The Sonya Massey Bill comes more than a year after the 36-year-old Springfield-area mother of two was shot and killed in her home by Sangamon County Deputy Sheriff Sean Grayson.
"When Sonya Massey feared for her safety, she did what anyone would do-she called law enforcement for help. Communities should be able to trust that when they call the police to their home, the responding officer will be well-trained and without a history of bias or misconduct," Pritzker said. "Today, I sign Sonya Massey's Bill to help prevent these tragedies, to better equip law enforcement to keep our communities safe, and to continue working to build a justice system that protects all of our citizens."
The new legislation, also known as Senate Bill 1953, creates stricter hiring practices for law enforcement in Illinois by requiring departments to thoroughly investigate a candidate's history, including disciplinary records and misconduct, before hiring them.
"It means everything to me. Like to see my mom making some change, you know, like that means the world to me. Like, I really don't know how to feel because. Like, I mean, I miss my mom a lot," son Malachi Hill Massey said.
The measure passed out of the Senate unanimously and out of the House with a vote of 101-to-12.
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"Illinois is making it clear that a call for help should only ever be met with that: help. When a tragedy like this happens, leaders have a duty to respond with action," Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said. "Because of the strength that exists in Sonya Massey's family and the resilience that lives in the community she left behind, a bunch of individual people took their pain and made a difference. This is what happens when we meet each other with humanity."
For the family and the bill's sponsors, the hope is this law will bring more accountability to police agencies across the state by making them liable for who they hire.
"He should have been fired from the very first one. It was one of those days where I believe would be they were just trying to get rid of him and move him along to the next place, so he'll be someone else's problem," state Sen. Doris Turner said.
Massey's family is hoping this law could be a model for states across the country, so that people can count on those sworn to protect and serve, to do just that.
Sonya Massey, an unarmed Black woman, was killed on July 6, 2024 by the now former Deputy Grayson, who had responded to Massey's call to 911 about a report of a possible intruder.
Body camera video shows the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office response.
Once inside, things escalated when Massey picked up a pot of hot water from her stove.
Moments later, Grayson fired three times, killing Massey.
The shooting was ruled unjustified, and Grayson was charged with murder.
SEE ALSO | Former sheriff's deputy charged in Sonya Massey shooting files to move trial out of Sangamon County
"What happened to her was the very definition of injustice; we can't bring her back. But we can let her spirit guide us to action," Pritzker said.
Officials said a 30-year old Grayson held six different jobs in law enforcement over four years and also had two DUIs on his record before becoming a cop.
The Sangamon County sheriff who hired Grayson eventually resigned amid pressure from the scandal.
Trial for Grayson is set to start in October. He has pleaded not guilty.