99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
HB2723
 
Introduced , by Rep. John D. Anthony
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 

 



720 ILCS 5/33A-1  from Ch. 38, par. 33A-1

     Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 concerning armed violence.  Defines a "Category III weapon" as a bludgeon, black-jack,
slungshot, sand-bag, sand-club, metal knuckles, billy, or
other dangerous weapon or instrument of like character used by the defendant in a similar manner. Effective immediately.
  


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CORRECTIONAL BUDGET AND IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
 
 
A BILL FOR
 

  
HB2723LRB099 04324 RLC 24351 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 2012 is amended  by changing 
5Section 33A-1 as follows:
 



6    (720 ILCS 5/33A-1)  (from Ch. 38, par. 33A-1)



7    Sec. 33A-1. Legislative intent and definitions. 

8    (a) Legislative findings. The legislature finds and 
9declares the
following:


10        (1) The use of a dangerous weapon in the commission of 
11    a felony offense
poses a much greater threat to the public 
12    health, safety, and general welfare,
than when a weapon is 
13    not used in the commission of the offense.


14        (2) Further, the use of a firearm greatly facilitates 
15    the commission of a
criminal offense because of the more 
16    lethal nature of a firearm and the
greater perceived threat 
17    produced in those confronted by a person wielding a

18    firearm. Unlike other dangerous weapons such as knives and 
19    clubs, the use of a
firearm in the commission of a criminal 
20    felony offense significantly escalates
the threat and the 
21    potential for bodily harm, and the greater range of the

22    firearm increases the potential for harm to more persons. 
23    Not only are
the victims and bystanders at greater risk 
 
 
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1    when a firearm is used, but also the
law  enforcement 
2    officers whose duty is to confront and apprehend the armed

3    suspect.


4        (3) Current law does contain offenses involving the use 
5    or discharge of a
gun toward or against a person, such as 
6    aggravated battery with a firearm,
aggravated discharge of 
7    a firearm, and reckless discharge of a firearm;
however, 
8    the General Assembly has legislated greater penalties for 
9    the
commission of a felony while in possession of a firearm 
10    because it deems such
acts as more serious.

11    (b) Legislative intent.


12        (1) In order to deter the use of firearms in the 
13    commission of a felony
offense, the General Assembly deems 
14    it appropriate for a greater penalty to be
imposed when a 
15    firearm is used or discharged in the commission of an 
16    offense
than the penalty imposed for using other types of 
17    weapons and for the penalty
to increase on more serious 
18    offenses.


19        (2) With the additional elements of the discharge of a 
20    firearm and great
bodily harm inflicted by a firearm being 
21    added to armed violence and other
serious felony offenses, 
22    it is the intent of the General Assembly to punish
those

23    elements more severely during commission of a felony 
24    offense than when those
elements stand alone as the act of 
25    the offender.


26        (3) It is the intent of the 91st General Assembly that 
 
 
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1    should Public Act
88-680 be declared unconstitutional for a 
2    violation of Article 4, Section 8 of
the 1970 Constitution 
3    of the State of Illinois, the amendatory changes made by

4    Public Act 88-680 to Article 33A of the Criminal Code of 
5    1961 and which are set
forth as law in this amendatory Act 
6    of the 91st General Assembly are hereby
reenacted by this

7    amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly.

8    (c) Definitions.


9        (1) "Armed with a dangerous weapon".
A person is 
10    considered armed with a dangerous weapon for
purposes of 
11    this Article, when he or she carries on or about his or her

12    person or is otherwise armed with a Category I, Category

13    II, or Category III weapon.


14        (2) A Category I weapon is a handgun, sawed-off 
15    shotgun,
sawed-off rifle,
any other firearm small enough to 
16    be concealed upon the person,
semiautomatic firearm,
or 
17    machine gun.  A Category II weapon is any other
rifle, 
18    shotgun, spring gun, other firearm, stun gun or taser as 
19    defined in
paragraph (a) of
Section 24-1 of this Code, 
20    knife with a blade of at least 3
inches in length,  dagger, 
21    dirk, switchblade knife, stiletto, axe, hatchet,
or other 
22    deadly or dangerous weapon or instrument of like
character.  
23    As used
in this subsection (b) "semiautomatic firearm"

24    means a repeating firearm that utilizes a portion of the

25    energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge 
26    case and chamber
the next round and that requires a 
 
 
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1    separate pull of the trigger to fire each
cartridge.


2        (3) A Category III weapon is a bludgeon, black-jack,

3    slungshot, sand-bag, sand-club, metal knuckles, billy, or

4    other dangerous weapon or instrument of like character used 
5    by the defendant in a similar manner.

6(Source: P.A. 91-404, eff. 1-1-00; 91-696, eff. 4-13-00.)

 
 
7    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
8becoming law.