2019 Year End Report

Document Date: December 13, 2019

It has been a great year advancing civil liberties in Illinois. 2019 saw passage of five critical legislative initiatives, including the Reproductive Health Act. In addition, we directed more than thirty legal matters in our docket, cases that help all residents in Illinois including transgener students, persons with disabilities, and children in the child welfare system.

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2019 ACLU of Illinois Legislative Wrap-up

 Maintaining Reasonable Expectations of Privacy: House Bill 2134Chief Sponsors: Senator Don Harmon and Representative Ann WilliamsStatus: Signed by Governor  |  Effective Date: August 23, 2019 HB 2134 amends the existing Illinois Freedom from Location Surveillance Act to require law enforcement to also obtain a warrant before accessing historical location information. Previously, only current and future historical location information required a warrant. HB 2134 recognizes the 2018 Carpenter v. United States ruling that cell phone users have a reasonable expectation of privacy under the Fourth Amendment in historical cell site location data in addition to current or future location information. ACTION: THANK GOVERNOR PRITZKER FOR SIGNING Protecting LGBTQ Youth in Care: Senate Resolution 403 Chief Sponsors: Senator Julie Morrison Status: Resolution Adopted  |  Effective Date: May 31, 2019 SR 403 seeks to determine whether the Department of Children and Family Services is following state law and agency rules to fulfill its obligations to protect LGBTQ youth in its custody and provide affirming, non-discriminatory care for LGBTQ youth in its custody.  Promoting Child Welfare: House Resolution 362Chief Sponsors: Representative Mary Flowers Status: Resolution Adopted  |  Effective Date: May 30, 2019 HR 362 urges state implementation of child welfare reform pursuant to the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA).  By implementing the FFPSA, Illinois invests in a child welfare system responsive to the specific needs of children and their families, safely prevents the unnecessary placement of children into the foster care system, supports families using promising programs and well-supported practices, and promotes family-based settings for children who enter the foster care system.PENDING LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVESRepeal of Forced Parental Involvement LawChief Sponsors: Senator Elgie Sims Jr.Contact: Your State Senator and State Representative Repeals the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act, which requires a healthcare provider to notify an adult family member (parent, legal guardian, grandparent, of step-parent living in the household) at least 48 hours prior to performing an abortion for a patient under 18. Action: Contact your legislators  License to Work Act Update: This bill passed during Veto SessionChief Sponsors: Senator Omar Aquino and Representative Carol Ammons Contact: Your State Representative Removes driver’s license suspension as a sanction for failure to pay parking tickets, and for most other non-moving violations.Reinstates tens of thousands of licenses currently suspended for non-driving offenses. ACTION: contact your legislator  Ban the Box in Higher EducationChief Sponsors: Representative Mary Flowers Contact: Your State Representative and State Senator “Bans the box” in the higher education admissions process and prevents colleges and universities from asking about or considering a person’s criminal record for purposes of admission.