Illinois Enacts Landmark Police Hiring Reform Following Death of Sonya Massey
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — In response to the tragic killing of Sonya Massey by a sheriff’s deputy last summer, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed sweeping legislation on August 12, 2025, aimed at tightening police hiring standards across the state. Known as the “Sonya Massey Bill” (Senate Bill 1953), the law mandates unprecedented transparency in background checks for prospective…