West Bills Now Law, Cracking Down on Harassment by Stalkers, Former Partners

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, is advancing the safety of domestic violence and abuse survivors with two new laws that expand protections for victims and those at risk of harassment.

Currently in Illinois, emergency protection orders (POs) remain in effect between two and three weeks. Senate Bill 3044, led by West this spring legislative session, ensures emergency POs go into effect once a judge signs them, rather than once the order is physically served.

“Ensuring emergency protection orders go into effect the moment that judges sign them can mean the difference between life and death for survivors facing violence and abuse,” said West. “Waiting until the order is officially served leaves those seeking protection vulnerable, whether that’s a few hours or a few days. This new law fixes that troublesome gap.”

West’s Senate Bill 3044 is in response to a Rockford constituent detailing how risky even a brief gap in protection can be for someone seeking an emergency order. Senate Bill 3044 closes that gap in coverage to ensure those with emergency POs experience the safest outcome possible. The measure was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Pritzker.

Additionally, West led Senate Bill 3020 this spring, expanding the definition of ‘harassment’ under both the Illinois Domestic Violence Act (IDVA) and the Code of Criminal Procedure.

“Abuse comes in many forms, and not all of them leave bruises or other outward signs,” said West. “That’s why it’s critical we build stronger guardrails, so stalkers and offenders who spam, threaten, or track survivors are held to the highest standard in court. Senate Bill 3020 takes an important first step in protecting Illinoisans from this abuse by drawing a hard line: harassment doesn’t have to be physical to be real.”

Under West’s Senate Bill 3020, harassment newly includes:

• Repeated direct or indirect contact via phone, electronic, or online channels;
• Direct or indirect surveillance, electronic tracking, or gathering location and travel information without consent;
• Nonconsensual sharing or threats to share private or digitally altered sexual images, or AI-generated content impersonating someone;
• ‘Doxing,’ per the Civil Liabilities for Doxing Act.

Currently limited to counties with 250,000+ residents, remote protective order (PO) hearings would expand statewide under this bill, requiring court approval unless good cause exists for denial. It also prevents courts from denying POs solely due to a petitioner’s incarceration or extending them based only on a lack of violations. The measure was signed into law by the governor on Aug. 7.

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