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1 | AN ACT concerning civil law.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | adding Part 30 to Article VIII as follows: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | (735 ILCS 5/Art. VIII Pt. 30 heading new) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Part 30. Expert Testimony | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | (735 ILCS 5/8-3001 new) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | Sec. 8-3001. Opinion testimony by lay witnesses. If the | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | witness is not testifying as an expert, the testimony of the | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | witness in the form of opinions or inferences is limited to | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | those opinions or inferences which are (i) rationally based on | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | the perception of the witness; (ii) helpful to a clear | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | understanding of the testimony of the witness or the | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | determination of a fact in issue; and (iii) not based on | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge within | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | the scope of Section 8-3003. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | (735 ILCS 5/8-3002 new) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | Sec. 8-3002. Testimony by experts. If scientific, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact |
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1 | in issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, | ||||||
2 | skill, experience, training, or education may testify in the | ||||||
3 | form of an opinion or otherwise, if (i) the testimony is based | ||||||
4 | upon sufficient facts or data; (ii) the testimony is the | ||||||
5 | product of reliable principles and methods; and (iii) the | ||||||
6 | witness has applied the principles and methods reliably to the | ||||||
7 | facts of the case. | ||||||
8 | (735 ILCS 5/8-3003 new) | ||||||
9 | Sec. 8-3003. Bases of expert opinion testimony. The facts | ||||||
10 | or data in the particular case upon which an expert bases an | ||||||
11 | opinion or inference may be those perceived by or made known to | ||||||
12 | the expert at or before the hearing. If of a type reasonably | ||||||
13 | relied upon by experts in the particular field in forming | ||||||
14 | opinions or inferences upon the subject, the facts or data | ||||||
15 | need not be admissible in evidence in order for the opinion or | ||||||
16 | inference to be admitted. Facts or data that are otherwise | ||||||
17 | inadmissible shall not be disclosed to the jury by the | ||||||
18 | proponent of the opinion or inference, unless the court | ||||||
19 | determines that the probative value in assisting the jury to | ||||||
20 | evaluate the expert's opinion substantially outweighs the | ||||||
21 | prejudicial effect. | ||||||
22 | (735 ILCS 5/8-3004 new) | ||||||
23 | Sec. 8-3004. Bars to expert testimony. | ||||||
24 | (a) A witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, |
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1 | experience, training, or education may offer expert testimony | ||||||
2 | only with respect to a particular field in which the expert is | ||||||
3 | qualified. | ||||||
4 | (b) An expert witness may receive a reasonable and | ||||||
5 | customary fee for the rendering of professional services; | ||||||
6 | however, the testimony of an expert witness shall not be | ||||||
7 | admitted if any compensation is contingent on the outcome of a | ||||||
8 | claim or case with respect to which the testimony is being | ||||||
9 | offered. | ||||||
10 | (735 ILCS 5/8-3005 new) | ||||||
11 | Sec. 8-3005. Mandatory pretrial hearing. If the witness is | ||||||
12 | testifying as an expert, then upon motion of a party, the court | ||||||
13 | shall hold a pretrial hearing to determine whether the witness | ||||||
14 | qualifies as an expert and whether the expert's testimony | ||||||
15 | satisfies the requirements of Sections 8-3002, 8-3003, and | ||||||
16 | 8-3004. The court shall allow sufficient time for a hearing | ||||||
17 | and shall rule on the qualifications of the witness to testify | ||||||
18 | as an expert and whether the testimony satisfies the | ||||||
19 | requirements of Sections 8-3002, 8-3003, and 8-3004. The | ||||||
20 | hearing and ruling shall be completed no later than the final | ||||||
21 | pretrial hearing. The trial court's ruling shall set forth the | ||||||
22 | findings of fact and conclusions of law upon which the order to | ||||||
23 | admit or exclude expert evidence is based. | ||||||
24 | (735 ILCS 5/8-3006 new) |
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1 | Sec. 8-3006. Mandatory pretrial disclosure of expert | ||||||
2 | testimony. | ||||||
3 | (a) Regardless of whether any party elects to request a | ||||||
4 | pretrial hearing under Section 8-3005, each party shall | ||||||
5 | disclose to the other parties the identity of any person who | ||||||
6 | may be used at trial to present expert evidence. | ||||||
7 | (b) Except as otherwise stipulated or directed by the | ||||||
8 | court, disclosure under this Section shall, with respect to a | ||||||
9 | witness who is retained or specially employed to provide | ||||||
10 | expert testimony in the case or whose duties as an employee of | ||||||
11 | the party regularly involve giving expert testimony, be | ||||||
12 | accompanied by a written report prepared and signed by the | ||||||
13 | witness. The report shall contain a complete statement of all | ||||||
14 | opinions to be expressed and the basis and reasons for each; | ||||||
15 | the data or other information considered by the witness in | ||||||
16 | forming the opinions; any exhibits to be used as a summary of | ||||||
17 | or support for the opinions; the qualifications of the | ||||||
18 | witness, including a list of all publications authored by the | ||||||
19 | witness within the preceding 10 years; the compensation to be | ||||||
20 | paid for the study and testimony; and a listing of any other | ||||||
21 | cases in which the witness has testified as an expert at trial | ||||||
22 | or by deposition within the preceding 4 years. | ||||||
23 | (c) Disclosures under this Section shall be made at the | ||||||
24 | times and in the sequence directed by the court. In the absence | ||||||
25 | of other directions from the court or stipulation by the | ||||||
26 | parties, the disclosures shall be made at least 90 days before |
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1 | the trial date or the date the case is to be ready for trial | ||||||
2 | or, if the evidence is intended solely to contradict or rebut | ||||||
3 | evidence on the same subject matter identified by another | ||||||
4 | party under subsection (b), within 30 days after the | ||||||
5 | disclosure made by the other party. | ||||||
6 | (d) A party may depose any person who has been identified | ||||||
7 | as an expert whose opinions may be presented at trial. If a | ||||||
8 | report from the expert is required under paragraph (b), the | ||||||
9 | deposition shall not be conducted until after the report is | ||||||
10 | provided. | ||||||
11 | (735 ILCS 5/8-3007 new) | ||||||
12 | Sec. 8-3007. Interpretation. In interpreting and applying | ||||||
13 | this Part, the courts of this State shall follow the opinions | ||||||
14 | of the United States Supreme Court in Daubert v. Merrell Dow | ||||||
15 | Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 509 U.S. 579 (1993), General Electric | ||||||
16 | Co. v. Joiner, 522 U.S. 136 (1997), Kumho Tire Co. Ltd. v. | ||||||
17 | Carmichael, 526 U.S. 137 (1999), Weisgram v. Marley, 528 U.S. | ||||||
18 | 440 (2000), and their progeny; moreover, the courts of this | ||||||
19 | State may draw from other precedents applying the standards | ||||||
20 | announced by the United States Supreme Court in the foregoing | ||||||
21 | cases and binding in the federal courts of this State. | ||||||
22 | (735 ILCS 5/8-3008 new) | ||||||
23 | Sec. 8-3008. Interlocutory appeal. Interlocutory appeal of | ||||||
24 | a ruling on the admissibility of expert evidence shall be |
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1 | available at the discretion of the appellate court. In | ||||||
2 | deciding whether to grant the interlocutory appeal, the court | ||||||
3 | shall consider whether: (i) the ruling involved any challenge | ||||||
4 | to the constitutionality of this Part; (ii) the ruling will | ||||||
5 | help prove or disprove criminal liability; or (iii) the ruling | ||||||
6 | will help establish civil liability at or above $75,000, where | ||||||
7 | the testimony could be outcome-determinative for establishing | ||||||
8 | liability or determining damages. Neither a party's failure to | ||||||
9 | seek interlocutory appeal nor an appellate court's decision to | ||||||
10 | deny a motion for interlocutory appeal shall waive a party's | ||||||
11 | right to appeal a ruling on the admissibility of expert | ||||||
12 | evidence after an entry of judgment in the case. | ||||||
13 | (735 ILCS 5/8-3009 new) | ||||||
14 | Sec. 8-3009. Standard of review. | ||||||
15 | (a) The proper construction of the expert evidence | ||||||
16 | admissibility framework under this Part is a question of law; | ||||||
17 | therefore, the reviewing court shall apply a de novo standard | ||||||
18 | of review in determining whether the trial court fully applied | ||||||
19 | the proper legal standard in considering the admissibility of | ||||||
20 | expert evidence. | ||||||
21 | (b) The application of this Part to determine the | ||||||
22 | admissibility of expert testimony is a question of fact; | ||||||
23 | therefore, the reviewing court shall apply an abuse of | ||||||
24 | discretion standard in determining whether the trial court | ||||||
25 | properly admitted or excluded particular expert evidence. |
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1 | (735 ILCS 5/8-3010 new)
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2 | Sec. 8-3010. Application. This Part applies to all actions | ||||||
3 | commenced on or after the effective date of this amendatory | ||||||
4 | Act of the 102nd General Assembly
and to all pending actions in | ||||||
5 | which trial has not been scheduled or in which trial has been | ||||||
6 | scheduled in excess of 90 days after the effective date of this | ||||||
7 | amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly. | ||||||
8 | Section 97. Severability. The provisions of this Act are | ||||||
9 | severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.
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10 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
11 | becoming law.
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