Bill Text: IL HB5508 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the Adoption Act. Declares that it is the public policy of the State to favor adoption of a child by a relative unless it is shown by clear and convincing evidence that any such adoption would be harmful to the welfare of the child. Provides that any relative who wishes to adopt a child, and who is not already a party to the adoption proceeding, upon presentation of a written or oral motion to intervene shall be made a party to the adoption proceeding. Creates a list of relatives who may seek adoption of a related child.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-09 - Referred to Rules Committee [HB5508 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-HB5508-Introduced.html
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| 1 | AN ACT concerning civil law.
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| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | |||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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| 4 | Section 5. The Adoption Act is amended by changing Section | |||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | 15 as follows:
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| 6 | (750 ILCS 50/15) (from Ch. 40, par. 1519) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Sec. 15. | |||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | (a) The welfare of the child shall be the prime | |||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | consideration in all adoption proceedings. The court in | |||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | entering a judgment of adoption shall, whenever possible, give | |||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | custody through adoption to a petitioner or petitioners of the | |||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | same religious belief as that of the child. | |||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | (b) It is the public policy of this State to favor adoption | |||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | of a child by a relative unless it is shown by clear and | |||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | convincing evidence that any such adoption would be harmful to | |||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | the welfare of the child. | |||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | (c) Whenever a child is to be placed for adoption, any | |||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | relative who wishes to adopt the child, and who is not already | |||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | a party to the adoption proceeding, upon presentation of a | |||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | written or oral motion to intervene shall be made a party to | |||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | the adoption proceeding, except that no one who becomes a | |||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | party under this subsection may exercise the rights granted by | |||||||||||||||||||
| 23 | Section 2-1001 of the Code of Civil Procedure. | |||||||||||||||||||
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| 1 | (d) When there is a grandparent who wishes to adopt, the | ||||||
| 2 | court shall place the child with the Grandparent or | ||||||
| 3 | grandparents, unless, after an evidentiary hearing, the court | ||||||
| 4 | makes an express finding, based on clear and convincing | ||||||
| 5 | evidence, that placement with a grandparent would be harmful | ||||||
| 6 | to the child's welfare. | ||||||
| 7 | (e) When there is an adult sibling who wishes to adopt, the | ||||||
| 8 | court shall place the child with the adult sibling, unless, | ||||||
| 9 | after an evidentiary hearing, the court makes an express | ||||||
| 10 | finding, based on clear and convincing evidence, that | ||||||
| 11 | placement with a sibling would be harmful to the child's | ||||||
| 12 | welfare. | ||||||
| 13 | (f) When no grandparent or older sibling is available, | ||||||
| 14 | then, whenever there is an aunt or uncle who wishes to adopt, | ||||||
| 15 | the court shall place the child with an aunt or uncle or both, | ||||||
| 16 | unless, after an evidentiary hearing, the court makes an | ||||||
| 17 | express finding, based on clear and convincing evidence, that | ||||||
| 18 | placement with an aunt or uncle or both would be harmful to the | ||||||
| 19 | child's welfare. | ||||||
| 20 | (g) When no grandparent, older sibling, aunt or uncle is | ||||||
| 21 | available, then, whenever there is a cousin who wishes to | ||||||
| 22 | adopt, the court shall place the child with a cousin or | ||||||
| 23 | cousins, unless, after an evidentiary hearing, the court makes | ||||||
| 24 | an express finding, based on clear and convincing evidence, | ||||||
| 25 | that placement with a cousin or cousins would be harmful to the | ||||||
| 26 | child's welfare. | ||||||
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