Bill Text: IL HB2995 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that the court may require that evidence of income accompany the application for leave to sue or defend as an indigent person, and that the affidavit submitted in support of the application shall state that it is made under penalty of perjury. Provides that any other party or his or her agent or attorney may contest the truth of an affidavit of indigency by verifying affirmatively under oath that the affidavit is untrue, and that the issue shall be heard and determined by the court, under the rules of the court. Provides that an attorney may not charge a fee to an applicant for preparation of an application for leave to sue or defend as an indigent person. Provides that the notice apprising litigants of their right to ask for leave to sue without payment of fees must contain language informing the applicant that he or she will be required to reimburse court fees, costs, and charges at the end of the case if he or she receives a monetary judgment or settlement.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2014-12-03 - Session Sine Die [HB2995 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2013-HB2995-Introduced.html


98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB2995

Introduced , by Rep. Michael J. Zalewski

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
735 ILCS 5/5-105 from Ch. 110, par. 5-105

Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that the court may require that evidence of income accompany the application for leave to sue or defend as an indigent person, and that the affidavit submitted in support of the application shall state that it is made under penalty of perjury. Provides that any other party or his or her agent or attorney may contest the truth of an affidavit of indigency by verifying affirmatively under oath that the affidavit is untrue, and that the issue shall be heard and determined by the court, under the rules of the court. Provides that an attorney may not charge a fee to an applicant for preparation of an application for leave to sue or defend as an indigent person. Provides that the notice apprising litigants of their right to ask for leave to sue without payment of fees must contain language informing the applicant that he or she will be required to reimburse court fees, costs, and charges at the end of the case if he or she receives a monetary judgment or settlement.
LRB098 09260 HEP 39399 b

A BILL FOR

HB2995LRB098 09260 HEP 39399 b
1 AN ACT concerning civil law.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by
5changing Section 5-105 as follows:
6 (735 ILCS 5/5-105) (from Ch. 110, par. 5-105)
7 Sec. 5-105. Leave to sue or defend as an indigent person.
8 (a) As used in this Section:
9 (1) "Fees, costs, and charges" means payments imposed
10 on a party in connection with the prosecution or defense of
11 a civil action, including, but not limited to: filing fees;
12 appearance fees; fees for service of process and other
13 papers served either within or outside this State,
14 including service by publication pursuant to Section 2-206
15 of this Code and publication of necessary legal notices;
16 motion fees; jury demand fees; charges for participation
17 in, or attendance at, any mandatory process or procedure
18 including, but not limited to, conciliation, mediation,
19 arbitration, counseling, evaluation, "Children First",
20 "Focus on Children" or similar programs; fees for
21 supplementary proceedings; charges for translation
22 services; guardian ad litem fees; charges for certified
23 copies of court documents; and all other processes and

HB2995- 2 -LRB098 09260 HEP 39399 b
1 procedures deemed by the court to be necessary to commence,
2 prosecute, defend, or enforce relief in a civil action.
3 (2) "Indigent person" means any person who meets one or
4 more of the following criteria:
5 (i) He or she is receiving assistance under one or
6 more of the following public benefits programs:
7 Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Aid to the Aged,
8 Blind and Disabled (AABD), Temporary Assistance for
9 Needy Families (TANF), Food Stamps, General
10 Assistance, Transitional Assistance, or State Children
11 and Family Assistance.
12 (ii) His or her available income is 125% or less of
13 the current poverty level as established by the United
14 States Department of Health and Human Services, unless
15 the applicant's assets that are not exempt under Part 9
16 or 10 of Article XII of this Code are of a nature and
17 value that the court determines that the applicant is
18 able to pay the fees, costs, and charges.
19 (iii) He or she is, in the discretion of the court,
20 unable to proceed in an action without payment of fees,
21 costs, and charges and whose payment of those fees,
22 costs, and charges would result in substantial
23 hardship to the person or his or her family.
24 (iv) He or she is an indigent person pursuant to
25 Section 5-105.5 of this Code.
26 (b) On the application of any person, before, or after the

HB2995- 3 -LRB098 09260 HEP 39399 b
1commencement of an action, a court, on finding that the
2applicant is an indigent person, shall grant the applicant
3leave to sue or defend the action without payment of the fees,
4costs, and charges of the action.
5 (c) An application for leave to sue or defend an action as
6an indigent person shall be in writing and supported by the
7affidavit of the applicant or, if the applicant is a minor or
8an incompetent adult, by the affidavit of another person having
9knowledge of the facts. The court may require that evidence of
10income accompany the application. The affidavit shall state
11that it is made under penalty of perjury. Any other party or
12his or her agent or attorney may contest the truth of an
13affidavit of indigency by verifying affirmatively under oath
14that the affidavit is untrue. The issue shall be heard and
15determined by the court, under the rules of the court. The
16contents of the affidavit shall be established by Supreme Court
17Rule. An attorney may not charge a fee to an applicant for
18preparation of an application for leave to sue or defend as an
19indigent person. The court shall provide, through the office of
20the clerk of the court, simplified forms consistent with the
21requirements of this Section and applicable Supreme Court Rules
22to any person seeking to sue or defend an action who indicates
23an inability to pay the fees, costs, and charges of the action.
24The application and supporting affidavit may be incorporated
25into one simplified form. The clerk of the court shall post in
26a conspicuous place in the courthouse a notice no smaller than

HB2995- 4 -LRB098 09260 HEP 39399 b
18.5 x 11 inches, using no smaller than 30-point typeface
2printed in English and in Spanish, advising the public that
3they may ask the court for permission to sue or defend a civil
4action without payment of fees, costs, and charges. The notice
5shall be substantially as follows:
6 "If you are unable to pay the fees, costs, and charges
7 of an action you may ask the court to allow you to proceed
8 without paying them. However, you will be required to
9 reimburse these court fees, costs, and charges at the end
10 of the case if you receive a monetary judgment or
11 settlement. Ask the clerk of the court for forms."
12 (d) The court shall rule on applications under this Section
13in a timely manner based on information contained in the
14application and evidence of current income, if any, unless the
15court, in its discretion, requires the applicant to personally
16appear to explain or clarify information contained in the
17application. If the court finds that the applicant is an
18indigent person, the court shall enter an order permitting the
19applicant to sue or defend without payment of fees, costs, or
20charges. If the application is denied, the court shall enter an
21order to that effect stating the specific reasons for the
22denial. The clerk of the court shall promptly mail or deliver a
23copy of the order to the applicant.
24 (e) The clerk of the court shall not refuse to accept and
25file any complaint, appearance, or other paper presented by the
26applicant if accompanied by an application to sue or defend in

HB2995- 5 -LRB098 09260 HEP 39399 b
1forma pauperis, and those papers shall be considered filed on
2the date the application is presented. If the application is
3denied, the order shall state a date certain by which the
4necessary fees, costs, and charges must be paid. The court, for
5good cause shown, may allow an applicant whose application is
6denied to defer payment of fees, costs, and charges, make
7installment payments, or make payment upon reasonable terms and
8conditions stated in the order. The court may dismiss the
9claims or defenses of any party failing to pay the fees, costs,
10or charges within the time and in the manner ordered by the
11court. A determination concerning an application to sue or
12defend in forma pauperis shall not be construed as a ruling on
13the merits.
14 (f) The court may order an indigent person to pay all or a
15portion of the fees, costs, or charges waived pursuant to this
16Section out of moneys recovered by the indigent person pursuant
17to a judgment or settlement resulting from the civil action.
18However, nothing in this Section shall be construed to limit
19the authority of a court to order another party to the action
20to pay the fees, costs, or charges of the action.
21 (g) A court, in its discretion, may appoint counsel to
22represent an indigent person, and that counsel shall perform
23his or her duties without fees, charges, or reward.
24 (h) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to affect
25the right of a party to sue or defend an action in forma
26pauperis without the payment of fees, costs, or charges, or the

HB2995- 6 -LRB098 09260 HEP 39399 b
1right of a party to court-appointed counsel, as authorized by
2any other provision of law or by the rules of the Illinois
3Supreme Court.
4 (i) The provisions of this Section are severable under
5Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.
6(Source: P.A. 97-689, eff. 6-14-12; 97-813, eff. 7-13-12.)
feedback