Information maintained by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Updating the database of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) is an ongoing process. Recent laws may not yet be included in the ILCS database, but they are found on this site as Public Acts soon after they become law. For information concerning the relationship between statutes and Public Acts, refer to the Guide.

Because the statute database is maintained primarily for legislative drafting purposes, statutory changes are sometimes included in the statute database before they take effect. If the source note at the end of a Section of the statutes includes a Public Act that has not yet taken effect, the version of the law that is currently in effect may have already been removed from the database and you should refer to that Public Act to see the changes made to the current law.

WILDLIFE
(520 ILCS 35/) Wild Animal Public Safety Act.

520 ILCS 35/1

    (520 ILCS 35/1)
    Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Wild Animal Public Safety Act.
(Source: P.A. 103-239, eff. 1-1-24.)

520 ILCS 35/5

    (520 ILCS 35/5)
    Sec. 5. Definitions. In this Act:
    "Covered animal" means any live member of the following, or any hybrid of the following:
        (1) Bear.
        (2) Nonhuman primate.
    "Direct contact" means physical contact or proximity where physical contact is possible, including, but not limited to, any proximity without a permanent physical barrier or sufficient vertical height designed to prevent physical contact between the public and a covered animal.
    "Professional production crew" means a cast or crew member of a television or motion picture production team that has obtained permits as required by law, and includes a professional photographer, videographer, or cinematographer.
(Source: P.A. 103-239, eff. 1-1-24.)

520 ILCS 35/10

    (520 ILCS 35/10)
    Sec. 10. Prohibition. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, it is unlawful for any person to allow any member of the public to come into direct contact with a covered animal.
(Source: P.A. 103-239, eff. 1-1-24.)

520 ILCS 35/15

    (520 ILCS 35/15)
    Sec. 15. Nonapplication of Act. This Act does not apply to direct contact between a covered animal and any of the following:
        (1) The owner of the covered animal.
        (2) The owner of the facility in which the specified
    
animal is kept.
        (3) A trained professional employee or contractor of
    
the owner of the covered animal or facility (or an accompanying employee receiving professional training), while acting in the course and scope of official duty.
        (4) A licensed veterinarian, a veterinary student
    
accompanying such a veterinarian, or a registered veterinary technician under the direct or indirect supervision of a licensed veterinarian.
        (5) A law enforcement officer or animal control
    
authority acting in the course and scope of official duty.
        (6) An employee of a federal, State, or local agency,
    
while acting in the course and scope of the person's official duty.
        (7) A board member of the facility where the animal
    
is kept, a trainee, service provider, or professional production crew which:
            (A) is accompanied by the facility's owner or
        
trained employee;
            (B) is performing work with the specified animal
        
away from public view; and
            (C) is under a contract or other engagement with
        
the facility's owner.
(Source: P.A. 103-239, eff. 1-1-24.)

520 ILCS 35/20

    (520 ILCS 35/20)
    Sec. 20. Penalty. Any person who violates the provisions of this Act is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.
(Source: P.A. 103-239, eff. 1-1-24.)

520 ILCS 35/25

    (520 ILCS 35/25)
    Sec. 25. Enforcement. Any law enforcement officer or peace officer employed by this State or by any county or municipality within this State may enforce the provisions of this Act. The Attorney General, or a State's Attorney of the county in which a violation of this Act occurred, may bring an action in the name of the People of the State of Illinois to enforce the provisions of this Act, and may bring an action for an injunction to restrain any actual or threatened violation.
(Source: P.A. 103-239, eff. 1-1-24.)

520 ILCS 35/97

    (520 ILCS 35/97)
    Sec. 97. Severability. The provisions of this Act are severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.
(Source: P.A. 103-239, eff. 1-1-24.)