New State Laws Concerning Carjacking, Education Take Effect January 1

BY PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois

Three new laws taking effect Jan. 1 are intended to address a spike in carjackings around the state. All were signed on May 26. House Bill 601 expands the crime of possession of burglary tools to include possession, with the intention to enter and steal a vehicle, of devices to unlock or start a vehicle without the key to that vehicle, or devices that capture or duplicate a signal from a key fob to unlock or start the vehicle.

House Bill 3699 expands an existing state council charged with providing grants and financial support to law enforcement agencies to aid in identifying, apprehending and prosecuting carjackers and recover stolen vehicles.

And House Bill 3772 ensures that victims of carjackings are not liable for costs and fines associated with impounding a vehicle that was stolen or hijacked, provided the owner files a police report in a timely manner.

Education

To address a shortage of substitute teachers throughout the state, House Bill 4798, signed April 27, allows students enrolled in approved teacher training programs who have earned at least 90 credit hours to obtain a substitute teaching license. Before, applicants had to hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution of higher education.

House Bill 4716, signed May 27, calls on the Illinois State Board of Education to adopt “rigorous learning standards” for classroom and laboratory phases of driver education programs for novice teen drivers. Those will include, at a minimum, the Novice Teen Driver Education and Training Administrative Standards developed by the Association of National Stakeholders in Traffic Safety Education in association with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.