Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed into law today a measure aimed at improving transparency in police hiring by requiring applicants to disclose personnel files from all prior departments when seeking new law enforcement positions.
The bill, passed in Spring 2025 and sponsored by Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) and Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago), was prompted by the 2024 murder of Sangamon County resident Sonya Massey. Massey’s family attended the signing.
Under the new law, personnel records must be shared between agencies and hiring boards before an officer is hired. Supporters say that if this process had been in place before Sean Grayson’s hiring, Massey might still be alive. The reform received bipartisan backing and input from the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, Illinois Sheriffs Association, ACLU, Attorney General’s Office, and other law enforcement groups.
Civil Attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci stated, “At a time in American history when hard fought recent police reforms are now being challenged and reversed, we applaud the Illinois legislature for taking a leadership role in commonsense policing that will better communities across the state. Sonya Massey’s tragic killing never had to happen. The Sangamon County deputy who shot her had a personal and professional history that should have eliminated him as a candidate for a law enforcement job. We hope the loss of her life and this new important law together save other lives in the future.”
Massey’s father, James Wilburn, added, “It is my hope that Illinois can lead the nation in commonsense policing so that when an officer goes from department to department, their record goes with them. We believe the Sonya Massey Law will improve the quality of law enforcement officers across Illinois who are given a badge and a gun, and that our communities will be better for it. This law should be an important step toward restoring precious trust between police and communities, particularly communities of color.”