Bill Text: IL HB5654 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Amends the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Includes, in the definition of "abuse", the following: (i) coercive control that is a pattern of threatening, humiliating, or intimidating actions to harm an individual, stripping away the individual's sense of self and making the individual dependent by isolating, exploiting, and regulating the individual's behavior; (ii) emotional distress that undermines an individual's self-worth and self-esteem through constant criticism, diminishing abilities, and damaging relationships; (iii) psychological abuse that causes fear by intimidation, threatening harm, destroying property, and forcing isolation; as part of coercive control, it is a pattern of actions to harm, punish, or frighten that involves isolation, financial control, and coercion; and (iv) physical abuse or assault that includes actions such as hitting, slapping, and denying medical care. Requires that courts offer the option of a remote hearing to a petition for an order of protection that is now limited to counties with a population of more than 250,000. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Domestic Violence Victims' Expense Fund as a special fund in the State treasury for the purpose of assisting domestic violence victims in covering the expense of traveling to and from and participating in the domestic violence proceedings.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-05 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB5654 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB5654-Introduced.html

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB5654

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
30 ILCS 105/5.1015 new
30 ILCS 105/6z-140 new
750 ILCS 60/103 from Ch. 40, par. 2311-3
750 ILCS 60/205 from Ch. 40, par. 2312-5
750 ILCS 60/212 from Ch. 40, par. 2312-12

Amends the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Includes, in the definition of "abuse", the following: (i) coercive control that is a pattern of threatening, humiliating, or intimidating actions to harm an individual, stripping away the individual's sense of self and making the individual dependent by isolating, exploiting, and regulating the individual's behavior; (ii) emotional distress that undermines an individual's self-worth and self-esteem through constant criticism, diminishing abilities, and damaging relationships; (iii) psychological abuse that causes fear by intimidation, threatening harm, destroying property, and forcing isolation; as part of coercive control, it is a pattern of actions to harm, punish, or frighten that involves isolation, financial control, and coercion; and (iv) physical abuse or assault that includes actions such as hitting, slapping, and denying medical care. Requires that courts offer the option of a remote hearing to a petition for an order of protection that is now limited to counties with a population of more than 250,000. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Domestic Violence Victims' Expense Fund as a special fund in the State treasury for the purpose of assisting domestic violence victims in covering the expense of traveling to and from and participating in the domestic violence proceedings.
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A BILL FOR

HB5654LRB103 36095 LNS 66185 b
1 AN ACT concerning civil law.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
5Section 5.1015 and 6z-140 as follows:
6 (30 ILCS 105/5.1015 new)
7 Sec. 5.1015. The Domestic Violence Victims' Expense Fund.
8 (30 ILCS 105/6z-140 new)
9 Sec. 6z-140. Domestic Violence Victims' Expense Fund. The
10Domestic Violence Victims' Expense Fund is created as a
11special fund in the State treasury. In addition to any other
12amounts deposited into the Fund, there shall be deposited into
13the Fund all moneys donated to the State by private
14individuals or entities for purposes for which moneys in the
15Fund may be used as provided in this Section. Subject to
16appropriations, the Department of Children and Family Services
17shall use moneys in the Fund to make grants to defray the
18reasonable and necessary travel expenses of victims of
19domestic violence to participate and travel to domestic
20violence proceedings. The Department shall adopt rules
21necessary for making grants under this Section.

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1 Section 10. The Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 is
2amended by changing Sections 103, 205, and 212 as follows:
3 (750 ILCS 60/103) (from Ch. 40, par. 2311-3)
4 Sec. 103. Definitions. For the purposes of this Act, the
5following terms shall have the following meanings:
6 (1) "Abuse" means any of the following:
7 (A) Coercive control that is a pattern of threatening,
8 humiliating, or intimidating actions to harm an
9 individual, stripping away the individual's sense of self
10 and making the individual dependent by isolating,
11 exploiting, and regulating the individual's behavior.
12 (B) Emotional distress that undermines an individual's
13 self-worth and self-esteem through constant criticism,
14 diminishing abilities, and damaging relationships.
15 (C) Psychological abuse that causes fear by
16 intimidation, threatening harm, destroying property, and
17 forcing isolation. As part of coercive control, it is a
18 pattern of actions to harm, punish, or frighten that
19 involves isolation, financial control, and coercion.
20 (D) Physical abuse or assault that includes actions
21 such as hitting, slapping, and denying medical care
22 physical abuse, harassment, intimidation of a dependent,
23 interference with personal liberty or willful deprivation
24 but does not include reasonable direction of a minor child
25 by a parent or person in loco parentis.

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1 (2) "Adult with disabilities" means an elder adult with
2disabilities or a high-risk adult with disabilities. A person
3may be an adult with disabilities for purposes of this Act even
4though he or she has never been adjudicated an incompetent
5adult. However, no court proceeding may be initiated or
6continued on behalf of an adult with disabilities over that
7adult's objection, unless such proceeding is approved by his
8or her legal guardian, if any.
9 (3) "Domestic violence" means abuse as defined in
10paragraph (1).
11 (4) "Elder adult with disabilities" means an adult
12prevented by advanced age from taking appropriate action to
13protect himself or herself from abuse by a family or household
14member.
15 (5) "Exploitation" means the illegal, including tortious,
16use of a high-risk adult with disabilities or of the assets or
17resources of a high-risk adult with disabilities. Exploitation
18includes, but is not limited to, the misappropriation of
19assets or resources of a high-risk adult with disabilities by
20undue influence, by breach of a fiduciary relationship, by
21fraud, deception, or extortion, or the use of such assets or
22resources in a manner contrary to law.
23 (6) "Family or household members" include spouses, former
24spouses, parents, children, stepchildren and other persons
25related by blood or by present or prior marriage, persons who
26share or formerly shared a common dwelling, persons who have

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1or allegedly have a child in common, persons who share or
2allegedly share a blood relationship through a child, persons
3who have or have had a dating or engagement relationship,
4persons with disabilities and their personal assistants, and
5caregivers as defined in Section 12-4.4a of the Criminal Code
6of 2012. For purposes of this paragraph, neither a casual
7acquaintanceship nor ordinary fraternization between 2
8individuals in business or social contexts shall be deemed to
9constitute a dating relationship. In the case of a high-risk
10adult with disabilities, "family or household members"
11includes any person who has the responsibility for a high-risk
12adult as a result of a family relationship or who has assumed
13responsibility for all or a portion of the care of a high-risk
14adult with disabilities voluntarily, or by express or implied
15contract, or by court order.
16 (7) "Harassment" means knowing conduct which is not
17necessary to accomplish a purpose that is reasonable under the
18circumstances; would cause a reasonable person emotional
19distress; and does cause emotional distress to the petitioner.
20Unless the presumption is rebutted by a preponderance of the
21evidence, the following types of conduct shall be presumed to
22cause emotional distress:
23 (i) creating a disturbance at petitioner's place of
24 employment or school;
25 (ii) repeatedly telephoning petitioner's place of
26 employment, home or residence;

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1 (iii) repeatedly following petitioner about in a
2 public place or places;
3 (iv) repeatedly keeping petitioner under surveillance
4 by remaining present outside his or her home, school,
5 place of employment, vehicle or other place occupied by
6 petitioner or by peering in petitioner's windows;
7 (v) improperly concealing a minor child from
8 petitioner, repeatedly threatening to improperly remove a
9 minor child of petitioner's from the jurisdiction or from
10 the physical care of petitioner, repeatedly threatening to
11 conceal a minor child from petitioner, or making a single
12 such threat following an actual or attempted improper
13 removal or concealment, unless respondent was fleeing an
14 incident or pattern of domestic violence; or
15 (vi) threatening physical force, confinement or
16 restraint on one or more occasions.
17 (8) "High-risk adult with disabilities" means a person
18aged 18 or over whose physical or mental disability impairs
19his or her ability to seek or obtain protection from abuse,
20neglect, or exploitation.
21 (9) "Interference with personal liberty" means committing
22or threatening physical abuse, harassment, intimidation or
23willful deprivation so as to compel another to engage in
24conduct from which she or he has a right to abstain or to
25refrain from conduct in which she or he has a right to engage.
26 (10) "Intimidation of a dependent" means subjecting a

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1person who is dependent because of age, health or disability
2to participation in or the witnessing of: physical force
3against another or physical confinement or restraint of
4another which constitutes physical abuse as defined in this
5Act, regardless of whether the abused person is a family or
6household member.
7 (11) (A) "Neglect" means the failure to exercise that
8degree of care toward a high-risk adult with disabilities
9which a reasonable person would exercise under the
10circumstances and includes but is not limited to:
11 (i) the failure to take reasonable steps to protect a
12 high-risk adult with disabilities from acts of abuse;
13 (ii) the repeated, careless imposition of unreasonable
14 confinement;
15 (iii) the failure to provide food, shelter, clothing,
16 and personal hygiene to a high-risk adult with
17 disabilities who requires such assistance;
18 (iv) the failure to provide medical and rehabilitative
19 care for the physical and mental health needs of a
20 high-risk adult with disabilities; or
21 (v) the failure to protect a high-risk adult with
22 disabilities from health and safety hazards.
23 (B) Nothing in this subsection (10) shall be construed to
24impose a requirement that assistance be provided to a
25high-risk adult with disabilities over his or her objection in
26the absence of a court order, nor to create any new affirmative

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1duty to provide support to a high-risk adult with
2disabilities.
3 (12) "Order of protection" means an emergency order,
4interim order or plenary order, granted pursuant to this Act,
5which includes any or all of the remedies authorized by
6Section 214 of this Act.
7 (13) "Petitioner" may mean not only any named petitioner
8for the order of protection and any named victim of abuse on
9whose behalf the petition is brought, but also any other
10person protected by this Act.
11 (14) "Physical abuse" includes sexual abuse and means any
12of the following:
13 (i) knowing or reckless use of physical force,
14 confinement or restraint;
15 (ii) knowing, repeated and unnecessary sleep
16 deprivation; or
17 (iii) knowing or reckless conduct which creates an
18 immediate risk of physical harm.
19 (14.5) "Stay away" means for the respondent to refrain
20from both physical presence and nonphysical contact with the
21petitioner whether direct, indirect (including, but not
22limited to, telephone calls, mail, email, faxes, and written
23notes), or through third parties who may or may not know about
24the order of protection.
25 (15) "Willful deprivation" means wilfully denying a person
26who because of age, health or disability requires medication,

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1medical care, shelter, accessible shelter or services, food,
2therapeutic device, or other physical assistance, and thereby
3exposing that person to the risk of physical, mental or
4emotional harm, except with regard to medical care or
5treatment when the dependent person has expressed an intent to
6forgo such medical care or treatment. This paragraph does not
7create any new affirmative duty to provide support to
8dependent persons.
9(Source: P.A. 96-1551, eff. 7-1-11; 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)
10 (750 ILCS 60/205) (from Ch. 40, par. 2312-5)
11 Sec. 205. Application of rules of civil procedure;
12Domestic abuse advocates.
13 (a) Any proceeding to obtain, modify, reopen or appeal an
14order of protection, whether commenced alone or in conjunction
15with a civil or criminal proceeding, shall be governed by the
16rules of civil procedure of this State. The standard of proof
17in such a proceeding is proof by a preponderance of the
18evidence, whether the proceeding is heard in criminal or civil
19court. The Code of Civil Procedure and Supreme Court and local
20court rules applicable to civil proceedings, as now or
21hereafter amended, shall apply, except as otherwise provided
22by this law.
23 (b) (1) In all circuit court proceedings under this Act,
24domestic abuse advocates shall be allowed to attend and sit at
25counsel table and confer with the victim, unless otherwise

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1directed by the court.
2 (2) In criminal proceedings in circuit courts, domestic
3abuse advocates shall be allowed to accompany the victim and
4confer with the victim, unless otherwise directed by the
5court.
6 (3) Court administrators shall allow domestic abuse
7advocates to assist victims of domestic violence in the
8preparation of petitions for orders of protection.
9 (4) Domestic abuse advocates are not engaged in the
10unauthorized practice of law when providing assistance of the
11types specified in this subsection (b).
12 (c) The Supreme Court of Illinois may adopt rules that
13promote the use of attorneys serving on a pro bono basis to
14represent victims under this Act.
15(Source: P.A. 87-1186; 87-1255; 88-45.)
16 (750 ILCS 60/212) (from Ch. 40, par. 2312-12)
17 Sec. 212. Hearings.
18 (a) A petition for an order of protection shall be treated
19as an expedited proceeding, and no court shall transfer or
20otherwise decline to decide all or part of such petition
21except as otherwise provided herein. Nothing in this Section
22shall prevent the court from reserving issues when
23jurisdiction or notice requirements are not met.
24 (b) Any court or a division thereof which ordinarily does
25not decide matters of child custody and family support may

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1decline to decide contested issues of physical care, custody,
2visitation, or family support unless a decision on one or more
3of those contested issues is necessary to avoid the risk of
4abuse, neglect, removal from the State or concealment within
5the State of the child or of separation of the child from the
6primary caretaker. If the court or division thereof has
7declined to decide any or all of these issues, then it shall
8transfer all undecided issues to the appropriate court or
9division. In the event of such a transfer, a government
10attorney involved in the criminal prosecution may, but need
11not, continue to offer counsel to the petitioner on
12transferred matters.
13 (c) If the court transfers or otherwise declines to decide
14any issue, judgment on that issue shall be expressly reserved
15and ruling on other issues shall not be delayed or declined.
16 (d) A court
in a county with a population above 250,000
17shall offer the option of a remote hearing to a petitioner for
18an order of protection. The court has the discretion to grant
19or deny the request for a remote hearing. Each court shall
20determine the procedure for a remote hearing. The petitioner
21and respondent may appear remotely or in person.
22 The court shall issue and publish a court order, standing
23order, or local rule detailing information about the process
24for requesting and participating in a remote court appearance.
25The court order, standing order, or local rule shall be
26published on the court's website and posted on signs

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