SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would require judges to impose extended sentences in some cases of death caused by child abuse cleared an Illinois House committee on Thursday.

The legislation, sponsored by state Rep. Bill Black, is the result of appeals to Black by the family of Reagan Williams, a 2-year-old Tilton girl who died in July 2006. A friend of the child's mother, Ryan Allhands of Danville, pleaded guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to seven years in prison. Allhands, 24, is serving time in the Robinson Correctional Center.

After the sentence was imposed by Vermilion County Judge Michael Clary, some citizens complained that it wasn't severe enough.

Black was unable to get the legislation through a subcommittee last week, and confessed Thursday that colleagues had told him he did "a lousy job" explaining the bill.

On Thursday, he was aided by a bipartisan team of former prosecutors serving in the House – Rep. Careen Gordon, a Coal City Democrat, and Rep. Dennis Reboletti, an Elmhurst Republican.

In a case of fatal child abuse where the death penalty is not imposed, and when the defendant is convicted of first degree murder, second degree murder or involuntary manslaughter, a judge would be required to impose an extended term sentence, the legislation says.

But it would not be automatic, Gordon said.

"What you'd have to have," she said, "is an entirely new mini-trial."

Prosecutors would have to prove repeated instances of abuse, she said.

"It's not just one time and this would kick in," she said. "It's one instance after another. This is very tightly written.

"There has to be specific evidence, expert evidence, medical evidence. It is not easy to prove at all."

The bill now moves to the full House for consideration.