The legislation was introduced in bill SB1609 on Feb. 15, when Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-17) filed it with the Senate clerk.
According to the General Assembly website, the bill as introduced was designed to "amend the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963".
The Senate passed the bill and it arrived in the House on March 26, and both chambers agreed to the final version of the legislation on May 30. The bill was sent to the governor and signed into law on Aug. 16. The law is scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020.
Illinois legislature enacts laws through bills that can be introduced in either the state House of Representatives or the state Senate. Either chamber of the legislature can reject or amend a bill before it becomes law. Legislators sometimes sponsor "shell bills" devoid of substantive provisions, introduced with the intention of being amended later to include actual legislation.
The following table shows the full history of actions on SB1609.
| Date | Chamber | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 2/15/2019 | Senate | Filed with Secretary by Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. |
| 2/15/2019 | Senate | First Reading |
| 2/15/2019 | Senate | Referred to Assignments |
| 2/27/2019 | Senate | Assigned to Criminal Law |
| 3/5/2019 | Senate | Postponed - Criminal Law |
| 3/7/2019 | Senate | Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Napoleon Harris, III |
| 3/12/2019 | Senate | Do Pass Criminal Law; 007-003-000 |
| 3/12/2019 | Senate | Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading March 13, 2019 |
| 3/13/2019 | Senate | Second Reading |
| 3/13/2019 | Senate | Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading March 14, 2019 |
| 3/26/2019 | House | Chief House Sponsor Rep. Justin Slaughter |
| 3/26/2019 | House | Arrived in House |
| 3/26/2019 | Senate | Third Reading - Passed; 031-018-000 |
| 3/27/2019 | House | First Reading |
| 3/27/2019 | House | Referred to Rules Committee |
| 4/9/2019 | House | Assigned to Judiciary - Criminal Committee |
| 5/7/2019 | House | Do Pass / Short Debate Judiciary - Criminal Committee; 012-007-000 |
| 5/8/2019 | House | Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate |
| 5/13/2019 | House | Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Gregory Harris |
| 5/21/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Justin Slaughter |
| 5/21/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee |
| 5/22/2019 | House | Second Reading - Short Debate |
| 5/22/2019 | House | Held on Calendar Order of Second Reading - Short Debate |
| 5/23/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Recommends Be Adopted Rules Committee; 004-000-000 |
| 5/24/2019 | House | Final Action Deadline Extended-9(b) May 31, 2019 |
| 5/28/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adopted |
| 5/28/2019 | House | Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. |
| 5/28/2019 | House | Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 062-052-000 |
| 5/28/2019 | House | Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Jawaharial Williams |
| 5/28/2019 | House | Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Camille Y. Lilly |
| 5/28/2019 | House | Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Mary E. Flowers |
| 5/28/2019 | House | Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate |
| 5/29/2019 | Senate | Placed on Calendar Order of Concurrence House Amendment(s) 1 - May 30, 2019 |
| 5/29/2019 | Senate | Secretary's Desk - Concurrence House Amendment(s) 1 |
| 5/29/2019 | Senate | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Referred to Assignments |
| 5/29/2019 | Senate | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Assignments Referred to Criminal Law |
| 5/29/2019 | Senate | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Filed with Secretary Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. |
| 5/30/2019 | Senate | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Senate Concurs 037-019-000 |
| 5/30/2019 | Senate | Passed Both Houses |
| 5/30/2019 | Senate | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Motion To Concur Recommended Do Adopt Criminal Law; 006-001-000 |
| 5/30/2019 | Senate | Senate Concurs |
| 6/28/2019 | Senate | Sent to the Governor |
| 8/16/2019 | Senate | Effective Date January 1, 2020 |
| 8/16/2019 | Senate | Public Act . . . . . . . . . 101-0408 |
| 8/16/2019 | Senate | Governor Approved |
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