HB 5293

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall conduct a Grooming Awareness Public Educational and Outreach Program, which is a public education and outreach program concerning the grooming of children, including, but not limited to, grooming behaviors and how to recognize, prevent, and report grooming behaviors. Provides that the Department of Public Health may work with other organizations to help conduct the Program which may include, but is not limited to, the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA) or the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE). Provides that the Department of Public Health may adopt rules that are necessary to conduct the Program. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Creates the offense of failure to report grooming of a child. Provides that a person 18 years of age or older commits the offense when he or she personally observes the grooming between a person whom he or she knows is 18 years of age or older and a person he or she knows is a child under 17 years of age, and knowingly fails to report the grooming to law enforcement. Provides that the offense does not apply to a person who makes timely and reasonable efforts to stop the sex offense or unlawful sexual conduct by reporting the grooming or sexual conduct in conformance with the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act or by reporting the sex offense or causing a report to be made, to medical or law enforcement authorities or anyone who is a mandated reporter under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Provides that a person who commits failure to report grooming of a child is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor for the first violation and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent violation. Provides that nothing in the provision shall be construed to allow prosecution of a person who personally observes the act of grooming and assists with an investigation and any subsequent prosecution of the offender.