IL HB1561

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 to expand the definition of forgery to include documents whose contents are false in material ways, purport to be made by another person or at another time, or lack proper authority.

Adds forgery of electronic records and documents as defined in the Electronic Commerce Security Act to the list of forgery offenses.

Creates a new Class 2 felony offense for forging documents purporting to be invoices or receipts issued by any unit of government, including federal, state, local, school district governments, and their agencies and instrumentalities.

Maintains existing penalties: Class 3 felony for general forgery, Class 4 felony for forging a single Universal Price Code Label, and Class A misdemeanor for forging academic degrees or coins.

Provides that false academic degrees explicitly marked "for novelty purposes only" do not constitute forgery.