---
type: "Bill"
title: "CRIM CD-HARASSING WITNESS"
description: "Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that the offense of harassing a witness also applies to the harassment of a person or the family member of a person who was expected to serve as a witness but who was not called as a witness because the defendant pleaded guilty to the offense charged or because the charges against the defendant were dismissed. Effective immediately."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "93rd"
identifier: "HB 4538"
citation: "Illinois HB 4538 (93rd)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 34
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2004-02-03"
last_action: "2004-07-27"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/59dc5ac5-8292-47c5-bcbb-36b9f6b0acc2"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=4538&GAID=3&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=8993&SessionID=3&GA=93"
source_hash: "1026ac64e0179285237a3e19e8552c7b5cc1def2e734ab4574aba0d867f88e11"
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 4538 (93rd) — CRIM CD-HARASSING WITNESS

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that the offense of harassing a witness also applies to the harassment of a person or the family member of a person who was expected to serve as a witness but who was not called as a witness because the defendant pleaded guilty to the offense charged or because the charges against the defendant were dismissed. Effective immediately.

## 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=09300HB4538&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=8993&DocNum=4538&GAID=3&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300HB4538eng&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=8993&DocNum=4538&GAID=3&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300HB4538enr&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=8993&DocNum=4538&GAID=3&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **57–0** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **117–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Patricia Bailey — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2004-02-03** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Patricia Bailey `filing`
- **2004-02-03** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2004-02-03** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2004-02-10** Assigned to Judiciary II - Criminal Law Committee `referral-committee`
- **2004-02-26** Do Pass / Short Debate Judiciary II - Criminal Law Committee; 013-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2004-02-26** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2004-02-27** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. William Delgado
- **2004-02-27** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Careen Gordon
- **2004-02-27** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Ronald A. Wait
- **2004-02-27** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Jim Sacia
- **2004-02-27** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Chapin Rose
- **2004-02-27** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. John J. Millner
- **2004-03-02** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Edward J. Acevedo
- **2004-03-03** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2004-03-03** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2004-03-23** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Frank Aguilar
- **2004-03-23** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Deborah L. Graham
- **2004-03-23** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 117-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2004-03-24** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2004-03-24** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading `reading-1`
- **2004-03-24** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins
- **2004-03-24** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2004-03-24** Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2004-03-25** Assigned to Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2004-03-31** Do Pass Judiciary; 010-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2004-03-31** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading April 1, 2004
- **2004-04-01** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2004-04-01** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading April 20, 2004
- **2004-05-05** Third Reading - Passed; 057-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2004-05-05** Passed Both Houses
- **2004-06-03** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2004-07-27** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2004-07-27** Effective Date July 27, 2004
- **2004-07-27** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 93-0818 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/59dc5ac5-8292-47c5-bcbb-36b9f6b0acc2`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).