Carbondale Reporter

Patrick Windhorst introduced HB1481 in the Illinois House on Jan. 21, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the driver's license of any person convicted of engaging in a street sideshow shall be revoked in the manner provided by the Code. Provides that every person convicted of engaging in a street sideshow shall be guilty of aggravated engaging in a street sideshow if the person, in committing the violation, was involved in a motor vehicle crash that resulted in great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to another, where the violation was a proximate cause of the injury. Provides that aggravated engaging in a street sideshow is a Class 4 felony for which the defendant, if sentenced to a term of imprisonment, shall be sentenced to not less than one year nor more than 12 years."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill amends the Illinois Vehicle Code to address street racing and street sideshows, making it illegal for anyone to engage in these activities on state highways. It stipulates that drivers involved in street sideshows, a type of event where vehicles block traffic for unauthorized stunts or speed contests, face driver's license revocation upon conviction. The bill establishes aggravated street sideshow offenses as a Class 4 felony, punishable by one to 12 years of imprisonment if the incident results in serious injury or disfigurement. Additionally, vehicle owners are prohibited from allowing their vehicles to be used for street racing or sideshows, and those who facilitate traffic disruption for these activities may face misdemeanor charges. Penalties increase for repeat offenders, with second-time violators of engaging in street racing or sideshows facing felony charges.

Patrick Windhorst has proposed another 10 bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Windhorst graduated from Shawnee Community College in 1995 with an AA and again in 1997 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BS.

He also earned a JD from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 2000.

Patrick Windhorst is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 117th House District. He replaced previous state representative Natalie Phelps Finnie in 2023.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
HB1481	01/21/2025	Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the driver's license of any person convicted of engaging in a street sideshow shall be revoked in the manner provided by the Code. Provides that every person convicted of engaging in a street sideshow shall be guilty of aggravated engaging in a street sideshow if the person, in committing the violation, was involved in a motor vehicle crash that resulted in great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to another, where the violation was a proximate cause of the injury. Provides that aggravated engaging in a street sideshow is a Class 4 felony for which the defendant, if sentenced to a term of imprisonment, shall be sentenced to not less than one year nor more than 12 years.
HB1474	01/21/2025	Amends the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Eliminates a provision that provides a person licensed to carry a concealed handgun shall not knowingly carry a firearm on any bus, train, or form of transportation paid for in whole or in part with public funds, or any building, real property, and parking area under the control of a public transportation facility paid for in whole or in part with public funds.
HB1475	01/21/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person commits aggravated battery when, in committing a battery, other than by discharge of a firearm, he or she knows the individual battered to be a health care worker (rather than a nurse) while in the performance of his or her duties as a health care worker (rather than a nurse). Provides that "health care worker" has the meaning provided in the Health Care Violence Prevention Act.
HB1476	01/21/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that for the purposes of the statutes prohibiting the presence within school zone by child sex offenders and prohibiting their approaching, contacting, residing with, or communicating with a child within certain places and prohibiting sexual predators and child sex offenders presence or loitering in or near public parks, includes in the definition of child sex offender when the victim is a person under 18 years of age at the time of the commission of the offense, a person who committed a violation or attempted violation of the unauthorized video recording and live video transmission offense that involves: (1) knowingly making a video record or transmitting live video of another person without that person's consent in a restroom, tanning bed, tanning salon, locker room, changing room, or hotel bedroom; (2) knowingly making a video record or transmitting live video of another person's intimate parts for the purpose of viewing the body of or the undergarments worn by that other person without that person's consent; or (3) placing or causing to be placed a device that makes a video record or transmitting a live video in a restroom, tanning bed, tanning salon, locker room, changing room, or hotel bedroom with the intent to make a video record or transmitting live video of another person without that person's consent. Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Provides that "sex offense" under the Act includes a person who committed a violation or attempted violation of these video recording or live video transmission violations.
HB1477	01/21/2025	Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. In a provision which specifies that a person who is in police custody shall have the right, upon being taken into police custody, to communicate free of charge with an attorney of his or her choice and members of his or her family, deletes a provision that required that right to be provided as soon as possible upon being taken into custody. Provides that, if a person who is in police custody is transferred to a new place of detention, that person has a right to make one telephone call (rather than 3 telephone calls) within 3 hours of arrival. Specifies that this right is not renewable. Provides that the person in police custody is prohibited from contacting the alleged victim or victims of the offense for which the person is charged. Provides that statements that are made by a person who is detained in police custody in violation of the right to communicate provisions of the Code may be used to evaluate whether those statements were voluntarily given and are reliable, based on the totality of the circumstances. Authorizes a custodial arrest of a person accused of an offense that is not a felony or Class A misdemeanor if necessary to verify the accused's identity.
HB1478	01/21/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Creates the offense of fentanyl-related child endangerment. Provides that a person commits the offense when the person knowingly or recklessly endangers the life or health of a child under 18 years of age by exposing or allowing exposure of the child to fentanyl, including consumption of fentanyl. Provides that a violation is a Class 2 felony. Creates the offense of aggravated fentanyl-related child endangerment. Provides that a person commits the offense when the person knowingly or recklessly endangers the life or health of a child under 18 years of age by exposing or allowing exposure of the child to fentanyl, including consumption of fentanyl and the child experiences death, great bodily harm, disability, or disfigurement as a result of the fentanyl-related child endangerment. Provides that exposure to fentanyl as prescribed or administered by a health care professional in the course of medical treatment does not constitute endangerment. Provides that a violation is a Class X felony for which the offender shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than 6 years and not more than 30 years and fined not to exceed $100,000. Defines terms.
HB1479	01/21/2025	Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that, upon petition of the State's Attorney of the county prosecuting a defendant on pretrial release or upon motion of the court, the court may revoke or impose sanctions on a defendant who is released on pretrial release if the defendant has violated any of the conditions of pretrial release.
HB1480	01/21/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Creates the Critical Infrastructure Protection Law Article within the Code. Defines "critical infrastructure facility". Provides for criminal penalties, based upon the value of the property, for knowingly damaging, destroying, vandalizing, defacing, tampering with, or stealing equipment or assets of or in a critical infrastructure facility. Provides that any person who violates the Article is liable to the owner of the property for compensatory damages and, in addition, for punitive damages in an amount not less than 3 times the amount of the compensatory damages. Provides that any person or entity that compensates, provides consideration to, or remunerates a person for property stolen in violation of the Article is liable to the owner of the property for compensatory damages and, in addition, for punitive damages in an amount not less than 3 times the amount of the compensatory damages. Provides that it is an affirmative defense to this provision that the defendant was a bona fide purchaser for value who did not know, or have reason to know, that the property was stolen. Provides that, with exceptions, all items of personal property that are used, have been used, or are intended for use, in perpetration of theft or damage to a critical infrastructure facility are subject to forfeiture.
HB1482	01/21/2025	Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that upon verified petition by the State, the court shall hold a hearing and may deny a defendant pretrial release if: (1) the defendant is charged with a felony offense (rather than specified felonies) and it is alleged that the defendant's pretrial release poses a real and present threat to the safety of any person or persons or the community, based on the specific articulable facts of the case; (2) the defendant is charged with a felony offense (rather than specific felonies) and has a high likelihood of willful flight to avoid prosecution; or (3) the defendant has been convicted of 2 or more of the same felonies or misdemeanors and either: (i) it is alleged that the defendant's pretrial release poses a real and present threat to the safety of any person or persons or the community, based on the specific articulable facts of the case; or (ii) the defendant has a high likelihood of willful flight to avoid prosecution. Changes the State's burden of proof in a pretrial detention hearing seeking the defendant's detention from clear and convincing evidence to a preponderance of the evidence.
HB1483	01/21/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that upon failure to comply with any condition of pretrial release, the court having jurisdiction at the time of such failure may, on its own motion or upon motion from the State, issue a warrant (instead of a summons or a warrant) for the arrest of the person on pretrial release (instead of at liberty on pretrial release). Provides that the contents of such a warrant shall be the same as required for an arrest warrant issued upon complaint. Provides that when a defendant is on pretrial release on a felony charge and fails to appear in court as directed, the court shall issue a warrant for the arrest of such person. Provides that such warrant shall be noted with a directive to peace officers to arrest the person and hold such person without bail and to deliver such person before the court for further proceedings. Provides that a defendant who is arrested or surrenders within 30 days of the issuance of such warrant shall not be released on pretrial conditions in the case in question unless the defendant shows by the preponderance of the evidence that the defendant's failure to appear was not intentional. Makes conforming changes. Removes provisions concerning that for the purpose of any risk assessment or future evaluation of risk of willful flight or risk of failure to appear, a nonappearance in court cured by an appearance in response to a summons shall not be considered as evidence of future likelihood of appearance in court.
HB1484	01/21/2025	Amends the Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
HB1485	01/21/2025	Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
HB1486	01/21/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
HB1487	01/21/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
HB1488	01/21/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
HB1489	01/21/2025	Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
HB1490	01/21/2025	Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
HB1491	01/21/2025	Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
HB1492	01/21/2025	Amends the Illinois Prison Inspection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
HB1493	01/21/2025	Amends the Illinois Prison Inspection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
HB1494	01/21/2025	Amends the Illinois Prison Inspection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.