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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, During the 96th General Assembly, The Illinois
3General Assembly passed House Bill 5095, whose lead sponsors
4were House Republican Leader Tom Cross and Senator Terry Link;
5Governor Pat Quinn signed the bill into law on July 22, 2010 as
6Public Act 96-1167; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Public Act 96-1167 creates the Illinois
8Pedestrians with Disabilities Safety Act, which provides
9pedestrians with disabilities with the same rights as other
10pedestrians to equal access and use of the streets, sidewalks,
11highways, and walkways of this State; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The Illinois Pedestrians with Disabilities Safety
13Act provides that any person who denies or interferes with the
14rights of a pedestrian with a disability under the Act shall be
15guilty of a Class A misdemeanor; and
 
16    WHEREAS, The Illinois Pedestrians with Disabilities Safety
17Act further provides that an operator of a vehicle shall stop
18the vehicle before approaching closer than 10 feet to a
19pedestrian with a disability who is using a mobility device,
20accompanied by a visibly identifiable service animal, or
21carrying or using a White cane; the operator shall also take
22all precautions that may be necessary to avoid an accident or

 

 

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1injury to the pedestrian with a disability; any vehicle
2operator who fails to take such precautions shall be liable for
3damages for any injury caused to the pedestrian with a
4disability; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The Illinois Pedestrians with Disabilities Safety
6Act has been widely accepted as a responsible law that should
7be enforced; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The fine law enforcement officers of the State of
9Illinois have an ever-growing body of laws, acts, and
10regulations to enforce, doing so at the best of their ability
11and with great honor; and
 
12    WHEREAS, With the workload already placed upon law
13enforcement officers, the Illinois Pedestrians with
14Disabilities Safety Act is often de-prioritized and not always
15enforced; therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
18we encourage local and state law enforcement agencies in
19Illinois to educate their law enforcement officers to enforce
20the Illinois Pedestrians with Disabilities Safety Act to the
21best of their ability; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That we thank all Illinois law enforcement
2officials for their continued efforts to protect the rights of
3the disabled; and be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be sent
5to the Executive Director of the Illinois Law Enforcement
6Training Standards Board.