Springfield, IL ─ Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan praised the General Assembly for passing a bill to continue the decade-long battle against the methamphetamine scourge. If signed by Gov. Quinn, House Bill 1908 will require offenders who re-enter society after a meth-related conviction to have a doctor’s prescription in order to purchase or possess any product containing pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient of meth. The bill received unanimous concurrence in the Senate.

“I want to make it as difficult as possible for offenders to obtain the ingredients they need to manufacture meth,” said Attorney General Madigan. “Law enforcement needs this added tool to protect our communities from the devastating effects of meth.”

Rep. John Bradley (D-Marion), a tireless worker with the Attorney General on meth issues, sponsored the legislation that passed unanimously in the House of Representatives last month.

“I am honored to once again assist Attorney General Madigan in this latest initiative to fight meth in southern Illinois and throughout the state,” Rep. Bradley said. “The unanimous vote in our chamber last month proves that we are serious about this issue.”

“As a former prosecutor, I have seen firsthand the havoc meth can visit upon a community as it tears at the very fiber of families and individuals who will commit almost any crime to feed their addiction,” said Senate sponsor Sen. Bill Haine (D-Alton).

The legislation focuses on individuals convicted of meth-related offenses who often continue to use and cook meth. In recent years, police report that so-called “small batch” cooks increasingly are obtaining the ingredients to manufacture just enough meth for their use or to make a quick sale.

In addition to requiring a prescription to purchase or possess any product containing pseudoephedrine, offenders will be prohibited from purchasing or possessing any product containing ammonium nitrate, another key ingredient in meth production. The bill also mandates the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) to issue a parole violation if an offender is again charged with a violation of the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act or the Methamphetamine Precursor Control Act. The bill would also require IDOC to provide written notice to the Illinois State Police, local state’s attorneys and sheriffs of the pending release or discharge of any person convicted on meth charges.

Since taking office in 2003, Attorney General Madigan is the recognized leader in working with the General Assembly to enact laws that require stricter purchasing regulations of products containing pseudoephedrine and creating meth-specific offenses that law enforcement agencies statewide have used to arrest and prosecute offenders.