Illinois Bill Mandates Criminal Justice Data Sharing with Researchers

Detected March 30th, 2026

Summary

Illinois House Bill 4771, introduced for the 2025-2026 legislative session, proposes the creation of the Law Enforcement Data Sharing Act. This act would mandate that criminal justice agencies share specified data with bona fide researchers, including personally identifying and demographic information. The Attorney General is required to issue guidance within six months of the Act's effective date.

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What changed

Illinois House Bill 4771, titled the "Police Data Sharing Act," proposes a new mandate for criminal justice agencies within the state to share various types of data with bona fide researchers. This includes data related to law enforcement stops, searches, seizures, arrests, citations, diversion programs, criminal charges, dispositions, sentences, and release conditions. Agencies will also be required to share data that is otherwise subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. The bill allows agencies to charge reasonable fees for data retrieval and copying, not exceeding actual costs, and permits fee waivers.

This legislation will require criminal justice agencies in Illinois to establish processes for responding to researcher data requests, ensuring compliance with the specified data types and privacy considerations. The Attorney General's office will need to develop and issue guidance within six months of the Act's effective date to assist agencies in implementation. Compliance officers should monitor the bill's progress through the legislative process and prepare for potential new data sharing obligations and associated administrative tasks.

What to do next

Monitor legislative progress of HB4771
Prepare for potential new data sharing protocols and guidance from the Attorney General

Source document (simplified)

IL HB4771 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly

Illinois House Bill 4771

IL State Legislature page for HB4771
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Status

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: Introduced on February 2 2026 - 25% progression
Action: 2026-03-27 - House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
Pending: House Rules Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [HTML]

Summary

Creates the Law Enforcement Data Sharing Act. Provides that a criminal justice agency shall share with a bona fide researcher all criminal justice data and records, including relevant personally identifying information and demographic information, held by that agency relating to: (1) a law enforcement stop, search, or seizure; (2) a warrant, arrest, or citation; (3) participation in a pre-arrest or post-arrest diversion, specialty court, or other alternative resolution program; (4) a criminal charge, disposition, or sentence; (5) a pretrial or posttrial release from custody, or any terms or conditions of release; (6) a grant, order, change in the terms of, or termination of pretrial supervised release, probation, parole, or participation in correctional or rehabilitative programs; or (7) a formal discipline, reclassification, or relocation of any person under criminal sentence or correctional control. Provides that a criminal justice agency shall share with a bona fide researcher all criminal justice data and records, including relevant personally identifying information and demographic information, held by the criminal justice agency that is subject to mandatory or discretionary disclosure to any member of the public under the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that a criminal justice agency may share with a bona fide researcher any other criminal justice data, records, or information, including relevant personally identifying information and demographic information, held by that agency that is responsive to a bona fide researcher's request. Provides that, within 6 months after the effective date of the Act, the Attorney General shall issue guidance to assist criminal justice agencies in complying with the Act's requirements. Provides that a criminal justice agency may assess reasonable fees, not to exceed actual costs, for the search, retrieval, and copying of criminal justice data, records, or information requested under the Act, and may waive fees at their discretion.
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Title

POLICE DATA SHARING ACT

History

| Date | Chamber | Action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-27 | House | House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee |
| 2026-03-27 | House | Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee |
| 2026-03-18 | House | House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Judiciary - Criminal Committee |
| 2026-03-16 | House | House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee |
| 2026-03-16 | House | House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Kam Buckner |
| 2026-03-04 | House | Assigned to Judiciary - Criminal Committee |
| 2026-02-06 | House | Referred to Rules Committee |
| 2026-02-06 | House | First Reading |
| 2026-02-02 | House | Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Kam Buckner |

Illinois State Sources

| Type | Source |
| --- | --- |
| Summary | https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocNum=4771&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104 |
| Text | https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus/FullText?LegDocId=207258&DocName=10400HB4771&DocNum=4771&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=165912&GAID=18&SessionID=114&SpecSess=&Session= |
| Amendment | https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus/FullText?LegDocId=209818&DocName=10400HB4771ham001&DocNum=4771&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=165912&GAID=18&SessionID=114&SpecSess=&Session= |

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