103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB3750

 

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Sen. Mike Simmons

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act
30 ILCS 105/5.1015 new

    Creates the Low-Income Tenant's Right to Eviction Counsel Act. Provides that a tenant who financially qualifies under the Act has a right to full representation by counsel to be appointed by the court for eviction proceedings or for proceedings terminating a tenancy. Requires the court to appoint an attorney for a covered individual at any show cause hearing or scheduled trial. Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the county shall pay the costs of legal services provided by an attorney appointed under the Act. Requires that the complaint required by the Eviction Article of the Code of Civil Procedure to include this notice on the first page of the complaint in bold 12-point type: "If the defendant's income is not greater than 80% of the median income in this State, the defendant has the right to court-appointed counsel in these proceedings." Provides that after the effective date of the Act, all residential lease agreements and renewal of existing lease agreements shall include a provision stating that tenants with incomes no greater than 80% of the median income in this State have a right to full legal representation during covered proceedings. Provides that the landlord must send the same notice if a landlord and tenant are operating under a lease agreement in force before the effective date of the Act within 30 days following the effective date of the Act. Counsel appointed by the court for the purposes of the Act must have a minimum of 2 years' experience handling eviction defense or training in handling evictions or be supervised by an attorney who meets these minimum qualifications. Effective January 1, 2025.


LRB103 38563 JRC 68699 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3750LRB103 38563 JRC 68699 b

1    AN ACT concerning civil law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Low-Income Tenant's Right to Counsel Act.
 
6    Section 5. Legislative intent. Subject to appropriation,
7the intent of this Act is to codify access to free legal
8services and representation for low-income individuals
9experiencing eviction and to require landlords to disclose to
10their tenants certain information regarding the access of full
11legal representation in eviction proceedings.
 
12    Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
13    "Board" means the county board of commissioners as used in
14Division 3-4 of the Counties Code.
15    "Community group" means a nonprofit entity with the
16capacity to conduct tenant outreach and provide engagement,
17education, and information.
18    "Covered individual" means an individual who:
19        (1) occupies a residential property under a claim of
20    legal right other than owner, including a tenant in a
21    building owned, operated, or managed by a public housing
22    authority; and

 

 

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1        (2) is a member of a household with an income that is
2    not greater than 80% of the median income, adjusted for
3    household size, in the State as determined by the United
4    States Department of Health and Human Services or its
5    successor.
6    "Covered proceedings" mean any judicial or administrative
7proceeding related to a covered individual who is facing
8eviction or civil claim for monetary damages for nonpayment of
9rent, including any proceeding deemed by a designated
10organization as the functional equivalent of such a
11proceeding, and any related appeals, or any action by a
12governmental assistance-providing agency terminating a subsidy
13or otherwise adversely affecting a tenant's rights, duties,
14welfare, or status.
15    "Designated organization" means a nonprofit entity
16designated by a Board with the ability to provide legal
17representation to covered individuals.
18    "Full legal representation" includes ongoing legal
19representation for the duration of a covered proceeding
20provided by a court-appointed counsel to a covered individual
21and all legal advice, advocacy, mediation, negotiations, and
22assistance associated with a covered proceeding until its
23conclusion.
24    "Fund" means the Access to Counsel in Evictions Special
25Fund.
26    "Program" means the Access to Counsel in Evictions

 

 

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1Program.
 
2    Section 15. Access to counsel; assurance of right to
3counsel; education and outreach.
4    (a) A covered individual subject to a termination of
5tenancy, an eviction proceeding, or, as determined by a
6designated organization, a constructive eviction, has a right
7to full representation by a counsel as appointed by the court
8during covered proceedings.
9    (b) The court must appoint an attorney for a covered
10individual at any show cause hearing or scheduled trial.
11Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this
12specific purpose, the county shall pay the costs of legal
13services provided by an attorney appointed under this
14subsection. The county is responsible for implementation of
15this subsection.
16    (c) Each board may contract, if eligible, with a
17designated organization to provide all or part of the services
18required under this Act. Each board must designate and
19contract with an appropriate community group, if available, to
20conduct outreach and provide education to tenants locally
21regarding tenants' rights and the access to legal
22representation under this Act.
 
23    Section 20. Notice of right to counsel.
24    (a) The complaint required by Section 9-106 of the Code of

 

 

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1Civil Procedure shall include the notice on the first page of
2the complaint in bold 12-point type: "If the defendant's
3income is not greater than 80% of the median income in this
4State, the defendant has the right to court-appointed counsel
5in these proceedings." These Complaints shall refer to
6resources in each judicial circuit a defendant may access to
7determine eligibility and contact a designated organization or
8community group for further advice, as available.
9    (b) After the effective date of this Act, all new
10residential lease agreements and renewal of existing lease
11agreements shall include a provision stating that tenants with
12incomes no greater than 80% of the median income in this State
13have a right to full legal representation during covered
14proceedings, along with a citation to this Act.
15    (c) If a landlord and tenant are operating under a lease
16agreement before the effective date of this Act, the landlord
17shall notify the tenant in writing that tenants with incomes
18no greater than 80% of the median income in this State have a
19right to full legal representation during covered proceedings,
20along with a citation to this Act. This notification must be
21provided to the tenant within 30 days following the effective
22date of this Act.
23    (d) At the initial hearing for a covered proceeding, if
24the defendant does not already have representation, the court
25shall ask the defendant if the defendant wants court-appointed
26counsel and shall explain what such appointed counsel can

 

 

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1accomplish for the defendant.
 
2    Section 25. Qualifications of court-appointed counsel.
3Counsel appointed by the court for the purposes of this Act
4must have a minimum of two years' experience handling eviction
5defense or training in handling evictions or be supervised by
6an attorney who meets these minimum qualifications.
 
7    Section 30. Compensation. By January 1, 2025, and every
8year thereafter, the chief judge of each judicial circuit,
9after consultation with public housing attorneys, legal aid
10attorneys, and members of the private bar in the circuit,
11shall establish a compensation rate for attorney's
fees and
12costs associated with representation under this Act. The
13compensation to be paid to an attorney for such service
14rendered to a defendant under this Act may not exceed $5,000,
15exclusive of reimbursement for expenses reasonably incurred,
16unless payment in excess of that limit is certified by the
17chief judge of the circuit as necessary to provide fair
18compensation for services of an unusual character or duration.
 
19    Section 90. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
20Section 5.1015 as follows:
 
21    (30 ILCS 105/5.1015 new)
22    Sec. 5.1015. The Access to Counsel in Evictions Special

 

 

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1Fund.
 
2    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
31, 2025.