---
type: "Bill"
title: "CRIM PRO- HEARSAY EXCEP REPEAL"
description: "Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Repeals evidentiary provisions providing a hearsay exception for intentional murder of a witness and admissibility of prior statements of an unavailable witness whose absence was wrongfully procured. Effective immediately."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "99th"
identifier: "HB 3977"
citation: "Illinois HB 3977 (99th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 28
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2015-02-27"
last_action: "2015-08-03"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f6629a74-fe5e-4c3f-8c00-36cbe6f01723"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3977&GAID=13&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=90192&SessionID=88&GA=99"
source_hash: "0a7e8260b669d593d58fab406571a92f14dc96183f64d2ff7c88755a07c8ab12"
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 3977 (99th) — CRIM PRO- HEARSAY EXCEP REPEAL

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Repeals evidentiary provisions providing a hearsay exception for intentional murder of a witness and admissibility of prior statements of an unavailable witness whose absence was wrongfully procured. 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=09900HB3977&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=90192&DocNum=3977&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09900HB3977eng&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=90192&DocNum=3977&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09900HB3977enr&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=90192&DocNum=3977&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **114–0** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **56–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Jim Durkin — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2015-02-27** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Jim Durkin `filing`
- **2015-02-27** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2015-02-27** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2015-03-16** Assigned to Judiciary - Civil Committee `referral-committee`
- **2015-03-25** Do Pass / Short Debate Judiciary - Civil Committee; 011-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2015-03-25** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2015-04-14** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2015-04-14** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2015-04-15** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Ron Sandack
- **2015-04-15** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 114-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2015-04-15** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Jack D. Franks
- **2015-04-15** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Patricia R. Bellock
- **2015-04-15** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2015-04-15** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading April 16, 2015 `reading-1`
- **2015-04-16** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. John G. Mulroe
- **2015-04-16** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2015-04-16** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2015-04-22** Assigned to Criminal Law `referral-committee`
- **2015-04-29** Do Pass Criminal Law; 009-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2015-04-29** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading April 30, 2015
- **2015-05-18** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2015-05-18** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 19, 2015
- **2015-05-20** Third Reading - Passed; 056-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2015-05-20** Passed Both Houses
- **2015-06-18** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2015-08-03** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2015-08-03** Effective Date August 3, 2015
- **2015-08-03** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 99-0243 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f6629a74-fe5e-4c3f-8c00-36cbe6f01723`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).