SB3630 Summary

• Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act to establish protections for parents/guardians when the Department refers children to board-certified child abuse pediatricians during investigations, including requiring the pediatrician to explain the examination's purpose and that communication with law enforcement and court testimony may be required.

• Requires parents/guardians to be informed of the referral, their right to request and receive copies of the pediatrician's opinion, their right to obtain a second medical opinion at their own expense, and the Department's investigative timeline.

• Mandates that any second medical opinion submitted before the Department's final determination be considered as either inculpatory or exculpatory evidence in the investigation.

• Requires the Department to annually post a report on its Reports and Statistics webpage detailing the number of children/families referred to board-certified child abuse pediatricians, organized by case outcomes, DCFS region, race, gender, safety plans, and protective custody status, with the first report due within 9 months of the effective date.

• Protects data privacy by prohibiting personally identifiable information in the annual reports and suppressing any category with fewer than 10 cases.