SPRINGFIELD, Ill (WAND) - Senate bill 3070 , otherwise known as Knight Silas, is starting to make its way out of senate committee. It was made after the tragic death of Deidre Silas, a DCFS worker that was killed on a house visit. 

"Hopefully it will move as quickly through the house as we anticipate it will move through the senate," Springfield Democratic Senator Doris Turner, who proposed the bill, said.

The bill gives protections to Department of Children and Family Services caseworkers and investigators. It stemmed from recent deaths of DCFS workers.

"This was the second murder of a DCFS caseworker over the last several years," Turner said. The bill was introduced in January after Silas' death, but has been getting amendments and new co-signers since then. 

Turner says it's getting tackled with both a policy and legislative standpoint. 

"We are continuing to work with DCFS on, you know, trying to institute some safety protocols...it would add DCFS caseworkers and investigators as a protected class, and would basically put them in the same category as other first responders," Turner said. 

There has been several amendments, one making it so the perpetrator would have to be over 21. 

"Children can be in the care of DCFS until the age of 21. And, you know, we didn't want any of the children under the DCFS care to be subject to punishment under this legislation," Turner said. Wording was also changed to apply specifically to Caseworkers and Investigators.

Turner saying the bipartisan support is encouraging. 

"It's not getting caught in this, you know, partisan, you know, wrangling that often halftones happens from time to time."