HB1033, titled the Citizen Law Enforcement Act, would restore prior Illinois law governing citizenship requirements for certain law enforcement applicants and employees. Specifically, it amends provisions of the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code to return the law to its pre-Public Act 103-357 form, affecting deputy sheriffs, sheriff’s department employees, and municipal police officer applicants. The bill is effective immediately.
Under the bill, the restored language would again allow certain non-citizens who are legally authorized to work in the United States, and certain individuals covered by DACA who are authorized under federal law to possess firearms, to apply for or be employed in specified law enforcement positions, subject to the same non-citizenship requirements and firearm-authorization limits. It also preserves related provisions on age, examination, residency, and qualification standards for police and sheriff’s department hiring, while leaving other existing eligibility rules in place.
Impact
HB1033 would amend 55 ILCS 5/3-6033, 55 ILCS 5/3-7008, 65 ILCS 5/10-1-7, and 65 ILCS 5/10-2.1-6, changing state law governing hiring eligibility for county sheriff and municipal police positions. The practical effect would be to broaden the pool of eligible applicants by reinstating language that permits certain non-citizens and DACA recipients to apply, provided they are otherwise authorized under federal law to work in the United States and to obtain, carry, or possess a firearm. It would also reestablish the prior statutory framework for these local law enforcement hiring standards statewide.
Sentiment
The bill’s title and structure suggest a pro-expansion approach to law enforcement hiring eligibility, and the text is framed as a restoration of prior law rather than a new policy direction. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented legislative debate or vote history in the supplied materials to indicate broader support or opposition. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears intended to reverse a recent tightening of citizenship-related hiring rules.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely the citizenship and immigration-status eligibility of law enforcement personnel. Supporters would view the bill as expanding recruitment and allowing legally authorized non-citizens and DACA recipients to serve in sheriff’s departments and police departments, while opponents may object to non-citizens serving in armed public-safety roles or to reversing Public Act 103-357. A secondary issue is that the bill ties eligibility to federal firearm authorization, so the scope of who qualifies depends in part on federal immigration and firearms law.