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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Scientific evidence can be a difficult subject for
3juries to understand; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Expert testimony can hold enough weight to sway
5the opinion of a jury; and
 
6    WHEREAS, It is important that judges accurately fulfill
7their roles as the initial gatekeepers of admitting into
8evidence expert testimony that has sufficient guarantees of
9being trustworthy and reliable, has withstood peer review,
10and/or has otherwise applied robust and validated scientific
11principles; therefore, be it
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
13HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
14SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Task Force
15on the Admissibly of Scientific Evidence and Expert Testimony
16to study the standards of admission of expert testimony on
17scientific evidence in the courtroom; and be it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall study the following:
19        (1) The current standard for the admission of
20    scientific evidence and its effectiveness;
21        (2) The Daubert/Frye/Federal Rules Evidence Rule 702

 

 

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1    standard and how it has worked for other states;
2        (3) Whether litigants are subject to "junk science" and
3    the effectiveness of courts in their gatekeeping roles;
4        (4) How frequently scientific evidence is challenged,
5    and how frequently judges permit such evidence to come
6    before the jury with or without limiting instructions;
7        (5) How a better structure for more rigorous review of
8    scientific evidence can be achieved at the admissibility
9    stage in Illinois courts; and
10        (6) The support resources available to judges for the
11    consideration and review of scientific evidence; and be it
12    further
 
13    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall consist of the
14following members, who shall serve without compensation:
15        (1) Two members of the House of Representatives
16    appointed by the Speaker of the House;
17        (2) Two members of the House of Representatives
18    appointed by the Minority Leader of the House;
19        (3) Two members of the Senate appointed by the
20    President of the Senate;
21        (4) Two members of the Senate appointed by the Minority
22    Leader of the Senate;
23        (5) Four members representing state's attorneys
24    appointed by the legislative members who have been
25    appointed to the Task Force;

 

 

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1        (6) Four members representing public defenders
2    appointed by the legislative members who have been
3    appointed to the Task Force;
4        (7) Four members representing judges whose cases
5    regularly involve scientific evidence appointed by the
6    legislative members who have been appointed to the Task
7    Force; and
8        (8) Four members representing experts in the
9    scientific community appointed by the legislative members
10    who have been appointed to the Task Force; and be it
11    further
 
12    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall meet for the first time
13at the call of the legislative leaders and shall elect amongst
14themselves a chairperson at the first meeting; and be it
15further
 
16    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall meet no less than once
17a month for the 12 months following the first meeting; and be
18it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That the Illinois State Bar Association shall
20provide administrative support to the Task Force; and be it
21further
 
22    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall present its findings

 

 

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1and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly no
2later than November 1, 2020, and, upon the filing of its
3report, is dissolved.