HB5626 Summary

• Amends the Expressway Camera Act to specify that funds for the camera program on expressways under Illinois State Toll Highway Authority jurisdiction may be used for equipment, installation, service, maintenance, telecommunication costs, and camera warranties.

• Requires Illinois State Police, Illinois Department of Transportation, and Illinois State Toll Highway Authority to conduct a joint program increasing cameras along expressways and state highways in 23 specified counties plus Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable Lake Shore Drive in Cook County.

• Authorizes law enforcement to extract and use camera images for investigations of vehicular hijacking, terrorism, motor vehicle theft, forcible felonies involving firearms, expressway hazards, and highway safety, with all images deleted within 120 days unless relevant to ongoing investigations.

• Mandates agencies issue a joint annual report by June 30th detailing program costs by county, maintenance expenses, number of criminal investigations, and data searches conducted.

• Allows prosecution of forcible felonies, gunrunning, and firearms trafficking offenses committed on monitored expressways by the Attorney General when investigated by Illinois State Police.