SPRINGFIELD –– The Illinois Senate passed legislation today that
requires all court supervisions to be reported to the Secretary
of State. The measure, approved with broad bipartisan support,
now awaits Governor Ryan’s signature to be enacted.
"I want to thank the General Assembly for improving highway
safety," said White. "This system will give judges and
prosecutors the tools they need to make the proper judgment on
traffic violations throughout the state."
House Bill 2883 gives the Secretary of State authority to
establish a centralized database of court supervision for drivers
in all 102 counties in Illinois and requires the circuit clerk of
each county to provide the Secretary of State with information on
every court supervision. The legislation also provides that all
the information reported to the Secretary of State is available
only to the affected driver and for use by the courts, police
officers, prosecuting authorities and the Secretary of State.
The information will not be available to insurance companies.
The legislation is an outgrowth of Secretary of State Jesse
White’s Highway Safety 2000 Advisory Panel, which was formed in
early 1999 to investigate concerns raised by a tragic, fatal
crash between an Amtrak passenger train and a semi-trailer in
Bourbonnais. The investigation of the crash revealed that the
driver of the truck had an established track record of using
court supervisions in multiple jurisdictions to avoid punishment
for poor driving.
"Allowing the Secretary of State to track court supervisions
will ensure judges are armed with all the facts of the case,"
said Senator Walter Dudycz (R-Chicago), lead sponsor of the
legislation and member of the Highway Safety 2000 Advisory Panel.
"Under this legislation, dangerous drivers will no longer be able
to hide traffic violations from the courts."
White said the start-up cost for the program would be paid
for by a federal grant. The $356,845 grant is provided through
the Federal Highway Administration and the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration and is administered by the Illinois
Department of Transportation, Division of Traffic Safety.
