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 END OF INQUIRY Full Text Bill Status