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HB 3632

CASE REVIEW-HOMICIDE VICTIMS

104th Regular Session Introduced by Dee Avelar and 23 co-sponsors

Gives families of homicide victims the right to an external review and possible reinvestigation of open unresolved cases, with family liaisons and statewide data reporting.

Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Karina Villa
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Bill Summary · HB 3632

HB 3632 — Homicide Victims' Families' Rights Act

Sponsor: Rep. Kam Buckner (with several co-sponsors added)
Introduced: February 18, 2025 (filed Feb 7); legislative actions through May 14, 2025 noted below.

Purpose / Intent

Establishes a statutory process allowing family members (or similarly situated designees) to request an external review of “open unresolved” homicide case files and, where warranted, trigger a full reinvestigation. The Act also requires law enforcement agencies to provide family liaison officers, improve family communications, and directs statewide compilation of data on unresolved homicides.

Key definitions

  • Open unresolved murder: a death that occurred more than 3 years before a request, for which all probative leads are exhausted and no likely perpetrator is identified.
  • Designated person: an immediate family member (defined broadly to include parents, in‑laws, grandparents, grandparent‑in‑law, spouse, children, step/foster/guardians, siblings) or another similarly situated person as the Attorney General may define.
  • Applicable agency: the law enforcement agency that is investigating or previously investigated the murder.

Case file review process

  • A designated person may submit a written application (each agency must develop the form) requesting a case file review to determine whether a full reinvestigation would likely yield probative investigative leads.
  • Reviews must be completed within 6 months of receipt (agencies may extend one or more 6‑month periods if impracticable; agency must notify applicant and explain extensions).
  • Reviewers may not have previously investigated the murder (exception for agencies in municipalities with fewer than 35,000 inhabitants).
  • Only one review at a time is permitted per victim.

Full reinvestigation

  • If review concludes a reinvestigation is warranted, the applicable agency must conduct a full reinvestigation analyzing all evidence to develop probative leads.
  • Investigators on the reinvestigation generally must not have previously investigated the case; the amendment allows inclusion of previously involved investigators only if at least one reinvestigator is new to the case.
  • Only one reinvestigation may proceed at a time per victim.

Family liaison officers

  • Each agency must employ/designate a minimum number of family liaison officers proportional to the agency’s 5‑year average homicide count, with a maximum ratio of 40 homicides per liaison (agencies may adopt a lower ratio).
  • Duties (as amended) emphasize both investigative functions (gathering information/evidence from families) and support/communication roles (single point of contact, providing information and referrals, preserving trust).

Other provisions

  • Agencies must notify designated persons of rights under the Act as soon as practicable after learning of a murder and confirm receipt of review requests in writing.
  • If a review declines reinvestigation, or a reinvestigation fails to identify a suspect, no new review/reinvestigation may be requested for 5 years unless materially significant new evidence is discovered.
  • The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority will compile and publish specified statistics and information on open unresolved murders; conforming changes to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Act are included.

Expected impacts and considerations

  • Benefits: formalizes family access to independent case reviews, improves communication/support for families, and may surface missed leads using modern forensic/investigative techniques.
  • Costs/administration: could increase workload for law enforcement and require hiring/training of liaison officers and resources for reviews/reinvestigations; agencies in smaller municipalities get certain exemptions.
  • Safeguards: limits on who may review/reinvestigate, single active review/reinvestigation per case, deadlines and extension procedures, and a 5‑year moratorium absent new evidence.

Legislative status (selected actions)

  • Filed/First reading: Feb 18, 2025 (filed Feb 7). Assigned to Judiciary – Criminal Committee; reported favorably (3/20/2025). House Floor Amendment No. 1 filed Apr 8, 2025 and recommended by Judiciary – Criminal (4/9/2025). Committee report filed and sent to Calendars (5/5/2025). Added co‑sponsors including Rep. Nicolle Grasse (added May 14, 2025).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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