---
type: "Bill"
title: "SEX OFFENDER-VICTIM HARASS"
description: "Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Provides that any person who is required to register under the Act who harasses a victim or family member of a victim of the offense for which the sex offender is required to register under the Act is guilty of a Class 3 felony. Defines \"harass\"."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "97th"
identifier: "HB 277"
citation: "Illinois HB 277 (97th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 65
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2011-01-27"
last_action: "2011-08-22"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/e083f27d-c15f-4ada-8cd2-01eb5e972e64"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=277&GAID=11&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=55304&SessionID=84&GA=97"
source_hash: "3c2bbde45c9529f6dd0cc45b4cd8c9f765a3e298939519fd3b3e3b857ddf0c95"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-il"]
---

# Illinois HB 277 (97th) — SEX OFFENDER-VICTIM HARASS

Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Provides that any person who is required to register under the Act who harasses a victim or family member of a victim of the offense for which the sex offender is required to register under the Act is guilty of a Class 3 felony. Defines "harass".

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09700HB0277&GA=97&SessionId=84&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=55304&DocNum=277&GAID=11&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09700HB0277eng&GA=97&SessionId=84&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=55304&DocNum=277&GAID=11&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09700HB0277enr&GA=97&SessionId=84&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=55304&DocNum=277&GAID=11&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Concurrence, Amendment 2 — **116–0** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **57–0** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **113–1** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Ira I. Silverstein — cosponsor (person)
- William Cunningham — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2011-01-27** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. William Cunningham `filing`
- **2011-01-28** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2011-01-28** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2011-02-08** Assigned to Judiciary II - Criminal Law Committee `referral-committee`
- **2011-02-09** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Lisa M. Dugan
- **2011-02-15** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Karen A. Yarbrough
- **2011-02-15** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Kenneth Dunkin
- **2011-02-17** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. William Cunningham `amendment-introduction`
- **2011-02-17** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2011-02-22** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Thaddeus Jones
- **2011-02-22** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Judiciary II - Criminal Law Committee
- **2011-02-23** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Al Riley
- **2011-02-24** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted in Judiciary II - Criminal Law Committee; by Voice Vote `amendment-passage`
- **2011-02-24** Do Pass as Amended / Short Debate Judiciary II - Criminal Law Committee; 007-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2011-02-24** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2011-03-01** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Arthur Turner
- **2011-03-02** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2011-03-02** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2011-03-03** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Joseph M. Lyons
- **2011-03-03** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Deborah Mell
- **2011-03-03** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Jack McGuire
- **2011-03-03** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 113-001-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2011-03-03** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Jack D. Franks
- **2011-03-03** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Keith Farnham
- **2011-03-03** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Carol A. Sente
- **2011-03-03** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia
- **2011-03-03** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kevin A. McCarthy
- **2011-03-09** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2011-03-09** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading March 10, 2011 `reading-1`
- **2011-03-11** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. John G. Mulroe
- **2011-03-14** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2011-03-14** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2011-03-15** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Mike Jacobs
- **2011-04-27** Assigned to Criminal Law `referral-committee`
- **2011-05-06** Postponed - Criminal Law
- **2011-05-10** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. John G. Mulroe `amendment-introduction`
- **2011-05-10** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2011-05-11** Do Pass Criminal Law; 007-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2011-05-11** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 12, 2011
- **2011-05-12** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2011-05-12** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 13, 2011
- **2011-05-16** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Filed with Secretary by Sen. John G. Mulroe `amendment-introduction`
- **2011-05-16** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2011-05-18** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Ira I. Silverstein
- **2011-05-19** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Assignments Refers to Criminal Law
- **2011-05-22** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Recommend Do Adopt Criminal Law; 006-000-000
- **2011-05-23** Recalled to Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2011-05-23** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Adopted; Mulroe `amendment-passage`
- **2011-05-23** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading
- **2011-05-23** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins
- **2011-05-23** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Toi W. Hutchinson
- **2011-05-23** Third Reading - Passed; 057-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2011-05-23** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Tabled Pursuant to Rule 5-4(a) `amendment-failure`
- **2011-05-23** Arrived in House `introduction`
- **2011-05-23** Placed on Calendar Order of Concurrence Senate Amendment(s) 2
- **2011-05-23** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Motion Filed Concur Rep. William Cunningham
- **2011-05-23** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Motion to Concur Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2011-05-27** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Motion to Concur Rules Referred to Judiciary II - Criminal Law Committee `referral-committee`
- **2011-05-29** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Motion to Concur Recommends Be Adopted Judiciary II - Criminal Law Committee; 007-000-000
- **2011-05-31** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 House Concurs 116-000-000
- **2011-05-31** Passed Both Houses
- **2011-06-09** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2011-08-22** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2011-08-22** Effective Date January 1, 2012
- **2011-08-22** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 97-0468 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/e083f27d-c15f-4ada-8cd2-01eb5e972e64`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).