North Egypt News

David Friess introduced HB0050 in the Illinois House on Jan. 9, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall create and implement a policy of electronic scanning and processing of all incoming mail in all Department of Corrections institutions and facilities, including the use of drug interdiction technologies to protect the health and safety of committed persons, the Department's staff, and its contractors. Provides that the policy shall require that mail processed electronically shall be available to committed persons only through kiosk and tablet services. Provides that the policy shall require that the mail be held in storage for a period of time by the correctional institution or facility or destroyed, as determined by the Director of Corrections. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules to implement this provision. Effective immediately."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill requires the Illinois Department of Corrections to develop a policy for electronically scanning and processing all incoming mail at its institutions and facilities. The policy mandates the use of drug interdiction technologies to protect the health and safety of inmates, staff, and contractors by preventing the introduction of contraband, including drugs and toxic substances. Processed mail will be accessible to inmates through kiosk and tablet services, with mail either stored temporarily or destroyed as decided by the Director of Corrections. The department must establish rules to implement these provisions, and the bill is effective immediately.

David Friess has proposed another two bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Friess graduated from Mercer University with a BS and again from John Marshall Law School with a JD.

David Friess is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 115th House District. He replaced previous state representative Nathan Reitz in 2023.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
HB0050	01/09/2025	Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall create and implement a policy of electronic scanning and processing of all incoming mail in all Department of Corrections institutions and facilities, including the use of drug interdiction technologies to protect the health and safety of committed persons, the Department's staff, and its contractors. Provides that the policy shall require that mail processed electronically shall be available to committed persons only through kiosk and tablet services. Provides that the policy shall require that the mail be held in storage for a period of time by the correctional institution or facility or destroyed, as determined by the Director of Corrections. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules to implement this provision. Effective immediately.
HB0048	01/09/2025	Amends the Open Meetings Act. In a provision permitting an interactive video conference in establishing a quorum for a local workforce investment area in an open meeting of that public body, with certain conditions, adds that a tourism board, convention center board, or civic center board also is permitted to use an interactive video conference in establishing a quorum, with the same conditions. In a provision exempting a local workforce innovation area, with certain conditions, from requirements to be physically present at the location of a closed meeting, adds the same exemption for a tourism board, convention center board, or civic center board, with the same conditions. In a provision exempting a local workforce innovation area, with certain conditions, from limitations regarding attendance by members of a public body by a means other than physical presence, adds the same exemption for a tourism board, convention center board, or civic center board, with the same conditions. Replaces references to "local workforce innovation areas" with references to "local workforce investment areas" in provisions regarding exemptions from requirements to be physically present at the location of a closed meeting and exemptions from limitations regarding attendance by other than physical presence.
HB0049	01/09/2025	Amends the Counties Code. Provides that, in matters a sheriff deems essential to preventing or assisting with disasters or events of civil disorder, the sheriff may authorize plain clothes to be worn by auxiliary deputies as long as the auxiliary deputies are carrying proper identification while performing this function. Provides that auxiliary deputies may only carry firearms while in the performance of their assigned duties (rather than while in uniform and in the performance of their assigned duties).
HB1116	01/09/2025	Amends the Student-Athlete Endorsement Rights Act. Provides that if a student-athlete earns more than $250,000 from the use of the name, image, likeness, or voice of the student-athlete, then any academic scholarship granted to the student-athlete shall be reduced by $1 per dollar the student-athlete earns over $250,000.
HB1204	01/09/2025	Amends the Interscholastic Athletic Organization Act. Provides that any athletic team or sport that is under the jurisdiction of an association or entity that provides for interscholastic athletics or athletic competition among schools and students must be expressly designated as (i) a male athletic team or sport, (ii) a female athletic team or sport, or (iii) a coeducational athletic team or sport. Provides that an athletic team or sport designated as being female is available only to participants who are female, based on their biological sex. Requires a school district or nonpublic school to obtain a written statement signed by a student's parent or guardian or the student verifying the student's age, biological sex, and that the student has not taken performance enhancing drugs; provides for a penalty for false or misleading statements. Prohibits a governmental entity or an association or entity that provides for interscholastic athletics or athletic competition among schools and students from entertaining a complaint, opening an investigation, or taking any other adverse action against a school district or nonpublic school for maintaining athletic teams or sports in accordance with these provisions.
HB1205	01/09/2025	Amends the Election Code. Provides that the county board or board of county commissioners of a county with a population of less than 100,000 may, by ordinance or resolution, dissolve a municipal board of election commissioners within that county and transfer its functions to the county clerk.
HB1206	01/09/2025	Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall establish the Returning Police Officers Loan Repayment Assistance Program to assist police officers who have left law enforcement with repayment of student loans and in order to help place officers into areas of the State that are the most under-staffed and in need of additional officers. Sets forth qualifications for applicants. Provides that each award under the Program shall be equal to $6,000 per year (i) for up to 5 years or (ii) until the applicant's student loans are paid off, whichever is sooner. Provides that an applicant has one year from the date that the first student loan assistance payment is received to begin work in a shortage area. Provides that applicants currently working in shortage areas are eligible for the Program, but those who left law enforcement due to reasons other than retirement or a permanent disability shall be given priority for the Program. Provides for rulemaking. Effective July 1, 2026.
HB1207	01/09/2025	Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that the pretrial services agency supervising and monitoring a defendant on pretrial release shall immediately notify the law enforcement agency of the defendant's primary residence and contact information and the office of the State's Attorney that charged the defendant if the person on pretrial release violates a no contact order.
HB1208	01/09/2025	Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that when a defendant has previously been granted pretrial release for any offense (rather than for a felony or Class A misdemeanor), that pretrial release shall (rather than may) be revoked if the defendant is charged with an offense that is alleged to have occurred during the defendant's pretrial release, regardless of the classification of offense (rather than charged with a felony or Class A misdemeanor) after a hearing on the court's own motion or upon the filing of a verified petition by the State.
HB1209	01/09/2025	Creates the Classification by Biological Sex Act. Sets forth findings. Provides that any public school or school district and any State or local agency, department, or office that collects vital statistics for the purpose of complying with antidiscrimination laws or for the purpose of gathering public health, crime, economic, or other data shall classify each individual who is part of the collected data set as either male or female at birth. Amends the Statute on Statutes. Sets forth the meaning of the following terms as used in any statute or any rule or regulation: sex; female and male; woman and girl; man and boy; and mother and father.
HB1210	01/09/2025	Amends the School Code. Removes the requirement that beginning with the 2028-2029 school year, as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each pupil entering the 9th grade must, in addition to other course requirements, successfully complete 2 years of foreign language courses, which may include American Sign Language.
HB1211	01/09/2025	Amends the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall establish and maintain a Temporary Teacher Apprenticeship Program to assist qualified participants in acquiring a Professional Educator License. Provides that the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may establish and adopt any rules necessary to implement this program, including the standards that a qualified participant must meet to receive a Professional Educator License. Sets forth the requirements to complete the program. Provides that upon completing the requirements of the program, a qualified participant is eligible for a Professional Educator License. Makes related changes. Provides that a foreign language endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who provides satisfactory evidence that he or she meets specified requirements. Provides that the foreign language endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed. Provides that an individual who holds a valid foreign language endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may teach a course on the foreign language for which the foreign language endorsement is issued. Provides that an individual who holds a valid foreign language endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations but does not hold a bachelor's degree may substitute teach in foreign language classrooms. Effective July 1, 2025.