HB5723 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB5723

Introduced 3/12/2026, by Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid - Kelly M. Cassidy - Anne Stava - Nabeela Syed - Patrick Sheehan, et al.

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act
725 ILCS 215/2
725 ILCS 215/3

Creates the Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Act. Establishes the Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Commission as an investigatory and advisory commission to investigate matters related to Jeffrey Epstein's network with a nexus to Illinois, facilitate enforcement of Illinois law, and promote transparency. Grants the Commission investigatory powers, including subpoena authority enforceable in circuit court, and requires referrals to the Attorney General and periodic reports to the Attorney General, Governor, and the General Assembly. Provides victim and whistleblower protections. Authorizes the Attorney General to exercise specified authority. Directs the Attorney General to share information upon request by the Commission. Ceases operation of the Commission after 5 years and repeals the Act after 6 years. Amends the Statewide Grand Jury Act to expand jurisdiction, to include human trafficking, involuntary servitude, sexual exploitation of children, permitting and failure to report sexual abuse of a child, prostitution-related offenses, patronizing a sexually exploited child, child pornography, bribery, official misconduct, solicitation of misconduct, tampering with public records, perjury, communicating with or harassment of jurors and witnesses, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and racketeering activity, but with a requirement for Attorney General certification or a requirement that offenses occur in more than one county or have a statewide nexus. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

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

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Act.

Section 5. Findings; purpose.

(a) The General Assembly finds that:

(1) Jeffrey Epstein engaged in a long-standing pattern of criminal conduct, including human trafficking and sexual exploitation of minors, which spanned multiple jurisdictions and inflicted harm on countless victims.

(2) Evidence from the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein (commonly referred to as the "Epstein files") has implicated numerous associates and public figures in potential crimes, suggesting the existence of a broader network of illicit activities that may have a nexus to the State of Illinois.

(3) Despite the gravity of these revelations, there is a widespread public perception and concern that federal authorities have failed to fully investigate and bring to justice all individuals involved in or complicit in Epstein's criminal network, undermining confidence in the pursuit of justice at the federal level.

(4) The State of Illinois has a sovereign interest and moral obligation to ensure that any violations of Illinois law arising from or related to Jeffrey Epstein's network, including crimes committed on Illinois soil, against Illinois residents, or by public officials or entities subject to Illinois law, are thoroughly investigated and prosecuted, and that the full truth is brought to light.

(5) It is necessary to create an independent investigatory and oversight advisory body, free from political influence or unnecessary limitations, to aggressively pursue justice, protect victims, expose any public corruption or cover-ups, and restore public trust by ensuring that no individual, no matter how powerful or well-connected, is above the laws of the State of Illinois.

(b) The purpose of this Act is to establish an independent Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Commission with the mandate and authority to investigate crimes associated with Jeffrey Epstein's network and files, to facilitate the enforcement of Illinois laws against any such crimes, and to ensure transparency and accountability in the investigative process. This Act further aims to empower the Illinois Attorney General to pursue and prosecute any State-law offenses uncovered, thereby ensuring that justice is served and that the failures or limitations of federal action do not preclude the full pursuit of truth and accountability in Illinois.

Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:

"Commission" means the Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Commission established under Section 15 of this Act.

"Victim" means an individual who has suffered physical, emotional, or financial harm as a result of conduct described in Section 5 of this Act.

Section 15. Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Commission; establishment and composition.

(a) The Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Commission is created as an investigatory and advisory commission for the purposes set forth in Section 5 of this Act.

(b) The Commission shall consist of 10 members who are appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, at least 3 of whom shall have membership in a different political party than the Governor. Members of the Commission shall have the education, experience, or combination of education and experience necessary to carry out the duties required of a member of the Commission and shall reflect the diversity of the State.

(c) Appointments shall be made within 60 days after the effective date of this Act. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. Members shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed, subject to appropriation, for expenses incurred as a result of duties as a member of the Commission.

(d) The Commission shall elect 2 co-chairpersons from among its members. The co-chairpersons may not be members of the same political party. A majority of members constitutes a quorum. The Commission shall meet at least monthly and is subject to the Open Meetings Act.

(e) The Commission may adopt rules of procedure, hire staff, and request assistance from State agencies as needed to carry out its duties under this Act. Staff shall be nonpartisan and hired on the basis of merit. The Commission's expenses are subject to appropriation.

Section 20. Powers and duties of the Commission. The Commission shall have investigatory and advisory powers necessary to carry out its duties under this Act. These powers include the authority:

(1) to conduct inquiries and gather information related to potential violations of Illinois law connected to matters described in this Act;

(2) to request records and information from State and local agencies;

(3) to issue subpoenas for documents and testimony, enforceable through petition to a circuit court;

(4) to administer oaths and take testimony and to maintain records of proceedings;

(5) to hold public hearings or open meetings and nonpublic hearings or closed meetings consistent with the Open Meetings Act;

(6) to refer evidence of possible criminal or civil violations to the Attorney General or other appropriate authorities;

(7) to make recommendations and issue reports to the Attorney General, Governor, and General Assembly; and

(8) to coordinate with law enforcement agencies for technical assistance.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to grant the Commission prosecutorial authority.

Section 25. Reports; hearings; records.

(a) The Commission shall issue:

(1) an initial report within 12 months after its first meeting, summarizing its activities and preliminary findings; and

(2) a final report before its scheduled cessation of operations under Section 40, detailing its findings and recommendations.

Reports shall be submitted to the Attorney General, the Governor, and the General Assembly and shall be made available to the public. Reports shall only omit or redact information that is confidential by law or that could jeopardize investigations or safety.

(b) The Commission shall hold at least one public hearing every 6 months. Hearings shall comply with the Open Meetings Act. Transcripts or recordings of public hearings shall be posted on the Commission's website with necessary redactions.

(c) The Commission shall prepare and submit referrals for prosecution to the Attorney General upon discovery of sufficient evidence of possible criminal or civil violations.

(d) The Commission may maintain a public website to post reports, hearing materials, and other information determined by the Commission to be releasable under law and to not be confidential under subsection (e). The Commission shall also publish an index of categories of records in its possession, except that descriptions may be generalized if disclosure could jeopardize investigations or safety.

(e) Records not released under subsection (d) are confidential to the extent permitted by law, including any applicable exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act. The Commission is a public body under the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act. Before cessation of operations, records shall be handled as provided in Section 40.

Section 30. Victim and whistleblower protections; safety.

(a) The Commission shall coordinate with the Attorney General's Crime Victim Services Division, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, and local victim assistance programs to inform victims of available services and to facilitate their access to support. The Commission shall accommodate victims' preferences regarding testimony and confidentiality.

(b) Individuals who provide information to the Commission are protected under the Illinois Whistleblower Act and, if applicable, the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. The Commission shall provide written notice to individuals who submit information under this Act that they may have rights and remedies under the Illinois Whistleblower Act and the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. The Commission shall establish procedures to accept and preserve sensitive or anonymous disclosures and may refer potential retaliation to the Attorney General or a State's Attorney.

(c) The Commission, in consultation with law enforcement, shall take measures to ensure the safety of victims, witnesses, whistleblowers, Commission members, and staff. This may include holding nonpublic sessions and coordinating use of witness protection resources under existing State programs.

Section 35. Attorney General authority.

(a) The Attorney General has concurrent authority with State's Attorneys to investigate and prosecute violations of Illinois law arising from matters described in this Act. This authority is in addition to existing powers under law. Nothing in this subsection alters the consent or good cause provisions under the Statewide Grand Jury Act with respect to proceedings under that Act.

(b) The Attorney General and the Commission may share information as permitted by law and by court order. Upon request by the Commission, after a referral of evidence or referral for prosecution by the Commission to the Attorney General under this Act, the Attorney General shall provide, as soon as practicable, all relevant information to the Commission that is related to the referral, except as prohibited by law or by court order.

Section 40. Repeal. The Commission shall cease operations 5 years after the effective date of this Act. This Act is repealed and the Commission is dissolved 6 years after the effective date of this Act. The cessation of operations does not affect and the repeal does not affect any prosecution, indictment, or civil action pending or initiated before those dates. Immediately before cessation of operations, the Commission shall transfer active investigatory files to the Attorney General and all other records to the State Archives under applicable confidentiality laws, subject to any requirements under the State Records Act. Confidential records under subsection (e) of Section 25 of this Act that are transferred to the State Archives shall be marked as restricted and confidential with instructions, as determined by the Commission, regarding access to the confidential records, as required under subsection (4) of Section 7 of the State Records Act.

Section 50. The Statewide Grand Jury Act is amended by changing Sections 2 and 3 as follows:

(725 ILCS 215/2)

Sec. 2. (a) County grand juries and State's Attorneys have always had and shall continue to have primary responsibility for investigating, indicting, and prosecuting persons who violate the criminal laws of the State of Illinois. However, in recent years organized terrorist activity directed against innocent civilians and certain criminal enterprises have developed that require investigation, indictment, and prosecution on a statewide or multicounty level. The criminal enterprises exist as a result of the allure of profitability present in narcotic activity, the unlawful sale and transfer of firearms, and streetgang related felonies and organized terrorist activity is supported by the contribution of money and expert assistance from geographically diverse sources. In order to shut off the life blood of terrorism and weaken or eliminate the criminal enterprises, assets, and property used to further these offenses must be frozen, and any profit must be removed. State statutes exist that can accomplish that goal. Among them are the offense of money laundering, violations of Article 29D of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, the Narcotics Profit Forfeiture Act, and gunrunning. Local prosecutors need investigative personnel and specialized training to attack and eliminate these profits. In light of the transitory and complex nature of conduct that constitutes these criminal activities, the many diverse property interests that may be used, acquired directly or indirectly as a result of these criminal activities, and the many places that illegally obtained property may be located, it is the purpose of this Act to create a limited, multicounty Statewide Grand Jury with authority to investigate, indict, and prosecute: narcotic activity, including cannabis and controlled substance trafficking, narcotics racketeering, money laundering, violations of the Cannabis and Controlled Substances Tax Act, and violations of Article 29D of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; the unlawful sale and transfer of firearms; gunrunning; and streetgang related felonies.

(b) A Statewide Grand Jury may also investigate, indict, and prosecute violations facilitated by the use of a computer of any of the following offenses: indecent solicitation of a child, sexual exploitation of a child, soliciting for a sexually exploited child, keeping a place of commercial sexual exploitation of a child, juvenile pimping, child sexual abuse material, aggravated child pornography, or promoting commercial sexual exploitation of a child except as described in subdivision (a)(4) of Section 11-14.4 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012.

(c) A Statewide Grand Jury may also investigate, indict, and prosecute violations of organized retail crime.

(d) A Statewide Grand Jury may also, if the offenses occurred in more than one county or have a statewide nexus or if the Attorney General certifies that Statewide Grand Jury proceedings are necessary as provided under this subsection (d), investigate, indict, and prosecute offenses involving any of the following or any related offenses to any of the following:

(1) trafficking in persons, involuntary servitude, and related offenses under Section 10-9 of the Criminal Code of 2012;

(2) sexual exploitation of a child under Section 11-9.1 of the Criminal Code of 2012;

(3) permitting sexual abuse of a child under Section 11-9.1A of the Criminal Code of 2012;

(4) failure to report sexual abuse of a child under Section 11-9.1B of the Criminal Code of 2012;

(5) promoting prostitution under Section 11-14.3 of the Criminal Code of 2012;

(6) promoting commercial sexual exploitation of a child under Section 11-14.4 of the Criminal Code of 2012;

(7) patronizing a sexually exploited child under Section 11-18.1 of the Criminal Code of 2012

(8) child pornography or child sexual abuse material under Section 11-20.1 of the Criminal Code of 2012;

(9) bribery under Section 33-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012;

(10) official misconduct under Section 33-3 of the Criminal Code of 2012;

(11) solicitation of official misconduct under Section 33-3.1 of the Criminal Code of 2012;

(12) tampering with public records under Section 32-8 of the Criminal Code of 2012;

(13) perjury or subornation of perjury under Sections 32-2 and 32-3 of the Criminal Code of 2012;

(14) communicating with jurors or witnesses under Section 32-4 of the Criminal Code of 2012;

(15) harassment of representatives for the child, jurors, witnesses or others under Section 32-4a of the Criminal Code of 2012;

(16) money laundering under Section 29B-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012;

(17) obstruction of justice under Section 31-4 of the Criminal Code of 2012; or

(18) racketeering activity under Article 33G of the Criminal Code of 2012.

The Attorney General may certify that Statewide Grand Jury proceedings are necessary to protect witnesses, maintain investigative confidentiality, or coordinate statewide treatment, regardless of whether the offenses occurred in more than one county, if the Attorney General receives a referral regarding the offenses under the Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Act. If the Attorney General certifies thereto, a Statewide Grand Jury may investigate, indict, and prosecute offenses described under this subsection (d). Nothing in this subsection alters the requirement that trial proceed in a county of proper venue under Illinois law.

(Source: P.A. 103-1071, eff. 7-1-25; 104-245, eff. 1-1-26; revised 11-21-25.)

(725 ILCS 215/3)

Sec. 3. Written application for the appointment of a Circuit Judge to convene and preside over a Statewide Grand Jury, with jurisdiction extending throughout the State, shall be made to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Upon such written application, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall appoint a Circuit Judge from the circuit where the Statewide Grand Jury is being sought to be convened, who shall make a determination that the convening of a Statewide Grand Jury is necessary.

In such application, the Attorney General shall state that the convening of a Statewide Grand Jury is necessary because of an alleged offense or offenses set forth in this Section involving more than one county of the State, or with a nexus or certification as described under subsection (d) of Section 2 of this Act for an alleged offense or offenses under subsection (d) of Section 2 of this Act, and identifying any such offense alleged; and:

(a) that he or she believes that the grand jury function for the investigation and indictment of the offense or offenses cannot effectively be performed by a county grand jury together with the reasons for such belief, and

(b)(1) that each State's Attorney with jurisdiction over an offense or offenses to be investigated has consented to the impaneling of the Statewide Grand Jury, or

(2) if one or more of the State's Attorneys having jurisdiction over an offense or offenses to be investigated fails to consent to the impaneling of the Statewide Grand Jury, the Attorney General shall set forth good cause for impaneling the Statewide Grand Jury.

If the Circuit Judge determines that the convening of a Statewide Grand Jury is necessary, he or she shall convene and impanel the Statewide Grand Jury with jurisdiction extending throughout the State to investigate and return indictments:

(a) For violations of any of the following or for any other criminal offense committed in the course of violating any of the following: Article 29D of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, the Cannabis Control Act, the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act, or the Narcotics Profit Forfeiture Act; a streetgang related felony offense; Section 16-25.1, 24-2.1, 24-2.2, 24-3, 24-3A, 24-3.1, 24-3.3, 24-3.4, 24-4, or 24-5 or subsection 24-1(a)(4), 24-1(a)(6), 24-1(a)(7), 24-1(a)(9), 24-1(a)(10), or 24-1(c) of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; or a money laundering offense; provided that the violation or offense involves acts occurring in more than one county of this State; and

(a-5) For violations facilitated by the use of a computer, including the use of the Internet, the World Wide Web, electronic mail, a message board, a newsgroup, or any other commercial or noncommercial on-line service, of any of the following offenses: indecent solicitation of a child, sexual exploitation of a child, soliciting for a sexually exploited child, keeping a place of commercial sexual exploitation of a child, juvenile pimping, child sexual abuse material, aggravated child pornography, or promoting commercial sexual exploitation of a child except as described in subdivision (a)(4) of Section 11-14.4 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; and

(a-10) For offenses and related offenses described under subsection (d) of Section 2 of this Act; and

(b) For the offenses of perjury, subornation of perjury, communicating with jurors and witnesses, and harassment of jurors and witnesses, as they relate to matters before the Statewide Grand Jury.

"Streetgang related" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 10 of the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act.

Upon written application by the Attorney General for the convening of an additional Statewide Grand Jury, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall appoint a Circuit Judge from the circuit for which the additional Statewide Grand Jury is sought. The Circuit Judge shall determine the necessity for an additional Statewide Grand Jury in accordance with the provisions of this Section. No more than 2 Statewide Grand Juries may be empaneled at any time.

(Source: P.A. 103-1071, eff. 7-1-25; 104-245, eff. 1-1-26; revised 11-21-25.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.