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SB 1468

Military and emergency laws; acquisition of land adjacent to a military base.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Bill DeSteph

Expands township public safety funds in large counties to cover broader unincorporated-area uses, while banning SRO wages and certain automated enforcement.

Passed by indefinitely in General Laws and Technology (9-Y 6-N)
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Bill Summary · SB 1468

Summary — SB 1468 (Township Code — Public Safety Levy)

Status: Enacted as Public Act 25-156; effective upon becoming law.
Primary sponsors: Sen. Denise “Mitzi” Epstein and Sen. Laura Fine; co‑sponsors include Lela Alston, Lauren Kuby, Anna Abeytia, Patty Contreras, Aaron Márquez, and Mike Porfirio. Companion: HB 3701.

Purpose

To expand the authorized uses of funds generated by a township special police district levy in large counties so those funds may be used for a broader set of public safety purposes in unincorporated areas of a township, while placing certain limits on prohibited uses.

Key provisions

  • Authorizes a township board in a county with a population of 1,000,000 or more (e.g., Cook County) to use funds raised from a special police district tax to provide for "public safety" in the township's unincorporated areas.
  • Continues the existing mechanism allowing townships to declare a special police district and have the county clerk extend a tax for that district; the statute references the existing cap on such levies (not to exceed 0.10% of taxable property value as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue).
  • Explicitly prohibits using levied funds to:
    • Pay any portion of a school resource officer’s wages or to facilitate an agreement with a law enforcement agency to hire a school resource officer; and
    • Pay for any portion of red light cameras, speed cameras, or automated license plate readers.
  • Defines "public safety" to include (non‑exclusive list): public information campaigns/programs, traffic safety and control measures and related signage, anti‑violence/community support and intervention programs (including anti‑gang measures), and graffiti abatement.
  • References the statutory definition of “school resource officer” found in the School Code (Section 10‑20.68).

Who is affected

  • Townships located in counties with populations of 1,000,000 or more and their unincorporated-area residents and property owners. Practically, this targets large suburban and urban townships that currently levy or may levy a special police district tax.
  • Local governments and law enforcement agencies that contract with townships or receive township funding for public safety programs (subject to the bill’s prohibitions).

Operational and fiscal impacts

  • Provides townships greater flexibility to direct special police district revenues toward non‑patrol public safety programs (prevention, traffic safety improvements, community intervention, etc.).
  • Maintains restrictions that prevent those funds from subsidizing school resource officer wages and certain automated enforcement technologies, steering funds toward community and environmental safety measures instead of school security staffing or automated enforcement.
  • Fiscal effects depend on whether a township levies the tax (and at what rate up to the statutory cap) and on choices about programmatic uses; the bill does not itself change the levy cap but clarifies allowable uses.

Timing / Legislative actions

  • Passed both chambers and was signed into law; recorded as Public Act 25‑156. The Act takes effect upon becoming law.

For more detail, consult the enacted text of Public Act 25‑156 (amending Section 30‑160 of the Illinois Township Code).

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

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