SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Adriane Johnson stood alongside advocates from the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence at a press conference Tuesday to outline legislation aimed at uplifting survivors, addressing emerging forms of digital abuse and expanding access to legal protections.

“The internet has opened new avenues for digital harassment, but not all of our laws and protections reflect that,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “This legislation is about updating our laws to reflect the digital era and addressing the real, tangible needs of survivors.”

Senate Bill 3020 would update the state’s criminal laws to better reflect the ways abuse can occur in the digital age and to ensure survivors have greater access to court protections. Johnson’s legislation would expand the definition of harassment to include conduct such as electronic tracking, doxing and the nonconsensual creation or dissemination of digitally altered sexual images and other harmful online content.

The measure also seeks to improve access to the legal system for individuals seeking an order of protection. Under the proposal, petitioners could request remote hearings in any Illinois county unless a judge determines there is good cause to deny the request. Currently, remote hearing options are only guaranteed in counties with populations above 250,000.

In addition, Senate Bill 3020 would clarify that survivors cannot be denied an order of protection simply because the offender is incarcerated at the time the order is issued.

The bill also aims to strengthen protections related to orders of protection by allowing courts to grant extensions for any fixed period of time or longer upon good cause, expediting extension hearings when an order is nearing expiration and clarifying that a violation or a new incident of abuse is not required to extend an existing order.

“We must empower survivors to reclaim their safety and privacy,” Johnson said. “Stronger laws will better protect domestic violence survivors and save lives.”
Senate Bill 3020 passed the Senate on Tuesday.