Your Legislature’s Work Product – New Laws as of January 1, 2017 – Part 12

State Senator Karen McConnaughay was kind enough to send out a list of about 200 laws that took effect on the first of the year.  Here are more:

Transportation, Infrastructure and Vehicular Regulation/Safety

Vehicle Video Event Recording (SB 629/PA 99-0689): Allows a person to operate a video event recorder in a contract carrier vehicles, which is a device that allows video to be continuously recorded in a digital loop. These vehicles must have a notice posted stating that a passenger’s conversation may be recorded. Any data recorded is the sole property of the registered owner or lessee of the vehicle.

REAL ID Compliance (SB 637/PA 99-0511): Makes the required legislative changes to bring Illinois into compliance with the federal REAL ID Act which seeks to improve homeland security and authentication of identification. Beginning July 1, 2017, SOS must refuse to issue a driver’s licenses if a person concurrently holds an Illinois SOS issued ID card and must refuse to issue an ID card if a person concurrently holds a driver’s license. Beginning July 1, 2017, all applicants for SOS issued Illinois Identification Cards and Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Cards shall provide proof of lawful status in the United States as provided by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Driver’s license applicants who are unable to provide proof of lawful status in the United States may apply for a temporary visitor’s driver’s license. Provides that Secretary of State issued ID cards issued on or after July 1, 2017, to a person who has reached his or her 65th birthday shall expire 8 years (currently they do not expire). Provides that Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card issued on or after July 1, 2017, shall expire every 8 year (currently 10 years).

Chicago Police Memorial License Plates (SB 2431/PA 99-0815): Requires the Secretary of State to issue Chicago Police Memorial Foundation special registration plates suitable for a motorcycle.

Railroad Crossing Failure to Stop (SB 2806/PA 99-0663): Doubles the fine for not stopping at a railroad crossing. The first violation is increased to $500 (currently $250) and the second or subsequent violation is increased to $1,000 (currently $500).

Public School Highways (SB 2835/PA 99-0740): Includes highways on public school property in the classification of non-designated highways. Requires vehicles to stop prior to passing a stopped school bus on public school highways.

Blue Light on Motorcycles (HB 4105/PA 99-0598): Allows motorcycles to be equipped with a blue light or lights located on the rear of the motorcycle as a part of the motorcycle’s rear stop lamp or lamps.

Route 66 Motorcycle Plates (HB 4315/PA 99-0865): Allows the Secretary of State to issue Illinois Route 66 license plates to motorcycles having an engine over 150cc.

Airman Registration (HB 4387/PA 99-0605): Codifies that registration of an airman with the Division of Aeronautics of the Department of Transportation (IDOT) will come with a one-time fee of $20 payable at registration.

Firefighter Motorcycle Plates (HB 5649/PA 99-0812): Allows the Secretary of State to issue Illinois Fire Fighter’s Memorial license plates to motorcycles having an engine over 150cc.

Vehicle Registration Expiration (HB 5651/PA 99-0644): Allows the Secretary of State to require an owner of a car or light truck to select his or her birthday as the motor vehicle’s registration expiration date. If the motor vehicle has more than one registered owner, the owners may select one registered owner’s birthday as the date of expiration.

Uninsured Operator Offense (HB 5723/PA 99-0613): States that a person convicted of operating a motor vehicle without an insurance policy shall be guilty of a petty offense (rather than a business offense) unless the person has been convicted of this same offense three or more times.

Bicycle Rules of the Road (HB 5912/PA 99-0785): States that a person riding a bicycle has all the rights applicable to a driver of a vehicle and includes those regarding a vehicle’s right-of-way.

Disabled Vehicle Safety (HB 6006/PA 99-0681): Codifies that an individual driving on a highway of at least four lanes – with at least two going in the same direction – must make a lane change into a lane not next to a disabled vehicle with lighted hazard lights. Further clarifies that if changing lanes is not feasible then the driver must proceed with caution and reduce the speed of the car so to maintain a safe speed for road conditions. A person who violates this rule commits a petty offense.

Vehicular Endangerment (HB 6010/PA 99-0656): Provides that the offense of vehicular endangerment includes striking a motor vehicle by causing an object to fall from an overpass or other elevated location above or adjacent to and above a highway in the direction of a moving motor vehicle with the intent to strike a motor vehicle while it is traveling upon a highway in this State.

Traffic Stop Education (HB 6131/PA 99-0720): States that starting with the 2017-2018 school year driver education courses are to include instruction concerning law enforcement procedures for traffic stops. Applies to both public school and non-public school driver education courses.

Universal Special License Plates Issuance (HB 6149/PA 99-0814): Allows the Illinois Veterans’ Homes, which run by the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA), to issue decals for universal special license plates at $26 each. The money will go to the Illinois Veterans’ Homes Fund.

Highway Designation (HB 6226/PA 99-0727): Allows a unit of local government to consult a highway design publication outside of IDOT’s Bureau of Local Roads and Streets for the construction of any highway in ownership or control of the unit of local government, except for a highway that is part of the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways if certain provisions are met.1-8-16 Your Legislature’s Work Product – New Laws as of January 1, 2017 – Part 12


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