HB2830 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 08929 AAS 18984 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB2830

Introduced 2/6/2025, by Rep. Charles Meier

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

225 ILCS 46/25
225 ILCS 46/27
225 ILCS 46/28
720 ILCS 5/12-3.05	was 720 ILCS 5/12-4

Amends the Health Care Worker Background Check Act. Prohibits persons who fail to report to the Department of Public Health individuals who commit certain violations from being involved in direct care for clients, patients, or residents, or access to the living quarters or the financial, medical, or personal records of clients, patients, or residents unless they have been issued a waiver under the Act. Provides that reports of violations shall be made no later than 5 days after the incident constituting the violation. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person commits aggravated battery when the person battered, other than by the discharge of a firearm, is known to be a patient at a Department of Human Services facility and the person who commits the battery is an employee of the Department of Human Services; and a recipient at a community-integrated living arrangement, as defined in the Community-Integrated Living Arrangements Licensure and Certification Act, who is battered by an employee of the community-integrated living arrangement. Provides that the offense is a Class 2 felony.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning criminal law.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Health Care Worker Background Check Act is amended by changing Sections 25, 27, and 28 as follows:

(225 ILCS 46/25)

Sec. 25. Hiring of people with criminal records by health care employers and long-term care facilities.

(a) A health care employer or long-term care facility may hire, employ, or retain any individual in a position involving direct care for clients, patients, or residents or access to the living quarters or the financial, medical, or personal records of clients, patients, or residents who has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit one or more of the following offenses, or any individual who fails to report to the Department any such individual who committed a violation described in this subsection, under the laws of this State, or of an offense that is substantially equivalent to the following offenses under the laws of any other state or of the laws of the United States, as verified by court records, records from a state agency, or a Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records check, only with a waiver described in Section 40: those defined in Sections 8-1(b), 8-1.1, 8-1.2, 9-1, 9-1.2, 9-2, 9-2.1, 9-3, 9-3.1, 9-3.2, 9-3.3, 9-3.4, 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-3.1, 10-4, 10-5, 10-7, 11-1.20, 11-1.30, 11-1.40, 11-1.50, 11-1.60, 11-6, 11-9.1, 11-9.2, 11-9.3, 11-9.4-1, 11-9.5, 11-19.2, 11-20.1, 11-20.1B, 11-20.3, 12-1, 12-2, 12-3.05, 12-3.1, 12-3.2, 12-3.3, 12-4, 12-4.1, 12-4.2, 12-4.3, 12-4.4, 12-4.5, 12-4.6, 12-4.7, 12-7.4, 12-11, 12-13, 12-14, 12-14.1, 12-15, 12-16, 12-19, 12-20.5, 12-21, 12-21.5, 12-21.6, 12-32, 12-33, 12C-5, 12C-10, 16-1, 16-1.3, 16-25, 16A-3, 17-3, 17-56, 18-1, 18-2, 18-3, 18-4, 18-5, 19-1, 19-3, 19-4, 19-6, 20-1, 20-1.1, 24-1, 24-1.2, 24-1.5, 24-1.8, 24-3.8, or 33A-2, or subdivision (a)(4) of Section 11-14.4, or in subsection (a) of Section 12-3 or subsection (a) or (b) of Section 12-4.4a, of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; those provided in Section 4 of the Wrongs to Children Act; those provided in Section 53 of the Criminal Jurisprudence Act; those defined in subsection (c), (d), (e), (f), or (g) of Section 5 or Section 5.1, 5.2, 7, or 9 of the Cannabis Control Act; those defined in the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act; those defined in Sections 401, 401.1, 404, 405, 405.1, 407, or 407.1 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act; or those defined in subsection (a) of Section 3.01, Section 3.02, or Section 3.03 of the Humane Care for Animals Act.

(a-1) A health care employer or long-term care facility may hire, employ, or retain any individual in a position involving direct care for clients, patients, or residents or access to the living quarters or the financial, medical, or personal records of clients, patients, or residents who has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit one or more of the following offenses, or any individual who fails to report to the Department any such individual who committed a violation described in this subsection, under the laws of this State, or of an offense that is substantially equivalent to the following offenses under the laws of any other state or of the laws of the United States, as verified by court records, records from a state agency, or a Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records check, only with a waiver described in Section 40: those offenses defined in Section 12-3.3, 12-4.2-5, 16-2, 16-30, 16G-15, 16G-20, 17-33, 17-34, 17-36, 17-44, 18-5, 20-1.2, 24-1.1, 24-1.2-5, 24-1.6, 24-3.2, or 24-3.3, or subsection (b) of Section 17-32, subsection (b) of Section 18-1, or subsection (b) of Section 20-1, of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; those offenses defined in Section 4, 5, 6, 8, or 17.02 of the Illinois Credit Card and Debit Card Act; those offenses defined in or Section 11-9.1A of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012 or Section 5.1 of the Wrongs to Children Act; or those offenses defined in (ii) violated Section 50-50 of the Nurse Practice Act.

A health care employer is not required to retain an individual in a position with duties involving direct care for clients, patients, or residents, and no long-term care facility is required to retain an individual in a position with duties that involve or may involve contact with residents or access to the living quarters or the financial, medical, or personal records of residents, who has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit one or more of the offenses enumerated in this subsection.

(b) A health care employer shall not hire, employ, or retain, whether paid or on a volunteer basis, any individual in a position with duties involving direct care of clients, patients, or residents, and no long-term care facility shall knowingly hire, employ, or retain, whether paid or on a volunteer basis, any individual in a position with duties that involve or may involve contact with residents or access to the living quarters or the financial, medical, or personal records of residents, if the health care employer becomes aware that the individual: (i) has been convicted in another state of committing or attempting to commit an offense that has the same or similar elements as an offense listed in subsection (a) or (a-1), as verified by court records, records from a state agency, or an FBI criminal history record check; or (ii) has failed to report to the Department any such individual who committed in another state an offense listed in subsection (a) or (a-1), unless the applicant or employee obtains a waiver pursuant to Section 40 of this Act. This shall not be construed to mean that a health care employer has an obligation to conduct a criminal history records check in other states in which an employee has resided.

(c) A health care employer shall not hire, employ, or retain, whether paid or on a volunteer basis, any individual in a position with duties involving direct care of clients, patients, or residents, who has a finding by the Department of abuse, neglect, misappropriation of property, or theft denoted on the Health Care Worker Registry, or a finding by the Department denoted on the Health Care Worker Registry of failure to report neglect, misappropriation of property, or theft to the Department.

(d) A health care employer shall not hire, employ, or retain, whether paid or on a volunteer basis, any individual in a position with duties involving direct care of clients, patients, or residents if the individual has a verified and substantiated finding of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation, as identified within the Adult Protective Service Registry established under Section 7.5 of the Adult Protective Services Act, or any individual who fails to report to the Department any such individual who committed abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation.

(e) A health care employer shall not hire, employ, or retain, whether paid or on a volunteer basis, any individual in a position with duties involving direct care of clients, patients, or residents who has a finding by the Department of Human Services denoted on the Health Care Worker Registry of physical or sexual abuse, financial exploitation, egregious neglect, or material obstruction of an investigation, or any individual who fails to report to the Department any such individual who committed the physical or sexual abuse, financial exploitation, or egregious neglect.

(f) Reports of violations required under this Section shall be made no later than 5 days after the incident constituting the violation.

(Source: P.A. 103-76, eff. 6-9-23; 103-428, eff. 1-1-24; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24.)

(225 ILCS 46/27)

Sec. 27. Notice and hearing prior to designation on Health Care Worker Registry for offense.

(a) If the Department finds that an employee or former employee has abused or neglected a resident or misappropriated property of a resident, then the Department shall notify the employee or individual of this finding by certified mail sent to the address contained in the Health Care Worker Registry. The notice shall give the employee or individual an opportunity to contest the finding in a hearing before the Department or to submit a written response to the findings in lieu of requesting a hearing. As used in this subsection, "abuse" and "neglect" shall have the meanings provided in the Nursing Home Care Act, except that: (1) the term "resident" as used in those definitions shall have the meaning provided in this Act; and (2) "abuse" and "neglect" shall include the failure to report any abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of a resident's property to the Department. As used in this subsection, "misappropriate property of a resident" shall have the meaning provided to "misappropriation of a resident's property" in the Nursing Home Care Act, except that the term "resident" as used in that definition shall have the meaning provided in this Act.

(b) The Department shall have the authority to hold hearings to be conducted by the Director, or by an individual designated by the Director as hearing officer to conduct the hearing. On the basis of a hearing, or upon default of the employee, the Director shall make a determination specifying his or her findings and conclusions. A copy of the determination shall be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, or served personally upon the employee to the address last provided by the employee to the Department.

(c) The procedure governing hearings authorized by this Section shall be in accordance with rules adopted by the Department. A full and complete record shall be kept of all proceedings, including the notice of hearing, and all other documents in the nature of pleadings, written motions filed in the proceedings, and the report and orders of the Director or the Director's designee. All testimony shall be reported but need not be transcribed unless the decision is sought to be reviewed under the Administrative Review Law. A copy or copies of the transcript and record of the proceedings may be obtained by any interested party subsequent to payment to the Department of the cost of preparing the copy or copies. All final administrative decisions of the Department under this Act are subject to judicial review under the Administrative Review Law and the rules adopted pursuant thereto. For purposes of this subsection, "administrative decision" has the meaning provided in Section 3-101 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(d) The Department may issue subpoenas requiring the attendance and the giving of testimony by witnesses, and subpoenas duces tecum requiring the production of books, papers, records, or memoranda. All subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum issued under this Act may be served by mail or by any person of legal age. The fees of witnesses for attendance and travel shall be the same as the fees of witnesses before the courts of this State. The fees shall be paid when the witness is excused from further attendance. When the witness is subpoenaed at the instance of the Department, the fees shall be paid in the same manner as other expenses of the Department, and when the witness is subpoenaed at the instance of any other party to any such proceeding, the Department may require that the cost of service of the subpoena or subpoena duces tecum and the fee of the witness be borne by the party at whose instance the witness is summoned. A subpoena or subpoena duces tecum issued pursuant to this Section shall be served in the same manner as a subpoena issued by a circuit court.

(e) If, after a hearing or if the employee, or former employee, does not request a hearing, the Department finds that the employee, or former employee, abused a resident, neglected a resident, or misappropriated resident property, or failed to report any abuse, neglect, or misappropriation to the Department or makes any other applicable finding as set forth by rule, the finding shall be included as part of the Health Care Worker Registry as well as a clear and accurate summary from the employee, if he or she chooses to make a statement.

(f) The Department shall make the following information in the Health Care Worker Registry available to the public: an individual's full name; the date an individual successfully completed a nurse aide training or competency evaluation; and whether the Department has made a finding that an employee, or former employee, has been guilty of abuse or neglect of a resident or misappropriation of resident property or failure to report any abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of resident property to the Department or has made any other applicable finding as set forth by rule. In the case of inquiries to the Health Care Worker Registry concerning an employee, or former employee, listed in the Health Care Worker Registry, any information disclosed concerning a finding shall also include disclosure of the employee's, or former employee's, statement in the Health Care Worker Registry relating to the finding or a clear and accurate summary of the statement.

(g) The Department shall add to the Health Care Worker Registry records of findings as reported by the Inspector General or remove from the Health Care Worker Registry records of findings as reported by the Department of Human Services, under subsection (s) of Section 1-17 of the Department of Human Services Act.

(h) Reports of violations required under this Section shall be made no later than 5 days after the incident constituting the violation.

(Source: P.A. 100-432, eff. 8-25-17.)

(225 ILCS 46/28)

Sec. 28. Designation on Registry for offense.

(a) The Department, after notice to the employee, or former employee, may denote on the Health Care Worker Registry that the Department has found any of the following:

(1) The employee, or former employee, has abused a resident.

(2) The employee, or former employee, has neglected a resident.

(3) The employee, or former employee, has misappropriated resident property.

(3.5) The employee, or former employee, failed to report abuse of a resident, neglect of a resident, or misappropriation of resident property by another employee or former employee to the Department.

(4) The employee, or former employee, has been convicted of (i) a felony; (ii) a misdemeanor, an essential element of which is dishonesty; or (iii) any crime that is directly related to the duties of an employee, a nursing assistant, habilitation aide, or child care aide.

(b) Notice under this Section shall include a clear and concise statement of the grounds denoting abuse, neglect, theft, or other applicable finding, and notice of the opportunity for a hearing to contest the designation.

(c) The Department shall document criminal history records check results pursuant to the requirements of this Act.

(d) After the designation of neglect on the Health Care Worker Registry, made pursuant to this Section, an employee, or former employee, may petition the Department for removal of a designation of neglect on the Health Care Worker Registry, after durations set forth within the Department's notice made pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this Section. Upon receipt of a petition, the Department may remove the designation for a finding of neglect after no less than one year, or the designation of applicable findings set forth by rule of an employee, or former employee, for minimum durations set forth by the Department, on the Health Care Worker Registry unless the Department determines that removal of designation is not in the public interest. The Department shall set forth by rule the discretionary factors by which designations of employees or former employees may be removed.

(e) Reports of violations required under this Section shall be made no later than 5 days after the incident constituting the violation.

(Source: P.A. 100-432, eff. 8-25-17.)

Section 10. The Criminal Code of 2012 is amended by changing Section 12-3.05 as follows:

(720 ILCS 5/12-3.05) (was 720 ILCS 5/12-4)

Sec. 12-3.05. Aggravated battery.

(a) Offense based on injury. A person commits aggravated battery when, in committing a battery, other than by the discharge of a firearm, he or she knowingly does any of the following:

(1) Causes great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement.

(2) Causes severe and permanent disability, great bodily harm, or disfigurement by means of a caustic or flammable substance, a poisonous gas, a deadly biological or chemical contaminant or agent, a radioactive substance, or a bomb or explosive compound.

(3) Causes great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to an individual whom the person knows to be a peace officer, community policing volunteer, fireman, private security officer, correctional institution employee, or Department of Human Services employee supervising or controlling sexually dangerous persons or sexually violent persons:

(i) performing his or her official duties;

(ii) battered to prevent performance of his or her official duties; or

(iii) battered in retaliation for performing his or her official duties.

(4) Causes great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to an individual 60 years of age or older.

(5) Strangles another individual.

(b) Offense based on injury to a child or person with an intellectual disability. A person who is at least 18 years of age commits aggravated battery when, in committing a battery, he or she knowingly and without legal justification by any means:

(1) causes great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to any child under the age of 13 years, or to any person with a severe or profound intellectual disability; or

(2) causes bodily harm or disability or disfigurement to any child under the age of 13 years or to any person with a severe or profound intellectual disability.

(c) Offense based on location of conduct. A person commits aggravated battery when, in committing a battery, other than by the discharge of a firearm, he or she is or the person battered is on or about a public way, public property, a public place of accommodation or amusement, a sports venue, or a domestic violence shelter, or in a church, synagogue, mosque, or other building, structure, or place used for religious worship.

(d) Offense based on status of victim. A person commits aggravated battery when, in committing a battery, other than by discharge of a firearm, he or she knows the individual battered to be any of the following:

(1) A person 60 years of age or older.

(2) A person who is pregnant or has a physical disability.

(3) A teacher or school employee upon school grounds or grounds adjacent to a school or in any part of a building used for school purposes.

(4) A peace officer, community policing volunteer, fireman, private security officer, correctional institution employee, or Department of Human Services employee supervising or controlling sexually dangerous persons or sexually violent persons:

(i) performing his or her official duties;

(ii) battered to prevent performance of his or her official duties; or

(iii) battered in retaliation for performing his or her official duties.

(5) A judge, emergency management worker, emergency medical services personnel, or utility worker:

(i) performing his or her official duties;

(ii) battered to prevent performance of his or her official duties; or

(iii) battered in retaliation for performing his or her official duties.

(6) An officer or employee of the State of Illinois, a unit of local government, or a school district, while performing his or her official duties.

(7) A transit employee performing his or her official duties, or a transit passenger.

(8) A taxi driver on duty.

(9) A merchant who detains the person for an alleged commission of retail theft under Section 16-26 of this Code and the person without legal justification by any means causes bodily harm to the merchant.

(10) A person authorized to serve process under Section 2-202 of the Code of Civil Procedure or a special process server appointed by the circuit court while that individual is in the performance of his or her duties as a process server.

(11) A nurse while in the performance of his or her duties as a nurse.

(12) A merchant: (i) while performing his or her duties, including, but not limited to, relaying directions for healthcare or safety from his or her supervisor or employer or relaying health or safety guidelines, recommendations, regulations, or rules from a federal, State, or local public health agency; and (ii) during a disaster declared by the Governor, or a state of emergency declared by the mayor of the municipality in which the merchant is located, due to a public health emergency and for a period of 6 months after such declaration.

(13) A patient at an Illinois Department of Human Services facility who is battered by an employee of the Illinois Department of Human Services.

(14) A recipient at a community-integrated living arrangement, as defined in the Community-Integrated Living Arrangements Licensure and Certification Act, who is battered by an employee of the community-integrated living arrangement.

(e) Offense based on use of a firearm. A person commits aggravated battery when, in committing a battery, he or she knowingly does any of the following:

(1) Discharges a firearm, other than a machine gun or a firearm equipped with a silencer, and causes any injury to another person.

(2) Discharges a firearm, other than a machine gun or a firearm equipped with a silencer, and causes any injury to a person he or she knows to be a peace officer, community policing volunteer, person summoned by a police officer, fireman, private security officer, correctional institution employee, or emergency management worker:

(i) performing his or her official duties;

(ii) battered to prevent performance of his or her official duties; or

(iii) battered in retaliation for performing his or her official duties.

(3) Discharges a firearm, other than a machine gun or a firearm equipped with a silencer, and causes any injury to a person he or she knows to be emergency medical services personnel:

(i) performing his or her official duties;

(ii) battered to prevent performance of his or her official duties; or

(iii) battered in retaliation for performing his or her official duties.

(4) Discharges a firearm and causes any injury to a person he or she knows to be a teacher, a student in a school, or a school employee, and the teacher, student, or employee is upon school grounds or grounds adjacent to a school or in any part of a building used for school purposes.

(5) Discharges a machine gun or a firearm equipped with a silencer, and causes any injury to another person.

(6) Discharges a machine gun or a firearm equipped with a silencer, and causes any injury to a person he or she knows to be a peace officer, community policing volunteer, person summoned by a police officer, fireman, private security officer, correctional institution employee or emergency management worker:

(i) performing his or her official duties;

(ii) battered to prevent performance of his or her official duties; or

(iii) battered in retaliation for performing his or her official duties.

(7) Discharges a machine gun or a firearm equipped with a silencer, and causes any injury to a person he or she knows to be emergency medical services personnel:

(i) performing his or her official duties;

(ii) battered to prevent performance of his or her official duties; or

(iii) battered in retaliation for performing his or her official duties.

(8) Discharges a machine gun or a firearm equipped with a silencer, and causes any injury to a person he or she knows to be a teacher, or a student in a school, or a school employee, and the teacher, student, or employee is upon school grounds or grounds adjacent to a school or in any part of a building used for school purposes.

(f) Offense based on use of a weapon or device. A person commits aggravated battery when, in committing a battery, he or she does any of the following:

(1) Uses a deadly weapon other than by discharge of a firearm, or uses an air rifle as defined in Section 24.8-0.1 of this Code.

(2) Wears a hood, robe, or mask to conceal his or her identity.

(3) Knowingly and without lawful justification shines or flashes a laser gunsight or other laser device attached to a firearm, or used in concert with a firearm, so that the laser beam strikes upon or against the person of another.

(4) Knowingly video or audio records the offense with the intent to disseminate the recording.

(g) Offense based on certain conduct. A person commits aggravated battery when, other than by discharge of a firearm, he or she does any of the following:

(1) Violates Section 401 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act by unlawfully delivering a controlled substance to another and any user experiences great bodily harm or permanent disability as a result of the injection, inhalation, or ingestion of any amount of the controlled substance.

(2) Knowingly administers to an individual or causes him or her to take, without his or her consent or by threat or deception, and for other than medical purposes, any intoxicating, poisonous, stupefying, narcotic, anesthetic, or controlled substance, or gives to another person any food containing any substance or object intended to cause physical injury if eaten.

(3) Knowingly causes or attempts to cause a correctional institution employee or Department of Human Services employee to come into contact with blood, seminal fluid, urine, or feces by throwing, tossing, or expelling the fluid or material, and the person is an inmate of a penal institution or is a sexually dangerous person or sexually violent person in the custody of the Department of Human Services.

(h) Sentence. Unless otherwise provided, aggravated battery is a Class 3 felony.

Aggravated battery as defined in subdivision (a)(4), (d)(4), (d)(13), (d)(14), or (g)(3) is a Class 2 felony.

Aggravated battery as defined in subdivision (a)(3) or (g)(1) is a Class 1 felony.

Aggravated battery as defined in subdivision (a)(1) is a Class 1 felony when the aggravated battery was intentional and involved the infliction of torture, as defined in paragraph (10) of subsection (b-5) of Section 5-8-1 of the Unified Code of Corrections, as the infliction of or subjection to extreme physical pain, motivated by an intent to increase or prolong the pain, suffering, or agony of the victim.

Aggravated battery as defined in subdivision (a)(1) is a Class 2 felony when the person causes great bodily harm or permanent disability to an individual whom the person knows to be a member of a congregation engaged in prayer or other religious activities at a church, synagogue, mosque, or other building, structure, or place used for religious worship.

Aggravated battery under subdivision (a)(5) is a Class 1 felony if:

(A) the person used or attempted to use a dangerous instrument while committing the offense;

(B) the person caused great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to the other person while committing the offense; or

(C) the person has been previously convicted of a violation of subdivision (a)(5) under the laws of this State or laws similar to subdivision (a)(5) of any other state.

Aggravated battery as defined in subdivision (e)(1) is a Class X felony.

Aggravated battery as defined in subdivision (a)(2) is a Class X felony for which a person shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of a minimum of 6 years and a maximum of 45 years.

Aggravated battery as defined in subdivision (e)(5) is a Class X felony for which a person shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of a minimum of 12 years and a maximum of 45 years.

Aggravated battery as defined in subdivision (e)(2), (e)(3), or (e)(4) is a Class X felony for which a person shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 60 years.

Aggravated battery as defined in subdivision (e)(6), (e)(7), or (e)(8) is a Class X felony for which a person shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of a minimum of 20 years and a maximum of 60 years.

Aggravated battery as defined in subdivision (b)(1) is a Class X felony, except that:

(1) if the person committed the offense while armed with a firearm, 15 years shall be added to the term of imprisonment imposed by the court;

(2) if, during the commission of the offense, the person personally discharged a firearm, 20 years shall be added to the term of imprisonment imposed by the court;

(3) if, during the commission of the offense, the person personally discharged a firearm that proximately caused great bodily harm, permanent disability, permanent disfigurement, or death to another person, 25 years or up to a term of natural life shall be added to the term of imprisonment imposed by the court.

(i) Definitions. In this Section:

"Building or other structure used to provide shelter" has the meaning ascribed to "shelter" in Section 1 of the Domestic Violence Shelters Act.

"Domestic violence" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 103 of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986.

"Domestic violence shelter" means any building or other structure used to provide shelter or other services to victims or to the dependent children of victims of domestic violence pursuant to the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 or the Domestic Violence Shelters Act, or any place within 500 feet of such a building or other structure in the case of a person who is going to or from such a building or other structure.

"Firearm" has the meaning provided under Section 1.1 of the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act, and does not include an air rifle as defined by Section 24.8-0.1 of this Code.

"Machine gun" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 24-1 of this Code.

"Merchant" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 16-0.1 of this Code.

"Strangle" means intentionally impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of an individual by applying pressure on the throat or neck of that individual or by blocking the nose or mouth of that individual.

(Source: P.A. 103-51, eff. 1-1-24.)