with the adult; or (ii) the alleged financial exploitation is perpetrated by a family member, caregiver, or another person who has a continuing relationship with the adult, but who is not an employee of the facility where the adult resides.

(f) "Emergency" means a situation in which an eligible adult is living in conditions presenting a risk of death or physical, mental or sexual injury and the provider agency has reason to believe the eligible adult is unable to consent to services which would alleviate that risk.

(f-1) "Financial exploitation" means the use of an eligible adult's resources by another to the disadvantage of that adult or the profit or advantage of a person other than that adult.

(f-3) "Investment advisor" means any person required to register as an investment adviser or investment adviser representative under Section 8 of the Illinois Securities Law of 1953, which for purposes of this Act excludes any bank, trust company, savings bank, or credit union, or their respective employees.

(f-5) "Mandated reporter" means any of the following persons while engaged in carrying out their professional duties:

(1) a professional or professional's delegate while engaged in: (i) social services, (ii) law enforcement, (iii) education, (iv) the care of an eligible adult or eligible adults, or (v) any of the occupations required to be licensed under the Behavior Analyst Licensing Act, the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act, the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act, the Illinois Dental Practice Act, the Dietitian Nutritionist Practice Act, the Marriage and Family Therapy Licensing Act, the Medical Practice Act of 1987, the Naprapathic Practice Act, the Nurse Practice Act, the Nursing Home Administrators Licensing and Disciplinary Act, the Illinois Occupational Therapy Practice Act, the Illinois Optometric Practice Act of 1987, the Pharmacy Practice Act, the Illinois Physical Therapy Act, the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987, the Podiatric Medical Practice Act of 1987, the Respiratory Care Practice Act, the Professional Counselor and Clinical Professional Counselor Licensing and Practice Act, the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act, the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004, and the Illinois Public Accounting Act;

(1.5) an employee of an entity providing developmental disabilities services or service coordination funded by the Department of Human Services;

(2) an employee of a vocational rehabilitation facility prescribed or supervised by the Department of Human Services;

(3) an administrator, employee, or person providing services in or through an unlicensed community based facility;

(4) any religious practitioner who provides treatment by prayer or spiritual means alone in accordance with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious denomination, except as to information received in any confession or sacred communication enjoined by the discipline of the religious denomination to be held confidential;

(5) field personnel of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Department of Public Health, and Department of Human Services, and any county or municipal health department;

(6) personnel of the Department of Human Services, the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, the State Fire Marshal, local fire departments, the Department on Aging and its subsidiary Area Agencies on Aging and provider agencies, except the State Long Term Care Ombudsman and any of his or her representatives or volunteers where prohibited from making such a report pursuant to 45 CFR 1324.11(e)(3)(iv);

(7) any employee of the State of Illinois not otherwise specified herein who is involved in providing services to eligible adults, including professionals providing medical or rehabilitation services and all other persons having direct contact with eligible adults;

(8) a person who performs the duties of a coroner or medical examiner;

(9) a person who performs the duties of a paramedic or an emergency medical technician; or

(10) a person who performs the duties of an investment advisor.

(g) "Neglect" means another individual's failure to provide an eligible adult with or willful withholding from an eligible adult the necessities of life including, but not limited to, food, clothing, shelter or health care. This subsection does not create any new affirmative duty to provide support to eligible adults. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to mean that an eligible adult is a victim of neglect because of health care services provided or not provided by licensed health care professionals.

(h) "Provider agency" means any public or nonprofit agency in a planning and service area that is selected by the Department or appointed by the regional administrative agency with prior approval by the Department on Aging to receive and assess reports of alleged or suspected abuse, abandonment, neglect, or financial exploitation. A provider agency is also referenced as a "designated agency" in this Act.

(i) "Regional administrative agency" means any public or nonprofit agency in a planning and service area that provides regional oversight and performs functions as set forth in subsection (b) of Section 3 of this Act. The Department shall designate an Area Agency on Aging as the regional administrative agency or, in the event the Area Agency on Aging in that planning and service area is deemed by the Department to be unwilling or unable to provide those functions, the Department may serve as the regional administrative agency or designate another qualified entity to serve as the regional administrative agency; any such designation shall be subject to terms set forth by the Department.

(i-5) "Self-neglect" means a condition that is the result of an eligible adult's inability, due to physical or mental impairments, or both, or a diminished capacity, to perform essential self-care tasks that substantially threaten his or her own health, including: providing essential food, clothing, shelter, and health care; and obtaining goods and services necessary to maintain physical health, mental health, emotional well-being, and general safety. The term includes compulsive hoarding, which is characterized by the acquisition and retention of large quantities of items and materials that produce an extensively cluttered living space, which significantly impairs the performance of essential self-care tasks or otherwise substantially threatens life or safety.

(j) "Substantiated case" means a reported case of alleged or suspected abuse, abandonment, neglect, financial exploitation, or self-neglect in which a provider agency, after assessment, determines that there is reason to believe abuse, abandonment, neglect, or financial exploitation has occurred.

(k) "Verified" means a determination that there is "clear and convincing evidence" that the specific injury or harm alleged was the result of abuse, abandonment, neglect, or financial exploitation.

(Source: P.A. 102-244, eff. 1-1-22; 102-953, eff. 5-27-22; 103-329, eff. 1-1-24; 103-626, eff. 1-1-25.)

(320 ILCS 20/3.5)

Sec. 3.5. Other responsibilities. The Department shall also be responsible for the following activities, contingent upon adequate funding; implementation shall be expanded to adults with disabilities upon the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, except those responsibilities under subsection (a), which shall be undertaken as soon as practicable:

(a) promotion of a wide range of endeavors for the purpose of preventing abuse, abandonment, neglect, financial exploitation, and self-neglect, including, but not limited to, promotion of public and professional education to increase awareness of abuse, abandonment, neglect, financial exploitation, and self-neglect; to increase reports; to establish access to and use of the Registry established under Section 7.5; and to improve response by various legal, financial, social, and health systems;

(b) coordination of efforts with other agencies, councils, and like entities, to include but not be limited to, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, the Office of the Attorney General, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, the State Triad, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, the Departments of Public Health, Healthcare and Family Services, and Human Services, the Department of Disability Advocacy and Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, the Family Violence Coordinating Council, the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority, and other entities which may impact awareness of, and response to, abuse, abandonment, neglect, financial exploitation, and self-neglect;

(c) collection and analysis of data;

(d) monitoring of the performance of regional administrative agencies and adult protective services agencies;

(e) promotion of prevention activities;

(f) establishing and coordinating an aggressive training program on the unique nature of adult abuse cases with other agencies, councils, and like entities, to include but not be limited to the Office of the Attorney General, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, the State Triad, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, the State Departments of Public Health, Healthcare and Family Services, and Human Services, the Family Violence Coordinating Council, the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority, the agency designated by the Governor under Section 1 of the Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, and other entities that may impact awareness of and response to abuse, abandonment, neglect, financial exploitation, and self-neglect;

(g) solicitation of financial institutions for the purpose of making information available to the general public warning of financial exploitation of adults and related financial fraud or abuse, including such information and warnings available through signage or other written materials provided by the Department on the premises of such financial institutions, provided that the manner of displaying or distributing such information is subject to the sole discretion of each financial institution; and

(g-1) developing by joint rulemaking with the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation minimum training standards which shall be used by financial institutions for their current and new employees with direct customer contact; the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall retain sole visitation and enforcement authority under this subsection (g-1); the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall provide bi-annual reports to the Department setting forth aggregate statistics on the training programs required under this subsection (g-1).

(Source: P.A. 102-244, eff. 1-1-22; 102-538, eff. 8-20-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-626, eff. 1-1-25.)

Section 95. The Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code is amended by changing Sections 2-103, 2-108, 2-109, 2-114, 2-200, 2-201, 3-206, 3-405, 3-805, 3-910, 4-201.1, 4-203, 4-605, and 5-100 as follows:

(405 ILCS 5/2-103) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 2-103)

Sec. 2-103. Except as provided in this Section, a recipient who resides in a mental health or developmental disabilities facility shall be permitted unimpeded, private, and uncensored communication with persons of his choice by mail, telephone and visitation.

(a) The facility director shall ensure that correspondence can be conveniently received and mailed, that telephones are reasonably accessible, and that space for visits is available. Writing materials, postage and telephone usage funds shall be provided in reasonable amounts to recipients who reside in Department facilities and who are unable to procure such items.

(b) Reasonable times and places for the use of telephones and for visits may be established in writing by the facility director.

(c) Unimpeded, private and uncensored communication by mail, telephone, and visitation may be reasonably restricted by the facility director only in order to protect the recipient or others from harm, harassment or intimidation, provided that notice of such restriction shall be given to all recipients upon admission. When communications are restricted, the facility shall advise the recipient that he has the right to require the facility to notify the affected parties of the restriction, and to notify such affected party when the restrictions are no longer in effect. However, all letters addressed by a recipient to the Governor, members of the General Assembly, Attorney General, judges, state's attorneys, the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, or the Agency designated pursuant to "An Act in relation to the protection and advocacy of the rights of persons with developmental disabilities, and amending Acts therein named", approved September 20, 1985, officers of the Department, or licensed attorneys at law must be forwarded at once to the persons to whom they are addressed without examination by the facility authorities. Letters in reply from the officials and attorneys mentioned above must be delivered to the recipient without examination by the facility authorities.

(d) No facility shall prevent any attorney who represents a recipient or who has been requested to do so by any relative or family member of the recipient, from visiting a recipient during normal business hours, unless that recipient refuses to meet with the attorney.

(e) Whenever, as the result of the closing or the reduction in the number of units or available beds of any mental health facility operated by the Department of Human Services, the State determines to enter into a contract with any mental health facility to provide hospitalization to persons who would otherwise be served by the State-operated mental health facility, the resident shall be entitled to the same rights under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 97-1007, eff. 8-17-12.)

(405 ILCS 5/2-108) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 2-108)

Sec. 2-108. Use of restraint. Restraint may be used only as a therapeutic measure to prevent a recipient from causing physical harm to himself or physical abuse to others. Restraint may only be applied by a person who has been trained in the application of the particular type of restraint to be utilized. In no event shall restraint be utilized to punish or discipline a recipient, nor is restraint to be used as a convenience for the staff.

(a) Except as provided in this Section, restraint shall be employed only upon the written order of a physician, clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, clinical professional counselor, advanced practice psychiatric nurse, or registered nurse with supervisory responsibilities. No restraint shall be ordered unless the physician, clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, clinical professional counselor, advanced practice psychiatric nurse, or registered nurse with supervisory responsibilities, after personally observing and examining the recipient, is clinically satisfied that the use of restraint is justified to prevent the recipient from causing physical harm to himself or others. In no event may restraint continue for longer than 2 hours unless within that time period a nurse with supervisory responsibilities, advanced practice psychiatric nurse, or a physician confirms, in writing, following a personal examination of the recipient, that the restraint does not pose an undue risk to the recipient's health in light of the recipient's physical or medical condition. The order shall state the events leading up to the need for restraint and the purposes for which restraint is employed. The order shall also state the length of time restraint is to be employed and the clinical justification for that length of time. No order for restraint shall be valid for more than 16 hours. If further restraint is required, a new order must be issued pursuant to the requirements provided in this Section.

(b) In the event there is an emergency requiring the immediate use of restraint, it may be ordered temporarily by a qualified person only where a physician, clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, clinical professional counselor, advanced practice psychiatric nurse, or registered nurse with supervisory responsibilities is not immediately available. In that event, an order by a nurse, clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, clinical professional counselor, advanced practice psychiatric nurse, or physician shall be obtained pursuant to the requirements of this Section as quickly as possible, and the recipient shall be examined by a physician or supervisory nurse within 2 hours after the initial employment of the emergency restraint. Whoever orders restraint in emergency situations shall document its necessity and place that documentation in the recipient's record.

(c) The person who orders restraint shall inform the facility director or his designee in writing of the use of restraint within 24 hours.

(d) The facility director shall review all restraint orders daily and shall inquire into the reasons for the orders for restraint by any person who routinely orders them.

(e) Restraint may be employed during all or part of one 24-hour 24 hour period, the period commencing with the initial application of the restraint. However, once restraint has been employed during one 24-hour 24 hour period, it shall not be used again on the same recipient during the next 48 hours without the prior written authorization of the facility director.

(f) Restraint shall be employed in a humane and therapeutic manner and the person being restrained shall be observed by a qualified person as often as is clinically appropriate but in no event less than once every 15 minutes. The qualified person shall maintain a record of the observations. Specifically, unless there is an immediate danger that the recipient will physically harm himself or others, restraint shall be loosely applied to permit freedom of movement. Further, the recipient shall be permitted to have regular meals and toilet privileges free from the restraint, except when freedom of action may result in physical harm to the recipient or others.

(g) Every facility that employs restraint shall provide training in the safe and humane application of each type of restraint employed. The facility shall not authorize the use of any type of restraint by an employee who has not received training in the safe and humane application of that type of restraint. Each facility in which restraint is used shall maintain records detailing which employees have been trained and are authorized to apply restraint, the date of the training and the type of restraint that the employee was trained to use.

(h) Whenever restraint is imposed upon any recipient whose primary mode of communication is sign language, the recipient shall be permitted to have his hands free from restraint for brief periods each hour, except when freedom may result in physical harm to the recipient or others.

(i) A recipient who is restrained may only be secluded at the same time pursuant to an explicit written authorization as provided in Section 2-109 of this Code. Whenever a recipient is restrained, a member of the facility staff shall remain with the recipient at all times unless the recipient has been secluded. A recipient who is restrained and secluded shall be observed by a qualified person as often as is clinically appropriate but in no event less than every 15 minutes.

(j) Whenever restraint is used, the recipient shall be advised of his right, pursuant to Sections 2-200 and 2-201 of this Code, to have any person of his choosing, including the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission or the agency designated pursuant to the Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act notified of the restraint. A recipient who is under guardianship may request that any person of his choosing be notified of the restraint whether or not the guardian approves of the notice. Whenever the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission is notified that a recipient has been restrained, it shall contact that recipient to determine the circumstances of the restraint and whether further action is warranted.

(Source: P.A. 101-587, eff. 1-1-20.)

(405 ILCS 5/2-109) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 2-109)

Sec. 2-109. Seclusion. Seclusion may be used only as a therapeutic measure to prevent a recipient from causing physical harm to himself or physical abuse to others. In no event shall seclusion be utilized to punish or discipline a recipient, nor is seclusion to be used as a convenience for the staff.

(a) Seclusion shall be employed only upon the written order of a physician, clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, clinical professional counselor, advanced practice psychiatric nurse, or registered nurse with supervisory responsibilities. No seclusion shall be ordered unless the physician, clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, clinical professional counselor, advanced practice psychiatric nurse, or registered nurse with supervisory responsibilities, after personally observing and examining the recipient, is clinically satisfied that the use of seclusion is justified to prevent the recipient from causing physical harm to himself or others. In no event may seclusion continue for longer than 2 hours unless within that time period a nurse with supervisory responsibilities, advanced practice psychiatric nurse, or a physician confirms in writing, following a personal examination of the recipient, that the seclusion does not pose an undue risk to the recipient's health in light of the recipient's physical or medical condition. The order shall state the events leading up to the need for seclusion and the purposes for which seclusion is employed. The order shall also state the length of time seclusion is to be employed and the clinical justification for the length of time. No order for seclusion shall be valid for more than 16 hours. If further seclusion is required, a new order must be issued pursuant to the requirements provided in this Section.

(b) The person who orders seclusion shall inform the facility director or his designee in writing of the use of seclusion within 24 hours.

(c) The facility director shall review all seclusion orders daily and shall inquire into the reasons for the orders for seclusion by any person who routinely orders them.

(d) Seclusion may be employed during all or part of one 16-hour 16 hour period, that period commencing with the initial application of the seclusion. However, once seclusion has been employed during one 16-hour 16 hour period, it shall not be used again on the same recipient during the next 48 hours without the prior written authorization of the facility director.

(e) The person who ordered the seclusion shall assign a qualified person to observe the recipient at all times. A recipient who is restrained and secluded shall be observed by a qualified person as often as is clinically appropriate but in no event less than once every 15 minutes.

(f) Safety precautions shall be followed to prevent injuries to the recipient in the seclusion room. Seclusion rooms shall be adequately lighted, heated, and furnished. If a door is locked, someone with a key shall be in constant attendance nearby.

(g) Whenever seclusion is used, the recipient shall be advised of his right, pursuant to Sections 2-200 and 2-201 of this Code, to have any person of his choosing, including the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission notified of the seclusion. A person who is under guardianship may request that any person of his choosing be notified of the seclusion whether or not the guardian approves of the notice. Whenever the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission is notified that a recipient has been secluded, it shall contact that recipient to determine the circumstances of the seclusion and whether further action is warranted.

(Source: P.A. 101-587, eff. 1-1-20.)

(405 ILCS 5/2-114) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 2-114)

Sec. 2-114. (a) Whenever an attorney or other advocate from the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission or the agency designated by the Governor under Section 1 of the Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act or any other attorney advises a facility in which a recipient is receiving inpatient mental health services that he is presently representing the recipient, or has been appointed by any court or administrative agency to do so or has been requested to represent the recipient by a member of the recipient's family, the facility shall, subject to the provisions of Section 2-113 of this Code, disclose to the attorney or advocate whether the recipient is presently residing in the facility and, if so, how the attorney or advocate may communicate with the recipient.

(b) The facility may take reasonable precautions to identify the attorney or advocate. No further information shall be disclosed to the attorney or advocate except in conformity with the authorization procedures contained in the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act.

(c) Whenever the location of the recipient has been disclosed to an attorney or advocate, the facility director shall inform the recipient of that fact and shall note this disclosure in the recipient's records.

(d) An attorney or advocate who receives any information under this Section may not disclose this information to anyone else without the written consent of the recipient obtained pursuant to Section 5 of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)

(405 ILCS 5/2-200) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 2-200)

Sec. 2-200. (a) Upon commencement of services, or as soon thereafter as the condition of the recipient permits, every adult recipient, as well as the recipient's guardian or substitute decision maker, and every recipient who is 12 years of age or older and the parent or guardian of a minor or person under guardianship shall be informed orally and in writing of the rights guaranteed by this Chapter which are relevant to the nature of the recipient's services program. The notice shall include, if applicable, the recipient's right to request a transfer to a different Department facility under Section 3-908. Every facility shall also post conspicuously in public areas a summary of the rights which are relevant to the services delivered by that facility as well as contact information for the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission and the agency designated by the Governor under Section 1 of the Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act.

(b) A recipient who is 12 years of age or older and the parent or guardian of a minor or person under guardianship at any time may designate, and upon commencement of services shall be informed of the right to designate, a person or agency to receive notice under Section 2-201 or to direct that no information about the recipient be disclosed to any person or agency.

(c) Upon commencement of services, or as soon thereafter as the condition of the recipient permits, the facility shall ask the adult recipient or minor recipient admitted pursuant to Section 3-502 whether the recipient wants the facility to contact the recipient's spouse, parents, guardian, close relatives, friends, attorney, advocate from the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission or the agency designated by the Governor under Section 1 of the Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, or others and inform them of the recipient's presence at the facility. The facility shall by phone or by mail contact at least two of those people designated by the recipient and shall inform them of the recipient's location. If the recipient so requests, the facility shall also inform them of how to contact the recipient.

(d) Upon commencement of services, or as soon thereafter as the condition of the recipient permits, the facility shall advise the recipient as to the circumstances under which the law permits the use of emergency forced medication or electroconvulsive therapy under subsection (a) of Section 2-107, restraint under Section 2-108, or seclusion under Section 2-109. At the same time, the facility shall inquire of the recipient which form of intervention the recipient would prefer if any of these circumstances should arise. The recipient's preference shall be noted in the recipient's record and communicated by the facility to the recipient's guardian or substitute decision maker, if any, and any other individual designated by the recipient. If any such circumstances subsequently do arise, the facility shall give due consideration to the preferences of the recipient regarding which form of intervention to use as communicated to the facility by the recipient or as stated in the recipient's advance directive.

(Source: P.A. 102-593, eff. 8-27-21.)

(405 ILCS 5/2-201) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 2-201)

Sec. 2-201. (a) Whenever any rights of a recipient of services that are specified in this Chapter are restricted, the professional responsible for overseeing the implementation of the recipient's services plan shall be responsible for promptly giving notice of the restriction or use of restraint or seclusion and the reason therefor to:

(1) the recipient and, if such recipient is a minor or under guardianship, his parent or guardian;

(2) a person designated under subsection (b) of Section 2-200 upon commencement of services or at any later time to receive such notice;

(3) the facility director;

(4) the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, or the agency designated under "An Act in relation to the protection and advocacy of the rights of persons with developmental disabilities, and amending Acts therein named", approved September 20, 1985, if either is so designated; and

(5) the recipient's substitute decision maker, if any.

The professional shall also be responsible for promptly recording such restriction or use of restraint or seclusion and the reason therefor in the recipient's record.

(b) The facility director shall maintain a file of all notices of restrictions of rights, or the use of restraint or seclusion for the past 3 years. The facility director shall allow the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, the agency designated by the Governor under Section 1 of "An Act in relation to the protection and advocacy of the rights of persons with developmental disabilities, and amending Acts therein named," approved September 20, 1985, and the Department to examine and copy such records upon request. Records obtained under this Section shall not be further disclosed except pursuant to written authorization of the recipient under Section 5 of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act.

(Source: P.A. 91-726, eff. 6-2-00.)

(405 ILCS 5/3-206) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 3-206)

Sec. 3-206. Whenever a person is admitted or objects to admission, and whenever a recipient is notified that his legal status is to be changed, the facility director of the mental health facility shall provide the person, if he is 12 or older, with the address and phone number of the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission. If the person requests, the facility director shall assist him in contacting the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship Commission.

(Source: P.A. 88-380.)

(405 ILCS 5/3-405) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 3-405)

Sec. 3-405. (a) If the facility director of a Department mental health facility declines to admit a person seeking admission under Articles III or IV of this Chapter, a review of the denial may be requested by the person seeking admission or, with his consent, by an interested person on his behalf. Such a request may be made on behalf of a minor presented for admission under Section 3-502, 3-503 or 3-504 by the minor's attorney, by the parent, guardian or person in loco parentis who executed the application for his admission, or by the minor himself if he is 16 years of age or older. Whenever admission to a Department facility is denied, the person seeking admission shall immediately be given written notice of the right to request review of the denial under this Section and shall be provided, if he is 12 or older, with the address and phone number of the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission. If the person requests, the facility director shall assist him in contacting the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship Commission. A written request for review shall be submitted to the director of the facility that denied admission within 14 days of the denial. Upon receipt of the request, the facility director shall promptly schedule a hearing to be held at the denying facility within 7 days pursuant to Section 3-207.

(b) At the hearing the Department shall have the burden of proving that the person denied admission does not meet the standard set forth in the Section under which admission is sought or that an appropriate alternative community treatment program was available to meet the person's needs and was offered. If the utilization review committee finds that the decision denying admission is based upon substantial evidence, it shall recommend that the denial of admission be upheld. However, if it finds that the facility to which admission is sought can provide adequate and appropriate treatment for the person and no appropriate community alternative treatment is available, it shall recommend that the person denied admission be admitted. If it determines that another facility can provide treatment appropriate to the clinical condition and needs of the person denied admission, it may recommend that the Department or other agency assist the person in obtaining such treatment.

(Source: P.A. 91-726, eff. 6-2-00.)

(405 ILCS 5/3-805) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 3-805)

Sec. 3-805. Every respondent alleged to be subject to involuntary admission on an inpatient or outpatient basis shall be represented by counsel. If the respondent is indigent or an appearance has not been entered on his behalf at the time the matter is set for hearing, the court shall appoint counsel for him. A hearing shall not proceed when a respondent is not represented by counsel unless, after conferring with counsel, the respondent requests to represent himself and the court is satisfied that the respondent has the capacity to make an informed waiver of his right to counsel. Counsel shall be allowed time for adequate preparation and shall not be prevented from conferring with the respondent at reasonable times nor from making an investigation of the matters in issue and presenting such relevant evidence as he believes is necessary.

1. If the court determines that the respondent is unable to obtain counsel, the court shall appoint as counsel an attorney employed by or under contract with the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Mental Health Advocacy Commission, if available.

2. If an attorney from the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Mental Health Advocacy Commission is not available, the court shall appoint as counsel the public defender or, only if no public defender is available, an attorney licensed to practice law in this State.

3. Upon filing with the court of a verified statement of legal services rendered by the private attorney appointed pursuant to paragraph (2) of this Section, the court shall determine a reasonable fee for such services. If the respondent is unable to pay the fee, the court shall enter an order upon the county to pay the entire fee or such amount as the respondent is unable to pay.

(Source: P.A. 96-1399, eff. 7-29-10; 96-1453, eff. 8-20-10.)

(405 ILCS 5/3-910) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 3-910)

Sec. 3-910. (a) Whenever a recipient who has been in a Department facility for more than 7 days is to be transferred to another facility under Section 3-908, the facility director of the facility shall give written notice at least 14 days before the transfer to the recipient, his attorney, guardian, if any, and responsible relative. In the case of a minor, notice shall be given to his attorney, to the parent, guardian, or person in loco parentis who executed the application for his admission, and to the minor himself if he is 12 years of age or older. The notice shall include the reasons for transfer, a statement of the right to object and the address and phone number of the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission. If the recipient requests, the facility director shall assist him in contacting the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship Commission.

(b) In an emergency, when the health of the recipient or the physical safety of the recipient or others is imminently imperiled and appropriate care is not available where the recipient is located, a recipient may be immediately transferred to another facility provided that notice of the transfer is given as soon as possible but not more than 48 hours after transfer. The reason for the emergency shall be noted in the recipient's record and specified in the notice.

(c) A recipient may object to his transfer or his attorney, guardian, or responsible relative may object on his behalf. In the case of a minor, his attorney, the person who executed the application for admission, or the minor himself if he is 12 years of age or older, may object to the transfer. Prior to transfer or within 14 days after an emergency transfer, a written objection shall be submitted to the facility director of the facility where the recipient is located. Upon receipt of an objection, the facility director shall promptly schedule a hearing to be held within 7 days pursuant to Section 3-207. The hearing shall be held at the transferring facility except that when an emergency transfer has taken place the hearing may be held at the receiving facility. Except in an emergency, no transfer shall proceed pending hearing on an objection.

(d) At the hearing the Department shall have the burden of proving that the standard for transfer under Section 3-908 is met. If the transfer is to a facility which is substantially more physically restrictive than the transferring facility, the Department shall also prove that the transfer is reasonably required for the safety of the recipient or others. If the utilization review committee finds that the Department has sustained its burden and the decision to transfer is based upon substantial evidence, it shall recommend that the transfer proceed. If it does not so find, it shall recommend that the recipient not be transferred.

(Source: P.A. 88-380.)

(405 ILCS 5/4-201.1) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 4-201.1)

Sec. 4-201.1. (a) A person residing in a Department mental health facility who is evaluated as having a mild or moderate intellectual disability, an attorney or advocate representing the person, or a guardian of such person may object to the Department facility director's certification required in Section 4-201, the treatment and habilitation plan, or appropriateness of setting, and obtain an administrative decision requiring revision of a treatment or habilitation plan or change of setting, by utilization review as provided in Sections 3-207 and 4-209 of this Code. As part of this utilization review, the Committee shall include as one of its members a qualified intellectual disabilities professional.

(b) The mental health facility director shall give written notice to each person evaluated as having a mild or moderate intellectual disability, the person's attorney and guardian, if any, or in the case of a minor, to his or her attorney, to the parent, guardian or person in loco parentis and to the minor if 12 years of age or older, of the person's right to request a review of the facility director's initial or subsequent determination that such person is appropriately placed or is receiving appropriate services. The notice shall also provide the address and phone number of the Division of Legal Advocacy Service of the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, which the person or guardian can contact for legal assistance. If requested, the facility director shall assist the person or guardian in contacting the Division of Legal Advocacy Service. This notice shall be given within 24 hours of Department's evaluation by the Department of Human Services that the person has a mild or moderate intellectual disability.

(c) Any recipient of services who successfully challenges a final decision of the Secretary of the Department (or his or her designee) reviewing an objection to the certification required under Section 4-201, the treatment and habilitation plan, or the appropriateness of the setting shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney's fees incurred in that challenge, unless the Department's position was substantially justified.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)

(405 ILCS 5/4-203) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 4-203)

Sec. 4-203. (a) Every developmental disabilities facility shall maintain adequate records which shall include the Section of this Act under which the client was admitted, any subsequent change in the client's status, and requisite documentation for such admission and status.

(b) The Department shall ensure that a monthly report is maintained for each Department mental health facility, and each unit of a Department developmental disability facility for dually diagnosed persons, which lists (1) initials of persons admitted to, residing at, or discharged from a Department mental health facility or unit for dually diagnosed persons of Department developmental disability facility during that month with a primary or secondary diagnosis of intellectual disability, (2) the date and facility and unit of admission or continuing, care, (3) the legal admission status, (4) the recipient's diagnosis, (5) the date and facility and unit of transfer or discharge, (6) whether or not there is a public or private guardian, (7) whether the facility director has certified that appropriate treatment and habilitation are available for and being provided to such person pursuant to Section 4-203 of this Chapter, and (8) whether the person or a guardian has requested review as provided in Section 4-209 of this Chapter and, if so, the outcome of the review. The Secretary of the Department shall furnish a copy of each monthly report upon request to the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission and the agency designated by the Governor under Section 1 of "An Act in relation to the protection and advocacy of the rights of persons with developmental disabilities, and amending certain Acts therein named", approved September 20, 1985, and under Section 1 of "An Act for the protection and advocacy of mentally ill persons", approved September 20, 1987.

(c) Nothing contained in this Chapter shall be construed to limit or otherwise affect the power of any developmental disabilities facility to determine the qualifications of persons permitted to admit clients to such facility. This subsection shall not affect or limit the powers of any court to order admission to a developmental disabilities facility as set forth in this Chapter.

(Source: P.A. 97-227, eff. 1-1-12.)

(405 ILCS 5/4-605) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 4-605)

Sec. 4-605. Every respondent alleged to meet the standard for judicial admission shall be represented by counsel. If the respondent is indigent or an appearance has not been entered on his behalf at the time the matter is set for hearing, the court shall appoint counsel for him. A hearing shall not proceed when a respondent is not represented by counsel unless, after conferring with counsel, the respondent requests to represent himself and the court is satisfied that the respondent has the capacity to make an informed waiver of his right to counsel. Counsel shall be allowed time for adequate preparation and shall not be prevented from conferring with the respondent at reasonable times nor from making an investigation of the matters in issue and presenting such relevant evidence as he believes is necessary.

1. If the court determines that the respondent is unable to obtain counsel, the court shall appoint as counsel an attorney employed by or under contract with the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, if available.

2. If an attorney from the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission is not available, the court shall appoint as counsel the public defender or, only if no public defender is available, an attorney licensed to practice law in this State.

3. Upon filing with the court of a verified statement of legal services rendered by the private attorney appointed pursuant to paragraph (2) of this Section, the court shall determine a reasonable fee for such services. If the respondent is unable to pay the fee, the court shall enter an order upon the county to pay the entire fee or such amount as the respondent is unable to pay.

(Source: P.A. 85-1247.)

(405 ILCS 5/5-100) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 5-100)

Sec. 5-100. Written notice of the death of a recipient of services which occurs at a mental health or developmental disabilities facility, or the death of a recipient of services who has not been discharged from a mental health or developmental disabilities facility but whose death occurs elsewhere, shall within 10 days of the death of a recipient be mailed to the Department of Public Health which, for the primary purpose of monitoring patterns of abuse and neglect of recipients of services, shall make such notices available to the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission and to the agency designated by the Governor under Section 1 of "An Act in relation to the protection and advocacy of the rights of persons with developmental disabilities, and amending Acts therein named", approved September 20, 1985. Such notice shall include the name of the recipient, the name and address of the facility at which the death occurred, the recipient's age, the nature of the recipient's condition, including any evidence of the previous injuries or disabilities, or relevant medical conditions or any other information which might be helpful in establishing the cause of death.

Written notice of the death of a recipient of services who was admitted by court order, and the cause thereof shall, in all cases, be mailed by the facility director to the court entering the original admission order, and if possible, to the same judge, and the time, place and alleged cause of such death shall be entered upon the docket. Such notice must be mailed within 10 days following the death of the recipient.

In the event of a sudden or mysterious death of any recipient of services at any public or private facility, a coroner's inquest shall be held as provided by law in other cases.

In cases where the deceased person was a recipient or client of any state facility, and the fees for holding an inquest cannot be collected out of his estate, such fees shall be paid by the Department.

(Source: P.A. 88-380.)

Section 100. The Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Act is amended by changing Section 6 as follows:

(410 ILCS 405/6) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 6956)

Sec. 6. Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee.

(a) There is created the Alzheimer's Disease Advisory Committee consisting of 17 voting members appointed by the Director of the Department, as well as 5 nonvoting members as hereinafter provided in this Section. The Director or his designee shall serve as one of the 17 voting members and as the Chairman of the Committee. Those appointed as voting members shall include persons who are experienced in research and the delivery of services to individuals with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder and their families. Such members shall include:

(1) one individual from a statewide association dedicated to Alzheimer's care, support, and research;

(2) one individual from a non-governmental statewide organization that advocates for seniors;

(3) the Dementia Coordinator of the Illinois Department of Public Health, or the Dementia Coordinator's designee;

(4) one individual representing the Community Care Program's Home and Community Services Division;

(5) one individual representing the Adult Protective Services Unit;

(6) 3 individuals from Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Centers;

(7) one individual from a statewide association representing an adult day service organization;

(8) one individual from a statewide association representing home care providers;

(9) one individual from a statewide trade organization representing the interests of physicians licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches in Illinois;

(10) one individual representing long-term care facilities licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act, an assisted living establishment licensed under the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act, or supportive living facilities;

(11) one individual from a statewide association representing the interests of social workers;

(12) one individual representing Area Agencies on Aging;

(13) the Medicaid Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, or the Medicaid Director's designee;

(14) one individual from a statewide association representing health education and promotion and public health advocacy; and

(15) one individual with medical or academic experience with early onset Alzheimer's disease or related disorders.

(b) In addition to the 17 voting members, the Directors of the following State agencies or their designees who are qualified to represent each Department's programs and services for those with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders shall serve as nonvoting members: Department on Aging, Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Department of Public Health, Department of Human Services, and Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission.

Each voting member appointed by the Director of Public Health shall serve for a term of 2 years, and until his successor is appointed and qualified. Members of the Committee shall not be compensated but shall be reimbursed for expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as original appointments.

The Committee shall review all State programs and services provided by State agencies that are directed toward persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, and by consensus recommend changes to improve the State's response to this serious health problem. Such recommendations shall be included in the State plan described in this Act.

(Source: P.A. 101-588, eff. 1-1-20.)

Section 103. The Vital Records Act is amended by changing Section 25.2 as follows:

(410 ILCS 535/25.2)

Sec. 25.2. Division Office of State Guardian birth record request.

(a) For purposes of this Section, an individual's status as a person under guardianship of with the Division Office of State Guardian may be verified with a copy of the court order placing the individual under the guardianship of the Division Office of State Guardian.

(b) The applicable fees under Section 17 for a new certificate of birth and under Section 25 for a search for a birth record or certified copy of a birth record shall be waived for requests made by the Division Office of State Guardian to the Office of the State Registrar of Vital Records in Springfield for an individual under guardianship of the Division Office of State Guardian, whose status is verified under subsection (a) of this Section.

(c) The State Registrar of Vital Records shall establish standards and procedures consistent with this Section for waiver of the applicable fees.

(d) An individual under guardianship shall be provided no more than 4 birth records annually under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 103-682, eff. 7-1-25.)

Section 105. The Clerks of Courts Act is amended by changing Section 27.3f as follows:

(705 ILCS 105/27.3f)

Sec. 27.3f. Guardianship and advocacy operations fee.

(a) As used in this Section, "guardianship and advocacy" means the guardianship and advocacy services provided by the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission and defined in the Guardianship and Advocacy Act. Viable public guardianship and advocacy programs, including the public guardianship programs created and supervised in probate proceedings in the Illinois courts, are essential to the administration of justice and ensure that incapacitated persons and their estates are protected. To defray the expense of maintaining and operating the divisions and programs of the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission and to support viable guardianship and advocacy programs throughout Illinois, each circuit court clerk shall charge and collect a fee on all matters filed in probate cases in accordance with this Section, but no fees shall be assessed against the Division of State Guardian, any State agency under the jurisdiction of the Governor, any public guardian, or any State's Attorney.

(b) No fee specified in this Section shall be imposed in any minor guardianship established under Article XI of the Probate Act of 1975, or against an indigent person. An indigent person shall include any person who meets one or more of the following criteria:

(1) He or she is receiving assistance under one or more of the following public benefits programs: Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly Food Stamps), General Assistance, State Transitional Assistance, or State Children and Family Assistance.

(2) His or her available income is 125% or less of the current poverty level as established by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, unless the applicant's assets that are not exempt under Part 9 or 10 of Article XII of the Code of Civil Procedure are of a nature and value that the court determines that the applicant is able to pay the fees, costs, and charges.

(3) He or she is, in the discretion of the court, unable to proceed in an action without payment of fees, costs, and charges and whose payment of those fees, costs, and charges would result in substantial hardship to the person or his or her family.

(4) He or she is an indigent person pursuant to Section 5-105.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, providing that an "indigent person" means a person whose income is 125% or less of the current official federal poverty guidelines or who is otherwise eligible to receive civil legal services under the Legal Services Corporation Act of 1974.

(c) The clerk is entitled to receive the fee specified in this Section, which shall be paid in advance, and managed by the clerk as set out in paragraph (2), except that, for good cause shown, the court may suspend, reduce, or release the costs payable under this Section:

(1) For administration of the estate of a decedent (whether testate or intestate) or of a missing person, a fee of $100.

(2) The guardianship and advocacy operations fee, as outlined in this Section, shall be in addition to all other fees and charges and assessable as costs. Five percent of the fee shall be retained by the clerk for deposit into the Circuit Court Clerk Operation and Administrative Fund to defray costs of collection and 95% of the fee shall be disbursed within 60 days after receipt by the circuit clerk to the State Treasurer for deposit by the State Treasurer into the Guardianship and Advocacy Fund.

(Source: P.A. 97-1093, eff. 1-1-13.)

Section 110. The Criminal Code of 2012 is amended by changing Section 12-9 as follows:

(720 ILCS 5/12-9) (from Ch. 38, par. 12-9)

Sec. 12-9. Threatening public officials; human service providers.

(a) A person commits threatening a public official or human service provider when:

(1) that person knowingly delivers or conveys, directly or indirectly, to a public official or human service provider by any means a communication:

(i) containing a threat that would place the public official or human service provider or a member of his or her immediate family in reasonable apprehension of immediate or future bodily harm, sexual assault, confinement, or restraint; or

(ii) containing a threat that would place the public official or human service provider or a member of his or her immediate family in reasonable apprehension that damage will occur to property in the custody, care, or control of the public official or his or her immediate family; and

(2) the threat was conveyed because of the performance or nonperformance of some public duty or duty as a human service provider, because of hostility of the person making the threat toward the status or position of the public official or the human service provider, or because of any other factor related to the official's public existence.

(a-5) For purposes of a threat to a sworn law enforcement officer, the threat must contain specific facts indicative of a unique threat to the person, family or property of the officer and not a generalized threat of harm.

(a-6) For purposes of a threat to a social worker, caseworker, investigator, or human service provider, the threat must contain specific facts indicative of a unique threat to the person, family or property of the individual and not a generalized threat of harm.

(b) For purposes of this Section:

(1) "Public official" means a person who is elected to office in accordance with a statute or who is appointed to an office which is established, and the qualifications and duties of which are prescribed, by statute, to discharge a public duty for the State or any of its political subdivisions or in the case of an elective office any person who has filed the required documents for nomination or election to such office. "Public official" includes a duly appointed assistant State's Attorney, assistant Attorney General, or Appellate Prosecutor; a sworn law enforcement or peace officer; a social worker, caseworker, attorney, or investigator employed by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Children and Family Services, or the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission; or an assistant public guardian, attorney, social worker, case manager, or investigator employed by a duly appointed public guardian.

(1.5) "Human service provider" means a social worker, case worker, or investigator employed by an agency or organization providing social work, case work, or investigative services under a contract with or a grant from the Department of Human Services, the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, or the Department on Aging.

(2) "Immediate family" means a public official's spouse or child or children.

(c) Threatening a public official or human service provider is a Class 3 felony for a first offense and a Class 2 felony for a second or subsequent offense.

(Source: P.A. 100-1, eff. 1-1-18.)

Section 115. The Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act is amended by changing Sections 4, 8, and 8.1 as follows:

(740 ILCS 110/4) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 804)

Sec. 4. (a) The following persons shall be entitled, upon request, to inspect and copy a recipient's record or any part thereof:

(1) the parent or guardian of a recipient who is under 12 years of age;

(2) the recipient if he is 12 years of age or older;

(3) the parent or guardian of a recipient who is at least 12 but under 18 years, if the recipient is informed and does not object or if the therapist does not find that there are compelling reasons for denying the access. The parent or guardian who is denied access by either the recipient or the therapist may petition a court for access to the record. Nothing in this paragraph is intended to prohibit the parent or guardian of a recipient who is at least 12 but under 18 years from requesting and receiving the following information: current physical and mental condition, diagnosis, treatment needs, services provided, and services needed, including medication, if any;

(3.5) the parent or guardian of a minor, regardless of the minor's age, if the minor is involved in special education services under Section 14-1.11 of the School Code, and only for the purpose of inspecting and copying a record of the specific mental health or developmental services that the parent or guardian consented to on the recipient's behalf for special education services; or the designated representative of a student over the age of 18 involved in special education services under Section 14-6.10 of the School Code;

(4) the guardian of a recipient who is 18 years or older;

(5) an attorney or guardian ad litem who represents a minor 12 years of age or older in any judicial or administrative proceeding, provided that the court or administrative hearing officer has entered an order granting the attorney this right;

(6) an agent appointed under a recipient's power of attorney for health care or for property, when the power of attorney authorizes the access;

(7) an attorney-in-fact appointed under the Mental Health Treatment Preference Declaration Act; or

(8) any person in whose care and custody the recipient has been placed pursuant to Section 3-811 of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code.

(b) Assistance in interpreting the record may be provided without charge and shall be provided if the person inspecting the record is under 18 years of age. However, access may in no way be denied or limited if the person inspecting the record refuses the assistance. A reasonable fee may be charged for duplication of a record. However, when requested to do so in writing by any indigent recipient, the custodian of the records shall provide at no charge to the recipient, or to the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, the agency designated by the Governor under Section 1 of the Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act or to any other not-for-profit agency whose primary purpose is to provide free legal services or advocacy for the indigent and who has received written authorization from the recipient under Section 5 of this Act to receive his records, one copy of any records in its possession whose disclosure is authorized under this Act.

(c) Any person entitled to access to a record under this Section may submit a written statement concerning any disputed or new information, which statement shall be entered into the record. Whenever any disputed part of a record is disclosed, any submitted statement relating thereto shall accompany the disclosed part. Additionally, any person entitled to access may request modification of any part of the record which he believes is incorrect or misleading. If the request is refused, the person may seek a court order to compel modification.

(d) Whenever access or modification is requested, the request and any action taken thereon shall be noted in the recipient's record.

(e) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to affect the protection of or access to records under the Illinois School Student Records Act or the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

(Source: P.A. 103-474, eff. 1-1-24; 104-263, eff. 1-1-26.)

(740 ILCS 110/8) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 808)

Sec. 8. In the course of an investigation, or in the course of monitoring issues concerning the rights of recipients or the services provided to recipients as authorized by subsection (l) of Section 5 of the Guardianship and Advocacy Act, the Division of Disability Rights and Protections a regional human rights authority of the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission created by the Guardianship and Advocacy Act may inspect and copy any recipient's records in the possession of a therapist, agency, department, Department or facility which provides services to a recipient, including reports of suspected abuse or neglect of a recipient and information regarding the disposition of such reports. However, the Division of Disability Rights and Protections a regional authority may not inspect or copy records containing personally identifiable data which cannot be removed without imposing an unreasonable burden on the therapist, agency, department, Department or facility which provides services, except as provided herein. The Division of Disability Rights and Protections regional authority shall give written notice to the person entitled to give consent for the identifiable recipient of services under Section 4 that it is conducting an investigation or monitoring and indicating the nature and purpose of the investigation or monitoring and the need to inspect and copy the recipient's record. If the person notified objects in writing to such inspection and copying, the Division of Disability Rights and Protections regional authority may not inspect or copy the record. The therapist, agency, department, Department or facility which provides services may not object on behalf of a recipient.

(Source: P.A. 86-820; 86-1013; 86-1475.)

(740 ILCS 110/8.1) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 808.1)

Sec. 8.1. The agency designated by the Governor under Section 1 of "An Act in relation to the protection and advocacy of the rights of persons with developmental disabilities, and amending Acts therein named", approved September 20, 1985, as now or hereafter amended, shall have access, for the purpose of inspection and copying, to the records of a person with developmental disabilities who resides in a developmental disability facility or mental health facility, as defined in Sections 1-107 and 1-114, respectively, of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code, as now or hereafter amended, if (a) a complaint is received by such agency from or on behalf of the person with a developmental disability, and (b) such person does not have a guardian of the person or the State or the designee of the State is his or her guardian of the person. The designated agency shall provide written notice of the receipt of a complaint to the custodian of the records of the person from whom or on whose behalf a complaint is received. The designated agency shall provide to the person with developmental disabilities and to the Division of his or her State Guardian guardian, if appointed, written notice of the nature of the complaint based upon which the designated agency has gained access to the records. No record or the contents of any record shall be redisclosed by the designated agency unless the person with developmental disabilities and the Division of State Guardian guardian are provided 7 days advance written notice, except in emergency situations, of the designated agency's intent to redisclose such record, during which time the person with developmental disabilities or the Division of State Guardian guardian may seek to judicially enjoin the designated agency's redisclosure of such record on the grounds that such redisclosure is contrary to the interests of the person with developmental disabilities. If a person with developmental disabilities resides in a developmental disability or mental health facility and has a guardian other than the State or the designee of the State, the facility director shall disclose the guardian's name, address and telephone number to the designated agency at the agency's request.

Upon written request and after the provision of written notice to the agency, facility or other body from which records and other materials are sought of the designated agency's investigation of problems affecting numbers of persons with developmental disabilities, the designated agency shall be entitled to inspect and copy any records or other materials which may further the agency's investigation of problems affecting numbers of persons with developmental disabilities. When required by law any personally identifiable information of persons with developmental disabilities shall be removed from the records. However, the designated agency may not inspect or copy records or other materials when the removal of personally identifiable information imposes an unreasonable burden on mental health and developmental disabilities facilities.

For the purposes of this Section, "developmental disability" means a severe, chronic disability of a person which -

(A) is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or combination of mental and physical impairments;

(B) is manifested before the person attains age 22;

(C) is likely to continue indefinitely;

(D) results in substantial functional limitations in 3 or more of the following areas of major life activity: (i) self-care, (ii) receptive and expressive language, (iii) learning, (iv) mobility, (v) self-direction, (vi) capacity for independent living, and (vii) economic self-sufficiency; and

(E) reflects the person's need for a combination and sequence of special, interdisciplinary or generic care, treatment or other services which are of lifelong or extended duration and are individually planned and coordinated.

(Source: P.A. 88-380.)

Section 120. The Adoption Act is amended by changing Section 13 as follows:

(750 ILCS 50/13) (from Ch. 40, par. 1516)

Sec. 13. Interim order. As soon as practicable after the filing of a petition for adoption the court shall hold a hearing for the following purposes:

A. In other than an adoption of a related child or an adoption through an agency, or of an adult:

(a) To determine the validity of the consent, provided that the execution of a consent pursuant to this Act shall be prima facie evidence of its validity, and provided that the validity of a consent shall not be affected by the omission therefrom of the names of the petitioners or adopting parents at the time the consent is executed or acknowledged, and further provided that the execution of a consent prior to the filing of a petition for adoption shall not affect its validity.

(b) To determine whether there is available suitable temporary custodial care for a child sought to be adopted.

B. In all cases except standby adoptions and re-adoptions:

(a) The court shall appoint some licensed attorney other than the State's attorney acting in his or her official capacity as guardian ad litem to represent a child sought to be adopted. Such guardian ad litem shall have power to consent to the adoption of the child, if such consent is required. In the case of a related adoption where the child sought to be adopted is not a youth in care, the court shall have the discretion to waive the appointment of a guardian ad litem.

(b) The court shall appoint a guardian ad litem for all named minors or defendants who are persons under legal disability, if any. In the case of a related adoption where the child sought to be adopted is not a youth in care, the court shall have the discretion to waive the appointment of a guardian ad litem.

(c) If the petition alleges a person to be unfit pursuant to the provisions of subparagraph (p) of paragraph D of Section 1 of this Act, such person shall be represented by counsel. If such person is indigent or an appearance has not been entered on his behalf at the time the matter is set for hearing, the court shall appoint as counsel for him either the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, the public defender, or, only if no attorney from the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission or the public defender is available, an attorney licensed to practice law in this State.

(d) If it is proved to the satisfaction of the court, after such investigation as the court deems necessary, that termination of parental rights and temporary commitment of the child to an agency or to a person deemed competent by the court, including petitioners, will be for the welfare of the child, the court may order the child to be so committed and may terminate the parental rights of the parents and declare the child a ward of the court or, if it is not so proved, the court may enter such other order as it shall deem necessary and advisable.

(e) Before an interim custody order is granted under this Section, service of summons shall be had upon the parent or parents whose rights have not been terminated, except as provided in subsection (f). Reasonable notice and opportunity to be heard shall be given to the parent or parents after service of summons when the address of the parent or parents is available. The party seeking an interim custody order shall make all reasonable efforts to locate the parent or parents of the child or children they are seeking to adopt and to notify the parent or parents of the party's request for an interim custody order pursuant to this Section.

(f) An interim custody order may be granted without notice upon presentation to the court of a written petition, accompanied by an affidavit, stating that there is an immediate danger to the child and that irreparable harm will result to the child if notice is given to the parent or parents or legal guardian. Upon making a finding that there is an immediate danger to the child if service of process is had upon and notice of hearing is given to the parent or parents or legal guardian prior to the entry of an order granting temporary custody to someone other than a parent or legal guardian, the court may enter an order of temporary custody which shall expire not more than 10 days after its entry. Every ex parte custody order granted without notice shall state the injury which the court sought to avoid by granting the order, the irreparable injury that would have occurred had notice been given, and the reason the order was granted without notice. The matter shall be set down for full hearing before the expiration of the ex parte order and will be heard after service of summons is had upon and notice of hearing is given to the parent or parents or legal guardian. At the hearing the burden of proof shall be upon the party seeking to extend the interim custody order to show that the order was properly granted without notice and that custody should remain with the party seeking to adopt during the pendency of the adoption proceeding. If the interim custody order is extended, the reasons for granting the extension shall be stated in the order.

C. In the case of a child born outside the United States or a territory thereof, if the petitioners have previously been appointed guardians of such child by a court of competent jurisdiction in a country other than the United States or a territory thereof, the court may order that the petitioners continue as guardians of such child.

D. In standby adoption cases:

(a) The court shall appoint a licensed attorney other than the State's Attorney acting in his or her official capacity as guardian ad litem to represent a child sought to be adopted. The guardian ad litem shall have power to consent to the adoption of the child, if consent is required.

(b) The court shall appoint a guardian ad litem for all named minors or defendants who are persons under legal disability, if any. In the case of a related adoption where the child sought to be adopted is not a youth in care, the court shall have the discretion to waive the appointment of a guardian ad litem.

(c) The court lacks jurisdiction to proceed on the petition for standby adoption if the child has a living parent, adoptive parent, or adjudicated parent whose rights have not been terminated and whose whereabouts are known, unless the parent consents to the standby adoption or, after receiving notice of the hearing on the standby adoption petition, fails to object to the appointment of a standby adoptive parent at the hearing on the petition.

(d) The court shall investigate as needed for the welfare of the child and shall determine whether the petitioner or petitioners shall be permitted to adopt.

(Source: P.A. 102-139, eff. 1-1-22.)

Section 125. The Probate Act of 1975 is amended by changing Sections 11a-3.1, 11a-3.2, 11a-5, 11a-5.1, 11a-8.1, 11a-9, 11a-12, 11a-13, 11a-14.1, 11a-17, 12-4, 13-1, and 13-1.2 as follows:

(755 ILCS 5/11a-3.1)

Sec. 11a-3.1. Appointment of standby guardian.

(a) The guardian of a person with a disability may designate in any writing, including a will, a person qualified to act under Section 11a-5 to be appointed as standby guardian of the person or estate, or both, of the person with a disability. The guardian may designate in any writing, including a will, a person qualified to act under Section 11a-5 to be appointed as successor standby guardian of the person or estate of the person with a disability, or both. The designation must be witnessed by 2 or more credible witnesses at least 18 years of age, neither of whom is the person designated as the standby guardian. The designation may be proved by any competent evidence. If the designation is executed and attested in the same manner as a will, it shall have prima facie validity. Prior to designating a proposed standby guardian, the guardian shall consult with the person with a disability to determine the preference of the person with a disability as to the person who will serve as standby guardian. The guardian shall give due consideration to the preference of the person with a disability in selecting a standby guardian.

(b) Upon the filing of a petition for the appointment of a standby guardian, the court may appoint a standby guardian of the person or estate, or both, of the person with a disability as the court finds to be in the best interests of the person with a disability. The court shall apply the same standards used in determining the suitability of a plenary or limited guardian in determining the suitability of a standby guardian, giving due consideration to the preference of the person with a disability as to a standby guardian. The court may not appoint the Division Office of State Guardian, pursuant to Section 30 of the Guardianship and Advocacy Act, or a public guardian, pursuant to Section 13-5 of this Act, as a standby guardian, without the written consent of the Division of State Guardian or public guardian or an authorized representative of the Division of State Guardian or public guardian.

(c) The standby guardian shall take and file an oath or affirmation that the standby guardian will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of standby guardian according to law, and shall file in and have approved by the court a bond binding the standby guardian so to do, but shall not be required to file a bond until the standby guardian assumes all duties as guardian of the person with a disability under Section 11a-18.2.

(d) The designation of a standby guardian may, but need not, be in the following form:

DESIGNATION OF STANDBY GUARDIAN

[IT IS IMPORTANT TO READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS:

A standby guardian is someone who has been appointed by the court as the person who will act as guardian of the person with a disability when the guardian of the person with a disability dies or is no longer willing or able to make and carry out day-to-day care decisions concerning the person with a disability. By properly completing this form, a guardian is naming the person that the guardian wants to be appointed as the standby guardian of the person with a disability. Signing the form does not appoint the standby guardian; to be appointed, a petition must be filed in and approved by the court.]

1. Guardian and Ward. I, (insert name of designating guardian), currently residing at (insert address of designating guardian), am the guardian of the following person with a disability: (insert name of ward).

2. Standby Guardian. I hereby designate the following person to be appointed as standby guardian for my ward listed above: (insert name and address of person designated).

3. Successor Standby Guardian. If the person named in item 2 above cannot or will not act as standby guardian, I designate the following person to be appointed as successor standby guardian for my ward: (insert name and address of person designated).

4. Date and Signature. This designation is made this (insert day) day of (insert month and year).

Signed: (designating guardian)

5. Witnesses. I saw the guardian sign this designation or the guardian told me that the guardian signed this designation. Then I signed the designation as a witness in the presence of the guardian. I am not designated in this instrument to act as a standby guardian for the guardian's ward. (insert space for names, addresses, and signatures of 2 witnesses)

[END OF FORM]

(Source: P.A. 102-72, eff. 1-1-22.)

(755 ILCS 5/11a-3.2)

Sec. 11a-3.2. Short-term guardian.

(a) The guardian of a person with a disability may appoint in writing, without court approval, a short-term guardian of the person with a disability to take over the guardian's duties, to the extent provided in Section 11a-18.3, each time the guardian is unavailable or unable to carry out those duties. The guardian shall consult with the person with a disability to determine the preference of the person with a disability concerning the person to be appointed as short-term guardian and the guardian shall give due consideration to the preference of the person with a disability in choosing a short-term guardian. The written instrument appointing a short-term guardian shall be dated and shall identify the appointing guardian, the person with a disability, the person appointed to be the short-term guardian, and the termination date of the appointment. The written instrument shall be signed by, or at the direction of, the appointing guardian in the presence of at least 2 credible witnesses at least 18 years of age, neither of whom is the person appointed as the short-term guardian. The person appointed as the short-term guardian shall also sign the written instrument, but need not sign at the same time as the appointing guardian. A guardian may not appoint the Division Office of State Guardian or a public guardian as a short-term guardian, without the written consent of the Division of State Guardian or public guardian or an authorized representative of the State Guardian or public guardian.

(b) The appointment of the short-term guardian is effective immediately upon the date the written instrument is executed, unless the written instrument provides for the appointment to become effective upon a later specified date or event. A short-term guardian appointed by the guardian shall have authority to act as guardian of the person with a disability for a cumulative total of 60 days during any 12-month period. Only one written instrument appointing a short-term guardian may be in force at any given time.

(c) Every appointment of a short-term guardian may be amended or revoked by the appointing guardian at any time and in any manner communicated to the short-term guardian or to any other person. Any person other than the short-term guardian to whom a revocation or amendment is communicated or delivered shall make all reasonable efforts to inform the short-term guardian of that fact as promptly as possible.

(d) The appointment of a short-term guardian or successor short-term guardian does not affect the rights in the person with a disability of any guardian other than the appointing guardian.

(e) The written instrument appointing a short-term guardian may, but need not, be in the following form:

APPOINTMENT OF SHORT-TERM GUARDIAN

[IT IS IMPORTANT TO READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS:

By properly completing this form, a guardian is appointing a short-term guardian of the person with a disability for a cumulative total of up to 60 days during any 12-month period. A separate form shall be completed each time a short-term guardian takes over guardianship duties. The person or persons appointed as the short-term guardian shall sign the form, but need not do so at the same time as the guardian.]

1. Guardian and Ward. I, (insert name of appointing guardian), currently residing at (insert address of appointing guardian), am the guardian of the following person with a disability: (insert name of ward).

2. Short-term Guardian. I hereby appoint the following person as the short-term guardian for my ward: (insert name and address of appointed person).

3. Effective date. This appointment becomes effective: (check one if you wish it to be applicable)

( ) On the date that I state in writing that I am no longer either willing or able to make and carry out day-to-day care decisions concerning my ward.

( ) On the date that a physician familiar with my condition certifies in writing that I am no longer willing or able to make and carry out day-to-day care decisions concerning my ward.

( ) On the date that I am admitted as an in-patient to a hospital or other health care institution.

( ) On the following date: (insert date).

( ) Other: (insert other).

[NOTE: If this item is not completed, the appointment is effective immediately upon the date the form is signed and dated below.]

4. Termination. This appointment shall terminate on: (enter a date corresponding to 60 days from the current date, less the number of days within the past 12 months that any short-term guardian has taken over guardianship duties), unless it terminates sooner as determined by the event or date I have indicated below: (check one if you wish it to be applicable)

( ) On the date that I state in writing that I am willing and able to make and carry out day-to-day care decisions concerning my ward.

( ) On the date that a physician familiar with my condition certifies in writing that I am willing and able to make and carry out day-to-day care decisions concerning my ward.

( ) On the date that I am discharged from the hospital or other health care institution where I was admitted as an in-patient, which established the effective date.

( ) On the date which is (state a number of days) days after the effective date.

( ) Other: (insert other).

[NOTE: If this item is not completed, the appointment will be effective until the 60th day within the past year during which time any short-term guardian of this ward had taken over guardianship duties from the guardian, beginning on the effective date.]

5. Date and signature of appointing guardian. This appointment is made this (insert day) day of (insert month and year).

Signed: (appointing guardian)

6. Witnesses. I saw the guardian sign this instrument or I saw the guardian direct someone to sign this instrument for the guardian. Then I signed this instrument as a witness in the presence of the guardian. I am not appointed in this instrument to act as the short-term guardian for the guardian's ward. (insert space for names, addresses, and signatures of 2 witnesses)

7. Acceptance of short-term guardian. I accept this appointment as short-term guardian on this (insert day) day of (insert month and year).

Signed: (short-term guardian)

[END OF FORM]

(f) Each time the guardian appoints a short-term guardian, the guardian shall: (i) provide the person with a disability with the name, address, and telephone number of the short-term guardian; (ii) advise the person with a disability that he has the right to object to the appointment of the short-term guardian by filing a petition in court; and (iii) notify the person with a disability when the short-term guardian will be taking over guardianship duties and the length of time that the short-term guardian will be acting as guardian.

(Source: P.A. 102-72, eff. 1-1-22.)

(755 ILCS 5/11a-5) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-5)

Sec. 11a-5. Who may act as guardian.

(a) A person is qualified to act as guardian of the person and as guardian of the estate of a person with a disability if the court finds that the proposed guardian is capable of providing an active and suitable program of guardianship for the person with a disability and that the proposed guardian:

(1) has attained the age of 18 years;

(2) is a resident of the United States;

(3) is not of unsound mind;

(4) is not an adjudged person with a disability as defined in this Act; and

(5) has not been convicted of a felony, unless the court finds appointment of the person convicted of a felony to be in the best interests of the person with a disability, and as part of the best interests determination, the court has considered the nature of the offense, the date of offense, and the evidence of the proposed guardian's rehabilitation. No person shall be appointed who has been convicted of a felony involving harm or threat to a minor or an elderly person or a person with a disability, including a felony sexual offense.

(b) Any public agency, or not-for-profit corporation found capable by the court of providing an active and suitable program of guardianship for the person with a disability, taking into consideration the nature of such person's disability and the nature of such organization's services, may be appointed guardian of the person or of the estate, or both, of the person with a disability. The court shall not appoint as guardian an agency or employee of an agency that is directly providing residential services to the ward. One person or agency may be appointed guardian of the person and another person or agency appointed guardian of the estate.

(b-5)(1) The court may appoint separate individuals or entities to act as the guardian of the person and the guardian of the estate of a person with a disability if the court finds it is in the best interests of the person with a disability that separate guardians be appointed. The court shall not appoint a separate person or entity to act as guardian of the person or guardian of the estate with a public guardian or the Division Office of State Guardian unless the public guardian or the Division Office of State Guardian agrees to such an appointment.

(2) The court may appoint co-guardians to act as guardian of the person, guardian of the estate, or both the guardian of the person and the guardian of the estate if the court finds it is in the best interests of the person with a disability. When considering appointing co-guardians, the court shall consider the proposed co-guardians' history of cooperating and working together on behalf of the person with a disability. The court shall appoint only co-guardians who agree to serve together. The court shall not appoint a public guardian or the Division Office of State Guardian as a co-guardian for a person with a disability.

(c) Any corporation qualified to accept and execute trusts in this State may be appointed guardian or limited guardian of the estate of a person with a disability.

(Source: P.A. 102-72, eff. 1-1-22.)

(755 ILCS 5/11a-5.1)

Sec. 11a-5.1. Multiple guardianships. The court may not appoint an individual the guardian of the person or estate of an adult with disabilities before the individual has disclosed to the court the number of adults with disabilities over which the individual is currently appointed as guardian. If the court determines that an individual is appointed guardian over more than 5 adults with disabilities, then the court shall issue an order directing the circuit court clerk to notify the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, in a form and manner prescribed by the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission. The clerk shall notify the Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission no later than 7 days after the entry of the order. The Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission shall maintain a list of all notifications it receives under this Section for reference by other agencies or units of government or the public. This Section does not apply to the Division Office of the State Guardian or a public guardian.

(Source: P.A. 100-659, eff. 1-1-19.)

(755 ILCS 5/11a-8.1)

Sec. 11a-8.1. Petition for standby guardian of the person with a disability. The petition for appointment of a standby guardian of the person or the estate, or both, of a person with a disability must state, if known: (a) the name, date of birth, and residence of the person with a disability; (b) the names and post office addresses of the nearest relatives of the person with a disability in the following order: (1) the spouse and adult children, parents and adult brothers and sisters, if any; if none, (2) nearest adult kindred known to the petitioner; (c) the name and post office address of the person having guardianship of the person with a disability, and of any person or persons acting as agents of the person with a disability under the Illinois Power of Attorney Act; (d) the name, post office address, and, in case of any individual, the age and occupation of the proposed standby guardian; (e) the preference of the person with a disability as to the choice of standby guardian; (f) the facts concerning the consent of the guardian of the person with a disability to the appointment of the standby guardian, or the willingness and ability of the guardian of the person with a disability to make and carry out day-to-day care decisions concerning the person with a disability; (g) the facts concerning the execution or admission to probate of the written designation of the standby guardian, if any, a copy of which shall be attached to or filed with the petition; (h) the facts concerning any guardianship court actions pending concerning the person with a disability; and (i) the facts concerning the willingness of the proposed standby guardian to serve, and in the case of the Division Office of State Guardian and any public guardian, evidence of a written acceptance to serve signed by the Division of State Guardian or public guardian or an authorized representative of the Division of State Guardian or public guardian, consistent with subsection (b) of Section 11a-3.1.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)

(755 ILCS 5/11a-9) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-9)

Sec. 11a-9. Report.

(a) The petition for adjudication of disability and for appointment of a guardian should be accompanied by a report which contains (1) a description of the nature and type of the respondent's disability and an assessment of how the disability impacts on the ability of the respondent to make decisions or to function independently; (2) an analysis and results of evaluations of the respondent's mental and physical condition and, where appropriate, educational condition, adaptive behavior and social skills, which have been performed within 3 months of the date of the filing of the petition, or, in the case of an intellectual disability, a psychological evaluation of the respondent that has been performed by a clinical psychologist licensed under the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act, within one year of the date of the filing of the petition; (3) an opinion as to whether guardianship is needed, the type and scope of the guardianship needed, and the reasons therefor; (4) a recommendation as to the most suitable living arrangement and, where appropriate, treatment or habilitation plan for the respondent and the reasons therefor; (5) the name, business address, business telephone number, and signatures of all persons who performed the evaluations upon which the report is based, one of whom shall be a licensed physician, or may, in the case of an intellectual disability, be a clinical psychologist licensed under the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act, and a statement of the certification, license, or other credentials that qualify the evaluators who prepared the report.

(b) If for any reason no report accompanies the petition, the court shall order appropriate evaluations to be performed by a qualified person or persons and a report prepared and filed with the court at least 10 days prior to the hearing.

(b-5) Upon oral or written motion by the respondent or the guardian ad litem or upon the court's own motion, the court shall appoint one or more independent experts to examine the respondent. Upon the filing with the court of a verified statement of services rendered by the expert or experts, the court shall determine a reasonable fee for the services performed. If the respondent is unable to pay the fee, the court may enter an order upon the petitioner to pay the entire fee or such amount as the respondent is unable to pay. However, in cases where the Division Office of State Guardian is the petitioner, consistent with Section 30 of the Guardianship and Advocacy Act, no expert services fees shall be assessed against the Division Office of the State Guardian.

(c) Unless the court otherwise directs, any report prepared pursuant to this Section shall not be made part of the public record of the proceedings but shall be available to the court or an appellate court in which the proceedings are subject to review, to the respondent, the petitioner, the guardian, and their attorneys, to the respondent's guardian ad litem, and to such other persons as the court may direct.

Accessibility to a report prepared pursuant to this Section shall be in accordance with Section 5 of the Court Record and Document Accessibility Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-109, eff. 1-1-22; 103-166, eff. 1-1-24.)

(755 ILCS 5/11a-12) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-12)

Sec. 11a-12. Order of appointment.

(a) If basis for the appointment of a guardian as specified in Section 11a-3 is not found, the court shall dismiss the petition.

(b) If the respondent is adjudged to be a person with a disability and to lack some but not all of the capacity as specified in Section 11a-3, and if the court finds that guardianship is necessary for the protection of the person with a disability, his or her estate, or both, the court shall appoint a limited guardian for the respondent's person or estate or both. The court shall enter a written order stating the factual basis for its findings and specifying the duties and powers of the guardian and the legal disabilities to which the respondent is subject.

(c) If the respondent is adjudged to be a person with a disability and to be totally without capacity as specified in Section 11a-3, and if the court finds that limited guardianship will not provide sufficient protection for the person with a disability, his or her estate, or both, the court shall appoint a plenary guardian for the respondent's person or estate or both. The court shall enter a written order stating the factual basis for its findings.

(d) The selection of the guardian shall be in the discretion of the court, which shall give due consideration to the preference of the person with a disability as to a guardian, as well as the qualifications of the proposed guardian, in making its appointment. However, the paramount concern in the selection of the guardian is the best interests and well-being of the person with a disability.

One person or agency may be appointed a limited or plenary guardian of the person and another person or corporate trustee appointed as a limited or plenary guardian of the estate. If different persons are appointed, the court shall consider the factors set forth in subsection (b-5) of Section 11a-5. The court shall enter a written order stating the factual basis for its findings.

(e) The order of appointment of a guardian shall include the requirement that the guardian complete the training program as provided in Section 33.5 of the Guardianship and Advocacy Act that outlines the responsibilities of the guardian of the person and the rights of the person under guardianship and file with the court a certificate of completion within one year from the date of issuance of the letters of guardianship, except that: (1) the chief judge of any circuit may order implementation of another training program by a suitable provider containing substantially similar content; (2) employees of the Division Office of the State Guardian, public guardians, attorneys currently authorized to practice law, corporate fiduciaries, and persons certified by the Center for Guardianship Certification are exempt from this training requirement; and (3) the court may, for good cause shown, exempt from this requirement an individual not otherwise listed in item (2). For the purposes of this subsection (e), good cause may be proven by affidavit. If the court finds good cause to exempt an individual from the training requirement, the order of appointment shall so state.

(Source: P.A. 104-237, eff. 1-1-26.)

(755 ILCS 5/11a-13) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-13)

Sec. 11a-13. Costs in certain cases.)

(a) No costs may be taxed or charged by any public officer in any proceeding for the appointment of a guardian or for any subsequent proceeding or report made in pursuance of the appointment when the primary purpose of the appointment is as set forth in Section 11-11 or is the management of the estate of a person with a mental disability who resides in a state mental health or developmental disabilities facility when the value of the personal estate does not exceed $1,000.

(b) No costs shall be taxed or charged against the Division Office of the State Guardian by any public officer in any proceeding for the appointment of a guardian or for any subsequent proceeding or report made in pursuance of the appointment.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)

(755 ILCS 5/11a-14.1) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-14.1)

Sec. 11a-14.1. Residential placement.) No guardian appointed under this Article, except for duly appointed Public Guardians and the Division Office of State Guardian, shall have the power, unless specified by court order, to place his ward in a residential facility. The guardianship order may specify the conditions on which the guardian may admit the ward to a residential facility without further court order. In making residential placement decisions, the guardian shall make decisions in conformity with the preferences of the ward unless the guardian is reasonably certain that the decisions will result in substantial harm to the ward or to the ward's estate. When the preferences of the ward cannot be ascertained or where they will result in substantial harm to the ward or to the ward's estate, the guardian shall make decisions with respect to the ward's placement which are in the best interests of the ward. The guardian shall not remove the ward from his or her home or separate the ward from family and friends unless such removal is necessary to prevent substantial harm to the ward or to the ward's estate. The guardian shall have a duty to investigate the availability of reasonable residential alternatives. The guardian shall monitor the placement of the ward on an on-going basis to ensure its continued appropriateness, and shall pursue appropriate alternatives as needed.

(Source: P.A. 90-250, eff. 7-29-97.)

(755 ILCS 5/11a-17) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-17)

Sec. 11a-17. Duties of personal guardian.

(a) To the extent ordered by the court and under the direction of the court, the guardian of the person shall have custody of the ward and the ward's minor and adult dependent children and shall procure for them and shall make provision for their support, care, comfort, health, education and maintenance, and professional services as are appropriate, but the ward's spouse may not be deprived of the custody and education of the ward's minor and adult dependent children, without the consent of the spouse, unless the court finds that the spouse is not a fit and competent person to have that custody and education. The guardian shall assist the ward in the development of maximum self-reliance and independence. The guardian of the person may petition the court for an order directing the guardian of the estate to pay an amount periodically for the provision of the services specified by the court order. If the ward's estate is insufficient to provide for education and the guardian of the ward's person fails to provide education, the court may award the custody of the ward to some other person for the purpose of providing education. If a person makes a settlement upon or provision for the support or education of a ward, the court may make an order for the visitation of the ward by the person making the settlement or provision as the court deems proper. A guardian of the person may not admit a ward to a mental health facility except at the ward's request as provided in Article IV of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code and unless the ward has the capacity to consent to such admission as provided in Article IV of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code.

(a-3) If a guardian of an estate has not been appointed, the guardian of the person may, without an order of court, open, maintain, and transfer funds to an ABLE account on behalf of the ward and the ward's minor and adult dependent children as specified under Section 16.6 of the State Treasurer Act.

(a-5) If the ward filed a petition for dissolution of marriage under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act before the ward was adjudicated a person with a disability under this Article, the guardian of the ward's person and estate may maintain that action for dissolution of marriage on behalf of the ward. Upon petition by the guardian of the ward's person or estate, the court may authorize and direct a guardian of the ward's person or estate to file a petition for dissolution of marriage or to file a petition for legal separation or declaration of invalidity of marriage under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act on behalf of the ward if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the relief sought is in the ward's best interests. In making its determination, the court shall consider the standards set forth in subsection (e) of this Section.

(a-10) Upon petition by the guardian of the ward's person or estate, the court may authorize and direct a guardian of the ward's person or estate to consent, on behalf of the ward, to the ward's marriage pursuant to Part II of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the marriage is in the ward's best interests. In making its determination, the court shall consider the standards set forth in subsection (e) of this Section. Upon presentation of a court order authorizing and directing a guardian of the ward's person and estate to consent to the ward's marriage, the county clerk shall accept the guardian's application, appearance, and signature on behalf of the ward for purposes of issuing a license to marry under Section 203 of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act.

(b) If the court directs, the guardian of the person shall file with the court at intervals indicated by the court, a report that shall state briefly: (1) the current mental, physical, and social condition of the ward and the ward's minor and adult dependent children; (2) their present living arrangement, and a description and the address of every residence where they lived during the reporting period and the length of stay at each place; (3) a summary of the medical, educational, vocational, and other professional services given to them; (4) a resume of the guardian's visits with and activities on behalf of the ward and the ward's minor and adult dependent children; (5) a recommendation as to the need for continued guardianship; (6) any other information requested by the court or useful in the opinion of the guardian. The Division Office of the State Guardian shall assist the guardian in filing the report when requested by the guardian. The court may take such action as it deems appropriate pursuant to the report.

(c) Absent court order pursuant to the Illinois Power of Attorney Act directing a guardian to exercise powers of the principal under an agency that survives disability, the guardian has no power, duty, or liability with respect to any personal or health care matters covered by the agency. This subsection (c) applies to all agencies, whenever and wherever executed.

(d) A guardian acting as a surrogate decision maker under the Health Care Surrogate Act shall have all the rights of a surrogate under that Act without court order including the right to make medical treatment decisions such as decisions to forgo or withdraw life-sustaining treatment. Any decisions by the guardian to forgo or withdraw life-sustaining treatment that are not authorized under the Health Care Surrogate Act shall require a court order. Nothing in this Section shall prevent an agent acting under a power of attorney for health care from exercising his or her authority under the Illinois Power of Attorney Act without further court order, unless a court has acted under Section 2-10 of the Illinois Power of Attorney Act. If a guardian is also a health care agent for the ward under a valid power of attorney for health care, the guardian acting as agent may execute his or her authority under that act without further court order.

(e) Decisions made by a guardian on behalf of a ward shall be made in accordance with the following standards for decision making. The guardian shall consider the ward's current preferences to the extent the ward has the ability to participate in decision making when those preferences are known or reasonably ascertainable by the guardian. Decisions by the guardian shall conform to the ward's current preferences: (1) unless the guardian reasonably believes that doing so would result in substantial harm to the ward's welfare or personal or financial interests; and (2) so long as such decisions give substantial weight to what the ward, if competent, would have done or intended under the circumstances, taking into account evidence that includes, but is not limited to, the ward's personal, philosophical, religious and moral beliefs, and ethical values relative to the decision to be made by the guardian. Where possible, the guardian shall determine how the ward would have made a decision based on the ward's previously expressed preferences, and make decisions in accordance with the preferences of the ward. If the ward's wishes are unknown and remain unknown after reasonable efforts to discern them, or if the guardian reasonably believes that a decision made in conformity with the ward's preferences would result in substantial harm to the ward's welfare or personal or financial interests, the decision shall be made on the basis of the ward's best interests as determined by the guardian. In determining the ward's best interests, the guardian shall weigh the reason for and nature of the proposed action, the benefit or necessity of the action, the possible risks and other consequences of the proposed action, and any available alternatives and their risks, consequences and benefits, and shall take into account any other information, including the views of family and friends, that the guardian believes the ward would have considered if able to act for herself or himself.

(f) Upon petition by any interested person (including the standby or short-term guardian), with such notice to interested persons as the court directs and a finding by the court that it is in the best interests of the person with a disability, the court may terminate or limit the authority of a standby or short-term guardian or may enter such other orders as the court deems necessary to provide for the best interests of the person with a disability. The petition for termination or limitation of the authority of a standby or short-term guardian may, but need not, be combined with a petition to have another guardian appointed for the person with a disability.

(g)(1) Unless there is a court order to the contrary, the guardian, consistent with the standards set forth in subsection (e) of this Section, shall use reasonable efforts to notify the ward's known adult children, who have requested notification and provided contact information, of the ward's admission to a hospital, hospice, or palliative care program, the ward's death, and the arrangements for the disposition of the ward's remains.

(2) If a guardian unreasonably prevents an adult child, spouse, adult grandchild, parent, or adult sibling of the ward from visiting the ward, the court, upon a verified petition, may order the guardian to permit visitation between the ward and the adult child, spouse, adult grandchild, parent, or adult sibling. In making its determination, the court shall consider the standards set forth in subsection (e) of this Section. The court shall not allow visitation if the court finds that the ward has capacity to evaluate and communicate decisions regarding visitation and expresses a desire not to have visitation with the petitioner. This subsection (g) does not apply to duly appointed public guardians or the Division Office of State Guardian.

(Source: P.A. 101-329, eff. 8-9-19; 102-72, eff. 1-1-22; 102-258, eff. 8-6-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)

(755 ILCS 5/12-4) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 12-4)

Sec. 12-4. When security excused or specified.)

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of Section 6-13 with respect to a nonresident executor, no security is required of a person who is excused by the will from giving bond or security and no greater security than is specified by the will is required, unless in either case the court, from its own knowledge or the suggestion of any interested person, has cause to suspect the representative of fraud or incompetence or believes that the estate of the decedent will not be sufficient to discharge all the claims against the estate, or in the case of a testamentary guardian of the estate, that the rights of the ward will be prejudiced by failure to give security.

(b) If a person designates a guardian of his person or estate or both to be appointed in the event he is adjudged a person with a disability as provided in Section 11a-6 and excuses the guardian from giving bond or security, or if the guardian is the Division Office of State Guardian, the guardian's bond in the amount from time to time required under this Article shall be in full force and effect without writing, unless the court requires the filing of a written bond.

(c) The Division Office of State Guardian shall not be required to have sureties or surety companies as security on its bonds. The oath and bond of the representative without surety shall be sufficient.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)

(755 ILCS 5/13-1) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 13-1)

Sec. 13-1. Appointment and term of public administrator and public guardian.

(a) Except as provided in Section 13-1.1, before the first Monday of December, 1977 and every 4 years thereafter, and as often as vacancies occur, the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint in each county a suitable person to serve as public administrator and a suitable person to serve as public guardian of the county. The Governor may designate, without the advice and consent of the Senate, the Division Office of State Guardian as an interim public guardian to fill a vacancy in one or more counties having a population of 500,000 or less if the designation:

(1) is specifically designated as an interim appointment for a term of the lesser of one year or until the Governor appoints, with the advice and consent of the Senate, a county public guardian to fill the vacancy;

(2) requires the Division Office of State Guardian to affirm its availability to act in the county; and

(3) expires in a pending case of a person with a disability in the county at such a time as the court appoints a qualified successor guardian of the estate and person for the person with a disability.

When appointed as an interim public guardian, the Division of State Guardian will perform the powers and duties assigned to it under the Guardianship and Advocacy Act.

The Governor may appoint the same person to serve as public guardian and public administrator in one or more counties. In considering the number of counties of service for any prospective public guardian or public administrator the Governor may consider the population of the county and the ability of the prospective public guardian or public administrator to travel to multiple counties and manage estates in multiple counties. Each person so appointed holds his office for 4 years from the first Monday of December, 1977 and every 4 years thereafter or until his successor is appointed and qualified.

(b) Within 14 days of notification to the current public guardian of the appointment by the Governor of a new public guardian pursuant to this Section, the outgoing public guardian shall provide the incoming successor public guardian with a list of current guardianships. Within 60 days of receipt of the list of guardianships, the incoming public guardian may petition the court for a transfer of a guardianship to the incoming public guardian. The transfer of a guardianship of the person, estate, or both shall be made if it is in the best interests of the ward as determined by the court on a case-by-case basis.

Factors for the court to consider include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) the ward's preference as to the transfer of the guardianship;

(2) the recommendation of the guardian ad litem, the ward's family members, and other interested parties;

(3) the length of time in which the outgoing public guardian has served as guardian for the ward;

(4) the ward's relationship with the outgoing public guardian's office;

(5) the nature and extent of the ward's disabilities;

(6) the ward's current residential placement, his or her current support network, and ongoing needs;

(7) the costs involved in the transfer of the ward's estate;

(8) the status of pending legal matters or other matters germane to the ward's care or the management of the ward's estate;

(9) the obligation to post bond and the cost thereof;

(10) the guardians' status with regard to certification by the Center for Guardianship Certification; and

(11) other good causes.

If the court approves a transfer to the incoming public guardian, the outgoing public guardian shall file a final account of his or her activities on behalf of the ward within 30 days or within such other time that the court may allow. The outgoing public guardian may file a petition for final fees pursuant to subsection (b) of Section 13-3.1.

(Source: P.A. 102-72, eff. 1-1-22.)

(755 ILCS 5/13-1.2)

Sec. 13-1.2. Certification requirement. Each person appointed as a public guardian by the Governor shall be certified as a National Certified Guardian by the Center for Guardianship Certification within 6 months after his or her appointment. The Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission shall provide public guardians with information about certification requirements and procedures for testing and certification offered by the Center for Guardianship Certification. The cost of certification shall be considered an expense connected with the operation of the public guardian's office within the meaning of subsection (b) of Section 13-3.1 of this Article.

A public guardian shall additionally complete a one-hour course regarding Alzheimer's disease and dementia within 6 months of appointment and annually thereafter. The training program shall include, but not be limited to, the following topics: effective communication strategies; best practices for interacting with people with Alzheimer's disease and related forms of dementia; and strategies for supporting people living with Alzheimer's disease or related forms of dementia in exercising their rights.

(Source: P.A. 103-64, eff. 1-1-24.)

Section 130. The Supported Decision-Making Agreement Act is amended by changing Section 30 as follows:

(755 ILCS 9/30)

Sec. 30. Supporter duties.

(a) Except as otherwise provided by a supported decision-making agreement, a supporter may:

(1) Assist the principal in understanding information, options, responsibilities, and consequences of the life decisions of the principal, including those decisions related to the affairs or support services of the principal.

(2) Help the principal access, obtain, and understand any information that is relevant to any given life decision, including a medical, psychological, financial, or educational decision, or any treatment records or records necessary to manage the affairs or support services of the principal.

(3) Assist the principal in finding, obtaining, making appointments for, and implementing the support services or plans for support services of the principal.

(4) Help the principal monitor information about the affairs or support services of the principal, including keeping track of future necessary or recommended services.

(5) Ascertain the wishes and decisions of the principal in order to advocate that the wishes and decisions of an individual with disabilities are implemented.

(b) A supporter shall act with the care, competence, and diligence ordinarily exercised by an individual in a similar circumstance, with due regard to the possession of, or lack of, special skills or expertise.

(c) A supporter shall seek training and education regarding the responsibilities and limitations of the supporter role. The Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission shall provide public information about this Act and the supporter role, responsibilities, and limitations.

The Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship and Advocacy Commission shall develop training and education materials for both principals and supporters, including, but not limited to, sample agreements that will be posted on the website of the Department Commission along with public awareness materials.

(Source: P.A. 102-614, eff. 2-27-22.)

Section 135. The Illinois Power of Attorney Act is amended by changing Section 2-7 as follows:

(755 ILCS 45/2-7) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 802-7)

Sec. 2-7. Duty - standard of care - record-keeping - exoneration.

(a) The agent shall be under no duty to exercise the powers granted by the agency or to assume control of or responsibility for any of the principal's property, care or affairs, regardless of the principal's physical or mental condition. Whenever a power is exercised, the agent shall act in good faith for the benefit of the principal using due care, competence, and diligence in accordance with the terms of the agency and shall be liable for negligent exercise. An agent who acts with due care for the benefit of the principal shall not be liable or limited merely because the agent also benefits from the act, has individual or conflicting interests in relation to the property, care or affairs of the principal or acts in a different manner with respect to the agency and the agent's individual interests. The agent shall not be affected by any amendment or termination of the agency until the agent has actual knowledge thereof. The agent shall not be liable for any loss due to error of judgment nor for the act or default of any other person.

(b) An agent that has accepted appointment must act in accordance with the principal's expectations to the extent actually known to the agent and otherwise in the principal's best interests.

(c) An agent shall keep a record of all receipts, disbursements, and significant actions taken under the authority of the agency and shall provide a copy of this record when requested to do so by:

(1) the principal, a guardian, another fiduciary acting on behalf of the principal, and, after the death of the principal, the personal representative or successors in interest of the principal's estate;

(2) a representative of a provider agency, as defined in Section 2 of the Adult Protective Services Act, acting in the course of an assessment of a complaint of elder abuse or neglect under that Act;

(3) a representative of the Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman, acting in the course of an investigation of a complaint of financial exploitation of a nursing home resident under Section 4.04 of the Illinois Act on the Aging;

(4) a representative of the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Human Services, acting in the course of an assessment of a complaint of financial exploitation of an adult with disabilities pursuant to Section 35 of the Abuse of Adults with Disabilities Intervention Act;

(5) a court under Section 2-10 of this Act; or

(6) a representative of the Division Office of State Guardian or public guardian for the county in which the principal resides acting in the course of investigating whether to file a petition for guardianship of the principal under Section 11a-4 or 11a-8 of the Probate Act of 1975.

(d) If the agent fails to provide his or her record of all receipts, disbursements, and significant actions within 21 days after a request under subsection (c), the adult abuse provider agency, the Division of State Guardian, the public guardian, or a representative of the Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman may petition the court for an order requiring the agent to produce his or her record of receipts, disbursements, and significant actions. If the court finds that the agent's failure to provide his or her record in a timely manner to the adult abuse provider agency, the Division of State Guardian, the public guardian, or a representative of the Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman was without good cause, the court may assess reasonable costs and attorney's fees against the agent, and order such other relief as is appropriate.

(e) An agent is not required to disclose receipts, disbursements, or other significant actions conducted on behalf of the principal except as otherwise provided in the power of attorney or as required under subsection (c).

(f) An agent that violates this Act is liable to the principal or the principal's successors in interest for the amount required (i) to restore the value of the principal's property to what it would have been had the violation not occurred, and (ii) to reimburse the principal or the principal's successors in interest for the attorney's fees and costs paid on the agent's behalf. This subsection does not limit any other applicable legal or equitable remedies.

(Source: P.A. 100-952, eff. 1-1-19.)

Section 999. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2027.".