Criminal Justice (Policing)

Creates the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center Juvenile Justice Reentry Program Act. Creates a data partnership among the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, and the Department of Juvenile Justice to annually gather the following information on the population of youth served by the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center: (1) the total number of youth served during the reporting period; (2) the recidivism rate among those youth within 6 and 12 months post-release; (3) the age range and gender breakdown of those youth, with a focus on males between 13 and 20 years of age; (4) the demographic and geographic data (race, ethnicity, and home zip codes) of those youth; and (5) the primary re-offense categories and conditions of release for those youth. Provides that the Program shall equip families with the skills, resources, and mindset to support their child's reentry. Provides that the Program shall include: (1) social worker-led home readiness assessments; (2) at-home care specialists assigned to each youth or family for 90 to 180 days; and (3) trauma-informed parenting workshops and culturally competent counseling. Provides that the Program shall provides youth released from the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center with: (1) stable, affirming housing options and near-peer support; (2) partnered transitional housing units (non-carceral); (3) resident advisor mentors between 21 to 30 years of age, with an emphasis on persons who were primarily involved in the justice system; and (4) nightly check-ins, group circles, and restorative justice practices. Provides that the Program shall equip families with the skills, resources, and mindset to support their children's reentry. Provides that the Program shall be voluntary and shall have the participation of 15 to 20 male youth between 14 to 18 years of age released from the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center within a 90-day period. Provides metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of the Program. Provides that reentry and aftercare grant funding shall be provided by the Department of Human Services.

Amends the Illinois State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires all State and local publicly funded ISO 17025 accredited forensic laboratory systems to report all complaints received alleging significant non-conformity with efficient delivery of forensic services and the sound practice of forensic science to the Illinois Forensic Science Commission within 30 days of becoming aware of the alleged significant non-conformity or deficient method. Specifies that the report of complaints alleging significant non-conformity or deficient method shall include the nature and extent of the non-conformity or deficient method alleged and whether any corrective actions were or will be implemented to address the alleged non-conformity or deficient method. Provides that all annual reports summarizing the forensic laboratory systems' significant non-conformities to the Illinois Forensic Science Commission shall include the information required to be reported under the amendatory Act.

Amends the Downstate Police Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026, any line-of-duty disability pension shall be at least $40,000 per year (instead of $400 per month), without regard to whether the disability or death of the police officer occurred before July 1, 2026. In provisions concerning an annual increase in the line-of-duty disability pension, removes requirements that an applicant must file an affidavit stating that the applicant has not earned any income from gainful employment during the most recently concluded tax year; have service credit in the Fund for at least 7 years of active duty; and have been receiving a line-of-duty disability pension for a period which, when added to the officer's total service credit in the Fund, equals at least 20 years. Provides that, if a disabled police officer is receiving a line-of-duty disability pension and is an annuitant of a municipality that sponsors a group hospital and medical plan that includes police officers or is participating in certain group insurance coverage, then the pension fund shall pay the total monthly premium on behalf of that police officer for such group insurance coverage. Amends the Property Tax Code. Sets forth a homestead exemption for property owned by a person receiving a line-of-duty disability pension in an amount equal to 50% of the equalized or assessed value of the property if the person is age 25 or over and under the age of 36, 75% of the equalized or assessed value of the property if the person is age 36 or over and under the age of 50, and 100% of the equalized or assessed value of the property if the person is age 50 or over. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Act. In provisions concerning whether recordings made with the use of an officer-worn body camera are subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, provides that any recording disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act may, rather than shall, be redacted to remove identification of any person that appears on the recording and is not an officer, a subject of the encounter, or directly involved in the encounter. Provides that nothing in the provisions shall prohibit the disclosure of any recording or portion of any recording regardless of whether it would be exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, rather than require the disclosure of any recording or portion of any recording which would be exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall develop or approve a course to assist law enforcement officers in identifying and interacting with individuals with epilepsy. Provides that the course must be fully consistent with the best practice guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Provides that the Board shall conduct or approve the epilepsy identification and treatment training course no later than 2 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that the Board may consult with the Department of Public Health or the Department of Human Services to develop and update the curriculum as needed. Provides that, every 3 years, a law enforcement officer shall complete training on identifying and interacting with individuals with epilepsy.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall develop or approve a standard curriculum for certified training programs in the recognition of trauma-informed responses to traumatic events, adverse childhood experiences, and toxic stress among law enforcement. Provides that the training shall include (1) teaching officers how to define and distinguish between acute trauma, chronic trauma, cumulative occupational stress, adverse childhood experiences, and toxic stress; (2) teaching officers to recognize trauma-related responses in themselves and others through behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and physiological indicators of traumatic stress, including how these indicators may present during calls for service and during officer-public interaction; (3) teaching officers the impact of trauma and how occupational trauma exposure, moral injury, burnout, toxic work environments, and cumulative stress affect decision making, communication, performance, and well-being; (4) education on the effects of psychological safety on organizational culture of law enforcement and the immediate work environment; (5) ways to improve psychological safety through trauma-informed communication and interaction skills, such as reducing escalation and engaging peers and other officers in a compassionate, culturally responsive, and nonjudgmental manner; (6) techniques for compassionate, sensitive, and nonjudgmental service delivery, including trauma-responsive communication and de-escalation; (7) procedures for recognizing and responding to traumatically triggering situations and emphasize tools and techniques for achieving situationally optimal outcomes; and (8) comprehensive strategies and tools to manage the impact of trauma, cumulative occupational stress, adverse childhood experiences and toxic stress. Provides that the training must be presented in all full and part-time basic law enforcement academies on or before July 1, 2027. Provides that law enforcement agencies must present the training to all law enforcement officers within 3 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that the Board shall evaluate training effectiveness through post-training assessments, ongoing officer feedback, wellness and safety metrics, and annual public reporting.

Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Provides that a person charged with certain weapon-related offenses under the Criminal Code of 2012 and sentenced to the First Time Weapons Offense Program under the Unified Code of Corrections or any other court-ordered diversionary program created by law or by a court of the State of Illinois may submit an application for a Firearm Owner's Identification Card before receiving a court order demonstrating completion of the program. Directs the Illinois State Police to issue a Firearm Owner's Identification Card to such a person upon receiving a court order demonstrating completion of the program, provided the person is otherwise eligible to receive a Firearm Owner's Identification Card. Specifies that a FOID application made under this provision shall be approved or denied within 10 business days of receiving a court order or written notification from a State's Attorney that the person completed a diversionary program.

Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Illinois Correctional Data and Transparency Act. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that beginning March 1, 2026 and every March 1 thereafter, the Department of Corrections shall submit to the General Assembly a recidivism report which the Department shall post on its website and make publicly available. Establishes the information contained in the report. Provides that the release rates shall be published on a public dashboard. Provides that within 60 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Department of Corrections must file and post a recidivism IT remediation plan, consisting of timelines, milestones, and responsible staff. Provides that until the first new report is posted, the Department must file monthly status updates with the House Appropriations-Public Safety Committee and the Senate Appropriations-Public Safety and Infrastructure Committee. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall enter into standing memoranda of understanding, which shall be updated at least annually, providing periodic feeds needed to compute recidivism, with privacy protections, between the Department and: (1) the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts concerning court dispositions; (2) the Illinois State Police concerning arrest and identifier data submitted to the Illinois State Police under the Criminal Identification Act; and (3) county sheriffs and jail administrators concerning booking information and returns of persons previously committed to county jails. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall publish aggregate and de-identified data with small-cell suppression. Provides that unit-record identifiable data shall not be disclosed to the public. Provides that research access to the data shall be only available by approved agreements with the Department of Corrections. Provides that if the annual report is filed more than 60 days after the March 1 due date, the Director of Corrections or his or her designee must appear before designated committees of the General Assembly with a remediation plan. Subject to appropriation, the Auditor General may conduct a performance audit of data processes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that victims shall be provided access to all discovery materials, including, but not limited to, police reports, relevant cellular communication data, and communications between parties, upon request, in accordance with the Crime Victims' Rights provision of the Bill of Rights Article of the Illinois Constitution and the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act to aid in their protection against future harm and preparation for civil litigation. Amends the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act. Provides that crime victims shall have the right to discovery information, upon request, for protection and civil litigation preparation. Provides that victims of crimes shall have the right to request and receive, upon request, discovery information that is directly relevant to the criminal case and pertinent to the victim's involvement in the case. Establishes procedures for the victim to obtain discovery information. Provides that the disclosure of discovery materials must be done in a manner that safeguards the victim's personal safety and privacy, especially in cases in which there is a known risk of further harm or retaliation by the defendant or others involved in the case. Provides that discovery materials disclosed may only be used for the purpose of understanding the criminal case and preparing for potential civil litigation. Provides that the information may not be disclosed to third parties or used for any purpose unrelated to the criminal proceedings or related civil litigation. Provides that failure of law enforcement or the office of the prosecuting attorney to comply with the disclosure of discovery materials within the required time frame may result in a civil penalty of up to $50,000, or disciplinary action, or both, as determined by the appropriate oversight body. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Reorganizes and expands the training overseen by the Division of the Academy and Training. Provides that functions of the Division of Forensic Services include issuing reports for certain drug tests, overseeing training in entering medical and dental information into certain databases, and providing information to local law enforcement agencies about best practices for handling death scene investigations. Requires the Illinois State Police to make a report containing the number of juvenile records that the Illinois State Police received in that quarter (rather than requiring the Illinois State Police to submit the report to the General Assembly). Provides that the Illinois State Police may receive revenue and real and personal property from any legal source, grants, pass-through grants, donations, and lawful appropriations. Requires the Illinois State Police to establish a State Missing Persons Clearinghouse as a resource to promote an immediate and effective community response to missing children. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, the Governor shall designate the chair of the Illinois Forensic Science Commission for a 2-year term. Changes references to districts to troops in the Volunteer Firefighting Unit Use Act. Amends the Statewide Organized Gang Database Act. Defines "LEADS" as the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System, which is a statewide communication and processing system that permits law enforcement and criminal justice agencies to have direct access to centralized data. Replaces references to "SWORD" with "LEADS". Makes conforming changes in the Illinois Police Training Act. Replaces "Division of Investigation" with "Division of Criminal Investigation" in the Intergovernmental Drug Laws Enforcement Act and the Illinois Vehicle Code. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2026.