Bill Text: IL HB1576 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends Court of Claims Act. Provides that judges appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate under the Act shall hold office for a term of 6 years and until their successors are appointed and qualified. Provides that each judge shall receive an annual salary as set by the Compensation Review Board. Authorizes the court to hold sessions and take evidence remotely as it deems necessary to expedite the business of the court. Authorizes the court to adopt administrative rules to provide for remote or electronic filing of a claim or other motion, participation in any capacity before the court, taking of evidence or testimony, conducting any business of the court, or payment of any fees to the court. Authorizes the court to adopt rules determining the form and manner of all filing fees and other charges due the court. Provides that all claims arising under the Act must filed within 5 years (instead of one year) of the crime on which a claim is based under the Crime Victims Compensation Act.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-22 - Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Terra Costa Howard [HB1576 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB1576-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1576 Introduced , by Rep. Terra Costa Howard SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
705 ILCS 505/2 from Ch. 37, par. 439.2
705 ILCS 505/4 from Ch. 37, par. 439.4
705 ILCS 505/6 from Ch. 37, par. 439.6
705 ILCS 505/9 from Ch. 37, par. 439.9
705 ILCS 505/13 from Ch. 37, par. 439.13
705 ILCS 505/21 from Ch. 37, par. 439.21
705 ILCS 505/22 from Ch. 37, par. 439.22
Amends Court of Claims Act. Provides that judges appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate under the Act shall hold office for a term of 6 years and until their successors are appointed and qualified. Provides that each judge shall receive an annual salary as set by the Compensation Review Board. Authorizes the court to hold sessions and take evidence remotely as it deems necessary to expedite the business of the court. Authorizes the court to adopt administrative rules to provide for remote or electronic filing of a claim or other motion, participation in any capacity before the court, taking of evidence or testimony, conducting any business of the court, or payment of any fees to the court. Authorizes the court to adopt rules determining the form and manner of all filing fees and other charges due the court. Provides that all claims arising under the Act must filed within 5 years (instead of one year) of the crime on which a claim is based under the Crime Victims Compensation Act.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning government.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Court of Claims Act is amended by changing
Sections 2, 4, 6, 9, 13, 21, and 22 as follows:
(705 ILCS 505/2) (from Ch. 37, par. 439.2)
Sec. 2. Terms and Appointment of Successor Judges. Judges
appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the
Senate under Section 1 of this Act shall hold office for a term
of 6 years and until their successors are appointed and
qualified. Upon the expiration of the terms of office of the
incumbent judges the Governor shall appoint their successors
by and with the consent of the Senate for terms of 2, 4 and 6
years commencing on the third Monday in January of the year
1953. Of the 2 new members first appointed after the effective
date of this amendatory Act of 1983, one shall be appointed to
an initial term ending the third Monday in January, 1986, and
one shall be appointed to an initial term ending on the third
Monday in January, 1988. Of the 2 members first appointed
after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1986, one
shall be appointed to an initial term ending the third Monday
in January, 1989, and one shall be appointed to an initial term
ending on the third Monday in January, 1991. After the

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expiration of the terms of the judges first appointed, each of
their respective successors shall hold office for a term of 6
years and until their successors are appointed and qualified.
(Source: P.A. 84-1240.)
(705 ILCS 505/4) (from Ch. 37, par. 439.4)
Sec. 4. Each judge shall receive an annual salary of: Each
judge shall receive an annual salary as set by the
Compensation Review Board. $20,900 from the third Monday in
January, 1979 to the third Monday in January, 1980; $22,100
from the third Monday in January, 1980 to the third Monday in
January, 1981; $23,400 from the third Monday in January, 1981
to the third Monday in January, 1982, and $25,000 thereafter,
or as set by the Compensation Review Board, whichever is
greater, payable in equal monthly installments.
(Source: P.A. 83-1177.)
(705 ILCS 505/6) (from Ch. 37, par. 439.6)
Sec. 6. The court shall hold sessions at such places or
remotely as it deems necessary to expedite the business of the
court.
(Source: P.A. 90-492, eff. 8-17-97.)
(705 ILCS 505/9) (from Ch. 37, par. 439.9)
Sec. 9. The court may: A. Establish rules for its
government and for the regulation of practice therein; appoint

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commissioners to assist the court in such manner as it directs
and discharge them at will; and exercise such powers as are
necessary to carry into effect the powers granted in this
Section. Any Commissioner appointed shall be an attorney
licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois. The rules
established hereunder shall not be waived, and any extension
of time authorized by such rules shall only be allowed on
motion duly filed within the time limitation for which the
extension is requested.
B. Issue subpoenas through the Chief Justice or one of its
judges or commissioners to require the attendance of witnesses
for the purpose of testifying before it, or before any judge of
the court, or before any notary public, or any of its
commissioners, and to require the production of any books,
records, papers or documents that may be material or relevant
as evidence in any matter pending before it. In case any person
refuses to comply with any subpoena issued in the name of the
chief justice, or one of the judges or commissioners, attested
by the clerk, with the seal of the court attached, and served
upon the person named therein as a summons in a civil action is
served, the circuit court of the proper county, on application
of the party at whose instance the subpoena was issued, shall
compel obedience by attachment proceedings, as for contempt,
as in a case of a disobedience of the requirements of a
subpoena from such court on a refusal to testify therein.
C. The court may adopt administrative rules to provide for

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remote or electronic filing of a claim or other motion,
participation in any capacity before the court, taking of
evidence or testimony, conducting any business of the court,
or payment of any fees to the court.
(Source: P.A. 83-865.)
(705 ILCS 505/13) (from Ch. 37, par. 439.13)
Sec. 13. Any judge or commissioner of the court may sit at
any place within the State or may remotely to take evidence in
or conduct any case in the court.
(Source: Laws 1945, p. 660.)
(705 ILCS 505/21) (from Ch. 37, par. 439.21)
Sec. 21. The court is authorized to impose, by uniform
rules, a fee of $15 for the filing of a petition in any case in
which the award sought is more than $50 and less than $1,000
and $35 in any case in which the award sought is $1,000 or
more; and to charge and collect for copies of opinions or other
documents filed in the Court of Claims such fees as may be
prescribed by the rules of the Court. All fees and charges so
collected shall be forthwith paid into the State Treasury. The
Court may determine the form and manner of all filing fees and
other charges due the court by administrative rule.
A petitioner who is a prisoner in an Illinois Department
of Corrections facility who files a pleading, motion, or other
filing that purports to be a legal document against the State,

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the Illinois Department of Corrections, the Prisoner Review
Board, or any of their officers or employees in which the court
makes a specific finding that it is frivolous shall pay all
filing fees and court costs in the manner provided in Article
XXII of the Code of Civil Procedure.
In claims based upon lapsed appropriations or lost warrant
or in claims filed under the Line of Duty Compensation Act, the
Illinois National Guardsman's Compensation Act, or the Crime
Victims Compensation Act or in claims filed by medical vendors
for medical services rendered by the claimant to persons
eligible for Medical Assistance under programs administered by
the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, no filing
fee shall be required.
(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)
(705 ILCS 505/22) (from Ch. 37, par. 439.22)
Sec. 22. Every claim cognizable by the court and not
otherwise sooner barred by law shall be forever barred from
prosecution therein unless it is filed with the clerk of the
court within the time set forth as follows:
(a) All claims arising out of a contract must be filed
within 5 years after it first accrues, saving to minors,
and persons under legal disability at the time the claim
accrues, in which cases the claim must be filed within 5
years from the time the disability ceases.
(b) All claims cognizable against the State by vendors

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of goods or services under the Illinois Public Aid Code
must be filed within one year after the accrual of the
cause of action, as provided in Section 11-13 of that
Code.
(c) All claims arising under paragraph (c) of Section
8 of this Act must be automatically heard by the court
within 120 days after the person asserting such claim is
either issued a certificate of innocence from the circuit
court as provided in Section 2-702 of the Code of Civil
Procedure, or is granted a pardon by the Governor,
whichever occurs later, without the person asserting the
claim being required to file a petition under Section 11
of this Act, except as otherwise provided by the Crime
Victims Compensation Act. Any claims filed by the claimant
under paragraph (c) of Section 8 of this Act must be filed
within 2 years after the person asserting such claim is
either issued a certificate of innocence as provided in
Section 2-702 of the Code of Civil Procedure, or is
granted a pardon by the Governor, whichever occurs later.
(d) All claims arising under paragraph (f) of Section
8 of this Act must be filed within the time set forth in
Section 3 of the Line of Duty Compensation Act.
(e) All claims arising under paragraph (h) of Section
8 of this Act must be filed within one year of the date of
the death of the guardsman or militiaman as provided in
Section 3 of the Illinois National Guardsman's

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