Criminal Justice

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that any person convicted of the offense of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer commits: a Class 3 felony if the convicted person causes bodily injury to any bystander or member of the public; a Class 2 felony if the convicted person causes bodily injury to the pursuing peace officer; and a Class 1 felony if the convicted person causes great bodily injury or disablement to the pursuing peace officer.

Creates the Gun Crime Charging and Sentencing Accountability and Transparency Act. Provides that in a criminal case, if a defendant is charged with an offense involving the illegal use or possession of a firearm and subsequently enters into a plea agreement in which the charge will be reduced to a lesser offense or a non-weapons offense in exchange for a plea of guilty, at or before the time of sentencing, the State's Attorney shall file with the court a written statement of his or her reasons in support of the plea agreement, which shall specifically state why the offense or offenses of conviction resulting from the plea agreement do not include the originally charged weapons offense. Provides that the written statement shall be part of the court record in the case and a copy shall be provided to any person upon request. Provides that in a criminal case in which the original charge is or was for an offense involving the illegal use or possession of a firearm, if a defendant pleads guilty or is found guilty of the original charge or lesser offense or a non-weapons offense, in imposing the sentence, the judge shall set forth in a written sentencing order his or her reasons for imposing the sentence or accepting the plea agreement. Provides that a copy of the written sentencing order shall be provided to any person upon request.

Creates the County Co-Responder Pilot Program Division in the Counties Code. Provides that each county sheriff's office may establish, subject to appropriation, a co-responder unit by no later than 6 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that, in addition to other responsibilities, the unit's social workers are responsible for conducting follow-up visits for victims who may benefit from mental or behavioral health services. Provides that the unit's primary area of focus shall be victim assistance. Includes other provisions relating to establishment of the units, duties of the unit, unit training, and privileged or confidential communications. Repeals the Division on January 1, 2029.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall conduct or approve a training program in death and homicide investigation for the training of Department of Corrections internal security investigators. Provides that only law enforcement officers and Department of Corrections internal security investigators (rather than just law enforcement officers) who successfully complete the training program may be assigned as lead investigators in death and homicide investigations. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall develop a process for waiver applications sent by the Department of Corrections for those investigators whose prior training and experience as homicide investigators may qualify them for a waiver.

Creates the End Gun Violence in Disproportionately Impacted Areas Task Force to study, analyze data, make recommendations, and develop policy proposals addressing the root causes of violence and resulting trauma to drastically reduce gun violence in disproportionately impacted areas.

Appropriates $38,275,200 from the General Revenue Fund to the Office of the State Appellate Defender for its ordinary and contingent expenses. Effective July 1, 2025.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall conduct or approve training programs in crimes motivated by bias. Includes requirements for the training programs. Requires the training for new law enforcement officers and allows continuing education credits for current law enforcement officers who complete the training.

HB 3995 is an appropriations bill that allocates specific funds from various state funds to the Office of the Attorney General for existing programs. It directs $90 million for general operations, $11 million for violent crime victims assistance, $5 million to the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation, $2.5 million for Medicaid fraud enforcement, and additional sums for domestic violence services, tobacco litigation oversight, and other AG functions. The bill does not create new policies but specifies funding sources and purposes for current Attorney General programs. It becomes effective July 1, 2025, and directly affects the Attorney General's office and the organizations receiving these grants.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that any person may file a petition to vacate a conviction or sentence, regardless of criminal custody status or citizenship or immigration status, as defined in the Illinois TRUST Act, if the person asserts that: (1) the conviction or sentence is legally invalid due to prejudicial error damaging the petitioner's ability to meaningfully understand, defend against, or knowingly accept the actual or potential adverse immigration consequences of a conviction or sentence; or (2) newly discovered evidence of actual innocence exists that requires vacation of the conviction or sentence as a matter of law or in the interests of justice. Provides that such a petition shall be deemed timely filed at any time notwithstanding any other provision of law. Provides that the time limitations for petitions filed in the trial court under the Post-Conviction Hearing Article of the Code do not apply to a petition filed under this provision. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that a provision granting relief from a final order or judgment entered based on a plea of guilty or nolo contendere and that has potential consequences under federal immigration law applies to orders or judgments entered before, on, or after the effective date of the amendatory Act.

Amends the Election Code. Provides that a person convicted of a felony or otherwise under sentence in a correctional institution shall have his or her right to vote restored and shall be eligible to vote not later than 14 days following his or her conviction. Provides that a correctional institution shall make available to a person in its custody current election resource material from the State Board of Elections and current election resource material that is requested by a person in custody and received at the correctional institution from a local election authority in response to the request. Creates the Post-Conviction Task Force to strengthen and improve provisions that restore the right to vote to a person convicted of a felony or otherwise under sentence in a correctional institution. Makes other changes. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections to make conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2026.