101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB5018

 

Introduced 2/18/2020, by Rep. Anne Stava-Murray

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
720 ILCS 5/14-2  from Ch. 38, par. 14-2

    Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person, other than a corporation or licensed real estate broker displaying residential real estate to potential buyers, is not criminally liable for eavesdropping if he or she has the consent of one party to the private conversation or private electronic communication that he or she overheard, transmitted, transcribed, intercepted, used, disclosed, or recorded.


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A BILL FOR

 

HB5018LRB101 18552 RLC 68006 b

1    AN ACT concerning criminal law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Criminal Code of 2012 is amended by changing
5Section 14-2 as follows:
 
6    (720 ILCS 5/14-2)  (from Ch. 38, par. 14-2)
7    Sec. 14-2. Elements of the offense; affirmative defense.
8    (a) Paragraphs (1) through (3) and (5) of this subsection
9(a) apply only to natural persons, other than real estate
10brokers licensed under the Real Estate License Act of 2000
11displaying residential real estate to potential buyers of that
12real estate. A person commits eavesdropping when he or she
13knowingly and intentionally:
14        (1) uses Uses an eavesdropping device, in a
15    surreptitious manner, for the purpose of overhearing,
16    transmitting, or recording all or any part of any private
17    conversation to which he or she is not a party unless he or
18    she does so with the consent of one of the parties all of
19    the parties to the private conversation;
20        (2) (blank) Uses an eavesdropping device, in a
21    surreptitious manner, for the purpose of transmitting or
22    recording all or any part of any private conversation to
23    which he or she is a party unless he or she does so with the

 

 

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1    consent of all other parties to the private conversation;
2        (3) intercepts Intercepts, records, or transcribes, in
3    a surreptitious manner, any private electronic
4    communication to which he or she is not a party unless he
5    or she does so with the consent of one party all parties to
6    the private electronic communication;
7        (4) (blank) Manufactures, assembles, distributes, or
8    possesses any electronic, mechanical, eavesdropping, or
9    other device knowing that or having reason to know that the
10    design of the device renders it primarily useful for the
11    purpose of the surreptitious overhearing, transmitting, or
12    recording of private conversations or the interception, or
13    transcription of private electronic communications and the
14    intended or actual use of the device is contrary to the
15    provisions of this Article; or
16        (5) uses Uses or discloses any information which he or
17    she knows or reasonably should know was obtained from a
18    private conversation or private electronic communication
19    in violation of this Article, unless he or she does so with
20    the consent of one all of the parties.
21    (a-1) This subsection (a-1) applies only to corporations
22and to real estate brokers licensed under the Real Estate
23License Act of 2000 displaying residential real estate to
24potential buyers of that real estate. A person commits
25eavesdropping when he or she knowingly and intentionally:
26        (1) uses an eavesdropping device, in a surreptitious

 

 

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1    manner, for the purpose of overhearing, transmitting, or
2    recording all or any part of any private conversation to
3    which he or she is not a party unless he or she does so with
4    the consent of all of the parties to the private
5    conversation;
6        (2) uses an eavesdropping device, in a surreptitious
7    manner, for the purpose of transmitting or recording all or
8    any part of any private conversation to which he or she is
9    a party unless he or she does so with the consent of all
10    other parties to the private conversation;
11        (3) intercepts, records, or transcribes, in a
12    surreptitious manner, any private electronic communication
13    to which he or she is not a party unless he or she does so
14    with the consent of all parties to the private electronic
15    communication; or
16        (4) uses or discloses any information which he or she
17    knows or reasonably should know was obtained from a private
18    conversation or private electronic communication in
19    violation of this Article, unless he or she does so with
20    the consent of all of parties.
21    (a-2) A person commits eavesdropping when he or she
22knowingly and intentionally manufactures, assembles,
23distributes, or possesses any electronic, mechanical,
24eavesdropping, or other device knowing that or having reason to
25know that the design of the device renders it primarily useful
26for the purpose of the surreptitious overhearing,

 

 

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1transmitting, or recording of private conversations or the
2interception, or transcription of private electronic
3communications and the intended or actual use of the device is
4contrary to the provisions of this Article.
5    (a-5) It does not constitute a violation of this Article to
6surreptitiously use an eavesdropping device to overhear,
7transmit, or record a private conversation, or to
8surreptitiously intercept, record, or transcribe a private
9electronic communication, if the overhearing, transmitting,
10recording, interception, or transcription is done in
11accordance with Article 108A or Article 108B of the Code of
12Criminal Procedure of 1963.
13    (b) It is an affirmative defense to a charge brought under
14this Article relating to the interception of a privileged
15communication that the person charged:
16        1. was a law enforcement officer acting pursuant to an
17    order of interception, entered pursuant to Section 108A-1
18    or 108B-5 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963; and
19        2. at the time the communication was intercepted, the
20    officer was unaware that the communication was privileged;
21    and
22        3. stopped the interception within a reasonable time
23    after discovering that the communication was privileged;
24    and
25        4. did not disclose the contents of the communication.
26    (c) It is not unlawful for a manufacturer or a supplier of

 

 

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1eavesdropping devices, or a provider of wire or electronic
2communication services, their agents, employees, contractors,
3or venders to manufacture, assemble, sell, or possess an
4eavesdropping device within the normal course of their business
5for purposes not contrary to this Article or for law
6enforcement officers and employees of the Illinois Department
7of Corrections to manufacture, assemble, purchase, or possess
8an eavesdropping device in preparation for or within the course
9of their official duties.
10    (d) The interception, recording, or transcription of an
11electronic communication by an employee of a penal institution
12is not prohibited under this Act, provided that the
13interception, recording, or transcription is:
14        (1) otherwise legally permissible under Illinois law;
15        (2) conducted with the approval of the penal
16    institution for the purpose of investigating or enforcing a
17    State criminal law or a penal institution rule or
18    regulation with respect to inmates in the institution; and
19        (3) within the scope of the employee's official duties.
20    For the purposes of this subsection (d), "penal
21institution" has the meaning ascribed to it in clause (c)(1) of
22Section 31A-1.1.
23    (e) Nothing in this Article shall prohibit any individual,
24not a law enforcement officer, from recording a law enforcement
25officer in the performance of his or her duties in a public
26place or in circumstances in which the officer has no

 

 

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1reasonable expectation of privacy. However, an officer may take
2reasonable action to maintain safety and control, secure crime
3scenes and accident sites, protect the integrity and
4confidentiality of investigations, and protect the public
5safety and order.
6(Source: P.A. 98-1142, eff. 12-30-14; 99-352, eff. 1-1-16.)