Rep. Karen A. Yarbrough

Filed: 3/31/2011

 

 


 

 


 
09700HB0943ham001LRB097 03763 AJO 53340 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 943

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 943 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
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

 

 

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1    in, or attendance at, any mandatory process or procedure
2    including, but not limited to, conciliation, mediation,
3    arbitration, counseling, evaluation, "Children First",
4    "Focus on Children" or similar programs; fees for
5    supplementary proceedings; charges for translation
6    services; guardian ad litem fees; charges for certified
7    copies of court documents; and all other processes and
8    procedures deemed by the court to be necessary to commence,
9    prosecute, defend, or enforce relief in a civil action.
10        (2) "Indigent person" means any natural person who
11    meets one or more of the following criteria:
12            (i) He or she is receiving assistance under one or
13        more of the following public benefits programs:
14        Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Aid to the Aged,
15        Blind and Disabled (AABD), Temporary Assistance for
16        Needy Families (TANF), Food Stamps, General
17        Assistance, State Transitional Assistance, or State
18        Children and Family Assistance.
19            (ii) His or her available income is 125% or less of
20        the current poverty level as established by the United
21        States Department of Health and Human Services, unless
22        the applicant's assets that are not exempt under Part 9
23        or 10 of Article XII of this Code are of a nature and
24        value that the court determines that the applicant is
25        able to pay the fees, costs, and charges.
26            (iii) He or she is, in the discretion of the court,

 

 

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1        unable to proceed in an action without payment of fees,
2        costs, and charges and who is unable to give security
3        therefor, and whose payment of those fees, costs, and
4        charges, or security therefor, would result in
5        substantial hardship to the person or his or her
6        family.
7            (iv) He or she is an indigent person pursuant to
8        Section 5-105.5 of this Code.
9    (b) On the application of any person, before, or after the
10commencement of an action and on a yearly basis within the same
11action thereafter, a court, on finding that the applicant is an
12indigent person and that no other person beneficially
13interested in the recovery sought is able to pay the fees,
14costs, and charges of the action, shall grant the applicant
15leave to sue or defend the action without payment of the fees,
16costs, and charges of the action.
17    (c) An application for leave to sue or defend an action as
18an indigent person shall be in writing and supported by the
19affidavit of the applicant or, if the applicant is a minor or
20an incompetent adult, by the affidavit of another person having
21knowledge of the facts. The affidavit shall state that it is
22sworn under penalty of perjury and shall be sworn before a
23notary public or other officer authorized to administer oaths.
24The contents of the affidavit shall be established by Supreme
25Court Rule. At the time of the filing of the affidavit, the
26applicant shall file under seal a copy of the applicant's most

 

 

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1recent State and federal income tax returns. The court may
2require the moving party to file with the affidavit a
3certificate of an attorney stating that the attorney has
4examined the action and believes there is merit to the moving
5party's contentions. An attorney may not charge an applicant a
6fee for preparation of an indigent application unless the
7preparation of the application is part of a contingency fee
8agreement described in subsection (g). Any other party in
9interest may contest the truth of an affidavit of indigency by
10verifying affirmatively under oath that the same is untrue. The
11issue that arises from the affidavits shall be heard and
12determined by the court. The court shall provide, through the
13office of the clerk of the court, simplified forms consistent
14with the requirements of this Section and applicable Supreme
15Court Rules to any person seeking to sue or defend an action
16who indicates an inability to pay the fees, costs, and charges
17of the action. The application and supporting affidavit may be
18incorporated into one simplified form. The clerk of the court
19shall post in a conspicuous place in the courthouse a notice no
20smaller than 8.5 x 11 inches, using no smaller than 30-point
21typeface printed in English and in Spanish, advising the public
22that they may ask the court for permission to sue or defend a
23civil action without payment of fees, costs, and charges. The
24notice shall be substantially as follows:
25        "If you are unable to pay the fees, costs, and charges
26    of an action you may ask the court to allow you to proceed

 

 

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1    without paying them. However, you will be required to
2    reimburse these court fees, costs, and charges at the end
3    of the case if you receive a monetary judgment or
4    settlement. Ask the clerk of the court for forms."
5    (c-1) In addition to filing the affidavit required by
6subsection (c), if the applicant in a civil action is a
7prisoner, the applicant shall be required to pay the full
8amount of any filing fees. At the time the application and
9affidavit are filed, the applicant prisoner shall submit a
10certified copy of the trust fund account statement (or
11institutional equivalent) for the prisoner for the 6-month
12period immediately preceding the filing of the complaint or
13appearance, obtained from the appropriate official of each
14prison at which the prisoner is or was confined. The court
15shall assess and, when funds exist, collect, as partial payment
16of any court fees required by law, an initial filing fee of 20%
17of the greater of (1) the average monthly deposits to the
18prisoner's account, or (2) the average monthly balance in the
19prisoner's account for the 6-month period immediately
20preceding the filing of the complaint or notice of appeal.
21After payment of the initial filing fee, the prisoner shall be
22required to make monthly payments of 20% of the preceding
23month's income credited to the prisoner's account. The agency
24having custody of the prisoner shall forward payments from the
25prisoner's account to the clerk of court each time the amount
26in the account exceeds $10 until the court fees are paid. In no

 

 

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1event shall the court fees collected exceed the amount of fees
2permitted by statute, and in no event shall a prisoner be
3prohibited from bringing a civil action or appealing a civil
4judgment for the reason that the prisoner has no assets and no
5means by which to pay the court fees.
6    (c-2) In an action for dissolution of marriage or spousal
7maintenance, if the applicant is determined by the court to be
8an indigent person, the court shall require the payment of the
9applicant's fees and costs to be paid by the spouse. If the
10spouse is determined to be an indigent person, the applicant
11and spouse may proceed without payment of the fees, costs, and
12charges of the action.
13    (d) The court shall rule on applications under this Section
14in a timely manner based on information contained in the
15application and tax returns unless the court, in its
16discretion, requires the applicant to personally appear to
17explain or clarify information contained in the application. If
18the court finds that the applicant is an indigent person, the
19court shall enter an order permitting the applicant to sue or
20defend without payment of fees, costs, or charges. If the
21application is denied, the court shall enter an order to that
22effect stating the specific reasons for the denial. If the
23court denies the application, the court will give notice to the
24applicant by written order that the case will be dismissed if
25the fee is not paid within 90 days after the date of the order,
26unless otherwise ordered by the court. The clerk of the court

 

 

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1shall promptly mail or deliver a copy of the order to the
2applicant.
3    (e) The clerk of the court shall not refuse to accept and
4file any complaint, appearance, or other paper presented by the
5applicant if accompanied by an application to sue or defend in
6forma pauperis, and those papers shall be considered filed on
7the date the application is presented. If the application is
8denied, the order shall state a date certain by which the
9necessary fees, costs, and charges must be paid. Unless
10otherwise ordered by the court, if the necessary fees, costs,
11and charges are not paid within 90 days after the denial, the
12case shall be dismissed. The court, for good cause shown, may
13allow an applicant whose application is denied to defer payment
14of fees, costs, and charges, make installment payments, or make
15payment upon reasonable terms and conditions stated in the
16order. The court's order shall contain the payment due date and
17payment amount. The court shall may dismiss the claims or
18defenses of any party failing to pay the fees, costs, or
19charges within 90 days after the time and in the manner ordered
20by the court. A determination concerning an application to sue
21or defend in forma pauperis shall not be construed as a ruling
22on the merits.
23    (f) The court shall may order the non-prevailing party, who
24is paying the judgment or settlement, an indigent person to
25first pay to the clerk of the circuit court and to the sheriff
26for service of process, if any, all or a portion of the fees,

 

 

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1costs, or charges waived pursuant to this Section out of moneys
2recovered by the indigent person pursuant to a judgment or
3settlement resulting from the civil action, in an amount not to
4exceed the amount of the settlement or judgment. If the court
5has paid on behalf of the prevailing party the cost of
6stenographic transcript, printed record, postage, service by
7publication, notice by publication, translation services, or
8any other fee, cost, or charge, the same shall be taxed in
9favor of the court and paid by the non-prevailing party from
10the judgment or settlement. However, nothing is this Section
11shall be construed to limit the authority of a court to order
12another party to the action to pay the fees, costs, or charges
13of the action. If a judgment against a prisoner includes the
14payment of costs under this subsection, the prisoner shall be
15required to pay the full amount of the costs ordered. The
16prisoner shall be required to make payments for costs under
17this subsection in the same manner as provided for filing fees
18under subsection (c-1). In no event shall the costs collected
19exceed the amount of the costs ordered by the court.
20    (g) A court, in its discretion, may appoint counsel to
21represent an indigent person, and that counsel shall perform
22his or her duties without fees, charges, or reward. An
23applicant under this Section may proceed pro se, or may be
24represented by court-appointed counsel pursuant to this
25subsection, a civil legal services provider pursuant to
26subsection (a)(2)(iv), or another attorney representing the

 

 

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1person on a contingent fee basis or without fees, charges, or
2reward. Any attorney who represents a person in an action in
3which that person has been determined to be indigent by the
4court shall represent the person without fees, charges, or
5reward or on a contingent fee basis, or shall immediately file
6a motion with the court to have the indigent status invalidated
7with all fees, costs, and charges in the case immediately due.
8If the attorney enters into a contingency fee agreement with
9the applicant, the amount of the court fees, costs, and charges
10to be paid from the judgment or settlement pursuant to
11subsection (e) shall not be considered as part of the judgment
12or settlement amount for purposes of the contingency fee
13agreement. If an attorney who is not court-appointed and is not
14a civil legal services provider represents the applicant in the
15case, that attorney must file a statement with the court that
16he or she is representing the applicant on a contingent fee
17basis or without receiving any fees, charges, or reward from
18the applicant. If the attorney fails to file such a statement
19or a motion to invalidate the indigent status within 10 days
20after the filing of his or her appearance in the case, the
21clerk of the circuit court shall send a notice to the applicant
22and the applicant's attorney notifying them that the case will
23be dismissed within 30 days unless all fees, costs, and charges
24in the case are immediately paid. If all fees, costs, and
25charges in the case are not paid within 30 days, the case shall
26be dismissed.

 

 

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1    (g-1) Notwithstanding any filing fee, or any portion
2thereof, that may have been paid, the court shall revoke the
3provision of any relief under this Section and dismiss the case
4at any time, on its own initiative or upon motion, if the court
5determines that (1) the allegation of poverty is untrue, or (2)
6the action or appeal (i) is frivolous, malicious, has no
7arguable basis in law or fact, or reasonably appears to be
8intended to harass one or more named defendants, (ii) fails to
9state a claim on which relief may be granted, (iii) seeks
10monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such
11relief, (iv) seeks relief for mental or emotional injury where
12there has been no related allegation of a physical injury, or
13(v) is substantially similar to a previous claim filed by the
14applicant in that it involves the same parties or arises from
15the same operative facts as a previous claim.
16    (g-2) A person who knowingly provides false information to
17the court in seeking a determination of indigent status under
18this Section commits a Class C misdemeanor. If the court has
19reason to believe that any applicant, through fraud or
20misrepresentation, was improperly determined to be indigent,
21the matter shall be referred by the court to the State's
22Attorney.
23    (g-3) In no event shall an applicant under this Section
24bring a civil action or appeal a judgment in a civil action or
25proceeding under this Section if the applicant has, on 3 or
26more occasions, brought an action or appeal in a court of this

 

 

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1State that was dismissed on one or more of the grounds listed
2in subsection (g-1), unless the applicant is in imminent danger
3of serious physical injury.
4    (h) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to affect
5the right of a party to sue or defend an action in forma
6pauperis without the payment of fees, costs, or charges, or the
7right of a party to court-appointed counsel, as authorized by
8any other provision of law or by the rules of the Illinois
9Supreme Court.
10    (i) The provisions of this Section are severable under
11Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.
12(Source: P.A. 91-621, eff. 8-19-99.)".