98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB1049

 

Introduced , by Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
70 ILCS 2605/19b new
705 ILCS 505/8  from Ch. 37, par. 439.8
705 ILCS 505/24  from Ch. 37, par. 439.24

    Amends the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act. Adds a Section providing that every district organized under the Act shall be liable to owners of residential property within the district that has been damaged by flooding caused by the district's performance of its duties. Provides that the property owner or owners must notify the district trustees of his or her intent to file a claim and attach an affidavit to any claim filed, and describes the required contents of the affidavit. Provides that in the event of a judgment against the district, the damage award shall not exceed $100,000. Provides that the property owner or owners may be awarded attorneys fees if notification requirements are met. Amends the Court of Claims Act. Provides jurisdiction to the Court of Claims over certain claims authorized under the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act. In a Section regarding payment of awards, provides that no funds may be appropriated by the General Assembly for the payment of claims permissible under the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act
5is amended by adding Section 19b as follows:
 
6    (70 ILCS 2605/19b new)
7    Sec. 19b. Liability for flooding.
8    (a) Every sanitary district organized under this Act shall
9be liable to the owner or owners of residential real estate
10within the district that has been damaged by overflowing water
11or otherwise damaged by flooding caused by the district's
12performance of its duties under this Act on or after the
13effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General
14Assembly.
15    (b) The owner or owners of the residential property must
16notify one or more trustees of the district, in writing, 60
17days before filing a claim stating that he or she claims
18damages in the amount of .... dollars by reason of (here insert
19the cause of damage) and intends to sue for the same.
20    (c) Actions to recover damages under this Section shall be
21brought before the Court of Claims under Section 8(j) of the
22Court of Claims Act. To bring any action seeking damages under
23this Section, the plaintiff shall file an affidavit attached to

 

 

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1the original and all copies of the complaint, declaring that
2the affiant has consulted a plumber licensed under the Illinois
3Plumbing License Law and that the plumber: (1) is qualified by
4experience or demonstrated competence in the subject of the
5case; (2) is knowledgeable in the relevant issues involved in
6the particular action and has assessed the actual damage caused
7to the real estate by flooding; and (3) concludes that, upon
8review of the damage and relevant facts, that there is a
9reasonable and meritorious cause for the filing of such action
10against the district.
11    (d) The affidavit shall state that the affiant reasonably
12relied upon the conclusions and expertise of the plumber in
13filing the claim against the district. The affidavit shall also
14include the name, address, and license number of the plumber.
15    (e) Allegations and denials in the affidavit made without
16reasonable cause and found to be untrue shall subject the party
17pleading them, or his or her attorney, or both, to the payment
18of reasonable expenses actually incurred by the other party by
19reason of the untrue pleading, together with reasonable
20attorneys' fees to be summarily taxed by the court upon motion
21made within 30 days of the judgment or dismissal.
22    (f) If judgment is rendered against the district for
23damages, the award shall not exceed the sum of $100,000 to or
24for the benefit of any claimant. The plaintiff shall also
25recover his or her reasonable attorneys' fees to be taxed as
26costs of suit provided that the plaintiff notified the trustees

 

 

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1of the district in the manner prescribed by this Section and
2the amount recovered shall be larger than the amount offered by
3said trustees (if anything) as a compromise for damages
4sustained.
 
5    Section 10. The Court of Claims Act is amended by changing
6Sections 8 and 24 as follows:
 
7    (705 ILCS 505/8)   (from Ch. 37, par. 439.8)
8    Sec. 8. Court of Claims jurisdiction; deliberation
9periods. The court shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear
10and determine the following matters:
11    (a) All claims against the State founded upon any law of
12the State of Illinois or upon any regulation adopted thereunder
13by an executive or administrative officer or agency; provided,
14however, the court shall not have jurisdiction (i) to hear or
15determine claims arising under the Workers' Compensation Act or
16the Workers' Occupational Diseases Act, or claims for expenses
17in civil litigation, or (ii) to review administrative decisions
18for which a statute provides that review shall be in the
19circuit or appellate court.
20    (b) All claims against the State founded upon any contract
21entered into with the State of Illinois.
22    (c) All claims against the State for time unjustly served
23in prisons of this State when the person imprisoned received a
24pardon from the governor stating that such pardon is issued on

 

 

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1the ground of innocence of the crime for which he or she was
2imprisoned or he or she received a certificate of innocence
3from the Circuit Court as provided in Section 2-702 of the Code
4of Civil Procedure; provided, the amount of the award is at the
5discretion of the court; and provided, the court shall make no
6award in excess of the following amounts: for imprisonment of 5
7years or less, not more than $85,350; for imprisonment of 14
8years or less but over 5 years, not more than $170,000; for
9imprisonment of over 14 years, not more than $199,150; and
10provided further, the court shall fix attorney's fees not to
11exceed 25% of the award granted. On or after the effective date
12of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, the court
13shall annually adjust the maximum awards authorized by this
14subsection (c) to reflect the increase, if any, in the Consumer
15Price Index For All Urban Consumers for the previous calendar
16year, as determined by the United States Department of Labor,
17except that no annual increment may exceed 5%. For the annual
18adjustments, if the Consumer Price Index decreases during a
19calendar year, there shall be no adjustment for that calendar
20year. The transmission by the Prisoner Review Board or the
21clerk of the circuit court of the information described in
22Section 11(b) to the clerk of the Court of Claims is conclusive
23evidence of the validity of the claim. The changes made by this
24amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly apply to all claims
25pending on or filed on or after the effective date.
26    (d) All claims against the State for damages in cases

 

 

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1sounding in tort, if a like cause of action would lie against a
2private person or corporation in a civil suit, and all like
3claims sounding in tort against the Medical Center Commission,
4the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, the Board
5of Trustees of Southern Illinois University, the Board of
6Trustees of Chicago State University, the Board of Trustees of
7Eastern Illinois University, the Board of Trustees of Governors
8State University, the Board of Trustees of Illinois State
9University, the Board of Trustees of Northeastern Illinois
10University, the Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois
11University, the Board of Trustees of Western Illinois
12University, or the Board of Trustees of the Illinois
13Mathematics and Science Academy; provided, that an award for
14damages in a case sounding in tort, other than certain cases
15involving the operation of a State vehicle described in this
16paragraph, shall not exceed the sum of $100,000 to or for the
17benefit of any claimant. The $100,000 limit prescribed by this
18Section does not apply to an award of damages in any case
19sounding in tort arising out of the operation by a State
20employee of a vehicle owned, leased or controlled by the State.
21The defense that the State or the Medical Center Commission or
22the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, the Board
23of Trustees of Southern Illinois University, the Board of
24Trustees of Chicago State University, the Board of Trustees of
25Eastern Illinois University, the Board of Trustees of Governors
26State University, the Board of Trustees of Illinois State

 

 

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1University, the Board of Trustees of Northeastern Illinois
2University, the Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois
3University, the Board of Trustees of Western Illinois
4University, or the Board of Trustees of the Illinois
5Mathematics and Science Academy is not liable for the
6negligence of its officers, agents, and employees in the course
7of their employment is not applicable to the hearing and
8determination of such claims.
9    (e) All claims for recoupment made by the State of Illinois
10against any claimant.
11    (f) All claims pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation
12Act. A claim under that Act must be heard and determined within
13one year after the application for that claim is filed with the
14Court as provided in that Act.
15    (g) All claims filed pursuant to the Crime Victims
16Compensation Act.
17    (h) All claims pursuant to the Illinois National
18Guardsman's Compensation Act. A claim under that Act must be
19heard and determined within one year after the application for
20that claim is filed with the Court as provided in that Act.
21    (i) All claims authorized by subsection (a) of Section
2210-55 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act for the
23expenses incurred by a party in a contested case on the
24administrative level.
25    (j) All claims authorized by Section 19(b) of the
26Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act. An award for

 

 

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1damages thereunder shall not exceed the sum of $100,000 to or
2for the benefit of any claimant. The defense that the
3Metropolitan Water Reclamation District is not liable for the
4negligence of its officers, agents, and employees in the course
5of their employment is not applicable to the hearing and
6determination of such claims.
7(Source: P.A. 95-970, eff. 9-22-08; 96-80, eff. 7-27-09.)
 
8    (705 ILCS 505/24)  (from Ch. 37, par. 439.24)
9    Sec. 24. Payment of awards.
10    (1) From funds appropriated by the General Assembly for the
11purposes of this Section the Court may direct immediate payment
12of:
13        (a) All claims arising solely as a result of the
14    lapsing of an appropriation out of which the obligation
15    could have been paid.
16        (b) All claims pursuant to the Line of Duty
17    Compensation Act.
18        (c) All claims pursuant to the "Illinois National
19    Guardsman's and Naval Militiaman's Compensation Act",
20    approved August 12, 1971, as amended.
21        (d) All claims pursuant to the "Crime Victims
22    Compensation Act", approved August 23, 1973, as amended.
23        (e) All other claims wherein the amount of the award of
24    the Court is less than $5,000.
25    (2) The court may, from funds specifically appropriated

 

 

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1from the General Revenue Fund for this purpose, direct the
2payment of awards less than $50,000 solely as a result of the
3lapsing of an appropriation originally made from any fund held
4by the State Treasurer. For any such award paid from the
5General Revenue Fund, the court shall thereafter seek an
6appropriation from the fund from which the liability originally
7accrued in reimbursement of the General Revenue Fund.
8    (3) In directing payment of a claim pursuant to the Line of
9Duty Compensation Act, the Court must direct the Comptroller to
10add an interest penalty if payment of a claim is not made
11within 6 months after a claim is filed in accordance with
12Section 3 of the Line of Duty Compensation Act and all
13information has been submitted as required under Section 4 of
14the Line of Duty Compensation Act. If payment is not issued
15within the 6-month period, an interest penalty of 1% of the
16amount of the award shall be added for each month or fraction
17thereof after the end of the 6-month period, until final
18payment is made. This interest penalty shall be added
19regardless of whether the payment is not issued within the
206-month period because of the appropriation process, the
21consideration of the matter by the Court, or any other reason.
22    (3.5) The interest penalty payment provided for in
23subsection (3) shall be added to all claims for which benefits
24were not paid as of the effective date of P.A. 95-928. The
25interest penalty shall be calculated starting from the
26effective date of P.A. 95-928, provided that the effective date

 

 

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1of P.A. 95-928 is at least 6 months after the date on which the
2claim was filed in accordance with Section 3 of the Line of
3Duty Compensation Act. In the event that the date 6 months
4after the date on which the claim was filed is later than the
5effective date of P.A. 95-928, the Court shall calculate the
6interest payment penalty starting from the date 6 months after
7the date on which the claim was filed in accordance with
8Section 3 of the Line of Duty Compensation Act. This subsection
9(3.5) of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly is
10declarative of existing law.
11    (3.6) In addition to the interest payments provided for in
12subsections (3) and (3.5), the Court shall direct the
13Comptroller to add a "catch-up" payment to the claims of
14eligible claimants. For the purposes of this subsection (3.6),
15an "eligible claimant" is a claimant whose claim is not paid in
16the year in which it was filed. For purposes of this subsection
17(3.6), "'catch-up' payment" is defined as the difference
18between the amount paid to claimants whose claims were filed in
19the year in which the eligible claimant's claim is paid and the
20amount paid to claimants whose claims were filed in the year in
21which the eligible claimant filed his or her claim. The
22"catch-up" payment is payable simultaneously with the claim
23award.
24    (4) From funds appropriated by the General Assembly for the
25purposes of paying claims under paragraph (c) of Section 8, the
26court must direct payment of each claim and the payment must be

 

 

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1received by the claimant within 60 days after the date that the
2funds are appropriated for that purpose.
3    (5) Notwithstanding, no funds may be appropriated by the
4General Assembly for the payment of claims under Section 8(j)
5of this Act.
6(Source: P.A. 95-928, eff. 8-26-08; 95-970, eff. 9-22-08;
796-328, eff. 8-11-09; 96-539, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
8    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
9becoming law.