HB2966 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 25058 HEP 51393 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB2966

Introduced 2/16/2023, by Rep. Nicholas K. Smith

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

625 ILCS 5/6-115	from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-115
625 ILCS 5/6-308
730 ILCS 5/5-9-3	from Ch. 38, par. 1005-9-3

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Deletes a provision that authorizes the Secretary of State to decline to process the renewal of a driver's license of any person who has not paid any fee or tax due under the Code and is not paid upon reasonable notice and demand. Provides that, whenever a person fails to appear in court and the court continues the case, if the clerk of the court elects to establish a system to send text, email, and telephone notifications, the clerk of the court may send notifications to an email address, may send a text message to the person's last known cellular telephone number, and if the person does not have a cellular telephone number, may telephone the person regarding the continued court date at the person's last known non-cellular telephone number. Deletes a provision that requires a court to enter an order of failure to appear if a person does not appear in court on or before the continued court date or satisfy the court that the person's appearance in and surrender to the court is impossible for no fault of the person. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Deletes language providing that an offender who defaults in the payment of a fine or any installment of that fine may be held in contempt and imprisoned for nonpayment and that the court may issue a summons for his or her appearance or a warrant of arrest. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning courts.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing Sections 6-115 and 6-308 as follows:

(625 ILCS 5/6-115) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-115)

Sec. 6-115. Expiration of driver's license.

(a) Except as provided elsewhere in this Section, every driver's license issued under the provisions of this Code shall expire 4 years from the date of its issuance, or at such later date, as the Secretary of State may by proper rule and regulation designate, not to exceed 12 calendar months; in the event that an applicant for renewal of a driver's license fails to apply prior to the expiration date of the previous driver's license, the renewal driver's license shall expire 4 years from the expiration date of the previous driver's license, or at such later date as the Secretary of State may by proper rule and regulation designate, not to exceed 12 calendar months.

The Secretary of State may, however, issue to a person not previously licensed as a driver in Illinois a driver's license which will expire not less than 4 years nor more than 5 years from date of issuance, except as provided elsewhere in this Section.

(a-5) Every driver's license issued under this Code to an applicant who is not a United States citizen or permanent resident, or an individual who has an approved application for asylum in the United States or has entered the United States in refugee status, shall expire on whichever is the earlier date of the following:

(1) as provided under subsection (a), (f), (g), or (i) of this Section;

(2) on the date the applicant's authorized stay in the United States terminates; or

(3) if the applicant's authorized stay is indefinite and the applicant is applying for a Limited Term REAL ID compliant driver's license, one year from the date of issuance of the license.

(a-10) Every REAL ID compliant driver's license issued under this Code to an applicant who is not a United States citizen or permanent resident, or an individual who has an approved application for asylum in the United States or has entered the United States in refugee status, shall be marked "Limited Term".

(b) Before the expiration of a driver's license, except those licenses expiring on the individual's 21st birthday, or 3 months after the individual's 21st birthday, the holder thereof may apply for a renewal thereof, subject to all the provisions of Section 6-103, and the Secretary of State may require an examination of the applicant. A licensee whose driver's license expires on his 21st birthday, or 3 months after his 21st birthday, may not apply for a renewal of his driving privileges until he reaches the age of 21.

(c) The Secretary of State shall, 30 days prior to the expiration of a driver's license, forward to each person whose license is to expire a notification of the expiration of said license which may be presented at the time of renewal of said license.

There may be included with such notification information explaining the anatomical gift and Emergency Medical Information Card provisions of Section 6-110. The format and text of such information shall be prescribed by the Secretary.

There shall be included with such notification, for a period of 4 years beginning January 1, 2000 information regarding the Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical Information Exchange established in Section 18.1 of the Adoption Act.

(d) The Secretary may defer the expiration of the driver's license of a licensee, spouse, and dependent children who are living with such licensee while on active duty, serving in the Armed Forces of the United States outside of the State of Illinois, and 120 days thereafter, upon such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe.

(d-5) The Secretary may defer the expiration of the driver's license of a licensee, or of a spouse or dependent children living with the licensee, serving as a civilian employee of the United States Armed Forces or the United States Department of Defense, outside of the State of Illinois, and 120 days thereafter, upon such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe.

(e) (Blank). The Secretary of State may decline to process a renewal of a driver's license of any person who has not paid any fee or tax due under this Code and is not paid upon reasonable notice and demand.

(f) The Secretary shall provide that each original or renewal driver's license issued to a licensee under 21 years of age shall expire 3 months after the licensee's 21st birthday. Persons whose current driver's licenses expire on their 21st birthday on or after January 1, 1986 shall not renew their driver's license before their 21st birthday, and their current driver's license will be extended for an additional term of 3 months beyond their 21st birthday. Thereafter, the expiration and term of the driver's license shall be governed by subsection (a) hereof.

(g) The Secretary shall provide that each original or renewal driver's license issued to a licensee 81 years of age through age 86 shall expire 2 years from the date of issuance, or at such later date as the Secretary may by rule and regulation designate, not to exceed an additional 12 calendar months. The Secretary shall also provide that each original or renewal driver's license issued to a licensee 87 years of age or older shall expire 12 months from the date of issuance, or at such later date as the Secretary may by rule and regulation designate, not to exceed an additional 12 calendar months.

(h) The Secretary of State shall provide that each special restricted driver's license issued under subsection (g) of Section 6-113 of this Code shall expire 12 months from the date of issuance. The Secretary shall adopt rules defining renewal requirements.

(i) The Secretary of State shall provide that each driver's license issued to a person convicted of a sex offense as defined in Section 2 of the Sex Offender Registration Act shall expire 12 months from the date of issuance or at such date as the Secretary may by rule designate, not to exceed an additional 12 calendar months. The Secretary may adopt rules defining renewal requirements.

(Source: P.A. 101-185, eff. 1-1-20; 102-659, eff. 1-1-22.)

(625 ILCS 5/6-308)

Sec. 6-308. Procedures for traffic violations.

(a) Any person cited for violating this Code or a similar provision of a local ordinance for which a violation is a petty offense as defined by Section 5-1-17 of the Unified Code of Corrections, excluding business offenses as defined by Section 5-1-2 of the Unified Code of Corrections or a violation of Section 15-111 or subsection (d) of Section 3-401 of this Code, shall not be required to sign the citation for his or her release. All other provisions of this Code or similar provisions of local ordinances shall be governed by the pretrial release provisions of the Illinois Supreme Court Rules when it is not practical or feasible to take the person before a judge to have conditions of pretrial release set or to avoid undue delay because of the hour or circumstances.

(b) Whenever a person fails to appear in court, the court may continue the case for a minimum of 30 days and the clerk of the court shall send notice of the continued court date to the person's last known address and, if the clerk of the court elects to establish a system to send text, email, and telephone notifications, may also send notifications to an email address and may send a text message to the person's last known cellular telephone number. If the person does not have a cellular telephone number, the clerk of the court may telephone the person regarding the continued court date at the person's last known non-cellular telephone number. The notice shall include a statement that a subsequent failure to appear in court could result in a warrant for the defendant's arrest and other significant consequences affecting their driving privileges. If the person does not appear in court on or before the continued court date or satisfy the court that the person's appearance in and surrender to the court is impossible for no fault of the person, the court shall enter an order of failure to appear. The clerk of the court shall notify the Secretary of State, on a report prescribed by the Secretary, of the court's order. The Secretary, when notified by the clerk of the court that an order of failure to appear has been entered, shall immediately suspend the person's driver's license, which shall be designated by the Secretary as a Failure to Appear suspension. The Secretary shall not remove the suspension, nor issue any permit or privileges to the person whose license has been suspended, until notified by the ordering court that the person has appeared and resolved the violation. Upon compliance, the clerk of the court shall present the person with a notice of compliance containing the seal of the court, and shall notify the Secretary that the person has appeared and resolved the violation.

(c) Illinois Supreme Court Rules shall govern pretrial release and appearance procedures when a person who is a resident of another state that is not a member of the Nonresident Violator Compact of 1977 is cited for violating this Code or a similar provision of a local ordinance.

(d) The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly apply to each individual whose license was suspended pursuant to this Section prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, and the suspension shall be lifted by the Secretary of State without further action by any court.

(Source: P.A. 100-674, eff. 1-1-19; 101-652, eff. 1-1-23.)

Section 10. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by changing Section 5-9-3 as follows:

(730 ILCS 5/5-9-3) (from Ch. 38, par. 1005-9-3)

Sec. 5-9-3. Default.

(a) (Blank). An offender who defaults in the payment of a fine or any installment of that fine may be held in contempt and imprisoned for nonpayment. The court may issue a summons for his appearance or a warrant of arrest.

(b) (Blank). Unless the offender shows that his default was not due to his intentional refusal to pay, or not due to a failure on his part to make a good faith effort to pay, the court may order the offender imprisoned for a term not to exceed 6 months if the fine was for a felony, or 30 days if the fine was for a misdemeanor, a petty offense or a business offense. Payment of the fine at any time will entitle the offender to be released, but imprisonment under this Section shall not satisfy the payment of the fine.

(c) (Blank). If it appears that the default in the payment of a fine is not intentional under paragraph (b) of this Section, the court may enter an order allowing the offender additional time for payment, reducing the amount of the fine or of each installment, or revoking the fine or the unpaid portion.

(d) (Blank). When a fine is imposed on a corporation or unincorporated organization or association, it is the duty of the person or persons authorized to make disbursement of assets, and their superiors, to pay the fine from assets of the corporation or unincorporated organization or association. The failure of such persons to do so shall render them subject to proceedings under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section.

(e) A default in the payment of a fine, fee, cost, order of restitution, judgment of bond forfeiture, judgment order of forfeiture, or any installment thereof may be collected by any and all means authorized for the collection of money judgments. The State's Attorney of the county in which the fine, fee, cost, order of restitution, judgment of bond forfeiture, or judgment order of forfeiture was imposed may retain attorneys and private collection agents for the purpose of collecting any default in payment of any fine, fee, cost, order of restitution, judgment of bond forfeiture, judgment order of forfeiture, or installment thereof. An additional fee of 30% of the delinquent amount and each taxable court cost including, without limitation, costs of service of process, shall be charged to the offender for any amount of the fine, fee, cost, restitution, or judgment of bond forfeiture or installment of the fine, fee, cost, restitution, or judgment of bond forfeiture that remains unpaid after the time fixed for payment of the fine, fee, cost, restitution, or judgment of bond forfeiture by the court. The additional fee shall be payable to the State's Attorney in order to compensate the State's Attorney for costs incurred in collecting the delinquent amount. The State's Attorney may enter into agreements assigning any portion of the fee to the retained attorneys or the private collection agent retained by the State's Attorney. Any agreement between the State's Attorney and the retained attorneys or collection agents shall require the approval of the Circuit Clerk of that county. A default in payment of a fine, fee, cost, restitution, or judgment of bond forfeiture shall draw interest at the rate of 9% per annum.

(Source: P.A. 98-373, eff. 1-1-14.)

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