SB0279 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 03924 RLC 13948 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB0279

Introduced 1/24/2025, by Sen. Craig Wilcox

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

750 ILCS 60/217

from Ch. 40, par. 2312-17

Amends the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Provides that upon petition, the court shall order that a person against whom an emergency order of protection was issued shall have all records related to the emergency order expunged (unless the person violated the order) from the court's records and from the Illinois State Police's Law Enforcement Agencies Data System if: (1) the person who sought the emergency order fails to seek a plenary order of protection before the emergency order expires; (2) there is an agreed dismissal; or (3) the court denies the issuance of a plenary order of protection following the emergency order. Provides that the clerk shall immediately file the expungement order and all records to be expunged shall be expunged no later than 3 business days after the order. Effective June 1, 2025.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning domestic violence.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 is amended by changing Section 217 as follows:

(750 ILCS 60/217) (from Ch. 40, par. 2312-17)

Sec. 217. Emergency order of protection.

(a) Prerequisites. An emergency order of protection shall issue if petitioner satisfies the requirements of this subsection for one or more of the requested remedies. For each remedy requested, the petitioner shall establish that:

(1) The court has jurisdiction under Section 208;

(2) The requirements of Section 214 are satisfied; and

(3) There is good cause to grant the remedy, regardless of prior service of process or of notice upon the respondent, because:

(i) For the remedies of "prohibition of abuse" described in Section 214(b)(1), "stay away order and additional prohibitions" described in Section 214(b)(3), "removal or concealment of minor child" described in Section 214(b)(8), "order to appear" described in Section 214(b)(9), "physical care and possession of the minor child" described in Section 214(b)(5), "protection of property" described in Section 214(b)(11), "prohibition of entry" described in Section 214(b)(14), "prohibition of firearm possession" described in Section 214(b)(14.5), "prohibition of access to records" described in Section 214(b)(15), and "injunctive relief" described in Section 214(b)(16), the harm which that remedy is intended to prevent would be likely to occur if the respondent were given any prior notice, or greater notice than was actually given, of the petitioner's efforts to obtain judicial relief;

(ii) For the remedy of "grant of exclusive possession of residence" described in Section 214(b)(2), the immediate danger of further abuse of the petitioner by the respondent, if the petitioner chooses or had chosen to remain in the residence or household while the respondent was given any prior notice or greater notice than was actually given of the petitioner's efforts to obtain judicial relief, outweighs the hardships to the respondent of an emergency order granting the petitioner exclusive possession of the residence or household. This remedy shall not be denied because the petitioner has or could obtain temporary shelter elsewhere while prior notice is given to the respondent, unless the hardships to respondent from exclusion from the home substantially outweigh those to the petitioner;

(iii) For the remedy of "possession of personal property" described in Section 214(b)(10), improper disposition of the personal property would be likely to occur if the respondent were given any prior notice, or greater notice than was actually given, of the petitioner's efforts to obtain judicial relief, or the petitioner has an immediate and pressing need for possession of that property.

An emergency order may not include the counseling, legal custody, payment of support, or monetary compensation remedies.

(a-5) When a petition for an emergency order of protection is granted, the order and file shall not be public and shall only be accessible to the court, the petitioner, law enforcement, a domestic violence advocate or counselor, the counsel of record for either party, and the State's Attorney for the county until the order is served on the respondent.

Accessibility to the order and file under this subsection prior to the order being served on the respondent shall be in accordance with Section 5 of the Court Record and Document Accessibility Act.

(b) Appearance by respondent. If the respondent appears in court for this hearing for an emergency order, he or she may elect to file a general appearance and testify. Any resulting order may be an emergency order, governed by this Section. Notwithstanding the requirements of this Section, if all requirements of Section 218 have been met, the court may issue a 30-day interim order.

(c) Emergency orders: court holidays and evenings.

(1) Prerequisites. When the court is unavailable at the close of business, the petitioner may file a petition for a 21-day emergency order before any available circuit judge or associate judge who may grant relief under this Act. If the judge finds that there is an immediate and present danger of abuse to the petitioner and that the petitioner has satisfied the prerequisites set forth in subsection (a) of Section 217, that judge may issue an emergency order of protection.

(1.5) Issuance of order. The chief judge of the circuit court may designate for each county in the circuit at least one judge to be reasonably available to issue orally, by telephone, by facsimile, or otherwise, an emergency order of protection at all times, whether or not the court is in session.

(2) Certification and transfer. The judge who issued the order under this Section shall promptly communicate or convey the order to the sheriff to facilitate the entry of the order into the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System by the Illinois State Police pursuant to Section 302. Any order issued under this Section and any documentation in support thereof shall be certified on the next court day to the appropriate court. The clerk of that court shall immediately assign a case number, file the petition, order and other documents with the court, and enter the order of record and file it with the sheriff for service, in accordance with Section 222. Filing the petition shall commence proceedings for further relief under Section 202. Failure to comply with the requirements of this subsection shall not affect the validity of the order.

(d) Expungement.

(1) Upon the petition of a respondent subject to an emergency order issued under this Section, the court shall order that all records related to the emergency order be expunged from the court's records and from the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System maintained by the Illinois State Police if the petitioner who sought the emergency order failed to seek a plenary order of protection under this Act prior to the expiration of the emergency order.

(2) Following issuance of an emergency order of protection under this Section, upon the subsequent denial of a plenary order of protection, an agreed dismissal of an action for a plenary order of protection, or the dismissal of an action for a plenary order of protection due to the petitioner's or the petitioner's legal counsel's failure to appear, the court shall order all records related to the emergency order be expunged from the court's records and from the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System maintained by the Illinois State Police.

(3) The clerk of the court shall immediately file a certified copy of the expungement order with the Illinois State Police.

(4) All records related to an emergency order required to be expunged under this subsection shall be expunged no later than 3 business days after the court issues the expungement order.

(5) Records related to an emergency order of protection shall not be expunged under this subsection if the respondent against whom the emergency order was issued violated the order.

(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21; 102-831, eff. 5-13-22; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-166, eff. 1-1-24.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect June 1, 2025.