FAMILY JUSTICE CENTERS ACT

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB4949

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Full Text of HB4949

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HB4949 - 104th General Assembly

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HB4949 Enrolled
LRB104 17662 BDA 34073 b
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AN ACT concerning government.

2

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3
represented in the General Assembly:

4

Section 1.
Short title.
This Act may be cited as the
Family
5
Justice Centers Act.

6

Section 5.
Findings.
The General Assembly finds and
7
declares that:
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(1) Underreporting of domestic violence, sexual
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violence, stalking, and human trafficking to service
10

providers, law enforcement, and protective agencies is
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detrimental to the health, safety, and welfare of the
12

State of Illinois. Survivors have stressed the need for
13

collaborative implementation of resources and interagency
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communication and assessment of policies and procedures to
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allow for intentional process improvement in the delivery
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of and response to survivors.
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(2) To support survivors and their children and
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encourage the development of partnerships to close gaps
19

and implement best practices, entities must work
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collaboratively and actively to build a trauma-informed,
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survivor-centered community response to prevent domestic
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violence, child abuse, sexual violence, stalking, and
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human trafficking.

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(3) The enactment of the Family Justice Centers Act
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promotes the health and safety of survivors of domestic
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violence, sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking
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and provides alternative ways for survivors to seek
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services in a trauma-informed, survivor-centered,
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coordinated manner.
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(4) In recent years, Illinois has experienced an
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upward trend in domestic violence incidents, including
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increased contacts to the Illinois Domestic Violence
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Hotline and higher rates of domestic-related homicides.
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Contacts to the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline rose
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26% from 2023 to 2024 to a total of 59,704 contacts, which
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is 140% higher than in 2019, according to Measuring
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Safety: Gender Based Violence in Illinois 2024, Illinois
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Domestic Violence Hotline Report, published in June 2025
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by The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence. This
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rising rate of reports, coupled with the reality that many
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incidents go unreported, demonstrates the need for a State
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response.
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(5) Given the intimate and personal nature of sexual
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violence, advocacy services are necessary to support
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survivors of sexual assault by providing comprehensive
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assistance that addresses immediate and long-term needs.
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The State of Illinois should continue to support these
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programs, which have faced declining funds in recent
26

years.

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(6) In 2025, the Illinois General Assembly passed the
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Illinois Statewide Trauma-Informed Response to Human
3

Trafficking Act, recognizing the need for a comprehensive
4

response to human trafficking in the State. This Act
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requires agencies to investigate and respond in a
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survivor-centered, trauma-informed manner to increase the
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detection of survivors and provide a survivor-centered,
8

trauma-informed response when survivors present for
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services.
10

(7) The Family Justice Center framework offers a
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comprehensive and collaborative approach to addressing
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domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and human
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trafficking. Family Justice Centers bring together
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professionals and services under one roof, providing a
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safe and supportive environment for survivors and ensuring
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a coordinated and effective response.
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(8) Children's Advocacy Centers were established in
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Illinois by Public Act 86-276 and are governed by the
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Children's Advocacy Center Act. In response to the need
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for a formal, comprehensive, integrated, and
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multidisciplinary approach to child maltreatment,
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Children's Advocacy Centers provide subject-matter
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expertise that complements Family Justice Centers. This
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Act is intended to enhance collaboration and sharing of
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expertise and is not meant to supersede the expertise of
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Children's Advocacy Centers. Domestic violence, sexual

HB4949 Enrolled
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LRB104 17662 BDA 34073 b
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violence, and child abuse are forms of community violence
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that require coordinated responses. Family Justice Centers
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and Children's Advocacy Centers should work
4

collaboratively.
5

(9) Family Justice Centers minimize the need for
6

survivors to navigate multiple agencies, to travel to
7

multiple locations, and to repeat their stories. They
8

offer services shown to improve access to services,
9

increase hope and well-being, reduce recantation, reduce
10

homicides, and increase successful prosecution of
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offenders.
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(10) Creating Family Justice Centers is essential to
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provide multiagency, multidisciplinary support and
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services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual
15

violence, stalking, and human trafficking; to ensure
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survivors can access all needed services; to enhance
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survivor safety; to increase offender accountability; and
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to reduce the number of times survivors are questioned and
19

examined and the number of places survivors must go to
20

receive assistance.

21

Section 10.
Definitions.
As used in this Act:
22

"Domestic violence" means any act of abuse as defined in
23
the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986.
24

"Human trafficking" means an act as set forth in Section
25
10-9 of the Criminal Code of 2012, including recruiting,

HB4949 Enrolled
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harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for
2
labor or services through force, fraud, or coercion.
3

"Sexual violence" means physical sexual acts attempted or
4
perpetrated against a person's will or when a person is
5
incapable of giving consent, including, without limitation,
6
rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual abuse, and sexual
7
coercion.
8

"Stalking" has the meaning given to that term in the
9
Stalking No Contact Order Act. "Stalking" includes, without
10
limitation, the following conduct:
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(1) following a person;
12

(2) conducting surveillance of the person;
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(3) appearing at the person's home, work, or school
14

without a reasonable purpose under the circumstances;
15

(4) making unwanted phone calls;
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(5) sending unwanted mail;
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(6) sending unwanted messages via social media;
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(7) sending unwanted text messages;
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(8) leaving objects for the person;
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(9) vandalizing the person's property;
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(10) injuring a pet; or
22

(11) using any electronic tracking system or acquiring
23

tracking information to determine the person's location,
24

movements, or travel patterns.

25

Section 15.
Family Justice Centers.

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LRB104 17662 BDA 34073 b
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(a) A city, county, State, community-based nonprofit
2
organization, or a combination of these entities may establish
3
a multiagency, multidisciplinary Family Justice Center to
4
assist survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence,
5
stalking, and human trafficking, to ensure that survivors are
6
able to access needed services in one location, to enhance
7
survivor safety, to increase offender accountability, and to
8
improve access to services.
9

(b) A Family Justice Center is a multiagency,
10
multidisciplinary service center where public and private
11
agencies assign staff members on a full-time or part-time
12
basis to provide services to survivors of domestic violence,
13
sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking from one
14
location, to reduce the number of times survivors must repeat
15
their accounts, to reduce the number of places survivors must
16
go for help, and to increase access to services and support for
17
survivors and their children. A Family Justice Center shall,
18
as appropriate, partner with other agencies to provide
19
services.
20

(c) Staff members at a Family Justice Center may include,
21
but are not limited to:
22

(1) domestic violence providers recognized by the
23

Department of Human Services;
24

(2) rape crisis organizations as defined in Section
25

8-802.1 of the Code of Civil Procedure;
26

(3) civil legal service providers, in accordance with

HB4949 Enrolled
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LRB104 17662 BDA 34073 b
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memoranda of understanding developed by the Family Justice
2

Center;
3

(4) legal advocacy providers, in accordance with
4

memoranda of understanding developed by the Family Justice
5

Center;
6

(5) mental health care providers, in accordance with
7

memoranda of understanding developed by the Family Justice
8

Center;
9

(6) housing providers, in accordance with memoranda of
10

understanding developed by the Family Justice Center;
11

(7) substance-use counselors, in accordance with
12

memoranda of understanding developed by the Family Justice
13

Center;
14

(8) Family Justice Center administrative personnel;
15

(9) medical personnel;
16

(10) local Children's Advocacy Centers;
17

(11) law enforcement;
18

(12) the State's Attorney's office and victim-witness
19

personnel;
20

(13) supervised volunteers of partner agencies; and
21

(14) other professional agencies serving survivors of
22

domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, or human
23

trafficking, in accordance with memoranda of understanding
24

developed by the Family Justice Center.
25

(d) If Department of Children and Family Services
26
personnel are present on site at a Family Justice Center, they

HB4949 Enrolled
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LRB104 17662 BDA 34073 b
1
shall only interact with a survivor receiving services from
2
the Family Justice Center upon the survivor's request.
3

(e) This Section does not abrogate existing laws regarding
4
privacy or information sharing. Family Justice Center staff
5
members shall comply with the laws governing their respective
6
professions.
7

(f) Survivors shall not be required to participate with
8
law enforcement, the Department of Children and Family
9
Services, or the criminal justice system to receive services
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at a Family Justice Center. A Family Justice Center shall
11
establish memoranda of understanding with law enforcement, the
12
Department of Children and Family Services, and State's
13
Attorneys' offices to facilitate collaboration, improved
14
processes, and systems change for the benefit of survivors and
15
the health, safety, and well-being of the community.
16

(g) Each Family Justice Center shall consult with
17
statewide and local community-based domestic violence, sexual
18
assault, stalking, and human trafficking agencies, in
19
partnership with survivors and their advocates, in the
20
operation of the Family Justice Center. Each Family Justice
21
Center shall establish procedures for ongoing input, feedback,
22
and evaluation by survivors and community-based survivor
23
service providers and advocates.
24

(h) Each Family Justice Center shall develop operating
25
agreements, policies, and procedures, in collaboration with
26
local community-based survivor service providers and local

HB4949 Enrolled
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LRB104 17662 BDA 34073 b
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survivors, to ensure coordinated services and to enhance the
2
safety of survivors and professionals at the Family Justice
3
Center, including participants in affiliated survivor-centered
4
support or advocacy groups. Each Family Justice Center shall
5
maintain a formal survivor feedback, complaint, and input
6
process to address concerns about services or the conduct of
7
any Family Justice Center professionals, agency partners, or
8
volunteers.
9

(i) Each Family Justice Center shall provide survivors
10
with educational materials relating to rights available under
11
Illinois law.
12

(j) Each Family Justice Center shall maintain a survivor's
13
informed, specific, and time-limited consent. The consent
14
policy, and the sharing of any details gathered from the
15
survivor, the survivor's family, or other sources shall follow
16
all State and federal laws, including, but not limited to, the
17
Violence Against Women Act of 1994, so as to protect the
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confidentiality of information gathered and any documents in a
19
survivor's file, including, but not limited to, medical
20
records, legal records, survivor counselor records, and any
21
other information gathered during intake or throughout the
22
period of engagement with the survivor. Each Family Justice
23
Center shall develop privacy policies and procedures
24
consistent with State and federal privacy and confidentiality
25
laws and the Fair Information Practice Principles adopted by
26
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Privacy Policy

HB4949 Enrolled
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LRB104 17662 BDA 34073 b
1
Guidance Memorandum 2008-01.
2

(k) A Family Justice Center shall obtain informed,
3
written, time-limited consent from a survivor before sharing
4
information obtained from the survivor with any staff member
5
or agency partner, except that a Family Justice Center shall
6
inform the survivor that information shared with staff members
7
or partner agencies may be shared with the Department of
8
Children and Family Services or a peace officer without the
9
survivor's consent if there is a mandatory duty to report or if
10
the survivor is a danger to self or others. A Family Justice
11
Center shall obtain written acknowledgment that the survivor
12
has been informed of this policy.
13

(l) Consent by a survivor to share information within a
14
Family Justice Center under this Section shall not be
15
construed as a universal waiver of any evidentiary privilege
16
that makes confidential communications or documents between
17
the survivor and a service provider, including, without
18
limitation, any lawyer, advocate, rape crisis counselor, or
19
domestic violence counselor, and including protections under
20
applicable State and federal law, such as the Address
21
Confidentiality for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual
22
Assault, Human Trafficking, or Stalking Act; and Sections
23
8-802, 8-802.1, and 8-802.2 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
24
Any oral or written communication or document authorized by
25
the survivor to be shared for the purposes of enhancing safety
26
and providing more effective and efficient services shall not

HB4949 Enrolled
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LRB104 17662 BDA 34073 b
1
be disclosed to any third party, unless authorized by the
2
survivor or required by State or federal law or court order.
3

(m) An individual staff member, volunteer, or agency that
4
has survivor information governed by this Section shall not be
5
required to disclose that information unless the survivor has
6
consented to the disclosure or the disclosure is consistent
7
with applicable State law regarding crime victims' rights.
8

(n) A disclosure of information consented to by the
9
survivor in a Family Justice Center, made for the purposes of
10
clinical assessment, risk assessment, safety planning, or
11
service delivery, shall not be deemed a waiver of any
12
privilege or confidentiality provision contained in any other
13
law of this State.
14

(o) In addition to any other required training, each
15
Family Justice Center shall maintain a training program with
16
mandatory training of not less than 16 hours per year for all
17
persons providing services at the Family Justice Center,
18
including, but not limited to, training on evidentiary
19
privileges, confidentiality provisions, information sharing,
20
risk assessment, safety planning, survivor advocacy, and
21
high-risk case response.

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