The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Illinois Bill HB 78 increases penalties for aggravated fleeing from law enforcement and adds the offense to detainable forcible felonies
Last action · March 3, 2025: Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Dan UgasteSponsors: Jackie Haas and 2 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Illinois House Bill 78 increases the criminal penalties for aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer from a Class 4 to a for a first violation, and from a Class 3 to a for a second or subsequent offense. It also amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 to classify aggravated fleeing as a "," making individuals charged with the offense eligible for pretrial detention.
Drivers convicted of evading police face heavier prison sentences and mandatory driver's license revocation, while prosecutors gain the legal authority to request pretrial detention without release for these defendants.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Drivers or operators of motor vehicles
Individuals convicted of fleeing law enforcement face elevated felony classifications, mandatory license revocation, vehicle seizure, and potential pretrial detention.
Peace officers
Law enforcement personnel are protected by enhanced criminal penalties and detainable offense classifications for individuals who attempt to elude them.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What changes for a first-time offense of fleeing a police officer under HB 78?
Can defendants charged with aggravated fleeing be denied pretrial release under this bill?
What happens to the vehicle used in the offense?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
5 actions- Mar 3, 2025HouseAdded Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Dan Ugaste
- Jan 15, 2025HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Tony M. McCombie
- Jan 9, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to Rules Committee
- Jan 9, 2025HouseIntroducedFirst Reading
- Dec 16, 2024HouseIntroducedPrefiled with Clerk by Rep. Jackie Haas
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Pretrial Detention Eligibility
By adding vehicle evasion to the definition of a forcible felony, the measure broadens the categories of non-homicide offenses subject to potential pretrial detention under Illinois's criminal justice framework.
Connected Entities
Sources
ftp.ilga.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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