Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a measure sponsored by State Senator Mattie Hunter (D- Chicago) to extend the time a drug and alcohol offender has to file a motion to overrule his or her conviction.

Currently, if an individual has successfully completed alcohol or drug addiction treatment as a condition of probation, he or she faces a short, 30-day window to find housing, transportation and employment.

The bill would extend the 30-day timeframe to 60 days following a successful discharge from probation and allow ex-offenders to ask a judge to vacate his or her conviction.

"This bill makes it easier for people to get back on their feet,” Hunter said. If people have served their time and corrected their wrongs, they should have longer than a month to restart their lives."

Senator Hunter was concerned with the 30 day restriction and didn’t think the current state statute was fair.

“We should not let people's past mistakes ruin their futures. Instead we should encourage them in their efforts to start over,” Hunter said. “When former offenders can’t find the means to support themselves, they turn back to crime and end up where they started.”

The law is effective immediately.