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90_HB1368
720 ILCS 5/Art. 20.5 heading new
720 ILCS 5/20.5-5 new
Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Creates the offense of
causing a catastrophe. Defines the offense as knowingly
causing a catastrophe by explosion, fire, flood, collapse of
a building, release of poison, radioactive material,
bacteria, virus, or other dangerous and difficult to confine
force or substance. Penalty is a Class X felony. Effective
immediately.
LRB9004424RCks
LRB9004424RCks
1 AN ACT to amend the Criminal Code of 1961 by adding
2 Article 20.5.
3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
5 Section 5. The Criminal Code of 1961 is amended by
6 adding Article 20.5 as follows:
7 (720 ILCS 5/Art. 20.5 heading new)
8 ARTICLE 20.5. CAUSING A CATASTROPHE
9 (720 ILCS 5/20.5-5 new)
10 Sec. 20.5-5. Causing a catastrophe.
11 (a) A person commits the offense of causing a
12 catastrophe if he or she knowingly causes a catastrophe by
13 explosion, fire, flood, collapse of a building, release of
14 poison, radioactive material, bacteria, virus, or other
15 dangerous and difficult to confine force or substance.
16 (b) As used in this Section, "catastrophe" means death
17 or serious physical injury to 10 or more persons or
18 substantial damage to 5 or more buildings or inhabitable
19 structures or substantial damage to a vital public facility
20 that seriously impairs its usefulness or operation; and
21 "vital public facility" means a facility that is necessary to
22 ensure or protect the public health, safety, or welfare,
23 including but not limited to, a hospital, law enforcement
24 agency, fire department, private or public utility company,
25 national defense contractor, a facility of the armed forces,
26 or emergency services agency.
27 (c) Sentence. Causing a catastrophe is a Class X
28 felony.
29 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
-2- LRB9004424RCks
1 becoming law.
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