HB2951 Summary

• Amends the Statewide Grand Jury Act to expand investigative jurisdiction to include violations involving corruption of public officials, specifically Article 33 and Article 33E of the Criminal Code of 1961 or Criminal Code of 2012.

• Adds public corruption crimes to the list of offenses a Statewide Grand Jury may investigate and prosecute alongside existing jurisdiction over narcotics, money laundering, firearms violations, and street gang-related felonies.

• Establishes that a Statewide Grand Jury may investigate violations of the Official Misconduct Article and Public Contracts Article of the Criminal Code when they involve more than one county.

• Maintains existing requirements that the Attorney General must apply to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for appointment of a Circuit Judge to convene a Statewide Grand Jury, with the judge determining necessity.

• Permits up to 2 Statewide Grand Juries to be empaneled simultaneously and allows venue for public corruption trials in the county where the offense occurred.