State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ Engrossed ][ House Amendment 001 ]


92_HB3557sam002

 










                                           LRB9206673SMksam01

 1                    AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 3557

 2        AMENDMENT NO.     .  Amend House Bill 3557  by  replacing
 3    the title with the following:
 4        "AN ACT concerning unclaimed property."; and

 5    by  replacing  everything  after the enacting clause with the
 6    following:

 7        "Section  5.   The  Uniform  Disposition   of   Unclaimed
 8    Property  Act  is  amended by changing Sections 10.6, 11, 12,
 9    18, and 20 as follows:

10        (765 ILCS 1025/10.6)
11        Sec. 10.6.  Gift certificates and gift cards.
12        (a)  This Act applies to a gift certificate or gift  card
13    only if:
14             (i)  the  gift  certificate or gift card contains an
15        expiration date or expiration period; and
16             (ii)  none of the exceptions in this Section apply.
17        (b)  This Act does not apply to  a  gift  certificate  or
18    gift  card  that  contains  an  expiration date or expiration
19    period if:
20             (i)  the gift certificate or gift  card  was  issued
21        before  the  effective date of this amendatory Act of the
 
                            -2-            LRB9206673SMksam01
 1        92nd General Assembly; and
 2             (ii)  it is the policy and practice of the issuer of
 3        the gift certificate or  gift  card  to  honor  the  gift
 4        certificate or gift card after its expiration date or the
 5        end of its expiration period and the issuer posts written
 6        notice  of  the policy and practice at locations at which
 7        the issuer sells gift certificates or  gift  cards.   The
 8        written notice shall be an original or a copy of a notice
 9        that  the  State  Treasurer  shall produce and provide to
10        issuers free of charge.
11        (b-5)  Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, as defined  in
12    Section  501(c)(3)  of  the Internal Revenue Code, are exempt
13    from the  requirement  to  report  and  remit  to  the  State
14    Treasurer  gift  certificates  and  gift  cards issued by the
15    nonprofit organization that contain  an  expiration  date  or
16    expiration  period.  Upon  the  expiration date or end of the
17    expiration period of a gift certificate or gift  card  issued
18    by  the  nonprofit  organization, any unused portion shall be
19    considered an unrestricted donation from  the  owner  to  the
20    nonprofit organization.
21        (c)  Nothing   in   this   Section   applies  to  a  gift
22    certificate or gift card if the value of the gift certificate
23    or gift card was reported and remitted under this Act  before
24    the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General
25    Assembly.
26    (Source: P.A. 92-487, eff. 8-23-01.)

27        (765 ILCS 1025/11) (from Ch. 141, par. 111)
28        Sec. 11.  Report of holder; remittance of property.
29        (a)  Except  as  otherwise  provided in subsection (c) of
30    Section 4, every person  holding  funds  or  other  property,
31    tangible  or  intangible,  presumed  abandoned under this Act
32    shall report and remit all abandoned  property  specified  in
33    the  report  to  the  State  Treasurer  with  respect  to the
 
                            -3-            LRB9206673SMksam01
 1    property as hereinafter provided.  The  State  Treasurer  may
 2    exempt  any  businesses  from the reporting requirement if he
 3    deems  such  businesses  unlikely  to  be  holding  unclaimed
 4    property.
 5        (b)  The information shall be obtained  in  one  or  more
 6    reports  as required by the State Treasurer.  The information
 7    shall be verified and shall include:
 8             (1)  The  name,  social  security  or  federal   tax
 9        identification  number, if known, and last known address,
10        including zip code, of each  person  appearing  from  the
11        records  of the holder to be the owner of any property of
12        the value of $25 or more presumed  abandoned  under  this
13        Act;
14             (2)  In  case  of  unclaimed funds of life insurance
15        corporations  the  full  name  of  the  insured  and  any
16        beneficiary or  annuitant  and  the  last  known  address
17        according to the life insurance corporation's records;
18             (3)  The  date  when  the  property  became payable,
19        demandable, or returnable,  and  the  date  of  the  last
20        transaction  with the owner with respect to the property;
21        and
22             (4)  Other information  which  the  State  Treasurer
23        prescribes by rule as necessary for the administration of
24        this Act.
25        (c)  If the person holding property presumed abandoned is
26    a successor to other persons who previously held the property
27    for  the  owner,  or if the holder has changed his name while
28    holding the property, he shall file with his report all prior
29    known names and addresses of each holder of the property.
30        (d)  The report and remittance of the property  specified
31    in  the  report  shall  be  filed  by  banking organizations,
32    financial organizations, insurance companies other than  life
33    insurance  corporations,  and  governmental  entities  before
34    November  1  of  each  year as of June 30 next preceding. The
 
                            -4-            LRB9206673SMksam01
 1    report and remittance of the property specified in the report
 2    shall be filed by business associations, utilities, and  life
 3    insurance  corporations  before  May  1  of  each  year as of
 4    December 31 next preceding.  The Director  may  postpone  the
 5    reporting date upon written request by any person required to
 6    file a report.
 7        (d-5)  Notwithstanding  the foregoing, currency exchanges
 8    shall be required to report and remit property  specified  in
 9    the  report within 30 days after the conclusion of its annual
10    examination by the Department of Financial  Institutions.  As
11    part   of   the  examination  of  a  currency  exchange,  the
12    Department  of  Financial  Institutions  shall  instruct  the
13    currency exchange to submit  a  complete  unclaimed  property
14    report   using   the  State  Treasurer's  formatted  diskette
15    reporting program or an alternative reporting format approved
16    by  the  State  Treasurer.  The   Department   of   Financial
17    Institutions  shall  provide  the  State  Treasurer  with  an
18    accounting  of  the money orders located in the course of the
19    annual examination including, where available, the amount  of
20    service  fees  deducted and the date of the conclusion of the
21    examination.
22        (e)  Before filing  the  annual  report,  the  holder  of
23    property  presumed abandoned under this Act shall communicate
24    with the owner at his last known address if  any  address  is
25    known  to  the  holder,  setting  forth the provisions hereof
26    necessary to occur in order to prevent abandonment from being
27    presumed. If the holder has not communicated with  the  owner
28    at  his  last  known  address  at  least  120 days before the
29    deadline for filing the annual report, the holder shall mail,
30    at least 60 days before that  deadline,  a  letter  by  first
31    class  mail to the owner at his last known address unless any
32    address  is  shown  to  be  inaccurate,  setting  forth   the
33    provisions hereof necessary to prevent abandonment from being
34    presumed.   A  holder  or any party with owner information is
 
                            -5-            LRB9206673SMksam01
 1    prohibited from charging a fee or service charge to an  owner
 2    in order to prevent abandonment from being presumed.
 3        (f)  Verification,  if  made  by  a partnership, shall be
 4    executed  by  a  partner;  if  made  by   an   unincorporated
 5    association  or  private  corporation,  by an officer; and if
 6    made by a public corporation, by its chief fiscal officer.
 7        (g)  Any person who has possession of property  which  he
 8    has  reason  to  believe  will be reportable in the future as
 9    unclaimed property, may report and deliver it  prior  to  the
10    date  required  for  such  reporting  in accordance with this
11    Section and is then relieved of responsibility as provided in
12    Section 14.
13        (h) (1)  Records pertaining  to  presumptively  abandoned
14    property held by a trust division or trust department or by a
15    trust  company,  or  affiliate  of  any of the foregoing that
16    provides   nondealer   corporate   custodial   services   for
17    securities or securities transactions,  organized  under  the
18    laws  of  this or another state or the United States shall be
19    retained  until  the  property  is  delivered  to  the  State
20    Treasurer.
21        As of January 1, 1998, this subdivision (h)(1) shall  not
22    be applicable unless the Department of Financial Institutions
23    has  commenced,  but  not  finalized,  an  examination of the
24    holder as of that date and the  property  is  included  in  a
25    final  examination  report  for  the  period  covered  by the
26    examination.
27        (2)  In the case of all other holders commencing  on  the
28    effective  date  of  this  amendatory  Act  of 1993, property
29    records for the period required for  presumptive  abandonment
30    plus  the 9 years immediately preceding the beginning of that
31    period shall be retained for 5 years after the  property  was
32    reportable.
33        (i)  The    State    Treasurer   may   promulgate   rules
34    establishing the format and media to be used by a  holder  in
 
                            -6-            LRB9206673SMksam01
 1    submitting reports required under this Act.
 2        (j)  Other  than the Notice to Owners required by Section
 3    12 and  other  discretionary  means  employed  by  the  State
 4    Treasurer  for notifying owners of the existence of abandoned
 5    property,  the  State  Treasurer  shall  not   disclose   any
 6    information   provided   in  reports  filed  with  the  State
 7    Treasurer or any information obtained in  the  course  of  an
 8    examination  by  the State Treasurer to any person other than
 9    governmental agencies for the purposes of returning abandoned
10    property to its owners or to those individuals who appear  to
11    be  the owner of the property or otherwise have a valid claim
12    to the property,  unless  written  consent  from  the  person
13    entitled to the property is obtained by the State Treasurer.
14    (Source: P.A. 91-16, eff. 7-1-99; 92-271, eff. 8-7-01.)

15        (765 ILCS 1025/12) (from Ch. 141, par. 112)
16        Sec. 12.  Notice to owners.
17        (a)  For  property  reportable  by  May  1, as identified
18    Within 120 days from the filing  of  the  annual  report  and
19    delivery of the abandoned property specified in the report as
20    required  by  Section  11,  the  State  Treasurer shall cause
21    notice to be published once in an English language  newspaper
22    of  general  circulation in the county in this State in which
23    is located the last known address of any person to  be  named
24    in  the notice on or before November 1 of the same year.  For
25    property reportable by November 1, as identified  by  Section
26    11,  the  State  Treasurer shall cause notice to be published
27    once in an English language newspaper of general  circulation
28    in  the  county  in  this  State in which is located the last
29    known address of any person named in the notice on or  before
30    May  1  of the next year.   If no address is listed or if the
31    address is outside this State, the notice shall be  published
32    in  the  county in which the holder of the abandoned property
33    has his  principal  place  of  business  within  this  State.
 
                            -7-            LRB9206673SMksam01
 1    However, if an out-of-state address is in a state that is not
 2    a  party to a reciprocal agreement with this State concerning
 3    abandoned property,  the  notice  may  be  published  in  the
 4    Illinois Register.
 5        (b)  The  published  notice  shall be entitled "Notice of
 6    Names  of  Persons  Appearing  to  be  Owners  of   Abandoned
 7    Property", and shall contain:
 8             (1)  The  names in alphabetical order and last known
 9        addresses, if any, of persons listed in  the  report  and
10        entitled  to  notice  within  the  county as hereinbefore
11        specified.
12             (2)  A statement  that  information  concerning  the
13        amount  or  description  of the property and the name and
14        address of the holder may  be  obtained  by  any  persons
15        possessing  an  interest in the property by addressing an
16        inquiry to the State Treasurer.
17             (3)  A statement that  the  abandoned  property  has
18        been placed in the custody of the State Treasurer to whom
19        all further claims must thereafter be directed.
20        (c)  The  State  Treasurer  is not required to publish in
21    such notice any item of less than $100 or any item for  which
22    the  address of the last known owner is in a state that has a
23    reciprocal agreement with  this  State  concerning  abandoned
24    property unless he deems such publication to be in the public
25    interest.
26    (Source: P.A. 90-167, eff. 7-23-97; 91-16, eff. 7-1-99.)

27        (765 ILCS 1025/18) (from Ch. 141, par. 118)
28        Sec. 18.  Deposit of funds received under the Act.
29        (a)  The  State Treasurer shall retain all funds received
30    under this Act, including  the  proceeds  from  the  sale  of
31    abandoned  property  under  Section  17,  in a trust fund and
32    shall, on April 15 and October 15 of each year,  deposit  any
33    amount  in  the  trust  fund  exceeding $2,500,000 into shall
 
                            -8-            LRB9206673SMksam01
 1    forthwith be deposited in the State  Pensions  Fund.  in  the
 2    state  treasury, except that the State Treasurer shall retain
 3    in a separate trust fund an amount not  exceeding  $2,500,000
 4    from  which  He or she shall make prompt payment of claims he
 5    or she duly allows as hereinafter provided for  in  this  Act
 6    from the trust fund.  However, should any claim be allowed or
 7    any  refund  ordered  under  the  provisions  of this Act, in
 8    excess of $2,500,000, the State Treasurer shall increase  the
 9    amount of such separate trust fund to an amount necessary for
10    prompt payment of such claim in excess of $2,500,000 and make
11    prompt  payment thereof.  Before making the deposit the State
12    Treasurer shall record the name and  last  known  address  of
13    each  person  appearing  from  the  holders'  reports  to  be
14    entitled  to  the  abandoned  property.  The  record shall be
15    available for public  inspection  during  at  all  reasonable
16    business hours.
17        (b)  Before making any deposit to the credit of the State
18    Pensions  Fund, the State Treasurer may deduct: (1) any costs
19    in connection with sale of abandoned property, (2) any  costs
20    of  mailing  and publication in connection with any abandoned
21    property,  and  (3)  any  costs  in   connection   with   the
22    maintenance of records or disposition of claims made pursuant
23    to  this Act.  The State Treasurer shall semiannually file an
24    itemized report of all such  expenses  with  the  Legislative
25    Audit Commission.
26    (Source: P.A. 91-16, eff. 7-1-99.)

27        (765 ILCS 1025/20) (from Ch. 141, par. 120)
28        Sec. 20.  Determination of claims.
29        (a)  The  State  Treasurer shall consider any claim filed
30    under this Act and may, in his discretion, hold a hearing and
31    receive  evidence  concerning  it.   Such  hearing  shall  be
32    conducted by the State Treasurer  or  by  a  hearing  officer
33    designated  by him.  No hearings shall be held if the payment
 
                            -9-            LRB9206673SMksam01
 1    of the claim is ordered by a court, if the claimant is  under
 2    court jurisdiction, or if the claim is paid under Article XXV
 3    of  the  Probate  Act of 1975. The State Treasurer or hearing
 4    officer shall prepare a finding and a decision in writing  on
 5    each  hearing, stating the substance of any evidence heard by
 6    him, his findings of fact in respect thereto, and the reasons
 7    for his decision.   The  State  Treasurer  shall  review  the
 8    findings  and decision of each hearing conducted by a hearing
 9    officer and issue  a  final  written  decision.    The  final
10    decision  shall  be a public record. Any claim of an interest
11    in property that is filed  pursuant  to  this  Act  shall  be
12    considered  and a finding and decision shall be issued by the
13    Office of the State Treasurer in  a  timely  and  expeditious
14    manner.
15        (b)  If  the  claim  is  allowed,  and after deducting an
16    amount not  to  exceed  $20  to  cover  the  cost  of  notice
17    publication   and   related   clerical  expenses,  the  State
18    Treasurer shall make payment forthwith.
19        (c)  In order to carry out the purpose of  this  Act,  no
20    person  or company shall be entitled to a fee for discovering
21    presumptively abandoned property until it  has  been  in  the
22    custody  of  the Unclaimed Property Division of the Office of
23    the  State  Treasurer  for  at  least  24  months.  Fees  for
24    discovering property that has been in  the  custody  of  that
25    division for more than 24 months shall be limited to not more
26    than 10% of the amount collected.
27        This  Section  shall not apply to the fees of an attorney
28    at law duly appointed to practice in a state  of  the  United
29    States  who  is employed by a claimant with regard to probate
30    matters on a contractual basis.
31        (d)  A  person  or  company  attempting  to   collect   a
32    contingent  fee  for  discovering,  on  behalf  of  an owner,
33    presumptively  abandoned  property  must  be  licensed  as  a
34    private detective pursuant to the Private Detective,  Private
 
                            -10-           LRB9206673SMksam01
 1    Alarm, Private Security, and Locksmith Act of 1993.
 2    (Source: P.A. 91-16, eff. 7-1-99.)

 3        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
 4    becoming law.".

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