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House Bill 2553, which was initially filed by state Rep. Ann
Williams, passed both chambers and could soon be sent to Gov.
J.B. Pritzker's desk.
For House Bill 2553 to pass, a joint effort was required by
multiple parties. The ACLU and the Illinois Sheriffs Association
along with lawmakers worked together to determine the correct
language in this bill.
Illinois Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director Jim Kiatschuk
said being able to access this information would be helpful in
emergencies.
"The issue was that at first, the bill didn't allow for
extraordinary circumstances like a murder or kidnapping where
police need to access that footage right away," Kiatschuk said.
After some initial pushback from lawmakers, both sides were able
to agree on the protocol for emergency scenarios.
"We got some help from legislators in being able to push this
request through, lawmakers recognized it would hinder some
investigations and law enforcement's ability to do their jobs,"
Kiatschuk said.
Peter Hanna of the ACLU has urged Pritzker to sign House Bill
2553 right away.
"This is an important piece of legislation, especially right
now," he said. "We would urge Governor Pritzker to sign this
bill into law at his earliest convenience."
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