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"It is time to take a stand against
the perpetrators of criminal sexual assault and spousal rape,"
said Gov. Blagojevich. "We must do everything we can to assist law
enforcement officials with the investigation and prosecution of
these crimes."
House Bill 4771, sponsored by Rep.
Lisa Dugan, D-Kankakee, and Sen. Debbie Halvorson, D-Chicago
Heights, removes the requirement that a victim of spousal criminal
sexual assault must report the offense within 30 days.
The bill also extends the time during
which a victim, who may have been drugged, can authorize a urine
analysis to test for controlled substances. Under current law, the
authorization period is within 48 hours. The new legislation
allows 30 days. This will give victims more time to make decisions
regarding medical examinations.
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this article]
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By providing more time for victims to
bring crimes to light, the new law will increase the number of
sexual assault cases that will be eligible for prosecution. It also
allows victims of sexual assault more time to cope with the incident
before proceeding with legal and medical action.
House Bill
4771 is effective immediately.
[News release from the
governor's office]
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