Bill > SB4045

This bill, titled the Building Remedies to End Abusive Tear Gas and Harmful Exposures Act, aims to protect individuals in Illinois from dangerous chemical irritant agents by establishing new regulations and enforcement mechanisms. It creates a Chemical Agent Review Board within the Department of Public Health to advise on safety standards and testing for pepper spray formulations, and it generally prohibits the deployment or possession of lachrymatory agents, which are substances like tear gas designed to cause eye irritation and temporary blindness, except for very limited personal self-defense uses. The bill mandates that any pepper spray formulations used in the state must be approved by the Department, which will establish strict safety standards, including limits on active ingredients, prohibitions on harmful additives, and requirements for rigorous testing on various health conditions and vulnerable populations, with a focus on targeted delivery systems rather than area dispersal. A public database will be maintained of approved formulations and any reported adverse events, and any deployment of chemical irritant agents outside of personal self-defense must be reported to the Department. The Act also establishes a private right of action, allowing individuals injured by prohibited or unapproved agents to sue for damages, and grants enforcement authority to the Attorney General and certain "interested party organizations" (non-profit or labor groups focused on civil rights, public health, etc.), with remedies including civil penalties and injunctive relief, and creates the Illinois Human Rights Enforcement Fund to support related activities.

https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocNum=4045&GAID=18&DocTypeID=SB&SessionID=114&GA=104