HB4796 Summary

• Expands domestic violence protections to include foster parents, legal guardians, custodians, adoptive parents, and prospective adoptive parents who are abused by a family or household member of a child in their care.

• Allows these expanded categories of caregivers to file petitions for orders of protection under both the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986.

• Maintains protection status for individuals who were previously considered family or household members of a child even after parental rights have been terminated.

• Applies the expanded protections when the abuser is a family or household member of the child placed with the caregiver, including cases where the child was placed by the Department of Children and Family Services or another state's public child welfare agency.