103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB5819

 

Introduced 4/17/2024, by Rep. Dan Ugaste

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
430 ILCS 70/2  from Ch. 38, par. 85-2
430 ILCS 70/3  from Ch. 38, par. 85-3
430 ILCS 70/4  from Ch. 38, par. 85-4
430 ILCS 70/5  from Ch. 38, par. 85-5
430 ILCS 70/6  from Ch. 38, par. 85-6
430 ILCS 70/7  from Ch. 38, par. 85-7
430 ILCS 70/8  from Ch. 38, par. 85-8

    Amends the Illinois Public Demonstrations Law. Replaces all references to the principal law enforcement officer for the area with references to the sheriff of the county where the march, assembly, meeting, parade, or gathering on roadways originates. Provides that a person who blocks an exceptionally busy public right-of-way for any period of not less than 5 minutes in a manner that prevents, or would prevent, the free passage of a peace officer, a firefighter, or an emergency medical services personnel responder, irrespective of the time of day or notice provided, commits a Class 4 felony. Provides that no act of notification to law enforcement is a defense to the Class 4 felony. Provides that no act or circumstance of scheduling or time is a defense to the Class 4 felony. Provides that if permission is requested from the sheriff of the county where the march, assembly, meeting, parade, or gathering on roadways originates under, it is the responsibility of the sheriff, not the requester, to coordinate with other law enforcement agencies in other jurisdictions as necessary. Preempts the concurrent exercise of home rule. Defines "exceptionally busy public right of way". Makes findings. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning safety.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Public Demonstrations Law is
5amended by changing Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 as
6follows:
 
7    (430 ILCS 70/2)  (from Ch. 38, par. 85-2)
8    Sec. 2. Declaration of purpose.
9    (a) It is declared to be the public policy of this State:
10    That the maintenance of good order on highways, as defined
11in Section 2-202 of the "Illinois Highway Code", is a
12paramount responsibility of democratic government;
13    That the public health, welfare and safety of the
14community require that the movement of vehicular traffic on
15such roadways be lawfully conducted with a minimum of
16disruption;
17    That the practice of unhindered or unrestrained picketing
18or demonstrating on such roadways has caused disruption of
19police, fire and emergency services, and injury to persons
20regardless of participation in the march, assembly or
21demonstration;
22    That the practice of multiple demonstrations on the same
23day in different locations in municipalities and

 

 

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1unincorporated areas of counties has unreasonably deprived the
2citizens of the police, fire and emergency services; and
3    That the provisions herein enacted are necessary for the
4protection of the health, welfare and safety of the public.
5    (b) It is further declared to be the public policy of this
6State:
7    That the changing technological circumstances since the
8declaration of purpose in subsection (a), including the use of
9the internet and smart phones to quickly organize disruptive
10blockages of the highways, further necessitate the provisions
11of this Act.
12    That the obstruction of peace officers, firefighters, and
13emergency medical services by disruptive blockages of the
14highways continues to endanger the health, welfare, and safety
15of the public.
16    That the provisions in this Act continue to be necessary
17for the protection of the health, welfare, and safety of the
18public.
19(Source: P.A. 81-840.)
 
20    (430 ILCS 70/3)  (from Ch. 38, par. 85-3)
21    Sec. 3. Unlawful action-Parade permit. It is unlawful for
22any person, group or organization to conduct or participate in
23any march, assembly, meeting, parade, or gathering on roadways
24in more than one specific area of or location in, any
25municipality or the unincorporated area of a county, on any

 

 

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1given day, unless it is acting under authority of a duly issued
2municipal or county parade or demonstration permit if local
3ordinance or regulation requires a permit, or, if not, with
4permission of the sheriff of the county where the march,
5assembly, meeting, parade, or gathering on roadways originates
6principal law enforcement officer for the area. Only the
7person, group, or organization responsible for organizing the
8march, assembly, meeting, parade, or gathering is required to
9obtain a permit or the permission of the sheriff principal law
10enforcement officer, which shall be sufficient to encompass
11all participants. If a march, assembly, meeting, parade, or
12gathering on roadways involves the act of crossing or
13traversing over or upon active railroad tracks, the municipal
14or county authority or sheriff principal law enforcement
15officer, as part of its permit or permission process, may
16prohibit any portion of the route that involves the act of
17crossing or traversing over or upon active railroad tracks. If
18permission is requested from the sheriff of the county where
19the march, assembly, meeting, parade, or gathering on roadways
20originates under this Section, it is the responsibility of the
21sheriff to coordinate with other law enforcement agencies in
22other jurisdictions as necessary. It is not the responsibility
23of the requester to make another request.
24(Source: P.A. 98-320, eff. 8-12-13.)
 
25    (430 ILCS 70/4)  (from Ch. 38, par. 85-4)

 

 

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1    Sec. 4. Acting with other groups - Size of assemblage. It
2is unlawful for any group or organization or any individual
3acting with the group or organization, to conduct or
4participate in any march, assembly, meeting, parade, or
5gathering on roadways unless the march, assembly, meeting,
6parade, or gathering is limited to numbers that, in the
7opinion of the sheriff of the county where the march,
8assembly, meeting, parade, or gathering on roadways originates
9principal law enforcement officer, will not obstruct
10pedestrian or vehicular traffic in an unreasonable manner. The
11sheriff principal law enforcement officer shall, within 12
12hours of receiving the notice required by Section 5, inform
13the group or organization as to the limitation on number of
14persons allowed to participate. If permission is requested
15from the sheriff of the county where the march, assembly,
16meeting, parade, or gathering on roadways originates under
17this Section, it is the responsibility of the sheriff to
18coordinate with other law enforcement agencies in other
19jurisdictions as necessary. It is not the responsibility of
20the requester to make another request.
21(Source: P.A. 98-320, eff. 8-12-13.)
 
22    (430 ILCS 70/5)  (from Ch. 38, par. 85-5)
23    Sec. 5. Notice of assemblage in writing-Contents. It is
24unlawful for any group or organization to conduct or
25participate in any march, assembly, meeting, parade, or

 

 

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1gathering on roadways unless the sheriff of the county where
2the march, assembly, meeting, parade, or gathering on roadways
3originates principal law enforcement officer has been given
4notice in writing of the location, the maximum number of
5persons participating, and the names and addresses of the
6organizers of the march, assembly, meeting, parade, or
7gathering, its route, and its time of inception and duration
8at least 24 hours before inception. If permission is requested
9from or notice is provided to the sheriff of the county where
10the march, assembly, meeting, parade, or gathering on roadways
11originates under this Section, it is the responsibility of the
12sheriff to coordinate with other law enforcement agencies in
13other jurisdictions as necessary. It is not the responsibility
14of the requester to make another request or give another
15notice. No act of notification to law enforcement is a defense
16to subsection (b) of Section 8 of this Act.
17(Source: P.A. 98-320, eff. 8-12-13.)
 
18    (430 ILCS 70/6)  (from Ch. 38, par. 85-6)
19    Sec. 6. Time of holding. It is unlawful for any group,
20organization, or any individual to conduct or participate in
21any march, assembly, meeting, parade, or gathering on roadways
22during peak traffic periods unless authorized by the sheriff
23of the county where the march, assembly, meeting, parade, or
24gathering on roadways originates principal law enforcement
25officer for the area in which the march, assembly, meeting,

 

 

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1parade, or gathering is to be held. Peak traffic periods,
2unless otherwise set by municipal or county authority, are for
3the purposes of this Act declared to be 7:30 a.m. o'clock to
49:00 a.m. o'clock in the forenoon, and from 4:30 p.m. o'clock
5to 6:00 p.m. o'clock in the afternoon, Monday through Friday
6except for State and National holidays. If permission is
7requested from the sheriff of the county where the march,
8assembly, meeting, parade, or gathering on roadways originates
9under this Section, it is the responsibility of the sheriff to
10coordinate with other law enforcement agencies in other
11jurisdictions as necessary. It is not the responsibility of
12the requester to make another request. No act or circumstance
13of scheduling or time is a defense to subsection (b) of Section
148 of this Act.
15(Source: P.A. 98-320, eff. 8-12-13.)
 
16    (430 ILCS 70/7)  (from Ch. 38, par. 85-7)
17    Sec. 7. Conflict with municipal ordinance; home rule.
18    (a) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to invalidate
19or repeal by inference any local or municipal enactment in
20regard to parades or demonstrations, but if there is an
21unreconcilable conflict this Act shall prevail as to such
22portion or portions that are in direct conflict, except as to
23duly designated peak hours of traffic within its boundaries.
24    (b) A home rule unit may not regulate public
25demonstrations in a manner inconsistent with the regulation by

 

 

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1the State of public demonstrations under this Act. This
2Section is a limitation under subsection (i) of Section 6 of
3Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the concurrent
4exercise by home rule units of powers and functions exercised
5by the State.
6(Source: Laws 1967, p. 3613.)
 
7    (430 ILCS 70/8)  (from Ch. 38, par. 85-8)
8    Sec. 8. Sentence.
9    (a) Violation of this Act, except as provided in
10subsection (b), is a Class A misdemeanor.
11    (b) A person who blocks an exceptionally busy public
12right-of-way for any period of not less than 5 minutes in a
13manner that prevents, or would prevent, the free passage of a
14peace officer, a firefighter, or an emergency medical services
15personnel responder, irrespective of the time of day or notice
16provided, commits a Class 4 felony.
17    (c) As used in this Section, "exceptionally busy public
18right-of-way" means a public right-of-way that, based on
19statistics gathered by the Illinois Department of
20Transportation or the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority,
21under typical conditions carries at least 24,000 separate
22motor vehicle movements in any 24-hour period.
23(Source: P.A. 77-2646.)
 
24    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
25becoming law.