IL EPSTEIN FILES INVESTIGATION

Full Bill Text

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB5723 Introduced 3/12/2026, by Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid - Kelly M. Cassidy - Anne Stava - Nabeela Syed - Patrick Sheehan, et al. SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act 725 ILCS 215/2 725 ILCS 215/3 Creates the Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Act. Establishes the Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Commission as an investigatory and advisory commission to investigate matters related to Jeffrey Epstein's network with a nexus to Illinois, facilitate enforcement of Illinois law, and promote transparency. Grants the Commission investigatory powers, including subpoena authority enforceable in circuit court, and requires referrals to the Attorney General and periodic reports to the Attorney General, Governor, and the General Assembly. Provides victim and whistleblower protections. Authorizes the Attorney General to exercise specified authority. Directs the Attorney General to share information upon request by the Commission. Ceases operation of the Commission after 5 years and repeals the Act after 6 years. Amends the Statewide Grand Jury Act to expand jurisdiction, to include human trafficking, involuntary servitude, sexual exploitation of children, permitting and failure to report sexual abuse of a child, prostitution-related offenses, patronizing a sexually exploited child, child pornography, bribery, official misconduct, solicitation of misconduct, tampering with public records, perjury, communicating with or harassment of jurors and witnesses, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and racketeering activity, but with a requirement for Attorney General certification or a requirement that offenses occur in more than one county or have a statewide nexus. Effective immediately. LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b A BILL FOR HB5723 LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b 1 AN ACT concerning State government. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 5 Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Act. 6 Section 5. Findings; purpose. 7 (a) The General Assembly finds that: 8 (1) Jeffrey Epstein engaged in a long-standing pattern 9 of criminal conduct, including human trafficking and 10 sexual exploitation of minors, which spanned multiple 11 jurisdictions and inflicted harm on countless victims. 12 (2) Evidence from the investigation and prosecution of 13 Jeffrey Epstein (commonly referred to as the "Epstein 14 files") has implicated numerous associates and public 15 figures in potential crimes, suggesting the existence of a 16 broader network of illicit activities that may have a 17 nexus to the State of Illinois. 18 (3) Despite the gravity of these revelations, there is 19 a widespread public perception and concern that federal 20 authorities have failed to fully investigate and bring to 21 justice all individuals involved in or complicit in 22 Epstein's criminal network, undermining confidence in the 23 pursuit of justice at the federal level. HB5723 - 2 - LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b 1 (4) The State of Illinois has a sovereign interest and 2 moral obligation to ensure that any violations of Illinois 3 law arising from or related to Jeffrey Epstein's network, 4 including crimes committed on Illinois soil, against 5 Illinois residents, or by public officials or entities 6 subject to Illinois law, are thoroughly investigated and 7 prosecuted, and that the full truth is brought to light. 8 (5) It is necessary to create an independent 9 investigatory and oversight advisory body, free from 10 political influence or unnecessary limitations, to 11 aggressively pursue justice, protect victims, expose any 12 public corruption or cover-ups, and restore public trust 13 by ensuring that no individual, no matter how powerful or 14 well-connected, is above the laws of the State of 15 Illinois. 16 (b) The purpose of this Act is to establish an independent 17 Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Commission with the 18 mandate and authority to investigate crimes associated with 19 Jeffrey Epstein's network and files, to facilitate the 20 enforcement of Illinois laws against any such crimes, and to 21 ensure transparency and accountability in the investigative 22 process. This Act further aims to empower the Illinois 23 Attorney General to pursue and prosecute any State-law 24 offenses uncovered, thereby ensuring that justice is served 25 and that the failures or limitations of federal action do not 26 preclude the full pursuit of truth and accountability in HB5723 - 3 - LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b 1 Illinois. 2 Section 10. Definitions. In this Act: 3 "Commission" means the Illinois Epstein Files 4 Investigation Commission established under Section 15 of this 5 Act. 6 "Victim" means an individual who has suffered physical, 7 emotional, or financial harm as a result of conduct described 8 in Section 5 of this Act. 9 Section 15. Illinois Epstein Files Investigation 10 Commission; establishment and composition. 11 (a) The Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Commission is 12 created as an investigatory and advisory commission for the 13 purposes set forth in Section 5 of this Act. 14 (b) The Commission shall consist of 10 members who are 15 appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the 16 Senate, at least 3 of whom shall have membership in a different 17 political party than the Governor. Members of the Commission 18 shall have the education, experience, or combination of 19 education and experience necessary to carry out the duties 20 required of a member of the Commission and shall reflect the 21 diversity of the State. 22 (c) Appointments shall be made within 60 days after the 23 effective date of this Act. Vacancies shall be filled in the 24 same manner as the original appointment. Members shall serve HB5723 - 4 - LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b 1 without compensation but may be reimbursed, subject to 2 appropriation, for expenses incurred as a result of duties as 3 a member of the Commission. 4 (d) The Commission shall elect 2 co-chairpersons from 5 among its members. The co-chairpersons may not be members of 6 the same political party. A majority of members constitutes a 7 quorum. The Commission shall meet at least monthly and is 8 subject to the Open Meetings Act. 9 (e) The Commission may adopt rules of procedure, hire 10 staff, and request assistance from State agencies as needed to 11 carry out its duties under this Act. Staff shall be 12 nonpartisan and hired on the basis of merit. The Commission's 13 expenses are subject to appropriation. 14 Section 20. Powers and duties of the Commission. The 15 Commission shall have investigatory and advisory powers 16 necessary to carry out its duties under this Act. These powers 17 include the authority: 18 (1) to conduct inquiries and gather information 19 related to potential violations of Illinois law connected 20 to matters described in this Act; 21 (2) to request records and information from State and 22 local agencies; 23 (3) to issue subpoenas for documents and testimony, 24 enforceable through petition to a circuit court; 25 (4) to administer oaths and take testimony and to HB5723 - 5 - LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b 1 maintain records of proceedings; 2 (5) to hold public hearings or open meetings and 3 nonpublic hearings or closed meetings consistent with the 4 Open Meetings Act; 5 (6) to refer evidence of possible criminal or civil 6 violations to the Attorney General or other appropriate 7 authorities; 8 (7) to make recommendations and issue reports to the 9 Attorney General, Governor, and General Assembly; and 10 (8) to coordinate with law enforcement agencies for 11 technical assistance. 12 Nothing in this Act shall be construed to grant the 13 Commission prosecutorial authority. 14 Section 25. Reports; hearings; records. 15 (a) The Commission shall issue: 16 (1) an initial report within 12 months after its first 17 meeting, summarizing its activities and preliminary 18 findings; and 19 (2) a final report before its scheduled cessation of 20 operations under Section 40, detailing its findings and 21 recommendations. 22 Reports shall be submitted to the Attorney General, the 23 Governor, and the General Assembly and shall be made available 24 to the public. Reports shall only omit or redact information 25 that is confidential by law or that could jeopardize HB5723 - 6 - LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b 1 investigations or safety. 2 (b) The Commission shall hold at least one public hearing 3 every 6 months. Hearings shall comply with the Open Meetings 4 Act. Transcripts or recordings of public hearings shall be 5 posted on the Commission's website with necessary redactions. 6 (c) The Commission shall prepare and submit referrals for 7 prosecution to the Attorney General upon discovery of 8 sufficient evidence of possible criminal or civil violations. 9 (d) The Commission may maintain a public website to post 10 reports, hearing materials, and other information determined 11 by the Commission to be releasable under law and to not be 12 confidential under subsection (e). The Commission shall also 13 publish an index of categories of records in its possession, 14 except that descriptions may be generalized if disclosure 15 could jeopardize investigations or safety. 16 (e) Records not released under subsection (d) are 17 confidential to the extent permitted by law, including any 18 applicable exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act. 19 The Commission is a public body under the Freedom of 20 Information Act and the Open Meetings Act. Before cessation of 21 operations, records shall be handled as provided in Section 22 40. 23 Section 30. Victim and whistleblower protections; safety. 24 (a) The Commission shall coordinate with the Attorney 25 General's Crime Victim Services Division, the Illinois HB5723 - 7 - LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b 1 Criminal Justice Information Authority, and local victim 2 assistance programs to inform victims of available services 3 and to facilitate their access to support. The Commission 4 shall accommodate victims' preferences regarding testimony and 5 confidentiality. 6 (b) Individuals who provide information to the Commission 7 are protected under the Illinois Whistleblower Act and, if 8 applicable, the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. The 9 Commission shall provide written notice to individuals who 10 submit information under this Act that they may have rights 11 and remedies under the Illinois Whistleblower Act and the 12 State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. The Commission shall 13 establish procedures to accept and preserve sensitive or 14 anonymous disclosures and may refer potential retaliation to 15 the Attorney General or a State's Attorney. 16 (c) The Commission, in consultation with law enforcement, 17 shall take measures to ensure the safety of victims, 18 witnesses, whistleblowers, Commission members, and staff. This 19 may include holding nonpublic sessions and coordinating use of 20 witness protection resources under existing State programs. 21 Section 35. Attorney General authority. 22 (a) The Attorney General has concurrent authority with 23 State's Attorneys to investigate and prosecute violations of 24 Illinois law arising from matters described in this Act. This 25 authority is in addition to existing powers under law. Nothing HB5723 - 8 - LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b 1 in this subsection alters the consent or good cause provisions 2 under the Statewide Grand Jury Act with respect to proceedings 3 under that Act. 4 (b) The Attorney General and the Commission may share 5 information as permitted by law and by court order. Upon 6 request by the Commission, after a referral of evidence or 7 referral for prosecution by the Commission to the Attorney 8 General under this Act, the Attorney General shall provide, as 9 soon as practicable, all relevant information to the 10 Commission that is related to the referral, except as 11 prohibited by law or by court order. 12 Section 40. Repeal. The Commission shall cease operations 13 5 years after the effective date of this Act. This Act is 14 repealed and the Commission is dissolved 6 years after the 15 effective date of this Act. The cessation of operations does 16 not affect and the repeal does not affect any prosecution, 17 indictment, or civil action pending or initiated before those 18 dates. Immediately before cessation of operations, the 19 Commission shall transfer active investigatory files to the 20 Attorney General and all other records to the State Archives 21 under applicable confidentiality laws, subject to any 22 requirements under the State Records Act. Confidential records 23 under subsection (e) of Section 25 of this Act that are 24 transferred to the State Archives shall be marked as 25 restricted and confidential with instructions, as determined HB5723 - 9 - LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b 1 by the Commission, regarding access to the confidential 2 records, as required under subsection (4) of Section 7 of the 3 State Records Act. 4 Section 50. The Statewide Grand Jury Act is amended by 5 changing Sections 2 and 3 as follows: 6 (725 ILCS 215/2) 7 Sec. 2. (a) County grand juries and State's Attorneys have 8 always had and shall continue to have primary responsibility 9 for investigating, indicting, and prosecuting persons who 10 violate the criminal laws of the State of Illinois. However, 11 in recent years organized terrorist activity directed against 12 innocent civilians and certain criminal enterprises have 13 developed that require investigation, indictment, and 14 prosecution on a statewide or multicounty level. The criminal 15 enterprises exist as a result of the allure of profitability 16 present in narcotic activity, the unlawful sale and transfer 17 of firearms, and streetgang related felonies and organized 18 terrorist activity is supported by the contribution of money 19 and expert assistance from geographically diverse sources. In 20 order to shut off the life blood of terrorism and weaken or 21 eliminate the criminal enterprises, assets, and property used 22 to further these offenses must be frozen, and any profit must 23 be removed. State statutes exist that can accomplish that 24 goal. Among them are the offense of money laundering, HB5723 - 10 - LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b 1 violations of Article 29D of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the 2 Criminal Code of 2012, the Narcotics Profit Forfeiture Act, 3 and gunrunning. Local prosecutors need investigative personnel 4 and specialized training to attack and eliminate these 5 profits. In light of the transitory and complex nature of 6 conduct that constitutes these criminal activities, the many 7 diverse property interests that may be used, acquired directly 8 or indirectly as a result of these criminal activities, and 9 the many places that illegally obtained property may be 10 located, it is the purpose of this Act to create a limited, 11 multicounty Statewide Grand Jury with authority to 12 investigate, indict, and prosecute: narcotic activity, 13 including cannabis and controlled substance trafficking, 14 narcotics racketeering, money laundering, violations of the 15 Cannabis and Controlled Substances Tax Act, and violations of 16 Article 29D of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code 17 of 2012; the unlawful sale and transfer of firearms; 18 gunrunning; and streetgang related felonies. 19 (b) A Statewide Grand Jury may also investigate, indict, 20 and prosecute violations facilitated by the use of a computer 21 of any of the following offenses: indecent solicitation of a 22 child, sexual exploitation of a child, soliciting for a 23 sexually exploited child, keeping a place of commercial sexual 24 exploitation of a child, juvenile pimping, child sexual abuse 25 material, aggravated child pornography, or promoting 26 commercial sexual exploitation of a child except as described HB5723 - 11 - LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b 1 in subdivision (a)(4) of Section 11-14.4 of the Criminal Code 2 of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012. 3 (c) A Statewide Grand Jury may also investigate, indict, 4 and prosecute violations of organized retail crime. 5 (d) A Statewide Grand Jury may also, if the offenses 6 occurred in more than one county or have a statewide nexus or 7 if the Attorney General certifies that Statewide Grand Jury 8 proceedings are necessary as provided under this subsection 9 (d), investigate, indict, and prosecute offenses involving any 10 of the following or any related offenses to any of the 11 following: 12 (1) trafficking in persons, involuntary servitude, and 13 related offenses under Section 10-9 of the Criminal Code 14 of 2012; 15 (2) sexual exploitation of a child under Section 16 11-9.1 of the Criminal Code of 2012; 17 (3) permitting sexual abuse of a child under Section 18 11-9.1A of the Criminal Code of 2012; 19 (4) failure to report sexual abuse of a child under 20 Section 11-9.1B of the Criminal Code of 2012; 21 (5) promoting prostitution under Section 11-14.3 of 22 the Criminal Code of 2012; 23 (6) promoting commercial sexual exploitation of a 24 child under Section 11-14.4 of the Criminal Code of 2012; 25 (7) patronizing a sexually exploited child under 26 Section 11-18.1 of the Criminal Code of 2012 HB5723 - 12 - LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b 1 (8) child pornography or child sexual abuse material 2 under Section 11-20.1 of the Criminal Code of 2012; 3 (9) bribery under Section 33-1 of the Criminal Code of 4 2012; 5 (10) official misconduct under Section 33-3 of the 6 Criminal Code of 2012; 7 (11) solicitation of official misconduct under Section 8 33-3.1 of the Criminal Code of 2012; 9 (12) tampering with public records under Section 32-8 10 of the Criminal Code of 2012; 11 (13) perjury or subornation of perjury under Sections 12 32-2 and 32-3 of the Criminal Code of 2012; 13 (14) communicating with jurors or witnesses under 14 Section 32-4 of the Criminal Code of 2012; 15 (15) harassment of representatives for the child, 16 jurors, witnesses or others under Section 32-4a of the 17 Criminal Code of 2012; 18 (16) money laundering under Section 29B-1 of the 19 Criminal Code of 2012; 20 (17) obstruction of justice under Section 31-4 of the 21 Criminal Code of 2012; or 22 (18) racketeering activity under Article 33G of the 23 Criminal Code of 2012. 24 The Attorney General may certify that Statewide Grand Jury 25 proceedings are necessary to protect witnesses, maintain 26 investigative confidentiality, or coordinate statewide HB5723 - 13 - LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b 1 treatment, regardless of whether the offenses occurred in more 2 than one county, if the Attorney General receives a referral 3 regarding the offenses under the Illinois Epstein Files 4 Investigation Act. If the Attorney General certifies thereto, 5 a Statewide Grand Jury may investigate, indict, and prosecute 6 offenses described under this subsection (d). Nothing in this 7 subsection alters the requirement that trial proceed in a 8 county of proper venue under Illinois law. 9 (Source: P.A. 103-1071, eff. 7-1-25; 104-245, eff. 1-1-26; 10 revised 11-21-25.) 11 (725 ILCS 215/3) 12 Sec. 3. Written application for the appointment of a 13 Circuit Judge to convene and preside over a Statewide Grand 14 Jury, with jurisdiction extending throughout the State, shall 15 be made to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Upon such 16 written application, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court 17 shall appoint a Circuit Judge from the circuit where the 18 Statewide Grand Jury is being sought to be convened, who shall 19 make a determination that the convening of a Statewide Grand 20 Jury is necessary. 21 In such application , the Attorney General shall state that 22 the convening of a Statewide Grand Jury is necessary because 23 of an alleged offense or offenses set forth in this Section 24 involving more than one county of the State , or with a nexus or 25 certification as described under subsection (d) of Section 2 HB5723 - 14 - LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b 1 of this Act for an alleged offense or offenses under 2 subsection (d) of Section 2 of this Act, and identifying any 3 such offense alleged; and : 4 (a) that he or she believes that the grand jury 5 function for the investigation and indictment of the 6 offense or offenses cannot effectively be performed by a 7 county grand jury together with the reasons for such 8 belief, and 9 (b)(1) that each State's Attorney with jurisdiction 10 over an offense or offenses to be investigated has 11 consented to the impaneling of the Statewide Grand Jury, 12 or 13 (2) if one or more of the State's Attorneys having 14 jurisdiction over an offense or offenses to be 15 investigated fails to consent to the impaneling of the 16 Statewide Grand Jury, the Attorney General shall set forth 17 good cause for impaneling the Statewide Grand Jury. 18 If the Circuit Judge determines that the convening of a 19 Statewide Grand Jury is necessary, he or she shall convene and 20 impanel the Statewide Grand Jury with jurisdiction extending 21 throughout the State to investigate and return indictments: 22 (a) For violations of any of the following or for any 23 other criminal offense committed in the course of 24 violating any of the following: Article 29D of the 25 Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, the 26 Illinois Controlled Substances Act, the Cannabis Control HB5723 - 15 - LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b 1 Act, the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection 2 Act, or the Narcotics Profit Forfeiture Act; a streetgang 3 related felony offense; Section 16-25.1, 24-2.1, 24-2.2, 4 24-3, 24-3A, 24-3.1, 24-3.3, 24-3.4, 24-4, or 24-5 or 5 subsection 24-1(a)(4), 24-1(a)(6), 24-1(a)(7), 6 24-1(a)(9), 24-1(a)(10), or 24-1(c) of the Criminal Code 7 of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; or a money laundering 8 offense; provided that the violation or offense involves 9 acts occurring in more than one county of this State; and 10 (a-5) For violations facilitated by the use of a 11 computer, including the use of the Internet, the World 12 Wide Web, electronic mail, a message board, a newsgroup, 13 or any other commercial or noncommercial on-line service, 14 of any of the following offenses: indecent solicitation of 15 a child, sexual exploitation of a child, soliciting for a 16 sexually exploited child, keeping a place of commercial 17 sexual exploitation of a child, juvenile pimping, child 18 sexual abuse material, aggravated child pornography, or 19 promoting commercial sexual exploitation of a child except 20 as described in subdivision (a)(4) of Section 11-14.4 of 21 the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; and 22 (a-10) For offenses and related offenses described 23 under subsection (d) of Section 2 of this Act; and 24 (b) For the offenses of perjury, subornation of 25 perjury, communicating with jurors and witnesses, and 26 harassment of jurors and witnesses, as they relate to HB5723 - 16 - LRB104 20822 BDA 34376 b 1 matters before the Statewide Grand Jury. 2 "Streetgang related" has the meaning ascribed to it in 3 Section 10 of the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus 4 Prevention Act. 5 Upon written application by the Attorney General for the 6 convening of an additional Statewide Grand Jury, the Chief 7 Justice of the Supreme Court shall appoint a Circuit Judge 8 from the circuit for which the additional Statewide Grand Jury 9 is sought. The Circuit Judge shall determine the necessity for 10 an additional Statewide Grand Jury in accordance with the 11 provisions of this Section. No more than 2 Statewide Grand 12 Juries may be empaneled at any time. 13 (Source: P.A. 103-1071, eff. 7-1-25; 104-245, eff. 1-1-26; 14 revised 11-21-25.) 15 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 16 becoming law.