Rockford Sun

Dave Vella introduced HB1644 in the Illinois House on Jan. 23, 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 Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person who, in committing a domestic battery, other than by discharge of a firearm, knows the individual battered to be a person 60 years of age or older commits aggravated domestic battery."

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

In essence, this bill amends the Criminal Code of 2012 to expand the definition of aggravated domestic battery. It provides that a person commits aggravated domestic battery if, while committing a domestic battery, they knowingly cause great bodily harm, permanent disability, or disfigurement, or strangle the victim by impeding normal breathing or blood circulation. The bill also adds that someone commits aggravated domestic battery if they batter a person 60 years or older, excluding cases involving firearm discharge. Aggravated domestic battery remains a Class 2 felony, with required sentencing conditions, including a minimum 60-day imprisonment for first-time offenders. Subsequent violations necessitate three to seven years of imprisonment, with the possibility of an extended term of seven to 14 years. Upon conviction, defendants are informed about potential federal criminal penalties related to firearm possession under the federal Gun Control Act of 1968.

Dave Vella has proposed another 25 bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Vella graduated from Augustana College with a BA and again in 1997 from Northern Illinois University with a JD.

Dave Vella is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 68th House District. He replaced previous state representative John M. Cabello in 2021.

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
HB1644	01/23/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person who, in committing a domestic battery, other than by discharge of a firearm, knows the individual battered to be a person 60 years of age or older commits aggravated domestic battery.
HB1569	01/22/2025	Creates the Access to Medically Necessary Vaccinations Act. Provides that any health care provider in this State must provide a vaccination to a patient if: the patient has requested the specific vaccination to be administered; the health care provider has determined that the vaccination is medically necessary; and the health care provider has a stock of one or more doses of the vaccination that have not been reserved for another patient. Prohibits a health care provider from preventing a medically necessary vaccination from being administered to a patient by keeping separate stocks of the vaccination for patients with private insurance and stocks of the vaccination for patients with Medicaid.
HB1578	01/22/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Creates the offense of domestic assault. Provides that a person commits the offense when, without lawful authority, he or she knowingly engages in conduct that places any family or household member in reasonable apprehension of great bodily harm, or permanent disability or disfigurement. Provides that if the defendant is arrested for domestic assault, upon release of the defendant from custody pending trial, the court, at the preliminary examination, shall order that the defendant refrain from contact or communication with the victim of the domestic assault and refrain from entering or remaining at the victim's residence for a minimum of 72 consecutive hours. Provides that domestic assault is a Class A misdemeanor. Defines "family or household member".
HB1579	01/22/2025	Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall create and administer a bid credit program to provide economic incentives, through bid credits, for small and medium-sized manufacturers. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.
HB1567	01/21/2025	Amends the Illinois Finance Authority Act. Provides that the Illinois Finance Authority and the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board may jointly administer a squad car revolving loan program. Creates the Squad Car Revolving Loan Fund. Provides that loans under the program shall be paid out of the Squad Car Revolving Loan Fund. Amends the State Finance Act to make conforming changes.
HB1420	01/16/2025	Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a county may consider public comment concerning commercial wind energy facilities and commercial solar energy facilities.
HB1290	01/13/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, each corporation that increases its average employee head count in the State by more than 10% over the corporation's average employee head count in the State in the immediately preceding taxable year is entitled to an income tax credit in an amount equal to 2% of the corporation's Illinois Income Tax liability for the taxable year.
HB1291	01/13/2025	Creates the Electric Vehicle Motor Fuel Tax Replacement Fee Act. Provides that, for State fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2025, each person that is an owner of an electric vehicle registered with the Secretary of State as of July 1 of that fiscal year shall pay an annual fee for each electric vehicle owned by that person. Sets forth the amount of the fee. Requires the Secretary of State and the Department of Transportation to certify certain information to the Department of Revenue for the purpose of calculating the amount of the fee. Effective immediately.
HB1246	01/10/2025	Amends the Downstate Police and Downstate Firefighter Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that the annual employer contribution shall include an amount sufficient to bring the total assets of the pension fund up to 90% of the total actuarial liabilities of the pension fund by the end of municipal fiscal year 2050 (instead of 2040). Makes a conforming change. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.
HB1247	01/10/2025	Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Provides that the definition of "public works" includes sewer inspection projects that utilize a closed-circuit television to identify issues in a sewer system, such as cracks in pipes, root intrusion, blockages, or other structural damage.
HB1248	01/10/2025	Amends the Government Zero-Emission Vehicle Act. Provides that, beginning on January 1, 2030, all passenger vehicles, except for law enforcement vehicles, purchased or leased by a governmental unit must be manufactured in the United States by a company that is headquartered in the United States.
HB1249	01/10/2025	Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning prohibited transactions.
HB1250	01/10/2025	Amends the Transportation Article of the School Code. Provides that each school board may provide free transportation for any pupil residing within a one-half mile (rather than one and one-half miles) from the school attended where conditions are such that walking, either to or from the school to which a pupil is assigned for attendance or to or from a pick-up point or bus stop, constitutes a serious hazard to the safety of the pupil due to either vehicular traffic or rail crossings or a course or pattern of criminal activity.
HB1251	01/10/2025	Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Creates a manufacturer child care center incentive pilot program in this State. Provides that an applicant shall follow staffing, medication, background checks, and liability insurance requirements as contained in administrative rule. Provides that the pilot program is limited to 10 sites and is available to any manufacturer who has a facility in the State. Provides that a manufacturer may apply on an individual basis or in a group of 2 or more manufacturers. Provides that a child care center must only be made available to employees of the manufacturer at no cost to the employee. Provides the application requirements for the pilot program. Provides requirements for maintaining and dispensing medications for the child care center. Provides that a child care center shall require all persons subject to background checks under administrative rule to furnish written information regarding any criminal convictions, to submit to fingerprinting, and to authorize the background checks required. Provides that the Department of Children and Family Services shall create a website and application process for the pilot program that streamlines the application process and is maintained on the Department website. Provides that an application for the pilot program shall receive priority consideration once submitted. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for each taxpayer who participates in the manufacturer child care center incentive pilot program in the amount of $250 for each child enrolled in the taxpayer's child care center.
HB1051	01/09/2025	Amends the Illinois Water Well Construction Code. Provides that the minimum lateral setback distance between a closed-loop well and a storm sewer, sanitary sewer, combined sewer, or any other potential source of contamination is 5 feet. Specifies that setbacks from footing drains and pits, crawl spaces, and basements do not apply to closed-loop wells.
HB1052	01/09/2025	Creates the Food Truck Freedom Act. Provides that a municipality, county, or township may create a license or permitting scheme for a food truck to operate within its jurisdiction. Provides that a food truck license or permit obtained from a municipality, county, or township in Illinois has full force and effect in all other jurisdictions in Illinois so long as that license or permit was issued after: (1) an inspection by a local health department that uses recommendations made by the Food and Drug Administration concerning food trucks and (2) an inspection by a local fire department that uses recommendations made by the National Fire Prevention Association concerning food trucks. Provides that nothing in the provisions prevents a municipality, county, or township from imposing placement or zoning restrictions or fees so long as those restrictions and fees are uniformly applied to all food trucks, regardless of the food truck's license or permit jurisdiction. Defines "food truck". Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers. Effective January 1, 2026.
HB1053	01/09/2025	Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Provides that the chief procurement officer may not award a contract to a vendor if more than 10% of the services contracted, based on the cost of services, are to be performed outside of the United States.
HB1054	01/09/2025	Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Provides that any contractor or subcontractor and any officer, employee, or agent of the contractor or subcontractor whose duty it is to file a certified payroll who willfully fails to file the certified payroll on or before the date the certified payroll is required to be filed and any person who willfully files a false certified payroll that is false as to any material fact is in violation of the Act and, in addition to being subject to penalties under the Act, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor (currently, is in violation of the Act and guilty of a Class A misdemeanor). Makes a conforming change.
HB1055	01/09/2025	Amends the Criminal Identification Act. In provisions concerning expungement, modifies the definition of "Minor Cannabis Offense" to mean a violation of specified provisions of the Cannabis Control Act concerning not more than 100 grams (rather than 30 grams) of any substance containing cannabis if the violation did not include a penalty enhancement under specified provisions of the Cannabis Control Act and is not associated with an arrest, conviction, or other disposition for a violent crime as defined in the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act.
HB1056	01/09/2025	Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Provides that the definition of "public works" includes all fixed works constructed or demolished on publicly-owned property.
HB1057	01/09/2025	Amends the Toll Highway Act. Allows a veteran who is traveling to or from a medical appointment to use a toll highway without paying the toll if the veteran has applied for and received from the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority an Official Permit Card. Requires the Authority to adopt rules for the issuance of a permit that allows a veteran to use any toll highway without paying the established toll.
HB1058	01/09/2025	Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Provides that all penalties imposed shall be remitted to the Department of Labor and shall be used for the administration and enforcement of the Act.
HB1059	01/09/2025	Amends the Military Veterans Assistance Act. Defines "veteran" to mean any person who (i) served on active duty in the armed forces for at least 90 days and whose last discharge or release was under conditions other than dishonorable; or (ii) served on active duty, to include active duty solely for training purposes, in the armed forces, and was awarded a service-connected disability or who died in such service under conditions other than dishonorable; or (iii) served in the National Guard or as a reservist in any branch of the armed forces, including active duty solely for training purposes, and was awarded a service-connected disability or who died in such service under conditions other than dishonorable; or (iv) is determined to be a veteran according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; provided, that in any case, the service of such person qualified under items (i) through (iv) was entered into or served in Illinois, or such person has resided in the State for one day, except for the purpose of determining the residential eligibility of a deceased veteran's dependents.
HB1060	01/09/2025	Amends the General Assembly Compensation Act. Provides that nothing prohibits a member from transferring a portion of the amount that is authorized to be expended by the member to another member for expenditure in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
HB1061	01/09/2025	Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that redemption payments may be made by credit card.
HB1063	01/09/2025	Amends the Illinois Works Jobs Program Act. Provides that, for the purpose of the Illinois Works Apprenticeship Initiative, apprenticeship programs must provide to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity evidence that the apprenticeship program has graduated, in each of the 3 calendar years immediately preceding the date on which the public works project begins, at least 2 apprentices in each construction craft to be performed at the relevant project. Provides that apprenticeship programs are not required to provide graduation information with respect to apprenticeship crafts that are dedicated exclusively to the transportation of materials and equipment to and from the project. Provides that those provisions do not apply to public works projects contracted by school districts or units of local government. Effective immediately.