Chicago City Wire

Elgie R. Sims, Jr. introduced SB1754 in the Illinois Senate on Feb. 5, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that the offense of methamphetamine trafficking may be tried in any county. Permits the Attorney General to authorize certain eavesdropping requests from law enforcement. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Permits the Attorney General or an Assistant Attorney General authorized by the Attorney General to authorize an application to a circuit judge or an associate judge assigned by the Chief Judge of the circuit for, and such judge may grant in conformity with the Judicial Supervision of the Use of Eavesdropping Devices Article of the Code, an order authorizing or approving the use of an eavesdropping device by a law enforcement officer or agency having the responsibility for the investigation of any felony under Illinois law where any one party to a conversation to be monitored, or previously monitored in the case of an emergency situation, has consented to such monitoring. Amends the Statewide Grand Jury Act. Provides that a Statewide Grand Jury may investigate, indict, and prosecute theft, retail theft, Internet offenses, continuing financial crimes enterprise, vehicular hijacking, aggravated vehicular hijacking, vehicular invasion, burglary, residential burglary, and home invasion if the offense involves acts occurring in more than one county of the State."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill amends the Criminal Code of 2012, allowing methamphetamine trafficking to be tried in any Illinois county and permitting the Attorney General to authorize certain eavesdropping requests. It modifies the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963, enabling the Attorney General or an authorized Assistant Attorney General to request eavesdropping device orders; these are permissible when a party to be monitored consents. The Statewide Grand Jury Act is also amended to allow investigations, indictments, and prosecutions of specified offenses, including theft and Internet-related crimes, across multiple counties if the offenses involve acts in more than one county. The bill includes changes related to narcotics, controlled substance trafficking, and organized retail crime, among others, specifying venue provisions for these offenses.

Elgie R. Sims, Jr. has proposed another four bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Sims graduated from Illinois State University in 1993 with a BA and again in 2007 from Loyola University School of Law at Chicago with a JD.

Elgie R. Sims Jr. is currently serving in the Illinois State Senate, representing the state's 17th Senate District. He replaced previous state senator Donne Trotter in 2018.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
SB1754	02/05/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that the offense of methamphetamine trafficking may be tried in any county. Permits the Attorney General to authorize certain eavesdropping requests from law enforcement. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Permits the Attorney General or an Assistant Attorney General authorized by the Attorney General to authorize an application to a circuit judge or an associate judge assigned by the Chief Judge of the circuit for, and such judge may grant in conformity with the Judicial Supervision of the Use of Eavesdropping Devices Article of the Code, an order authorizing or approving the use of an eavesdropping device by a law enforcement officer or agency having the responsibility for the investigation of any felony under Illinois law where any one party to a conversation to be monitored, or previously monitored in the case of an emergency situation, has consented to such monitoring. Amends the Statewide Grand Jury Act. Provides that a Statewide Grand Jury may investigate, indict, and prosecute theft, retail theft, Internet offenses, continuing financial crimes enterprise, vehicular hijacking, aggravated vehicular hijacking, vehicular invasion, burglary, residential burglary, and home invasion if the offense involves acts occurring in more than one county of the State.
SB1755	02/05/2025	Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Provides that to ensure Illinois parents with children, including foster parents and parents of adult children with intellectual or developmental disabilities, can easily access all publicly available information on State resources for parents, as soon as practicable the Department shall maintain a publicly accessible webpage on its official website that lists each child care, early child care, education, nutrition, mental health, housing, family planning, cash assistance, health care, and any other program or service for parents operated by the Department or another State agency, including, but not limited to, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Early Childhood, the Department of Public Health, the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. Provides that the webpage must include for each listed program and service a hyperlink to a publicly viewable webpage that is operated and maintained by the State agency responsible for administering the program or service and that includes additional information and resources on the specific program or service.
SB1756	02/05/2025	Creates the Interstate Massage Compact. Provides that the State of Illinois enters into the Interstate Massage Compact. Provides that the purpose of the Compact is to reduce the burdens on State governments and to facilitate the interstate practice and regulation of massage therapy with the goal of improving public access to, and the safety of, massage therapy services. Sets out provisions concerning member state requirements; multistate license requirements; the authority of the Interstate Massage Compact Commission and member state licensing authorities; adverse actions; active duty military members and the spouses of active duty military members; establishment and operation of the Interstate Massage Compact Commission; data systems; rulemaking; oversight, dispute resolution, and enforcement; the effective date of, withdrawal from, and amending the Compact; construction and severability; and conflicts with member state laws.
SB1758	02/05/2025	Amends the Election Code. Provides that the Elections Special Projects Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that any federal grant reimbursements paid to the State Board of Elections shall be deposited into the Fund. Provides that moneys in the Fund shall be used for purposes consistent with specified provisions of the Illinois Constitution. Provides that, beginning June 30, 2026, and the last day of each fiscal year thereafter, the State Comptroller shall direct and the State Treasurer shall transfer any moneys in excess of $1,000,000 from the Elections Special Projects Fund to the General Revenue Fund. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming change.
SB1535	02/04/2025	Creates the Straw Purchaser Accountability Act. Provides that whenever any person engages in gun trafficking or intentionally or negligently delivers or causes to be delivered a firearm, firearm ammunition, or a laser sight accessory, firearm silencer, or muffler to: (1) any person who is not legally authorized to possess that item; (2) a person who is purchasing the item on behalf of another person; or (3) any other person the deliverer knows or has reason to know will use the item unlawfully; the deliverer shall thereafter be civilly liable for the commission of any subsequent tortious conduct that directly or indirectly involves the use, attempted use, or threatened use of the item by any person. Provides that a prevailing plaintiff shall be entitled to all relief that would make him or her whole. Provides that persons subject to liability under the Act are jointly and severally liable. Provides that any person who recovers damages under the Act may not recover the same costs or damages under any other Act. Provides that a person who recovers damages under any other Act may not recover for the same costs or damages under the Straw Purchaser Accountability Act.
SB1536	02/04/2025	Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that if the minor has multiple delinquency petitions filed against him or her, remaining petitions pending against the minor respondent shall be adjudicated within 120 (rather than 160) days from the date on which a finding relative to the first petition prosecuted is rendered. Restructures the provisions concerning alleged delinquent minors and pretrial detention of alleged delinquent minors. Provides that if the court determines that the State, without success, has exercised due diligence to timely obtain the results of DNA testing that is material to the case, and that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the results may be obtained at a later date, the court may extend the period of detention of the minor to not more than 70 days, only for any matter for which the minor may be committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice. Provides that nothing in the trial and pretrial detention provisions of the Act prevents the minor from exercising the minor's rights to waive the time limits set forth in these provisions. Deletes provision that time needed to prepare a defense to a State motion such as an extended juvenile jurisdiction petition or a transfer petition shall not be considered a delay occasioned by the minor. Makes technical changes in the trial and pretrial detention provisions of the Act.
SB1537	02/04/2025	Amends the Student Loan Servicing Rights Act. Creates within the Act an Article concerning educational income share agreements. Contains provisions concerning: monthly payment affordability; maximum annual percentage rates; limits on the duration of income share agreements; risk sharing; limits on covered income; fees; restrictions on security interests; discharge of obligations; prohibitions on cosigners; limits on acceleration; assignment of wages; limitations on garnishment; use of multiple agreements; required disclosures; early completion of the agreement; assumption of increases in future income; receipts; and adjustment of dollar amounts. Provides that the Attorney General may enforce a violation of the Educational Income Share Agreements Article of the Student Loan Servicing Rights Act as an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Makes other changes. Amends the Consumer Installment Loan Act and the Interest Act to make conforming changes. Provides that the provisions of the amendatory Act are severable. Effective immediately.
SB1621	02/04/2025	Amends the Court of Claims Act. Provides that the Court of Claims has exclusive jurisdiction to hear all claims against the State for time unjustly served in State prisons, in county jails, in county juvenile detention facilities, or in Illinois Youth Centers, on parole or probation, or registered as a sex offender if the person was unjustly convicted or adjudicated a delinquent and received a pardon from the Governor on the ground of innocence of the crime for which the person was convicted or adjudicated a delinquent or the person received a certificate of innocence. Removes language providing the amount of the award the court may give for a successful claim. Provides instead that the court shall make an award of $50,000 per year during which the person was wrongfully incarcerated and $25,000 for each year during which the person was wrongfully on parole or probation or required to register as a sex offender. Provides that the changes made by the amendatory Act apply to claims pending or filed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Allows any person who is convicted or adjudicated a delinquent and then serves any part of a sentence of incarceration in a State prison, in a county jail, in a county juvenile detention facility, or in a Illinois Youth Center, on parole or probation, or registered as a sex offender (rather than convicted and subsequently imprisoned) for one or more felonies by the State that the person did not commit may file a petition for certificate of innocence. Requires the court to make an award of reasonable attorney's fees, costs, and expenses after awarding a certificate of innocence. Provides that any person seeking a certificate of innocence based on the dismissal of a juvenile delinquency petition or an acquittal that occurred before the effective date of the amendatory Act shall file a petition within 4 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act, and any person seeking a certificate of innocence based on the dismissal of a juvenile delinquency petition or an acquittal that occurred on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall file a petition within 2 years after the dismissal or acquittal. Effective immediately.