91st General Assembly
Summary of SB0331
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Senate Sponsors:
HAWKINSON-DEL VALLE-OBAMA.

House Sponsors:
LINDNER-GRANBERG-MCGUIRE-BELLOCK-MCKEON

Short description: 
ILL EQUAL JUSTICE ACT                                                      

Synopsis of Bill as introduced:
        Amends the Illinois Farm Legal Assistance Act.  Changes the short      
   title of the  Act  to  the  Illinois  Equal  Justice  Assistance  Act.      
   Repeals the current provisions of the Act.  Creates the Illinois Equal      
   Justice  Foundation.  Provides that the Foundation shall establish and      
   maintain  the  Illinois  Equal  Justice  Fund.    Provides   for   the      
   distribution  of  moneys  in  the  Fund  to legal information centers,      
   regional legal services hotlines, self-help assistance desks,  dispute      
   resolution  centers,  and  qualified  civil  legal services providers.      
   Provides that the Foundation  may  adopt  regulations  and  procedures      
   necessary  to implement and enforce the provisions of the Act.  Allows      
   the Foundation  to  provide  certain  services  to  legal  information      
   centers, regional legal services hotlines, dispute resolution centers,      
   self-help   assistance  desks,  and  qualified  civil  legal  services      
   providers.  Requires recipients of moneys from the Fund to provide  an      
   annual  report  to the Foundation.  Requires the Foundation to provide      
   an annual report to  the  Governor,  the  General  Assembly,  and  the      
   Illinois  Supreme Court. Provides that moneys from the Fund may not be      
   used for certain activities. Contains  other  provisions.  Amends  the      
   Illinois  Income  Tax  Act  to  create a tax checkoff for the Illinois      
   Equal Justice Fund.  Amends the Appellate Court Act and the Clerks  of      
   Courts  Act  to  allow the clerks of the Appellate Courts, the circuit      
   courts, and the Supreme Court to  collect  surcharges  for  the  Fund.      
   Provides  that the clerks of the Appellate Courts, the circuit courts,      
   and the Supreme Court shall remit monthly all amounts  collected  from      
   the  Illinois  Equal Justice Fund surcharge to the State Treasurer who      
   shall disburse the amounts  monthly  to  the  Illinois  Equal  Justice      
   Foundation  for  deposit into the Illinois Equal Justice Fund.  Amends      
   the Uniform Disposition of  Unclaimed  Property  Act.   Provides  that      
   intangible personal property held in a lawyer's trust account that has      
   remained  unclaimed by the owner for more than 5 years after it became      
   payable or distributable shall be remitted to the State Treasurer  who      
   shall  disburse the amounts monthly to the Foundation for deposit into      
   the Fund.                                                                   
        SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1.                                                
          Deletes reference to:                                                
          705 ILCS 25/19 new                                                   
          705 ILCS 105/27.3d new                                               
          705 ILCS 105/28.5 new                                                
        Deletes the provisions amending the Appellate Court Act  and  the      
   Clerks  of  Court  Act  that  would  have  allowed  the  clerks of the      
   Appellate Courts, the circuit courts, and the Supreme Court to collect      
   surcharges for the Illinois Equal Justice Fund.   Further  amends  the      
   Illinois  Farm  Legal  Assistance  Act  to  delete  references to fees      
   collected under the Act. Deletes the provisions amending the Unclaimed      
   Property Act that would have allowed intangible personal property held      
   in a lawyer's trust account that has remained unclaimed by  the  owner      
   for  more  than 5 years after it became payable or distributable to be      
   remitted to the State Treasurer for disbursement to the Illinois Equal      
   Justice Foundation.                                                         
        HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 1.                                                 
        Provides that a recipient may not use funds  received  under  the      
   Illinois  Equal  Justice Assistance Act to file an individual or class      
   action under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural  Worker  Protection      
   Act or other labor laws.                                                    
        HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 2.                                                 
        Changes the name of the Illinois Equal Justice Assistance Act  to      
   the "Illinois Equal Justice Act". Provides that "civil legal services"      
   means  legal representation in non-criminal matters (now, "civil legal      
   services"  means  legal  representation  in  non-criminal  or  traffic      
   matters).  Deletes the provisions amending  the  Illinois  Income  Tax      
   Act.                                                                        
 
Last action on Bill: PUBLIC ACT.............................. 91-0584

   Last action date: 99-08-14

           Location: Senate

 Amendments to Bill: AMENDMENTS ADOPTED: HOUSE -   2     SENATE -   1


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