Provides that the Act may be referred to as Ethan's Law. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that it is unlawful for a person to store or keep any firearm on the premises of a residence under the control of the person if the person knows, or reasonably should know, that: (1) a minor is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the parent or guardian of the minor; or (2) a resident of the residence is ineligible to possess a firearm under federal, State, or local law. Provides exemptions for safe storage of the firearm. Provides that a person who commits a violation is guilty of a petty offense and shall be fined $500 per violation. Provides that if a person a person who commits a violation is a minor or a resident who is ineligible to possess a firearm under federal, State, or local law obtains the firearm and causes injury or death to the minor, resident, or any other individual, the person is guilty of a Class 2 felony. Provides that any firearm stored in violation of this provision is subject to seizure and forfeiture. Repeals provisions of the Code relating to firearms and child protection.
Sponsored bills
Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, as follows: General Funds $41,148,100; Other State Funds $562,984,000; Federal Funds $1,776,773,671; Total $2,380,905,771.
Amends the Illinois Highway Code. Provides that statutory provisions concerning residency requirements for highway commissioners also apply to clerks. Deletes language providing that a board of trustees may contract with a neighboring township to provide highway commissioner or clerk services if the township has a population of less than 500.
Creates the Digital Forgeries Act. Provides that an individual depicted in a digital forgery has a cause of action against any person who, without the consent of the depicted individual, knowingly distributes a digital forgery, creates a digital forgery with intent to distribute, or solicits the creation of a digital forgery with the intent to distribute: (1) in order to harass, extort, threaten, or cause physical, emotional, reputational, or economic harm to an individual falsely depicted; (2) with reckless disregard for whether such a creation, distribution, reproduction, or manipulation will cause physical, emotional, reputational, or economic harm to an individual falsely depicted; or (3) in order to incite violence or interfere with an official proceeding. Allows a prevailing plaintiff to be awarded damages, costs, and additional relief. Allows the court to grant injunctive relief maintaining the confidentiality of a plaintiff using a pseudonym.
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that in a county having a population of 3,000,000 or more, the county sheriff shall establish with other law enforcement agencies a vehicle theft hotline to facilitate the location of stolen vehicles via their installed existing global positioning systems, collaborate with vehicle manufacturers and dealers to provide information and assistance to law enforcement officers in the investigation of vehicle theft, and ensure that consumers are provided with information concerning the hotline and any new or used vehicle manufactured with a global positioning system by publishing the information in a conspicuous location on the county sheriff's website. Provides that the manufacturer of any vehicle sold in this State shall establish a hotline available to State, county, and local law enforcement agencies exclusively for the purposes of law enforcement information sharing and the electronic tracking of vehicles stolen in vehicular hijacking incidents or that have been used in the commission of kidnapping, aggravated battery with a firearm, attempted homicide, or homicide. Provides that the manufacturer's hotline shall relay vehicle location information, including real-time vehicle location information whenever possible, to the 9-1-1 call center or designated dispatch center for the responding agency, to the best of the manufacturer's technical capability. Requires State, county, and local law enforcement agencies to use their respective 9-1-1 system call centers or designated dispatch centers for the purpose of verification of law enforcement officers' identities and bona fide incident report numbers related to incidents. Requires manufacturers to prepare written statements detailing tracking and disabling system capabilities and make them available to State, county, and local law enforcement agencies upon request. Requires that, if a vehicle is not subscribed to the manufacturer's tracking service, the manufacturer of any vehicle sold in this State shall waive all fees associated with initiating, renewing, reestablishing, or maintaining the location, disabling, or alert service with which the vehicle is equipped during a law enforcement response or investigation of specified offenses.
Amends the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act. Provides that a public officer, employee, board, or representative of a governmental unit may not ban or otherwise prohibit a book from being available for reading or circulation by members of the public in a library, school, or other publicly funded facility. Provides that the provisions do not restrict the ability to limit books in schools or in another publicly funded facility based upon the age and development level of persons who will have access to those books. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers.
Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Allows a delinquent adjudicated in juvenile court and subsequently imprisoned for one or more felonies by the State which he or she did not commit to file a petition for certificate of innocence in the circuit court of the county in which the delinquent was adjudicated. In a provision regarding the facts that a petitioner must prove by a preponderance of evidence to obtain a certificate of innocence, when proving that the petitioner did not by his or her own conduct cause or bring about (rather than voluntarily cause or bring about) his or her own conviction, provides that a guilty plea or confession does not alone constitute bringing about one's conviction. Makes conforming changes.
Creates the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Program Act. Establishes the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Program within the Department of Human Services to help expand the availability of nutritious, locally grown, raised, or processed foods for Illinois' emergency food system. Provides that the program shall (1) acquire and distribute agricultural products from Illinois agricultural entities or aggregators to Illinois' emergency food system, and (2) provide grants to improve capacity of the emergency food system to allow for the proper transportation, storage, or distribution of agricultural products to underserved areas. Provides that the program shall target fruits, vegetables, meat and poultry, dairy, and eggs produced in Illinois. Provides that foods shall be surplus, seconds, or market-grade quality levels and must be safe for consumption. Provides that the program is subject to appropriation and shall dedicate no less than 75% of available funds to acquisition and distribution of food. Requires the Secretary of the Department of Human Services to engage a not-for-profit entity from Illinois' emergency food system to administer the program. Requires the administering entity to have statewide reach and represent multiple food banks that source and distribute food to Illinois food pantries and soup kitchens under the same authorities and standards as the Emergency Food Assistance Program administered by the Department. Contains provisions concerning the duties of the administering entity. Creates the Farm to Food Bank Advisory Council to provide support to the program through facilitating relationship-building and partnerships between the Illinois agricultural sector and the emergency food system and other matters. Provides that the program may distribute food to those food banks with the infrastructure to accept, store, and distribute foods through the emergency food system and with the capacity to serve significant geographic areas within Illinois. Provides that the program shall distribute capacity-building grants for facility upgrades, equipment, or other investments necessary to support the objectives of the program. Requires the Department of Human Services to adopt rules. Effective immediately.
Creates the Justice40 Oversight Committee Act. Establishes the Justice40 Oversight Committee. Provides that the Justice40 Oversight Committee shall make findings, conclusions, and recommendations regarding environmental justice in this State and uses of federal funds provided to the State for environmental justice. Requires the Justice40 Oversight Committee to submit reports delineating the Oversight Committee's findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the General Assembly by specified dates. Contains requirements for the appointment of voting and nonvoting members of the Oversight Committee. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.
Amends the University of Illinois Act, the Southern Illinois University Management Act, the Chicago State University Law, the Eastern Illinois University Law, the Governors State University Law, the Illinois State University Law, the Northeastern Illinois University Law, the Northern Illinois University Law, the Western Illinois University Law, and the Public Community College Act. Requires a university or community college to provide all necessary coursework materials for rental, free of charge to any student who meets all of the following qualifications: (1) the student is a resident of the State; (2) the student graduated from an approved high school in the State; (3) the student is enrolled for the upcoming semester or term at the university or community college; and (4) as applicable to a university, the student has not previously earned or received a bachelor's degree or 135 credit hours or equivalent of coursework, or, as applicable to a community college, the student has not previously earned or received an associate's degree or 60 credit hours or equivalent of coursework. Effective immediately.