Illinois House introduces new cannabis bills
The 104th General Assembly’s House lawmakers have introduced a few new cannabis-related bills for the next legislative session that starts Tuesday, Feb 04. New bills include provisions for cannabis funds allocation to junior colleges and expungements.
One of the new bills introduced by Rep. Rita Mayfield, House Bill 1170, provides that the Illinois Community College Board shall develop and maintain a program to provide free tuition at one community college in each R3 Area (designated as such under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act) using money appropriated from the Cannabis Regulation Fund, and authorizes the Board to adopt any rules necessary. After the allocations have been made…the allocation that shall remain in the Cannabis Regulation Fund, subject to appropriation, to provide free community college tuition under Section 2-30 of the Public Community College Act, which states, “The State Board shall develop and maintain a program to provide free tuition at one community college in each R3 Area, as designated pursuant to Section 10-40 of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, using money appropriated from the Cannabis Regulation Fund. The State Board shall provide the Department of Revenue with any information the Department requests concerning the costs of the program. The State Board may adopt any rules necessary for the purposes of this Section.”
House Bill 1815, sponsored by Rep. Curtis J. Tarver, II, would provide the following:
- That the juvenile law enforcement records of a person who before his or her 21st birthday has committed an act which if committed by an adult would constitute a criminal violation under the Cannabis Control Act or a criminal violation of the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act with respect to cannabis are subject to automatic expungement.
- That the law enforcement agency who initiated the violation shall automatically expunge, on or before January 1 and July 1 of each year, the juvenile law enforcement records of a person eligible under this provision.
- That the law enforcement agency shall provide by rule the process for access, review, and confirmation of the automatic expungement by the law enforcement agency.
- That the clerk of the circuit court shall expunge, upon order of the court, or in the absence of a court order on or before January 1 and July 1 of each year, the juvenile court records of a person who before his or her 21st birthday has committed an act which if committed by an adult would constitute a criminal violation under the Cannabis Control Act or a criminal violation of the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act with respect to cannabis in the clerk’s possession or control and which contains the final satisfactory disposition which pertain to a person eligible under this provision.
House Bill 1055, sponsored by Rep. Dave Vella, would modify the definition of “Minor Cannabis Offense” for expungement purposes to mean a violation of specified provisions of the Cannabis Control Act concerning not more than 100 grams (rather than 30 grams) of any substance containing cannabis if the violation did not include a penalty enhancement under specified provisions of the Cannabis Control Act and is not associated with an arrest, conviction, or other disposition for a violent crime as defined in the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act.
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