HB1208 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 05940 LNS 50961 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB1208

Introduced 1/31/2023, by Rep. Dave Vella

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

705 ILCS 505/24

from Ch. 37, par. 439.24

Amends the Court of Claims Act. Provides that for the purpose of making up any deficiency in the appropriation for the payment of claims directed pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation Act, there is appropriated, on a continuing annual basis in each fiscal year, from the General Revenue Fund to the Court of Claims, the amount, if any, by which the total appropriation for the payment of claims directed pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation Act for the fiscal year is less than the amount required for the payment of claims pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation Act for that fiscal year. Provides that the amount of any continuing appropriation used by the Court of Claims under the amendatory Act for a given fiscal year shall be charged against the unexpended amount of any appropriation for line of duty awards to the Court of Claims for that fiscal year that subsequently becomes available. Requires the Court of Claims to report to the President and Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and the Governor's Office of Management and Budget any continuing appropriation that is used at the conclusion of a fiscal year. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning employment.

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 Section 24 as follows:

(705 ILCS 505/24) (from Ch. 37, par. 439.24)

Sec. 24. Payment of awards.

(1) From funds appropriated by the General Assembly for the purposes of this Section the Court may direct immediate payment of:

(a) All claims arising solely as a result of the lapsing of an appropriation out of which the obligation could have been paid.

(b) All claims pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation Act.

(c) All claims pursuant to the "Illinois National Guardsman's and Naval Militiaman's Compensation Act", approved August 12, 1971, as amended.

(d) All claims pursuant to the "Crime Victims Compensation Act", approved August 23, 1973, as amended.

(d-5) All claims against the State for unjust imprisonment as provided in subsection (c) of Section 8 of this Act.

(e) All other claims wherein the amount of the award of the Court is less than $50,000.

(2) The court may, from funds specifically appropriated from the General Revenue Fund for this purpose, direct the payment of awards less than $50,000 solely as a result of the lapsing of an appropriation originally made from any fund held by the State Treasurer. For any such award paid from the General Revenue Fund, the court shall thereafter seek an appropriation from the fund from which the liability originally accrued in reimbursement of the General Revenue Fund.

(3) In directing payment of a claim pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation Act, the Court must direct the Comptroller to add an interest penalty if payment of a claim is not made within 6 months after a claim is filed in accordance with Section 3 of the Line of Duty Compensation Act and all information has been submitted as required under Section 4 of the Line of Duty Compensation Act. If payment is not issued within the 6-month period, an interest penalty of 1% of the amount of the award shall be added for each month or fraction thereof after the end of the 6-month period, until final payment is made. This interest penalty shall be added regardless of whether the payment is not issued within the 6-month period because of the appropriation process, the consideration of the matter by the Court, or any other reason.

(3.5) The interest penalty payment provided for in subsection (3) shall be added to all claims for which benefits were not paid as of the effective date of P.A. 95-928. The interest penalty shall be calculated starting from the effective date of P.A. 95-928, provided that the effective date of P.A. 95-928 is at least 6 months after the date on which the claim was filed in accordance with Section 3 of the Line of Duty Compensation Act. In the event that the date 6 months after the date on which the claim was filed is later than the effective date of P.A. 95-928, the Court shall calculate the interest payment penalty starting from the date 6 months after the date on which the claim was filed in accordance with Section 3 of the Line of Duty Compensation Act. This subsection (3.5) of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly is declarative of existing law.

(3.6) In addition to the interest payments provided for in subsections (3) and (3.5), the Court shall direct the Comptroller to add a "catch-up" payment to the claims of eligible claimants. For the purposes of this subsection (3.6), an "eligible claimant" is a claimant whose claim is not paid in the year in which it was filed. For purposes of this subsection (3.6), "'catch-up' payment" is defined as the difference between the amount paid to claimants whose claims were filed in the year in which the eligible claimant's claim is paid and the amount paid to claimants whose claims were filed in the year in which the eligible claimant filed his or her claim. The "catch-up" payment is payable simultaneously with the claim award.

(3.7) For the purpose of making up any deficiency in the appropriation for the payment of claims directed pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation Act, there is hereby appropriated, on a continuing annual basis in each fiscal year, from the General Revenue Fund to the Court of Claims, the amount, if any, by which the total appropriation for the payment of claims directed pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation Act for the fiscal year is less than the amount required for the payment of claims pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation Act for that fiscal year. The amount of any continuing appropriation used by the Court of Claims under this subsection (3.7) for a given fiscal year shall be charged against the unexpended amount of any appropriation for line of duty awards to the Court of Claims for that fiscal year that subsequently becomes available. The Court of Claims shall report to the President and Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and the Governor's Office of Management and Budget any continuing appropriation that is used at the conclusion of a fiscal year.

(4) From funds appropriated by the General Assembly for the purposes of paying claims under paragraph (c) of Section 8, the court must direct payment of each claim and the payment must be received by the claimant within 60 days after the date that the funds are appropriated for that purpose.

(Source: P.A. 100-1124, eff. 11-27-18.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.