Domestic Violence Fatality Review Act Summary

• Creates the Ad Hoc Statewide Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee under the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority Board to lead domestic violence fatality review efforts across the state.

• Establishes regional domestic violence fatality review teams within judicial circuits to review domestic violence-related fatalities and near-fatalities, identify systemic gaps, and develop recommendations for community and systemic reform.

• Requires all information obtained by review teams to be kept confidential and exempt from Freedom of Information Act requests, subpoenas, and admissibility in legal proceedings.

• Mandates regional teams review at least 2 eligible cases per calendar year and submit annual and biennial reports with recommendations for legislative, policy, and systemic changes.

• Amends the Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act to shield domestic violence fatality review meetings and confidential information from public disclosure while allowing aggregate, non-identifying data to be made public.