SPRINGFIELD – Children of fallen police officers or firefighters are now eligible to receive specialty license plates under a new law sponsored by Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz (D-Chicago).

“I’m proud to give the children of these brave men and women the opportunity to commemorate their loved one,” Munoz said. “I hope this small gesture helps their families as they search for peace after such a devastating loss.”

Currently, only the surviving spouse and parents of a fallen police officer or firefighter are eligible for the license plates.

Senate Bill 1894 allows children and step-children of police officers or firefighters who have died in the line of duty to be issued deceased police officer or firefighter license plates. The measure was signed into law on Friday.

A $15 fee is charged for the first issuance of the license plate in addition to the registration fee. A $2 fee is charged for each registration renewal thereafter.

The law goes into effect on January 1, 2020.

SPRINGFIELD – To help with locating missing persons, Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) sponsored a proposal that strengthens the relationship between local law enforcement and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons Systems.

“Finding a missing person requires law enforcement to move fast and cover as much ground as possible and this tool helps them do just that,” Munoz said. “By utilizing the national system we will have a better chance of finding missing persons sooner.”

House Bill 2708 adds NamUS to the list of laboratories law enforcement agencies can coordinate with under the Missing Persons Identification Act. NamUS is a national information clearing house and resource center for missing, unidentified and unclaimed person cases across the country.

Missing people’s information would need to be submitted to NamUS within 45 days. In high-risk missing person cases, law enforcement would be required to submit a packet of all relevant DNA samples to NamUS within 30 days.

Under the new law, law enforcement agencies are allowed to attempt to collect and create a reference DNA sample from family members of the missing person, and collect a DNA sample of the missing person. All DNA samples collected in missing person cases from family members of the missing persons cannot be retained once the person has been located or identified.

The measure was signed into law on Friday and is now under effect.

ROCKFORD – To prevent more tragic losses of emergency responders and highway workers, Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz’s (D-Chicago) legislation that strengthens Scott’s Law and finds a way to end senseless roadway fatalities was signed into law today.

“There is no reason why officers and first responders can’t be safe while addressing an incident on the side of the road,” Munoz said. “It needs to be second nature for drivers to slow down and move over whenever any vehicle is stalled on the side of the road.”

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