SB3557 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB101 18505 LNS 67956 b

101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB3557

Introduced 2/14/2020, by Sen. John F. Curran

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

775 ILCS 40/20

Amends the Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission Act. Provides that 3 members of the Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission shall be members of a law enforcement organization representing law enforcement officers in a county of more than 3,000,000 inhabitants (instead of "3 members of the public who are not attorneys and who are not officers or employees of the Judicial Branch").

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning human rights.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission Act is amended by changing Section 20 as follows:

(775 ILCS 40/20)

Sec. 20. Membership; chair; meetings; quorum.

(a) The Commission shall consist of 8 voting members as follows:

(1) One shall be a retired Circuit Court Judge.

(2) One shall be a former prosecuting attorney.

(3) One shall be a law school professor.

(4) One shall be engaged in the practice of criminal defense law.

(5) Three shall be members of a law enforcement organization representing law enforcement officers in a county of more than 3,000,000 inhabitants the public who are not attorneys and who are not officers or employees of the Judicial branch.

(6) One shall be a former public defender.

The members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. Members may be re-appointed for additional terms, as provided for under Section 25.

(a-1) The Governor shall also appoint alternate Commission members for the Commission members he or she has appointed to serve in the event of scheduling conflicts, conflicts of interest, disability, or other disqualification arising in a particular case. Where an alternate member is called upon to serve in a particular place, the alternate member shall vote in the place of, and otherwise exercise the same powers as, the member which he or she is replacing. The alternate member shall have the same qualifications for appointment as the original member. In making the appointments, the Governor shall make a good faith effort to appoint members with different perspectives of the justice system. The Governor shall also consider geographical location, gender, and racial diversity in making the appointments.

(b) The retired judge who is appointed as a member under subsection (a) shall serve as Chair of the Commission. The Commission shall have its initial meeting no later than one month after the appointment of a quorum of members of the Commission, at the call of the Chair. The Commission shall meet a minimum of once every 6 months and may also meet more often at the call of the Chair. The Commission shall meet at such time and place as designated by the Chair, in accordance with the provisions of the Open Meetings Act. Notice of the meetings shall be given at such time and manner as provided by the rules of the Commission, in accordance with the provisions of the Open Meetings Act. A majority of the voting members shall constitute a quorum. All Commission votes shall be by majority vote of the voting members appointed.

(Source: P.A. 96-223, eff. 8-10-09.)