97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB4703

 

Introduced 2/3/2012, by Rep. Jerry F. Costello, II

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
720 ILCS 5/24-1  from Ch. 38, par. 24-1

    Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the unlawful use of weapons.


LRB097 19561 RLC 64815 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4703LRB097 19561 RLC 64815 b

1    AN ACT concerning criminal law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Criminal Code of 1961 is amended by changing
5Section 24-1 as follows:
 
6    (720 ILCS 5/24-1)  (from Ch. 38, par. 24-1)
7    Sec. 24-1. Unlawful Use of Weapons.
8    (a) A person commits the the offense of unlawful use of
9weapons when he knowingly:
10        (1) Sells, manufactures, purchases, possesses or
11    carries any bludgeon, black-jack, slung-shot, sand-club,
12    sand-bag, metal knuckles or other knuckle weapon
13    regardless of its composition, throwing star, or any knife,
14    commonly referred to as a switchblade knife, which has a
15    blade that opens automatically by hand pressure applied to
16    a button, spring or other device in the handle of the
17    knife, or a ballistic knife, which is a device that propels
18    a knifelike blade as a projectile by means of a coil
19    spring, elastic material or compressed gas; or
20        (2) Carries or possesses with intent to use the same
21    unlawfully against another, a dagger, dirk, billy,
22    dangerous knife, razor, stiletto, broken bottle or other
23    piece of glass, stun gun or taser or any other dangerous or

 

 

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1    deadly weapon or instrument of like character; or
2        (3) Carries on or about his person or in any vehicle, a
3    tear gas gun projector or bomb or any object containing
4    noxious liquid gas or substance, other than an object
5    containing a non-lethal noxious liquid gas or substance
6    designed solely for personal defense carried by a person 18
7    years of age or older; or
8        (4) Carries or possesses in any vehicle or concealed on
9    or about his person except when on his land or in his own
10    abode, legal dwelling, or fixed place of business, or on
11    the land or in the legal dwelling of another person as an
12    invitee with that person's permission, any pistol,
13    revolver, stun gun or taser or other firearm, except that
14    this subsection (a) (4) does not apply to or affect
15    transportation of weapons that meet one of the following
16    conditions:
17            (i) are broken down in a non-functioning state; or
18            (ii) are not immediately accessible; or
19            (iii) are unloaded and enclosed in a case, firearm
20        carrying box, shipping box, or other container by a
21        person who has been issued a currently valid Firearm
22        Owner's Identification Card; or
23        (5) Sets a spring gun; or
24        (6) Possesses any device or attachment of any kind
25    designed, used or intended for use in silencing the report
26    of any firearm; or

 

 

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1        (7) Sells, manufactures, purchases, possesses or
2    carries:
3            (i) a machine gun, which shall be defined for the
4        purposes of this subsection as any weapon, which
5        shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily
6        restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot
7        without manually reloading by a single function of the
8        trigger, including the frame or receiver of any such
9        weapon, or sells, manufactures, purchases, possesses,
10        or carries any combination of parts designed or
11        intended for use in converting any weapon into a
12        machine gun, or any combination or parts from which a
13        machine gun can be assembled if such parts are in the
14        possession or under the control of a person;
15            (ii) any rifle having one or more barrels less than
16        16 inches in length or a shotgun having one or more
17        barrels less than 18 inches in length or any weapon
18        made from a rifle or shotgun, whether by alteration,
19        modification, or otherwise, if such a weapon as
20        modified has an overall length of less than 26 inches;
21        or
22            (iii) any bomb, bomb-shell, grenade, bottle or
23        other container containing an explosive substance of
24        over one-quarter ounce for like purposes, such as, but
25        not limited to, black powder bombs and Molotov
26        cocktails or artillery projectiles; or

 

 

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1        (8) Carries or possesses any firearm, stun gun or taser
2    or other deadly weapon in any place which is licensed to
3    sell intoxicating beverages, or at any public gathering
4    held pursuant to a license issued by any governmental body
5    or any public gathering at which an admission is charged,
6    excluding a place where a showing, demonstration or lecture
7    involving the exhibition of unloaded firearms is
8    conducted.
9        This subsection (a)(8) does not apply to any auction or
10    raffle of a firearm held pursuant to a license or permit
11    issued by a governmental body, nor does it apply to persons
12    engaged in firearm safety training courses; or
13        (9) Carries or possesses in a vehicle or on or about
14    his person any pistol, revolver, stun gun or taser or
15    firearm or ballistic knife, when he is hooded, robed or
16    masked in such manner as to conceal his identity; or
17        (10) Carries or possesses on or about his person, upon
18    any public street, alley, or other public lands within the
19    corporate limits of a city, village or incorporated town,
20    except when an invitee thereon or therein, for the purpose
21    of the display of such weapon or the lawful commerce in
22    weapons, or except when on his land or in his own abode,
23    legal dwelling, or fixed place of business, or on the land
24    or in the legal dwelling of another person as an invitee
25    with that person's permission, any pistol, revolver, stun
26    gun or taser or other firearm, except that this subsection

 

 

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1    (a) (10) does not apply to or affect transportation of
2    weapons that meet one of the following conditions:
3            (i) are broken down in a non-functioning state; or
4            (ii) are not immediately accessible; or
5            (iii) are unloaded and enclosed in a case, firearm
6        carrying box, shipping box, or other container by a
7        person who has been issued a currently valid Firearm
8        Owner's Identification Card.
9        A "stun gun or taser", as used in this paragraph (a)
10    means (i) any device which is powered by electrical
11    charging units, such as, batteries, and which fires one or
12    several barbs attached to a length of wire and which, upon
13    hitting a human, can send out a current capable of
14    disrupting the person's nervous system in such a manner as
15    to render him incapable of normal functioning or (ii) any
16    device which is powered by electrical charging units, such
17    as batteries, and which, upon contact with a human or
18    clothing worn by a human, can send out current capable of
19    disrupting the person's nervous system in such a manner as
20    to render him incapable of normal functioning; or
21        (11) Sells, manufactures or purchases any explosive
22    bullet. For purposes of this paragraph (a) "explosive
23    bullet" means the projectile portion of an ammunition
24    cartridge which contains or carries an explosive charge
25    which will explode upon contact with the flesh of a human
26    or an animal. "Cartridge" means a tubular metal case having

 

 

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1    a projectile affixed at the front thereof and a cap or
2    primer at the rear end thereof, with the propellant
3    contained in such tube between the projectile and the cap;
4    or
5        (12) (Blank); or
6        (13) Carries or possesses on or about his or her person
7    while in a building occupied by a unit of government, a
8    billy club, other weapon of like character, or other
9    instrument of like character intended for use as a weapon.
10    For the purposes of this Section, "billy club" means a
11    short stick or club commonly carried by police officers
12    which is either telescopic or constructed of a solid piece
13    of wood or other man-made material.
14    (b) Sentence. A person convicted of a violation of
15subsection 24-1(a)(1) through (5), subsection 24-1(a)(10),
16subsection 24-1(a)(11), or subsection 24-1(a)(13) commits a
17Class A misdemeanor. A person convicted of a violation of
18subsection 24-1(a)(8) or 24-1(a)(9) commits a Class 4 felony; a
19person convicted of a violation of subsection 24-1(a)(6) or
2024-1(a)(7)(ii) or (iii) commits a Class 3 felony. A person
21convicted of a violation of subsection 24-1(a)(7)(i) commits a
22Class 2 felony and shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment
23of not less than 3 years and not more than 7 years, unless the
24weapon is possessed in the passenger compartment of a motor
25vehicle as defined in Section 1-146 of the Illinois Vehicle
26Code, or on the person, while the weapon is loaded, in which

 

 

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1case it shall be a Class X felony. A person convicted of a
2second or subsequent violation of subsection 24-1(a)(4),
324-1(a)(8), 24-1(a)(9), or 24-1(a)(10) commits a Class 3
4felony. The possession of each weapon in violation of this
5Section constitutes a single and separate violation.
6    (c) Violations in specific places.
7        (1) A person who violates subsection 24-1(a)(6) or
8    24-1(a)(7) in any school, regardless of the time of day or
9    the time of year, in residential property owned, operated
10    or managed by a public housing agency or leased by a public
11    housing agency as part of a scattered site or mixed-income
12    development, in a public park, in a courthouse, on the real
13    property comprising any school, regardless of the time of
14    day or the time of year, on residential property owned,
15    operated or managed by a public housing agency or leased by
16    a public housing agency as part of a scattered site or
17    mixed-income development, on the real property comprising
18    any public park, on the real property comprising any
19    courthouse, in any conveyance owned, leased or contracted
20    by a school to transport students to or from school or a
21    school related activity, in any conveyance owned, leased,
22    or contracted by a public transportation agency, or on any
23    public way within 1,000 feet of the real property
24    comprising any school, public park, courthouse, public
25    transportation facility, or residential property owned,
26    operated, or managed by a public housing agency or leased

 

 

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1    by a public housing agency as part of a scattered site or
2    mixed-income development commits a Class 2 felony and shall
3    be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than 3
4    years and not more than 7 years.
5        (1.5) A person who violates subsection 24-1(a)(4),
6    24-1(a)(9), or 24-1(a)(10) in any school, regardless of the
7    time of day or the time of year, in residential property
8    owned, operated, or managed by a public housing agency or
9    leased by a public housing agency as part of a scattered
10    site or mixed-income development, in a public park, in a
11    courthouse, on the real property comprising any school,
12    regardless of the time of day or the time of year, on
13    residential property owned, operated, or managed by a
14    public housing agency or leased by a public housing agency
15    as part of a scattered site or mixed-income development, on
16    the real property comprising any public park, on the real
17    property comprising any courthouse, in any conveyance
18    owned, leased, or contracted by a school to transport
19    students to or from school or a school related activity, in
20    any conveyance owned, leased, or contracted by a public
21    transportation agency, or on any public way within 1,000
22    feet of the real property comprising any school, public
23    park, courthouse, public transportation facility, or
24    residential property owned, operated, or managed by a
25    public housing agency or leased by a public housing agency
26    as part of a scattered site or mixed-income development

 

 

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1    commits a Class 3 felony.
2        (2) A person who violates subsection 24-1(a)(1),
3    24-1(a)(2), or 24-1(a)(3) in any school, regardless of the
4    time of day or the time of year, in residential property
5    owned, operated or managed by a public housing agency or
6    leased by a public housing agency as part of a scattered
7    site or mixed-income development, in a public park, in a
8    courthouse, on the real property comprising any school,
9    regardless of the time of day or the time of year, on
10    residential property owned, operated or managed by a public
11    housing agency or leased by a public housing agency as part
12    of a scattered site or mixed-income development, on the
13    real property comprising any public park, on the real
14    property comprising any courthouse, in any conveyance
15    owned, leased or contracted by a school to transport
16    students to or from school or a school related activity, in
17    any conveyance owned, leased, or contracted by a public
18    transportation agency, or on any public way within 1,000
19    feet of the real property comprising any school, public
20    park, courthouse, public transportation facility, or
21    residential property owned, operated, or managed by a
22    public housing agency or leased by a public housing agency
23    as part of a scattered site or mixed-income development
24    commits a Class 4 felony. "Courthouse" means any building
25    that is used by the Circuit, Appellate, or Supreme Court of
26    this State for the conduct of official business.

 

 

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1        (3) Paragraphs (1), (1.5), and (2) of this subsection
2    (c) shall not apply to law enforcement officers or security
3    officers of such school, college, or university or to
4    students carrying or possessing firearms for use in
5    training courses, parades, hunting, target shooting on
6    school ranges, or otherwise with the consent of school
7    authorities and which firearms are transported unloaded
8    enclosed in a suitable case, box, or transportation
9    package.
10        (4) For the purposes of this subsection (c), "school"
11    means any public or private elementary or secondary school,
12    community college, college, or university.
13        (5) For the purposes of this subsection (c), "public
14    transportation agency" means a public or private agency
15    that provides for the transportation or conveyance of
16    persons by means available to the general public, except
17    for transportation by automobiles not used for conveyance
18    of the general public as passengers; and "public
19    transportation facility" means a terminal or other place
20    where one may obtain public transportation.
21    (d) The presence in an automobile other than a public
22omnibus of any weapon, instrument or substance referred to in
23subsection (a)(7) is prima facie evidence that it is in the
24possession of, and is being carried by, all persons occupying
25such automobile at the time such weapon, instrument or
26substance is found, except under the following circumstances:

 

 

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1(i) if such weapon, instrument or instrumentality is found upon
2the person of one of the occupants therein; or (ii) if such
3weapon, instrument or substance is found in an automobile
4operated for hire by a duly licensed driver in the due, lawful
5and proper pursuit of his trade, then such presumption shall
6not apply to the driver.
7    (e) Exemptions. Crossbows, Common or Compound bows and
8Underwater Spearguns are exempted from the definition of
9ballistic knife as defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (a)
10of this Section.
11(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07; 95-809, eff. 1-1-09;
1295-885, eff. 1-1-09; 96-41, eff. 1-1-10; 96-328, eff. 8-11-09;
1396-742, eff. 8-25-09; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10.)