Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act

There is an important pro-life bill that passed 110 – 0 in the House and is now being considered in the Senate. HB 2093, sponsored by State Representative David Reis (R-Olney) and State Senator William Haine (D-Alton), would close a loophole in the extensive list of persons required to report child abuse or neglect. For example, some employees at abortion clinics — including administrative personnel — are not included in the list of those currently required by law to report suspicion of sexual abuse of minors. This proposal would close that critical loophole.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send an email or fax to your state senator to ask him/her to support this important piece of legislation.

Background
The bill would amend the Illinois Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, whose purpose is to provide intervention for minors who are suffering such crimes at the hands of legally responsible adults.

Abortion clinics and other facilities serving adolescents in the field of contraception or sexual health occupy a strategic position in society with respect to sexual abuse of minors. After all, it is to abortion clinics and contraception clinics that perpetrators of statutory rape or incest can take their victims to dispose of evidence of their crimes or to obtain prescription drugs to prevent conception.

Yet intake personnel at such facilities are seldom licensed medical professionals and are not included in the list of those currently required by law to report suspicion of sexual abuse of minors.

HB 2093 is sponsored by Rep. David Reis (R-Onley) and co-sponsored by Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago), Rep. Dwight Kay (R-Edwardsville), Rep. John Cavaletto (R-Salem), Rep. Mike Unes (R-Pekin), Rep. Darlene Senger (R-Naperville), and Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine).