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Public Act 103-0948 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning regulation. | ||||
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||
represented in the General Assembly: | ||||
Section 5. The Hospital Licensing Act is amended by | ||||
changing Section 11.4 and by adding Section 11.9 as follows: | ||||
(210 ILCS 85/11.4) | ||||
Sec. 11.4. Disposition of fetus. A hospital having custody | ||||
of a fetus following a spontaneous fetal demise occurring | ||||
during or after a gestation period of less than 20 completed | ||||
weeks must notify the patient of the mother of her right to | ||||
arrange for the burial or cremation of the fetus. Notification | ||||
may also include other options such as, but not limited to, a | ||||
ceremony, a certificate, or common burial or cremation of | ||||
fetal tissue. If, within 24 hours after being notified under | ||||
this Section, the patient mother elects in writing to arrange | ||||
for the burial or cremation of the fetus, the disposition of | ||||
the fetus shall be subject to the same laws and rules that | ||||
apply in the case of a fetal death that occurs in this State | ||||
after a gestation period of 20 completed weeks or more. The | ||||
Department of Public Health shall develop forms to be used for | ||||
notifications and elections under this Section and hospitals | ||||
shall provide the forms to the patient mother . | ||||
(Source: P.A. 96-338, eff. 1-1-10.) |
(210 ILCS 85/11.9 new) | ||
Sec. 11.9. Certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth; | ||
notification. This Section may be referred to as Liam's Law. | ||
A hospital having custody of a fetus following a | ||
spontaneous fetal death occurring during or after a gestation | ||
period of at least 20 completed weeks must notify the | ||
gestational parent of the parent's right to receive a | ||
certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth as described in | ||
Section 20.5 of the Vital Records Act. The Department of | ||
Public Health shall develop language on a form to be used for | ||
notification under this Section and hospitals shall provide | ||
the form to the gestational parent. This section of language | ||
shall be known as a "Liam's Law notice". The "Liam's Law | ||
notice" shall be available in both English and Spanish. | ||
Section 10. The Vital Records Act is amended by changing | ||
Sections 20 and 20.5 as follows: | ||
(410 ILCS 535/20) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 73-20) | ||
Sec. 20. Fetal death; place of registration. | ||
(1) Each fetal death which occurs in this State after a | ||
gestation period of 20 completed weeks ( or and when the | ||
patient mother elects in writing to arrange for the burial or | ||
cremation of the fetus under Section 11.4 of the Hospital | ||
Licensing Act) or more shall be registered with the local or |
subregistrar of the district in which the delivery occurred | ||
within 7 days after the delivery and before removal of the | ||
fetus from the State, except as provided by regulation in | ||
special problem cases. | ||
(a) For the purposes of this Section, if the place of | ||
fetal death is unknown, a fetal death certificate shall be | ||
filed in the registration district in which a dead fetus | ||
is found, which shall be considered the place of fetal | ||
death. | ||
(b) When a fetal death occurs on a moving conveyance, | ||
the city, village, township, or road district in which the | ||
fetus is first removed from the conveyance shall be | ||
considered the place of delivery and a fetal death | ||
certificate shall be filed in the registration district in | ||
which the place is located. | ||
(c) The funeral director or person acting as such who | ||
first assumes custody of a fetus shall file the | ||
certificate. The personal data shall be obtained from the | ||
best qualified person or source available. The name, | ||
relationship, and address of the informant shall be | ||
entered on the certificate. The date, place, and method of | ||
final disposition of the fetus shall be recorded over the | ||
personal signature and address of the funeral director | ||
responsible for the disposition. The certificate shall be | ||
presented to the person responsible for completing the | ||
medical certification of the cause of death. |
(2) The medical certification shall be completed and | ||
signed within 24 hours after delivery by the certifying health | ||
care professional in attendance at or after delivery, except | ||
when investigation is required under Division 3-3 of Article 3 | ||
of the Counties Code and except as provided by regulation in | ||
special problem cases. | ||
(3) When a fetal death occurs without medical attendance | ||
upon the mother at or after the delivery, or when | ||
investigation is required under Division 3-3 of Article 3 of | ||
the Counties Code, the coroner shall be responsible for the | ||
completion of the fetal death certificate and shall sign the | ||
medical certification within 24 hours after the delivery or | ||
the finding of the fetus, except as provided by regulation in | ||
special problem cases. | ||
(Source: P.A. 102-257, eff. 1-1-22 .) | ||
(410 ILCS 535/20.5) | ||
Sec. 20.5. Certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth. | ||
(a) The State Registrar shall prescribe and distribute a | ||
form for a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth. The | ||
certificate shall be in the same format as a certificate of | ||
live birth prepared under Section 12 and shall be filed in the | ||
same manner as a certificate of live birth. | ||
(b) After each fetal death that occurs in this State after | ||
a gestation period of at least 20 completed weeks, the State | ||
Registrar of Vital Records shall, only upon request by a |
parent named on the fetal death certificate, prepare and issue | ||
a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth. After each | ||
fetal death that occurs in this State after a gestation period | ||
of at least 26 completed weeks, the person who files a fetal | ||
death certificate in connection with that death as required | ||
under Section 20 shall, only upon request by the woman who | ||
delivered the stillborn fetus, also prepare a certificate of | ||
stillbirth. The person shall prepare the certificate on the | ||
form prescribed and furnished by the State Registrar and in | ||
accordance with the rules adopted by the State Registrar. | ||
(b-5) A person who files a fetal death certificate as | ||
described under subsection (b) shall notify the gestational | ||
parent of the stillborn of that parent's right to request and | ||
receive a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth under | ||
subsection (b). The Department shall develop language for | ||
notification under this subsection. This language shall be | ||
titled and known as a "Liam's Law notice". | ||
(c) If the stillborn's parent or parents do not wish to | ||
provide a name for the stillborn, the person who prepares the | ||
certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth shall leave blank | ||
any references to the stillborn's name. | ||
(d) When a stillbirth occurs in this State and the | ||
stillbirth has not been registered within one year after the | ||
delivery, a certificate marked "delayed" may be filed and | ||
registered in accordance with regulations adopted by the State | ||
Registrar. The certificate must show on its face the date of |
registration. | ||
(e) In the case of a fetal death that occurred in this | ||
State after a gestation period of at least 20 26 completed | ||
weeks and before the effective date of this amendatory Act of | ||
the 103rd General Assembly this amendatory Act of the 93rd | ||
General Assembly , a parent of the stillborn child may request | ||
that the person who filed a fetal death certificate in | ||
connection with that death as required under Section 20 shall | ||
also prepare a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth | ||
with respect to the fetus. If a parent of a stillborn makes | ||
such a request under this subsection (e), the person who filed | ||
a fetal death certificate shall prepare the certificate of | ||
birth resulting in stillbirth and file it with the designated | ||
registrar within 30 days after the request by the parent. | ||
(Source: P.A. 93-578, eff. 8-21-03.) | ||
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, | ||
2025. |