Bill > HB5819

This bill amends the Illinois Public Demonstrations Law to replace all references to the "principal law enforcement officer" with the "sheriff of the county where the march, assembly, meeting, parade, or gathering on roadways originates." It also introduces several new provisions, including: 1. Making it a Class 4 felony for a person to block an "exceptionally busy public right-of-way" (defined as a public right-of-way that typically carries at least 24,000 separate motor vehicle movements in a 24-hour period) for at least 5 minutes in a manner that prevents or would prevent the free passage of a peace officer, firefighter, or emergency medical services personnel, regardless of the time of day or notice provided. 2. Stating that no act of notification to law enforcement is a defense to the Class 4 felony, and that no act or circumstance of scheduling or time is a defense. 3. Requiring the sheriff to coordinate with other law enforcement agencies in other jurisdictions as necessary if permission is requested or notice is provided under the law. 4. Preempting the concurrent exercise of home rule by local governments, stating that a home rule unit may not regulate public demonstrations in a manner inconsistent with the state's regulation under this Act. The bill aims to address disruptions to public safety services and vehicular traffic caused by public demonstrations, while also acknowledging the evolving use of technology to quickly organize such events.