IllinoisHB0871104th General Assembly (2025–2026)HouseWALLET

STATE GOVERNMENT-TECH

Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable

Signed by Governor

Summary

Amends the Attorney General Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

executiveadoption & child welfareassignmentschild welfare

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

9 provisions identified: 7 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.

Continued help for eligible former foster youth

Illinois must provide or authorize services helping eligible youth become self-supporting adults, with their consent. Youth must qualify for reinstatement of court wardship under the Juvenile Court Act, even without seeking or obtaining reinstatement. Services end at age 21, when consent is withdrawn, or when the service plan's self-sufficiency goal is reached. A homeless shelter does not count as suitable housing for youth receiving these services.

Stronger appeal rights for foster families

Youth placed by private child welfare agencies and their caregivers get the same procedural and appeal rights as state placements. Private-agency complaints start with agency review; Illinois child welfare officials must then accept covered complaints for administrative review. Appeals over placement changes must move quickly. Rules to reconsider denied relative certification, placement, or visitation requests were due July 1, 2025. Those rules must use the child's best interests and address cases where multiple relatives seek certification.

Easier adoption and guardianship for relatives

Beginning July 1, 2025, Illinois must remove adoption and guardianship assistance requirements that go beyond federal requirements. Certified relative caregiver homes must have access to adoption or subsidized guardianship when children cannot safely return to their parents. The child welfare agency must submit needed state plan changes and track certified relative caregiver support costs separately from licensed placements.

Higher payment floors for relative caregivers

Beginning July 1, 2025, certified relative caregiver homes qualify for at least 100% of licensed foster homes' maintenance payments. Payments cover care from the time of placement. Other relative homes caring for children placed by Illinois child welfare officials qualify for at least 90%. The 90% floor applies only to homes that are neither certified relative caregiver homes nor licensed foster homes.

More help for emergency relative placements

Illinois child welfare officials must work to secure goods, safety changes, or services when resource shortages mainly block emergency relative placements. Rules defining required efforts and support were due July 1, 2025, along with rules for a relative support program. That program may prepay or repay reasonable costs needed to meet home-safety requirements. It may also provide short-term funds for extreme hardship caused by taking in youth in care; no payment amount is guaranteed. The agency must include kinship navigator services in state plans, seek federal aid, and post updates twice yearly until funding approval.

More support for adoptive and guardian families

Illinois must maintain accessible adoption and subsidized guardianship support services for eligible children under 18. Children must have been in state child welfare custody or guardianship under Article II immediately before adoption or guardianship. A toll-free line must respond within one business day and may accept anonymous requests. The agency must publicize services, update information yearly, and coordinate with the state's health coverage agency. An electronic information-request option is required by July 1, 2026.

Residential providers must report children's care capacity

Illinois child welfare officials must set rules requiring covered licensed residential providers to report capacity, staffing, and occupancy data. Covered providers contract with or receive payment from state human services, juvenile justice, or health coverage agencies. Their covered services address children's mental health, substance use, or developmental disabilities. The data supports planning for service needs and available placements. Collection, sharing, and storage must follow state and federal privacy laws.

Correctional placements face a coverage exception

The law excludes children subject to placement in a covered correctional facility from subsection (m-1). The exclusion does not apply when both conditions hold: prior Illinois child welfare care and a court order for secure care. The supplied text does not explain subsection (m-1), so no specific loss of services or money is established.

Child placement safeguards limit caregiver approvals

Background checks protect children but block foster or adoptive approval for specified felonies, including violent crimes such as human and sex trafficking. Certified relative homes also face felony bars for child abuse or neglect, spousal abuse, crimes against children, and violence. Violent-crime bars include human and sex trafficking, rape, sexual assault, and homicide; other assault or battery falls outside that category. For certified relatives, assault, battery, or drug felonies committed within the past five years also bar approval. The same relative-placement bars cover unlicensed relatives who declined or were denied certification, but officials may grant waivers after comprehensive safety reviews.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

There is no primary sponsor on record.

Cosponsors

  • Amy Briel

    Democratic • House

  • Dagmara Avelar

    Democratic • House

  • Diane Blair-Sherlock

    Democratic • House

  • Gregg Johnson

    Democratic • House

  • Harry Benton

    Democratic • House

  • Jason R. Bunting

    Republican • House

  • Julie A. Morrison

    Democratic • Senate

  • Li Arellano, Jr.

    Republican • Senate

  • Lisa Davis

    Democratic • House

  • Martha Deuter

    Democratic • House

  • Matt Hanson

    Democratic • House

  • Patrick Sheehan

    Republican • House

  • Sharon Chung

    Democratic • House

  • Stephanie A. Kifowit

    Democratic • House

  • Sue Scherer

    Democratic • House

  • Suzy Glowiak Hilton

    Democratic • Senate

  • Tom Weber

    Republican • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 308 • No: 3

House vote • 5/30/2025

Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 House Concurs

Yes: 115 • No: 0

House vote • 5/29/2025

Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Recommends Be Adopted Adoption & Child Welfare Committee;

Yes: 8 • No: 0

Senate vote • 5/21/2025

Third Reading - Passed;

Yes: 58 • No: 0

Senate vote • 5/14/2025

Do Pass as Amended Child Welfare;

Yes: 7 • No: 0

House vote • 4/10/2025

Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed

Yes: 112 • No: 0

House vote • 3/18/2025

Do Pass as Amended / Short Debate Adoption & Child Welfare Committee;

Yes: 8 • No: 3

Actions Timeline

  1. Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0165

    8/15/2025House
  2. Effective Date August 15, 2025

    8/15/2025House
  3. Governor Approved

    8/15/2025House
  4. Sent to the Governor

    6/24/2025House
  5. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Jason R. Bunting

    5/30/2025House
  6. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Patrick Sheehan

    5/30/2025House
  7. Passed Both Houses

    5/30/2025House
  8. House Concurs

    5/30/2025House
  9. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 House Concurs 115-000-000

    5/30/2025House
  10. Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Sue Scherer

    5/30/2025House
  11. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Lisa Davis

    5/30/2025House
  12. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock

    5/30/2025House
  13. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Martha Deuter

    5/30/2025House
  14. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Gregg Johnson

    5/30/2025House
  15. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Dagmara Avelar

    5/30/2025House
  16. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Harry Benton

    5/30/2025House
  17. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Sharon Chung

    5/30/2025House
  18. Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit

    5/30/2025House
  19. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Recommends Be Adopted Adoption & Child Welfare Committee; 008-000-000

    5/29/2025House
  20. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Rules Referred to Adoption & Child Welfare Committee

    5/28/2025House
  21. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Referred to Rules Committee

    5/21/2025House
  22. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion Filed Concur Rep. Amy Briel

    5/21/2025House
  23. Placed on Calendar Order of Concurrence Senate Amendment(s) 1

    5/21/2025House
  24. Arrived in House

    5/21/2025House
  25. Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Julie A. Morrison

    5/21/2025Senate

Bill Text

  • Engrossed

  • Enrolled

  • House Amendment 1

  • Introduced

  • Senate Amendment 1

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