97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5329

 

Introduced 2/8/2012, by Rep. Dwight Kay

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
735 ILCS 5/1-105  from Ch. 110, par. 1-105
735 ILCS 5/2-406  from Ch. 110, par. 2-406
735 ILCS 5/5-110  from Ch. 110, par. 5-110
735 ILCS 5/5-122.1 new

    Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Authorizes the Illinois Supreme Court to adopt rules to promote the prompt, efficient, and cost-effective resolution of civil actions. Provides that, if a limitation period that applies to a plaintiff's cause of action has expired, then a defendant may not, after the expiration of that period, designate a third-party defendant with respect to that cause of action. Provides that, if a circuit court grants or denies, in whole or in part, a motion to dismiss due to the absence of a basis in law or fact for the action, then the court may award costs and reasonable and necessary attorney's fees to the prevailing party in amounts that the court determines are equitable and just. Authorizes reasonable deposition fees to be recovered as costs.


LRB097 18920 AJO 64158 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5329LRB097 18920 AJO 64158 b

1    AN ACT concerning civil law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by
5changing Sections 1-105, 2-406, 5-110, and 5-122.1 as follows:
 
6    (735 ILCS 5/1-105)  (from Ch. 110, par. 1-105)
7    Sec. 1-105. Enforcement of Act and rules.
8    (a) The Supreme Court may provide by rule for the orderly
9and expeditious administration and enforcement of this Act and
10of the rules, including the striking of pleadings, the
11dismissal of claims, the entry of defaults, the assessment of
12costs, the assessment against an offending party of the
13reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees, which any
14violation causes another party to incur, or other action that
15may be appropriate.
16    (b) The Supreme Court may also adopt rules to promote the
17prompt, efficient, and cost-effective resolution of civil
18actions in which the amount in controversy, inclusive of all
19claims for damages of any kind, whether actual or exemplary, a
20penalty, attorney's fees, expenses, costs, interest, or any
21other type of damage of any kind, is more than $10,000 but does
22not exceed $100,000. The rules shall address the need for
23lowering discovery costs in these actions and the procedure for

 

 

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1ensuring that these actions will be expedited in the civil
2justice system.
3(Source: P.A. 82-280.)
 
4    (735 ILCS 5/2-406)  (from Ch. 110, par. 2-406)
5    Sec. 2-406. Bringing in new parties - Third-party
6proceedings. (a) If a complete determination of a controversy
7cannot be had without the presence of other parties, the court
8may direct them to be brought in. If a person, not a party, has
9an interest or title which the judgment may affect, the court,
10on application, shall direct such person to be made a party.
11    (b) Within the time for filing his or her answer or
12thereafter by leave of court, a defendant may by third-party
13complaint bring in as a defendant a person not a party to the
14action who is or may be liable to him or her for all or part of
15the plaintiff's claim against him or her. Subsequent pleadings
16shall be filed as in the case of a complaint and with like
17designation and effect. The third-party defendant may assert
18any defenses which he or she has to the third-party complaint
19or which the third-party plaintiff has to the plaintiff's claim
20and shall have the same right to file a counterclaim or
21third-party complaint as any other defendant. If the plaintiff
22desires to assert against the third-party defendant any claim
23which the plaintiff might have asserted against the third-party
24defendant had he or she been joined originally as a defendant,
25the plaintiff shall do so by an appropriate pleading. When a

 

 

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1counterclaim is filed against a party, the party may in like
2manner proceed against third parties. Nothing herein applies to
3liability insurers.
4    (c) An action is commenced against a new party by the
5filing of an appropriate pleading or the entry of an order
6naming him or her a party. Service of process shall be had upon
7a new party in like manner as is provided for service on a
8defendant.
9    (d) If a limitation period that applies to a plaintiff's
10cause of action has expired, then a defendant may not, after
11the expiration of that period, designate a third-party
12defendant with respect to that cause of action.
13(Source: P.A. 82-280.)
 
14    (735 ILCS 5/5-110)  (from Ch. 110, par. 5-110)
15    Sec. 5-110. Judgment on motion.
16    (a) If in any action, judgment upon any motion directed to
17the complaint, answer or reply, by either party to the action,
18is entered against the plaintiff, the defendant shall recover
19costs against the plaintiff. If such judgment is entered in
20favor of the plaintiff, the plaintiff shall recover costs
21against the defendant; and the person so recovering costs may
22collect same in the same manner as judgments for the payment of
23money are enforced.
24    (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), if a circuit court
25grants or denies, in whole or in part, a motion to dismiss

 

 

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1under Section 2-615 due to the absence of a basis in law or
2fact for the action, then the court may award costs and
3reasonable and necessary attorney's fees to the prevailing
4party in amounts that the court determines are equitable and
5just. This subsection (b) does not apply to actions by or
6against the State, other governmental entities, or public
7officials acting in their official capacity or under color of
8law.
9(Source: P.A. 82-280.)
 
10    (735 ILCS 5/5-122.1 new)
11    Sec. 5-122.1. Reasonable deposition fees as costs.
12Reasonable deposition fees may be recovered as costs.