Updating the database of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) is an ongoing process. Recent laws may not yet be included in the ILCS database, but they are found on this site as Public Acts soon after they become law. For information concerning the relationship between statutes and Public Acts, refer to the Guide.

Because the statute database is maintained primarily for legislative drafting purposes, statutory changes are sometimes included in the statute database before they take effect. If the source note at the end of a Section of the statutes includes a Public Act that has not yet taken effect, the version of the law that is currently in effect may have already been removed from the database and you should refer to that Public Act to see the changes made to the current law.

25 ILCS 5/0.01

(25 ILCS 5/0.01) (from Ch. 63, par. 0.01)

Sec. 0.01.

Short title.

This Act may be cited as the

General Assembly Organization Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-1324.)

25 ILCS 5/1

(25 ILCS 5/1) (from Ch. 63, par. 1)

Sec. 1.

That the sessions of the General Assembly shall
be held at the seat of government: Provided, that the Governor may convene
the General Assembly at some other place when it is necessary, in case of
pestilence or public danger.

(Source: R.S. 1874, p. 555.)

25 ILCS 5/2

(25 ILCS 5/2) (from Ch. 63, par. 2)

Sec. 2.

Every officer of each house of the General Assembly shall, before
entering upon the duties of his office, take and subscribe the following
oath, which shall be filed with the Secretary of State:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be,) that I will
support the constitution of the United States, and the constitution of the
state of Illinois, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the
office of .... according to the best of my ability."

(Source: R.S. 1874, p. 555.)

25 ILCS 5/2a

(25 ILCS 5/2a) (from Ch. 63, par. 2a)

Sec. 2a.

Unless otherwise provided by law, whenever appointment to
membership on any commission, comprised in whole or in part of members of
the General Assembly, requires the concurrence or advice and consent of the
Senate or of any committee thereof, and any original appointment has not
been made or a vacancy exists after the sine die adjournment of the General
Assembly, such original appointment may be made or such vacancy may be
filled, without such concurrence or advice and consent, by the person or
officer or chairman of the committee authorized to make the original
appointment.

(Source: Laws 1957, p. 2253.)

25 ILCS 5/3

(25 ILCS 5/3) (from Ch. 63, par. 3)

Sec. 3.

The Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the House of
Representatives, at the close of each session of the General Assembly,
shall deliver to the Secretary of State all books, bills, documents and
papers in the possession of either branch of the General Assembly,
correctly labeled, folded and classified, according to the subject matter
of such documents respectively; and the Secretary of State shall preserve
the same in his office.

(Source: P.A. 86-759.)

25 ILCS 5/3.1

(25 ILCS 5/3.1) (from Ch. 63, par. 3.1)

Sec. 3.1.

Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, whenever any law or resolution requires a report to the General
Assembly, that reporting requirement shall be satisfied by filing: with the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate in electronic form only, in the manner that the Clerk and the Secretary shall direct; and with the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, in the manner that the Commission shall direct.  In addition, the reporting entity must make a copy of the report available for a reasonable time on its Internet site or on the Internet site of the public entity that hosts the reporting entity's World Wide Web page, if any. Additional
copies shall be filed with the State Government Report Distribution Center
for the General Assembly as required under paragraph (t) of Section 7 of
the State Library Act.

(Source: P.A. 100-1148, eff. 12-10-18.)

25 ILCS 5/3.2

(25 ILCS 5/3.2)
Sec. 3.2. Prohibition on creating new units of local government.

Until 4 years after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly, the General Assembly shall not enact any law creating any new unit of local government, including, but not limited to, the division of existing units of local government. This Section shall not apply to the creation of a new unit of local government from the consolidation of 2 or more pre-existing units of local government.

(Source: P.A. 99-353, eff. 1-1-16.)

25 ILCS 5/4

(25 ILCS 5/4) (from Ch. 63, par. 4)

Sec. 4.

The presiding officer of each house, and the chairman, or any
member of any committee appointed by either house, or of a joint committee
appointed by the two houses of the General Assembly, may administer oaths
and affirmations to witnesses called before such house or committee for the
purpose of giving evidence touching any matter or thing which may be under
the consideration or investigation of such house or committee.

(Source: R.S. 1874, p. 555.)

25 ILCS 5/5

(25 ILCS 5/5) (from Ch. 63, par. 5)

Sec. 5.

In all cases of trials of impeachment, or other trials before the
senate, the president, secretary, or any member of the senate, shall have
power to administer oaths or affirmations to the members, witnesses, or any
other person required to be sworn.

(Source: R.S. 1874, p. 555.)

25 ILCS 5/6

(25 ILCS 5/6) (from Ch. 63, par. 6)

Sec. 6.

Any person may be compelled, by subpoena, to appear and give
testimony as a witness, and produce papers and documents before either
house or a committee thereof, or a joint committee of both houses. The
subpoena shall be signed by the presiding officer of the house or the
chairman of the committee before whom the witness is to appear, and may be
served in the same manner as subpoenas from courts. But the testimony of a
witness examined and testifying before either house of the General
Assembly, any committee of either house, or any joint committee of the two
houses, shall not be used as evidence in any criminal proceedings against
such witness in any court of justice: Provided, that no official paper or
record produced by such witness on such examination shall be held or taken
to be included within the privilege of such evidence so as to protect such
witness from any criminal proceeding as aforesaid, and no witness shall
hereafter be allowed to refuse to testify to any fact, or to produce any
paper touching which he shall be examined by either house, or by any of the
committees, for the reason that his testimony touching such fact, or the
production of such paper, may tend to disgrace him or render him infamous:
Provided, further, that nothing in this act shall be construed to exempt
any witness from prosecution and punishment for perjury committed by him in
testifying as aforesaid.

(Source: Laws 1965, p. 3551.)

25 ILCS 5/7

(25 ILCS 5/7) (from Ch. 63, par. 7)

Sec. 7.

Any witness neglecting or refusing to appear when duly subpoenaed,
or to testify, or to produce papers and documents before a committee of
either house, or a joint committee of both houses, may be arrested, by a
warrant under the signature of the presiding officer of the
house appointing the
committee, or in case of a joint committee, under the signature of the presiding
officer of either house, and taken before the house, and there compelled to
give testimony or produce such papers and documents.

(Source: P.A. 84-550.)

25 ILCS 5/8

(25 ILCS 5/8) (from Ch. 63, par. 8)

Sec. 8.

Whoever, being served with a subpoena to appear as a witness, or to
produce any paper or document before either house of the General Assembly,
or any committee thereof, or a joint committee of both houses, shall
neglect or refuse to so appear, or to produce any such paper or document,
or having appeared either with or without subpoena, shall neglect or refuse
to be sworn or to testify, or to produce any papers or documents when
lawfully required so to do, shall be guilty of a petty offense. This
Section shall not be construed to affect the right of either house of the
General Assembly to compel the attendance of any person as a witness, or to
punish for disorderly or contemptuous behavior in its presence.

(Source: P.A. 77-2520.)

25 ILCS 5/9

(25 ILCS 5/9) (from Ch. 63, par. 9)

Sec. 9.

The manner of effecting imprisonment of any person by either
house for disorderly or contemptuous behavior in its presence, shall be
by a warrant, under the signature of the presiding officer for the time being
of the house ordering the imprisonment, countersigned by the acting
secretary or clerk, running in the name of the People of the State of
Illinois, and may be directed to the sergeant-at-arms or doorkeeper of
the house, or to the sheriff of the county in which the
General Assembly is convened, commanding him or her to commit the prisoner to
the county jail, and deliver the prisoner to the keeper thereof, and the jailer
to receive the prisoner into his or her custody and safely keep the prisoner
for the time for which the prisoner is committed, or until the prisoner
is duly discharged.

(Source: P.A. 84-550.)

25 ILCS 5/10

(25 ILCS 5/10) (from Ch. 63, par. 10)

Sec. 10.

If the person is committed for a refusal to answer any question
put to him as a witness, or to obey an order of the house, the warrant may
direct that the person be returned to the house at a time stated therein,
not exceeding twenty-four hours from the time of commitment, or it may
direct that he be imprisoned until he shall signify his willingness to obey
the requirements of the house, at which time he shall be returned to the
house by the person having him in custody: Provided, that no person shall
be so held beyond the time of the adjournment of the General Assembly.

(Source: R.S. 1874, p. 555.)

25 ILCS 5/11

(25 ILCS 5/11) (from Ch. 63, par. 11)

Sec. 11.

The punishment of any person, by either house, for disorderly or
contemptuous behavior in its presence, shall not be a bar to any other
proceeding, civil or criminal, for the same offense.

(Source: R.S. 1874, p. 555.)

25 ILCS 5/12

(25 ILCS 5/12) (from Ch. 63, par. 12)

Sec. 12.

Whoever, by any noisy, disorderly or unseemly conduct, either in
or about the state house or place where either house of the General
Assembly is convened, disturbs the deliberations of either house, shall be
guilty of a petty offense.

(Source: P.A. 77-2520.)

25 ILCS 5/13

(25 ILCS 5/13) (from Ch. 63, par. 13)

Sec. 13.

The sergeant-at-arms of the senate and his assistants, and the
doorkeeper of the house of representatives and his assistants, shall serve
such process and execute such orders as may be enjoined upon them by their
respective houses, shall maintain order among spectators admitted into the
rooms in which the respective houses hold their sessions, and take proper
measures to prevent interruption of either house, and may arrest, with or
without warrant, any person committing any offense created by this act, or
by any law for the protection of the state house or any of its grounds or
appurtenances, or guilty of any breach of the peace in or about the state
house or public grounds connected therewith, and convey any such offender
before the proper court for trial; and for such purpose they shall have the
same authority as is granted to sheriffs.

(Source: P.A. 77-1257.)