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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE FAMILY JUSTICE RESOURCE CENTER, THE OFFICE OF THE COOK COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER, LEGAL ACTION CHICAGO, THE ACLU OF ILLINOIS, STATE REPRESENTATIVE MARY BETH CANTY, AND SENATE MAJORITY LEADER KIMBERLY A. LIGHTFORD FOR ADVANCING THE PROTECTING INNOCENT FAMILIES ACT
WHEREAS, the Family Justice Resource Center, the ACLU of Illinois, Legal Action Chicago, and the Office of the Cook County Public Defender led a broad coalition of organizations and advocates in advancing the Protecting Innocent Families Act, securing important protections for children and families throughout Illinois; and
WHEREAS, these four organizations brought complementary expertise, sustained advocacy, and a shared commitment to child safety, family integrity, due process, evidence-based medicine and medical ethics to the advancement of this landmark legislation; and
WHEREAS, their collaboration affirmed that a just and effective child welfare system must both protect children from abuse and protect families from wrongful separation; and
WHEREAS, House Bill 3169, sponsored by State Representative Mary Beth Canty and Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford, passed the Illinois House of Representatives 110-0 and the Illinois Senate 59-0, earning unanimous support in both chambers; and
WHEREAS, Governor JB Pritzker signed the legislation into law on July 24, 2026, as Public Act 104-0586, effective January 1, 2027; and
WHEREAS, the Act establishes new transparency requirements for medical professionals, including child abuse pediatricians and members of their clinical teams, concerning their identity, professional qualifications, and role in a child’s care; and
WHEREAS, the Act establishes critical safeguards governing the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services’ reliance on hospital-based child abuse pediatricians and their forensic opinions by requiring greater transparency about the Department’s use of these medical professionals, strengthening parents’ access to written medical opinions, and ensuring families have an opportunity to submit independent medical evidence before an investigation concludes; and
WHEREAS, these protections affirm that no medical opinion should be beyond scrutiny when a child’s future and family’s integrity are at stake, and that the extraordinary power of the state to separate children from their parents must be exercised with transparency, accountability, and respect for sound medical evidence and due process;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners hereby honors and congratulates the Family Justice Resource Center, the Office of the Cook County Public Defender, Legal Action Chicago, and the ACLU of Illinois for their outstanding advocacy, and State Representative Mary Beth Canty and Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford for their legislative leadership, in securing passage of the Protecting Innocent Families Act and strengthening protections for children and families throughout Illinois; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution be entered into the official proceedings of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and that suitable copies be presented to each of the six honorees as an expression of the Board’s respect, appreciation, and esteem.end