House Sponsors: LOPEZ-DART-LINDNER-GRANBERG-FRITCHEY, SCOTT, FEIGENHOLTZ, MCKEON, ERWIN AND MCGUIRE. Senate Sponsors: CULLERTON Short description: ILL EQL JUSTICE ASSTNCE 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. STATE DEBT NOTE (Economic and Fiscal Commission) There is no direct impact on the level of State indebtedness. FISCAL NOTE (Administrative Office of Ill. Courts) There would be an unknown amount of increase in State revenues. Funds disbursed would represent an increase of an undetermined amount in State expenditures. There may be a minimal increase in circuit clerk office operation costs. JUDICIAL NOTE (Administrative Office of Ill. Courts) It is not possible to determine impact on judicial workloads. HOUSE 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. STATE MANDATES NOTE (Dept. of Commerce and Community Affairs) HB 2036 does not create a State mandate. Last action on Bill: SESSION SINE DIE Last action date: 01-01-09 Location: House Amendments to Bill: AMENDMENTS ADOPTED: HOUSE - 1 SENATE - 0 END OF INQUIRY Full Text Bill Status