SPRINGFIELD – New laws educating Illinois citizens about threats to public safety, such as identity theft and sexual assault, and teaching them how to combat those dangers were signed into law last week, according to State Sen. Dan Rutherford (R-Pontiac).
The Senator says these new laws are vital to improving public safety because they focus on education and awareness – two elements that are central to preventing many of the crimes being committed today.
Currently, sex offenders are required to provide local police with their name, address, date of birth and the offense for which they were convicted. Senate Bill 3016 will require them to also provide the county of conviction, their age at the time of the offense, license plate numbers of any cars registered in their name, and any distinguishing marks on their body. Offenders would also be required to register every 180 days, as opposed to annually.
Senate Bill 3016 also requires school officials to notify parents during school registration or during parent-teacher conferences that this additional information is available on the Sex Offender Registry.
In an attempt to educate the public and slow down the number of identity theft crimes being committed each year, Senate Bill 2456 requires that those who apply at a driver services facility for renewal of their driver’s license or their Illinois Identification Card be provided, at no charge, with a brochure warning of the dangers of financial identity theft. The brochures would identify warning signs, instruct individuals on how to proceed if they believe they are a victim, and offer the names and telephone numbers of law enforcement and other government agencies that provide assistance to such victims.
Senator Rutherford noted that according to FBI statistics identity theft is the nation’s fastest growing crime, and unlike fingerprints, personal data that falls into the wrong hands can help criminals profit at the victim’s expense. It can have devastating consequences for the victim, who may face long hours of closing bad accounts, opening new ones, and repairing wrecked credit records. Additionally, it may take significant out-of-pocket expenses to rectify the effects of identity theft completely.
Other legislation signed into law includes:
Economic development (HB 4147) – Creates the Central Illinois Economic Development Authority to promote economic development within certain counties.
Election Boards (SB 1445) – Abolishes election canvassing boards, and replaces these boards with the local election authority in terms of canvassing of elections. Also requires that votes not cast in the precinct voting booth be counted at a central location such as the county clerk's office.
Identity theft (SB 2554) – Expands the definition of Personal Identifying Information to include passwords, adds two more circumstances when identity theft is committed concerning the portrayal of another person to obtain information, and allows for recovery of civil damages of $2,000 even when there is an absence of proof of actual damages.
Predator accountability Act (HB 1299) – Allows prostitutes to sue their abusive “pimps” and “johns,” as well as victims of child pornography and child prostitution to sue their victimizers.
Racial profiling (SB 2368) – Removes the sunset date for the racial profiling record-keeping statute.
Seized property (SB 2869) – Requires that any vehicle, boat, or aircraft that is forfeited under the Controlled Substances Act, may be used for any law enforcement purpose. It requires that proceeds from any sale of seized property must be used strictly for drug enforcement purposes or for the purchase of cameras.
Sex offenders (HB 4222) – Provides that a person convicted of or placed on parole, mandatory supervised release or extended mandatory supervised release for an offense under the Sex Offender Registration Act must wear an approved electronic monitoring device for the duration of the person’s parole, mandatory supervised release, or extended mandatory supervised release term. (HB 4298) – Creates the Interstate Sex Offender Task Force Act to examine the systems of communication between states regarding the interstate movement of registered sex offenders. (HB 4606) – Extends the time in which the victim of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault, or aggravated criminal sexual abuse must report the offense to law enforcement authorities from two years to three years after the commission of the offense in order for the 10-year statute of limitations to apply. (SB 2873) – Requires the Department of Corrections to notify the State’s Attorney in the County in which a sex offender was convicted or adjudicated delinquent that the offender is being released and is eligible for commitment under the Sexually Dangerous Persons Act. HB 2067) – Eliminates provisions that a sex offender who was adjudicated a juvenile delinquent before the age of 17 shall be considered as having committed the sex offense on or after their 17th birthday, and that registration of juveniles 17 years or older shall not extend the original registration of 10 years from the date of conviction. (SB 2962) – Makes any person who drives without a license or permit guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, if at the time of the violation the person's driver's license or permit was cancelled because the person failed to register as a sex offender. Mandates that a driver's license issued to a person convicted of a sex offense shall expire 12 months from the date of issuance.
Teacher certification (SB 859) – Provides that failure to disclose on an employment application a previous conviction for a sex offense, or any other state or federal sex offense is grounds for suspension of a teacher’s certificate.
Water utilities (SB 3046) – Provides that, in the event of a sale, purchase, or any other transfer of ownership operated by a privately-held public water utility, the water utility's contract with the acquiring entity must require that the acquiring entity hire a sufficient number of non-supervisory employees to operate and maintain the water system.
Work-at-home (HB 4719) – Deems it is an unlawful practice for a person to advertise, represent or imply that any person can earn money working at home by stuffing envelopes, addressing envelopes, mailing circulars, clipping newspaper and magazine articles, assembling products, bill processing, or performing similar work, unless the person making the advertisement or representation meets all of the listed conditions.