Public Act 0419 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB0023 Enrolled LRB099 05457 HEP 25492 b

Public Act 099-0419

AN ACT concerning courts.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Attorney Act is amended by changing Section 2 as follows:

(705 ILCS 205/2) (from Ch. 13, par. 2)

Sec. 2. Licensing of noncitizens.

(a) No person shall be prohibited from receiving a license solely because he or she is not a citizen of the United States entitled to receive a license as aforesaid unless he is a citizen of the United States or unless he has made a declaration of intention to become a citizen or unless, having made such declaration of intention, he has filed a petition for naturalization within thirty days after becoming eligible to do so and until he shall have obtained a certificate of his good moral character from a circuit court.

(b) The Supreme Court of this State may grant a license to a person who, in addition to fulfilling the requirements to practice law within this State, satisfies the following requirements:

(1) the United States Department of Homeland Security has approved the person's request for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals;

(2) the person's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals has not expired or has been properly renewed; and

(3) the person has a current and valid employment authorization document issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service.

The General Assembly finds and declares that this subsection (b) is a state law within the meaning of subsection (d) of Section 1621 of Title 8 of the United States Code.

(c) The Illinois Supreme Court may promulgate any orders or rules necessary to implement this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 79-1361.)