IL HB5517

Creates a Certification Enforcement Unit within the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, headed by a Deputy Director appointed by the Board who must have substantial experience in law enforcement, criminal law, civil-rights law, or government investigations.

Requires investigators hired for the Certification Enforcement Unit to have at least 2 years of prior investigative experience.

Renames the Certification Review Panel to the Decertification Review Panel and requires the Certification Enforcement Unit to prove decertification conduct by clear and convincing evidence at hearings that must be open to the public.

Mandates that law enforcement agencies and Illinois State Police immediately notify the Board when officers are discharged or dismissed for sustained policy violations including assault, sexual assault, bribery, excessive force, untruthfulness, or conduct reflecting unfitness to serve.

Removes the existing Review Committee from the Board and establishes that decertification requires a simple majority Panel vote finding proven misconduct with no mitigating factors that significantly outweigh the seriousness of the conduct.