State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Engrossed ][ Enrolled ][ Senate Amendment 001 ]

91_SB1064

 
                                               LRB9102334ACtm

 1        AN  ACT  to amend the Abused and Neglected Long Term Care
 2    Facility Residents Reporting Act by changing Section 6.2.

 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:

 5        Section  5.   The  Abused  and  Neglected  Long Term Care
 6    Facility Residents Reporting   Act  is  amended  by  changing
 7    Section 6.2 as follows:

 8        (210 ILCS 30/6.2) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 4166.2)
 9        (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2000)
10        Sec. 6.2.  Inspector General.
11        (a)  The  Governor  shall  appoint,  and the Senate shall
12    confirm, an Inspector General who shall function  within  the
13    Department  of  Human Services and report to the Secretary of
14    Human Services and the Governor.  The Inspector General shall
15    investigate reports of suspected abuse or neglect  (as  those
16    terms  are  defined  in Section 3 of this Act) of patients or
17    residents in any mental health or developmental  disabilities
18    facility  operated  by  the  Department of Human Services and
19    shall have authority to investigate and take immediate action
20    on  reports  of  abuse  or  neglect  of  recipients,  whether
21    patients or residents, in any mental health or  developmental
22    disabilities   facility   or  program  that  is  licensed  or
23    certified by the Department of Human Services  (as  successor
24    to   the   Department  of  Mental  Health  and  Developmental
25    Disabilities) or that is funded by the  Department  of  Human
26    Services (as successor to the Department of Mental Health and
27    Developmental  Disabilities) and is not licensed or certified
28    by any agency of the State.  At the specific, written request
29    of an agency of the State other than the Department of  Human
30    Services (as successor to the Department of Mental Health and
31    Developmental   Disabilities),   the  Inspector  General  may
 
                            -2-                LRB9102334ACtm
 1    cooperate in investigating reports of abuse  and  neglect  of
 2    persons  with  mental  illness  or persons with developmental
 3    disabilities.   The   Inspector   General   shall   have   no
 4    supervision  over  or  involvement  in routine, programmatic,
 5    licensure, or certification operations of the  Department  of
 6    Human Services or any of its funded agencies.
 7        The Inspector General shall promulgate rules establishing
 8    minimum  requirements  for reporting allegations of abuse and
 9    neglect   and   initiating,   conducting,   and    completing
10    investigations.   The  promulgated  rules  shall  clearly set
11    forth that in instances where 2 or more State agencies  could
12    investigate  an allegation of abuse or neglect, the Inspector
13    General shall not conduct an investigation that is  redundant
14    to  an  investigation conducted by another State agency.  The
15    rules shall establish criteria for  determining,  based  upon
16    the  nature  of  the  allegation,  the  appropriate method of
17    investigation, which may include, but need not be limited to,
18    site visits, telephone  contacts,  or  requests  for  written
19    responses  from  agencies.   The rules shall also clarify how
20    the Office of the Inspector General shall interact  with  the
21    licensing  unit  of  the  Department  of  Human  Services  in
22    investigations  of  allegations  of  abuse  or  neglect.  Any
23    allegations or investigations of  reports  made  pursuant  to
24    this  Act  shall  remain confidential until a final report is
25    completed. The resident or patient who allegedly  was  abused
26    or  neglected and his or her legal guardian shall be informed
27    by the facility or agency of the report of alleged  abuse  or
28    neglect. Final reports regarding unsubstantiated or unfounded
29    allegations  shall  remain  confidential,  except  that final
30    reports may be disclosed pursuant to Section 6 of this Act.
31        The Inspector General shall be appointed for a term of  4
32    years.
33        (b)  The  Inspector  General  shall within 24 hours after
34    receiving a report of suspected abuse  or  neglect  determine
 
                            -3-                LRB9102334ACtm
 1    whether the evidence indicates that any possible criminal act
 2    has been committed. If he determines that a possible criminal
 3    act has been committed, or that special expertise is required
 4    in   the  investigation,  he  shall  immediately  notify  the
 5    Department of State Police.  The Department of  State  Police
 6    shall  investigate  any  report indicating a possible murder,
 7    rape, or other felony. All investigations  conducted  by  the
 8    Inspector  General shall be conducted in a manner designed to
 9    ensure the preservation of evidence for  possible  use  in  a
10    criminal prosecution.
11        (b-5)  The  Inspector  General shall make a determination
12    to accept or reject a preliminary report of the investigation
13    of  alleged   abuse   or   neglect   based   on   established
14    investigative procedures.  The facility or agency may request
15    clarification   or   reconsideration   based   on  additional
16    information.  For cases where  the  allegation  of  abuse  or
17    neglect is substantiated, the Inspector General shall require
18    the  facility  or  agency  to submit a written response.  The
19    written response from a facility or agency shall address in a
20    concise and reasoned manner the actions that  the  agency  or
21    facility  will  take  or has taken to protect the resident or
22    patient from abuse or  neglect,  prevent  reoccurrences,  and
23    eliminate    problems    identified    and    shall   include
24    implementation and completion dates for all such action.
25        (c)  The Inspector General shall, within 10 calendar days
26    after the transmittal date of a completed investigation where
27    abuse or neglect is substantiated or administrative action is
28    recommended, provide a complete report on  the  case  to  the
29    Secretary  of  Human  Services and to the agency in which the
30    abuse or neglect is alleged to have  happened.  The  complete
31    report  shall  include  a written response from the agency or
32    facility operated by the State to the Inspector General  that
33    addresses  in  a concise and reasoned manner the actions that
34    the agency or facility will take or has taken to protect  the
 
                            -4-                LRB9102334ACtm
 1    resident   or   patient   from   abuse  or  neglect,  prevent
 2    reoccurrences, and eliminate problems  identified  and  shall
 3    include  implementation  and  completion  dates  for all such
 4    action.  The Secretary of  Human  Services  shall  accept  or
 5    reject  the    response and establish how the Department will
 6    determine  whether  the  facility  or  program  followed  the
 7    approved response.   The  Secretary  may  require  Department
 8    personnel  to  visit  the  facility  or  agency for training,
 9    technical    assistance,    programmatic,    licensure,    or
10    certification  purposes.   Administrative  action,  including
11    sanctions, may be applied should  the  Secretary  reject  the
12    response  or should the facility or agency fail to follow the
13    approved response.  The facility or agency shall  inform  the
14    resident  or  patient  and  the  legal  guardian  whether the
15    reported allegation was  substantiated,  unsubstantiated,  or
16    unfounded.   There shall be an appeals process for any person
17    or  agency  that  is  subject  to  any  action  based  on   a
18    recommendation or recommendations.
19        (d)  The   Inspector   General   may   recommend  to  the
20    Departments of Public Health and Human Services sanctions  to
21    be   imposed   against   mental   health   and  developmental
22    disabilities  facilities  under  the  jurisdiction   of   the
23    Department of Human Services for the protection of residents,
24    including  appointment  of  on-site  monitors  or  receivers,
25    transfer  or  relocation  of residents, and closure of units.
26    The Inspector General may seek the assistance of the Attorney
27    General or any of the several State's attorneys  in  imposing
28    such sanctions.
29        (e)  The  Inspector  General  shall establish and conduct
30    periodic   training   programs   for   Department   employees
31    concerning the prevention and reporting of neglect and abuse.
32        (f)  The Inspector General shall at all times be  granted
33    access  to  any  mental  health or developmental disabilities
34    facility operated by  the  Department,  shall  establish  and
 
                            -5-                LRB9102334ACtm
 1    conduct  unannounced site visits to those facilities at least
 2    once annually, and shall be granted access, for  the  purpose
 3    of  investigating  a  report  of  abuse  or  neglect,  to any
 4    facility or program funded by the Department that is  subject
 5    under  the provisions of this Section to investigation by the
 6    Inspector General for a report of abuse or neglect.
 7        (g)  Nothing in this Section shall  limit  investigations
 8    by  the  Department  of  Human Services that may otherwise be
 9    required by law or that may be necessary in that Department's
10    capacity as the central administrative authority  responsible
11    for  the  operation  of State mental health and developmental
12    disability facilities.
13        (h)  (Blank). This Section  is  repealed  on  January  1,
14    2000.
15    (Source: P.A.  89-427,  eff.  12-7-95;  89-507,  eff. 7-1-97;
16    90-252, eff. 7-29-97;  90-512,  eff.  8-22-97;  90-655,  eff.
17    7-30-98.)

18        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
19    becoming law.

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