Criminal Justice

Creates the State Public Defender Act. Creates the Office of State Public Defender as an agency of State government. Provides that the Office of State Public Defender shall be an independent agency within the judicial branch of government and the Office's records shall be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that the Office of State Public Defender shall be under the supervision and direction of the State Public Defender. Sets forth the powers and duties of the State Public Defender, including the duties of the initial State Public Defender. Provides that the initial State Public Defender shall be appointed by the Supreme Court. Sets forth specified duties and responsibilities of the initial State Public Defender. Creates the State Public Defender Commission. Sets forth membership and duties of the Commission. Amends the Public Defender and Appointed Counsel Division of the Counties Code. Provides that any 2 or more counties of this State that are within the same judicial circuit may by joint resolution of the several county boards involved create a common Office of public defender for the counties so joined or allow representation in one county by the public defender appointed in the collaborating county (rather than 2 or more adjoining counties within the same judicial circuit may create a common Office of public defender). Provides that, when a vacancy occurs in the position of public defender, the State Public Defender shall nominate and the State Public Defender Commission shall appoint a properly qualified public defender using the application and selection process developed under the State Public Defender Act. Removes certain differences based upon county populations. Removes provisions relating to the Public Defender Quality Defense Task Force. Provides that a public defender may be removed only for good cause or dereliction of duty after notice and a hearing before the State Public Defender Commission (rather than by the president of the county board after a notice and hearing of the county board). Modifies how a public defender is compensated and how moneys in the Public Defender Fund may be used. Makes other changes. Amends various Acts to make conforming changes.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Creates the offense of coercing an abortion. Provides that a person commits the offense when the person uses force, intimidation, coercive control, threat of force, threat of deprivation of food and shelter, or financial assistance in order to compel a woman to undergo an abortion against her will. Provides that coercing an abortion may occur regardless of whether an abortion procedure has been attempted or completed. Provides that coercing an abortion is a Class 3 felony. Defines "abortion" and "coercive control".

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that grooming includes engaging in inappropriate in-person intimate behavior with a child under 17 years of age, which may include isolating interactions, gift giving, or crossing physical boundaries.

Appropriates $80,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Law Enforcement Training Standards Board for deposit into the Law Enforcement Camera Grant Fund to assist units of local government in Illinois with full compliance with the mandates of the Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Act. Contains provisions on legislative findings. Effective immediately.

Amends the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Provides that a licensee requesting a new license shall submit $5 (rather than $75, of which $60 shall be apportioned to the State Police Firearm Services Fund, $5 shall be apportioned to the Mental Health Reporting Fund, and $10 shall be apportioned to the State Crime Laboratory Fund). Provides that the fees collected under this provision shall be deposited into the State Police Firearm Services Fund.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that in a proceeding under the Delinquent Minors Article of the Act, a minor who was under 18 (rather than under 15) years of age at the time of the commission of an act that if committed by an adult would be a violation of any offense under the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012 (rather than a homicide offense or criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault, predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, criminal sexual abuse, or aggravated criminal sexual abuse) must be represented by counsel throughout the entire custodial interrogation of the minor. Provides that in custodial interrogations, a minor may not waive the right to the assistance of counsel. Provides that an oral, written, or sign language statement of a minor, who at the time of the commission of the offense was under 18 years of age, is presumed to be inadmissible when the statement is obtained from the minor while the minor is subject to custodial interrogation by a law enforcement officer, State's Attorney, juvenile officer, or other public official or employee prior to the officer, State's Attorney, public official, or employee ensuring that the minor is represented by counsel throughout the custodial interrogation. Provides that an oral, written, or sign language statement of a minor made without counsel present throughout the entire custodial interrogation of the minor shall be inadmissible as evidence against the minor in any juvenile court proceeding or criminal proceeding. Deletes provision that the presumption of inadmissibility of a statement made by a suspect at a custodial interrogation at a police station or other place of detention may be overcome by a preponderance of the evidence that the statement was voluntarily given and is reliable, based on the totality of the circumstances. Amends the Counties Code to make conforming changes.

Amends the Substance Use Disorder Act. Provides that disclosure of nonexempt records protected under the Act may be disclosed for research activities under the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Act. Amends the AIDS Confidentiality Act and the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act. Provides that staff and any designee of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, members of the Ad Hoc Statewide Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority Board, and the regional domestic violence fatality review teams are entitled to receive, inspect, copy, and share HIV-related information of any person subject to a domestic violence fatality review as part of and in accordance with the provisions of the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Act. Provides that the information disclosed is subject to the confidentiality requirements of the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. In the provision concerning parole review of persons under the age of 21 at the time of the commission of an offense, provides that any date after serving the minimum term of years to become eligible for parole review or up to 3 years prior to becoming eligible for parole review, the eligible person may file his or her petition for parole review with the Prisoner Review Board. Provides that within 30 days of receipt of this petition, the Prisoner Review Board shall determine whether the petition is appropriately filed, and if so, shall set a date for parole review 3 years from receipt of the petition or the date the person is eligible for parole review, whichever date is sooner, and notify the Department of Corrections within 10 business days. Provides that in no such circumstance shall the hearing be scheduled sooner than one year from the date of the determination that the petition is appropriately filed.

Amends the Lodging Services Human Trafficking Recognition Training Act. Provides that a unit of local government regulating an employer or a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over an employer may, in the course of its regulatory or enforcement duties, monitor and enforce compliance with the Act. Provides that, upon the discovery of a violation of the Act, the unit of local government or law enforcement agency shall provide the employer with a reasonable notice of noncompliance that informs the employer that if the employer does not cure the violation within 30 days after notice the employer is subject to a civil penalty. Provides that, if the unit of local government regulating an employer or a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over an employer verifies that the violation was not corrected within the cure period, the Attorney General or State's Attorney may bring a civil action against that employer. Provides that an employer that violates the Act is guilty of a business offense and may be fined not more than $1,500 for each offense. Makes conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2026.

Amends the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act. Provides that the Prisoner Review Board shall publish on its official public website and provide to registered victims information regarding how to submit a victim impact statement. Provides that the Prisoner Review Board shall consider victim impact statements from any registered victims. Provides that any registered victim, including a person who has had a final, plenary, or non-emergency order of protection granted under the Protective Orders Article of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 or under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986, may present victim statements that the Prisoner Review Board shall consider in its deliberations. Provides that at least 48 hours prior to early release of the prisoner from State custody or of the prisoner's pardon, commutation, furlough, or granting of sentence credit, the Prisoner Review Board shall inform a victim of the release if the victim has previously requested notification of that information. Provides that notification shall be made before 5 p.m. on weekdays. Provides that the Prisoner Review Board shall notify the victim in the underlying case of the offender's release on mandatory supervised release at least 30 days prior to release and shall allow the victim to provide a victim's statement to the Board. Provides that the victim's statement shall be considered when determining the conditions of the offender's mandatory supervised release. Provides that, before the Board makes a decision on whether to revoke an offender's parole or mandatory supervised release, the Prisoner Review Board must run a LEADS report. Provides that the Board shall publish on the Board's publicly accessible website the name and identification number of offenders alleged to have violated terms of parole or mandatory supervised release, the Board's decision whether to revoke parole or mandatory supervised release, and the names of the voting Board members. Provides that this information shall only be accessible while the offender is in State custody. Amends the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Provides that a petition for an order of protection may not be denied upon the basis that the petitioner or the respondent is incarcerated in a penal institution at the time of the filing of the petition.