98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB3111

 

Introduced , by Rep. Emily McAsey

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
55 ILCS 5/5-39001  from Ch. 34, par. 5-39001
735 ILCS 5/5-105.5

    Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Access to Justice Act of 2013. Amends the Counties Code. Provides that county law library facilities may include self-help centers and other legal assistance programs for the public as part of the services it provides on-site and online, the expense of which shall be borne by the county. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Changes the definition of "civil legal services provider", "eligible client", and "indigent person" and defines "court-sponsored pro bono program" as a pro bono program established by or in partnership with a court in this State for the purpose of providing free civil legal services by an organized panel of pro bono attorneys. Makes a provision regarding the waiver of fees and costs relating to filing, appearing, transcripts on appeal, and service of process applicable to representation by attorneys in court-sponsored pro bono programs.


LRB098 10885 HEP 41444 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3111LRB098 10885 HEP 41444 b

1    AN ACT concerning legal assistance.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. This Act may be referred to as the Access to
5Justice Act of 2013.
 
6    Section 5. The Counties Code is amended by changing Section
75-39001 as follows:
 
8    (55 ILCS 5/5-39001)  (from Ch. 34, par. 5-39001)
9    Sec. 5-39001. Establishment and use; fee. The county board
10of any county may establish and maintain a county law library,
11to be located in any county building or privately or publicly
12owned building at the county seat of government. The term
13"county building" includes premises leased by the county from a
14public building commission created under the Public Building
15Commission Act. After August 2, 1976, the county board of any
16county may establish and maintain a county law library at the
17county seat of government and, in addition, branch law
18libraries in other locations within that county as the county
19board deems necessary.
20    The facilities of those libraries shall be freely available
21to all licensed Illinois attorneys, judges, other public
22officers of the county, and all members of the public, whenever

 

 

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1the court house is open, and may include self-help centers and
2other legal assistance programs for the public as part of the
3services it provides on-site and online.
4    The expense of establishing and maintaining those
5libraries shall be borne by the county. To defray that expense,
6including the expense of any attendant self-help centers and
7legal assistance programs, in any county having established a
8county law library or libraries, the clerk of all trial courts
9located at the county seat of government shall charge and
10collect a county law library fee of $2, and the county board
11may authorize a county law library fee of not to exceed (i) $18
12in 2009, (ii) $19 in 2010, and (iii) $21 in 2011 and
13thereafter, to be charged and collected by the clerks of all
14trial courts located in the county. The fee shall be paid at
15the time of filing the first pleading, paper, or other
16appearance filed by each party in all civil cases, but no
17additional fee shall be required if more than one party is
18represented in a single pleading, paper, or other appearance.
19    Each clerk shall commence those charges and collections
20upon receipt of written notice from the chairman of the county
21board that the board has acted under this Division to establish
22and maintain a law library.
23    The fees shall be in addition to all other fees and charges
24of the clerks, assessable as costs, remitted by the clerks
25monthly to the county treasurer, and retained by the county
26treasurer in a special fund designated as the County Law

 

 

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1Library Fund. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph,
2disbursements from the fund shall be by the county treasurer,
3on order of a majority of the resident circuit judges of the
4circuit court of the county. In any county with more than
52,000,000 inhabitants, the county board shall order
6disbursements from the fund and the presiding officer of the
7county board, with the advice and consent of the county board,
8may appoint a library committee of not less than 9 members,
9who, by majority vote, may recommend to the county board as to
10disbursements of the fund and the operation of the library. In
11single county circuits with 2,000,000 or fewer inhabitants,
12disbursements from the County Law Library Fund shall be made by
13the county treasurer on the order of the chief judge of the
14circuit court of the county. In those single county circuits,
15the number of personnel necessary to operate and maintain the
16county law library shall be set by and those personnel shall be
17appointed by the chief judge. The county law library personnel
18shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority. The
19salaries of those personnel shall be fixed by the county board
20of the county. Orders shall be pre-audited, funds shall be
21audited by the county auditor, and a report of the orders and
22funds shall be rendered to the county board and to the judges.
23    Fees shall not be charged in any criminal or quasi-criminal
24case, in any matter coming to the clerk on change of venue, or
25in any proceeding to review the decision of any administrative
26officer, agency, or body.

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 96-227, eff. 8-11-09.)
 
2    Section 10. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by
3changing Section 5-105.5 as follows:
 
4    (735 ILCS 5/5-105.5)
5    Sec. 5-105.5. Representation by civil legal services
6provider.
7    (a) As used in this Section:
8    "Civil legal services" means legal services in noncriminal
9matters provided without charge to indigent persons who have
10been found eligible under financial eligibility guidelines
11established by the civil legal services provider.
12    "Civil legal services provider" means a not-for-profit
13corporation that (i) employs one or more attorneys who are
14licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and who
15directly provide free civil legal services or (ii) is
16established for the purpose of providing free civil legal
17services by an organized panel of pro bono attorneys.
18    "Court-sponsored pro bono program" means a pro bono program
19established by or in partnership with a court in this State for
20the purpose of providing free civil legal services by an
21organized panel of pro bono attorneys.
22    "Eligible client" means an indigent person who has been
23found eligible for civil legal services by a civil legal
24services provider or court-sponsored pro bono program.

 

 

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1    "Indigent person" means a person whose income is 125% or
2less of the current official federal poverty income guidelines
3or who is otherwise eligible to receive civil legal services
4under the eligibility guidelines of the civil legal services
5provider or court-sponsored pro bono program Legal Services
6Corporation Act of 1974.
7    (b) When a party is represented in a civil action by a
8civil legal services provider or attorney in a court-sponsored
9pro bono program, all fees and costs relating to filing,
10appearing, transcripts on appeal, and service of process shall
11be waived without the necessity of a motion for that purpose,
12and the case shall be given an index number or other
13appropriate filing number, provided that (i) a determination
14has been made by the civil legal services provider or attorney
15in a court-sponsored pro bono program that the party is an
16indigent person and (ii) an attorney's certification that that
17determination has been made is filed with the clerk of the
18court along with the complaint, the appearance, or any other
19paper that would otherwise require payment of a fee.
20(Source: P.A. 88-41.)