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| Public Act 103-0958 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning children. | ||||
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||
represented in the General Assembly: | ||||
Section 5. The Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act is | ||||
amended by changing Section 20 as follows: | ||||
(325 ILCS 2/20) | ||||
Sec. 20. Procedures with respect to relinquished newborn | ||||
infants. | ||||
(a) Hospitals. Every hospital must accept and provide all | ||||
necessary emergency services and care to a relinquished | ||||
newborn infant, in accordance with this Act. The hospital | ||||
shall examine a relinquished newborn infant and perform tests | ||||
that, based on reasonable medical judgment, are appropriate in | ||||
evaluating whether the relinquished newborn infant was abused | ||||
or neglected. | ||||
The act of relinquishing a newborn infant serves as | ||||
implied consent for the hospital and its medical personnel and | ||||
physicians on staff to treat and provide care for the infant. | ||||
The hospital shall be deemed to have temporary protective | ||||
custody of a relinquished newborn infant until the infant is | ||||
discharged to the custody of a child welfare agency or the | ||||
Department. The hospital shall provide all available medical | ||||
records and information to the Department and the child | ||||
welfare agency that has accepted the referral of the infant in | ||
accordance with Section 50. | ||
If the person who relinquished or a person claiming to be | ||
the parent of a newborn infant returns to reclaim the infant | ||
within 30 days after the infant was relinquished to a | ||
hospital, the hospital must inform such person of the name and | ||
contact information of the child welfare agency to whom | ||
custody of the infant was transferred. | ||
(b) Fire stations and emergency medical facilities. Every | ||
fire station and emergency medical facility must accept and | ||
provide all necessary emergency services and care to a | ||
relinquished newborn infant, in accordance with this Act. | ||
The act of relinquishing a newborn infant serves as | ||
implied consent for the fire station or emergency medical | ||
facility and its emergency medical professionals to treat and | ||
provide care for the infant, to the extent that those | ||
emergency medical professionals are trained to provide those | ||
services. | ||
After the relinquishment of a newborn infant to a fire | ||
station or emergency medical facility, the fire station or | ||
emergency medical facility's personnel must arrange for the | ||
transportation of the infant to the nearest hospital as soon | ||
as transportation can be arranged. | ||
If the person who relinquished or a person claiming to be | ||
the parent of a newborn infant returns to reclaim the infant | ||
within 30 days after the infant was relinquished to a fire | ||
station or emergency medical facility, the fire station or | ||
emergency medical facility must inform such person of the name | ||
and location of the hospital to which the infant was | ||
transported. | ||
(c) Police stations. Every police station must accept a | ||
relinquished newborn infant, in accordance with this Act. | ||
After the relinquishment of a newborn infant to a police | ||
station, the police station must arrange for the | ||
transportation of the infant to the nearest hospital as soon | ||
as transportation can be arranged. The act of relinquishing a | ||
newborn infant serves as implied consent for the hospital to | ||
which the infant is transported and that hospital's medical | ||
personnel and physicians on staff to treat and provide care | ||
for the infant. | ||
If the person who relinquished or a person claiming to be | ||
the parent of a newborn infant returns to reclaim the infant | ||
within 30 days after the infant was relinquished to a police | ||
station, the police station must inform such person of the | ||
name and location of the hospital to which the infant was | ||
transported. | ||
(Source: P.A. 103-501, eff. 1-1-24.) | ||