HB0578enr 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0578 Enrolled LRB093 05576 MBS 05668 b

AN ACT concerning the death penalty.

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

Section 5. The Counties Code is amended by changing Section 3-9005 as follows:

(55 ILCS 5/3-9005) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-9005)

Sec. 3-9005. Powers and duties of State's attorney.

(a) The duty of each State's attorney shall be:

(1) To commence and prosecute all actions, suits, indictments and prosecutions, civil and criminal, in the circuit court for his county, in which the people of the State or county may be concerned.

(2) To prosecute all forfeited bonds and recognizances, and all actions and proceedings for the recovery of debts, revenues, moneys, fines, penalties and forfeitures accruing to the State or his county, or to any school district or road district in his county; also, to prosecute all suits in his county against railroad or transportation companies, which may be prosecuted in the name of the People of the State of Illinois.

(3) To commence and prosecute all actions and proceedings brought by any county officer in his official capacity.

(4) To defend all actions and proceedings brought against his county, or against any county or State officer, in his official capacity, within his county.

(5) To attend the examination of all persons brought before any judge on habeas corpus, when the prosecution is in his county.

(6) To attend before judges and prosecute charges of felony or misdemeanor, for which the offender is required to be recognized to appear before the circuit court, when in his power so to do.

(7) To give his opinion, without fee or reward, to any county officer in his county, upon any question or law relating to any criminal or other matter, in which the people or the county may be concerned.

(8) To assist the attorney general whenever it may be necessary, and in cases of appeal from his county to the Supreme Court, to which it is the duty of the attorney general to attend, he shall furnish the attorney general at least 10 days before such is due to be filed, a manuscript of a proposed statement, brief and argument to be printed and filed on behalf of the people, prepared in accordance with the rules of the Supreme Court. However, if such brief, argument or other document is due to be filed by law or order of court within this 10 day period, then the State's attorney shall furnish such as soon as may be reasonable.

(9) To pay all moneys received by him in trust, without delay, to the officer who by law is entitled to the custody thereof.

(10) To notify, by first class mail, complaining witnesses of the ultimate disposition of the cases arising from an indictment or an information.

(11) To perform such other and further duties as may, from time to time, be enjoined on him by law.

(12) To appear in all proceedings by collectors of taxes against delinquent taxpayers for judgments to sell real estate, and see that all the necessary preliminary steps have been legally taken to make the judgment legal and binding.

(b) The State's Attorney of each county shall have authority to appoint one or more special investigators to serve subpoenas, make return of process and conduct investigations which assist the State's Attorney in the performance of his duties. A special investigator shall not carry firearms except with permission of the State's Attorney and only while carrying appropriate identification indicating his employment and in the performance of his assigned duties.

Subject to the qualifications set forth in this subsection, special investigators shall be peace officers and shall have all the powers possessed by investigators under the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor's Act.

No special investigator employed by the State's Attorney shall have peace officer status or exercise police powers unless he or she successfully completes the basic police training course mandated and approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board or such board waives the training requirement by reason of the special investigator's prior law enforcement experience or training or both. Any State's Attorney appointing a special investigator shall consult with all affected local police agencies, to the extent consistent with the public interest, if the special investigator is assigned to areas within that agency's jurisdiction.

Before a person is appointed as a special investigator, his fingerprints shall be taken and transmitted to the Department of State Police. The Department shall examine its records and submit to the State's Attorney of the county in which the investigator seeks appointment any conviction information concerning the person on file with the Department. No person shall be appointed as a special investigator if he has been convicted of a felony or other offense involving moral turpitude. A special investigator shall be paid a salary and be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in performing his assigned duties. The county board shall approve the salary and actual expenses and appropriate the salary and expenses in the manner prescribed by law or ordinance.

(c) The State's Attorney may request and receive from employers, labor unions, telephone companies, and utility companies location information concerning putative fathers and noncustodial parents for the purpose of establishing a child's paternity or establishing, enforcing, or modifying a child support obligation. In this subsection, "location information" means information about (i) the physical whereabouts of a putative father or noncustodial parent, (ii) the putative father or noncustodial parent's employer, or (iii) the salary, wages, and other compensation paid and the health insurance coverage provided to the putative father or noncustodial parent by the employer of the putative father or noncustodial parent or by a labor union of which the putative father or noncustodial parent is a member.

(d) For each State fiscal year, the State's Attorney of Cook County shall appear before the General Assembly and request appropriations to be made from the Capital Litigation Trust Fund to the State Treasurer for the purpose of providing assistance in the prosecution of capital cases in Cook County and for the purpose of providing assistance to the State in post-conviction proceedings in capital cases under Article 122 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 and in relation to petitions filed under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to capital cases. The State's Attorney may appear before the General Assembly at other times during the State's fiscal year to request supplemental appropriations from the Trust Fund to the State Treasurer.

(e) The State's Attorney shall have the authority to enter into a written agreement with the Department of Revenue for pursuit of civil liability under Section 17-1a of the Criminal Code of 1961 against persons who have issued to the Department checks or other orders in violation of the provisions of paragraph (d) of subsection (B) of Section 17-1 of the Criminal Code of 1961, with the Department to retain the amount owing upon the dishonored check or order along with the dishonored check fee imposed under the Uniform Penalty and Interest Act, with the balance of damages, fees, and costs collected under Section 17-1a of the Criminal Code of 1961 to be retained by the State's Attorney. The agreement shall not affect the allocation of fines and costs imposed in any criminal prosecution.

(Source: P.A. 91-589, eff. 1-1-00; 92-492, eff. 1-1-02.)

Section 10. The Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 is amended by changing Section 122-1 as follows:

(725 ILCS 5/122-1) (from Ch. 38, par. 122-1)

Sec. 122-1. Petition in the trial court.

(a) Any person imprisoned in the penitentiary may institute a proceeding under this Article if the person asserts that:

(1) in the proceedings which resulted in his or her conviction there was a substantial denial of his or her rights under the Constitution of the United States or of the State of Illinois or both; or

(2) the death penalty was imposed and there is newly discovered evidence not available to the person at the time of the proceeding that resulted in his or her conviction that establishes a substantial basis to believe that the defendant is actually innocent by clear and convincing evidence.

(a-5) A proceeding under paragraph (2) of subsection (a) may be commenced within a reasonable period of time after the person's conviction notwithstanding any other provisions of this Article. In such a proceeding regarding actual innocence, if the court determines the petition is frivolous or is patently without merit, it shall dismiss the petition in a written order, specifying the findings of fact and conclusions of law it made in reaching its decision. Such order of dismissal is a final judgment and shall be served upon the petitioner by certified mail within 10 days of its entry.

(b) The proceeding shall be commenced by filing with the clerk of the court in which the conviction took place a petition (together with a copy thereof) verified by affidavit. Petitioner shall also serve another copy upon the State's Attorney by any of the methods provided in Rule 7 of the Supreme Court. The clerk shall docket the petition for consideration by the court pursuant to Section 122-2.1 upon his or her receipt thereof and bring the same promptly to the attention of the court.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (a-5), if the petitioner is under sentence of death and a petition for writ of certiorari is filed, no proceedings under this Article shall be commenced more than 6 months after the conclusion of proceedings in the United States Supreme Court denial of a petition for certiorari to the United States Supreme Court on direct appeal, or more than 6 months from the date for filing such a petition if none is filed, unless the petitioner alleges facts showing that the delay was not due to his or her culpable negligence. If a petition for certiorari is not filed, no proceedings under this Article shall be commenced more than 6 months from the date for filing a certiorari petition, unless the petitioner alleges facts showing that the delay was not due to his or her culpable negligence.

When a defendant has a sentence other than death, no proceedings under this Article shall be commenced more than 6 months after the conclusion of proceedings in the United States Supreme Court denial of the Petition for Leave to Appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court, or more than 6 months from the date for filing such a petition if none is filed, unless the petitioner alleges facts showing that the delay was not due to his or her culpable negligence. If a petition for certiorari is not filed, no proceedings under this Article shall be commenced more than 6 months from the date for filing a certiorari petition, unless the petitioner alleges facts showing that the delay was not due to his or her culpable negligence. If a defendant does not file a direct appeal, the post-conviction petition shall be filed no later than 3 years from the date of conviction, unless the petitioner alleges facts showing that the delay was not due to his or her culpable negligence.

This limitation does not apply to a petition advancing a claim of actual innocence.

(d) A person seeking relief by filing a petition under this Section must specify in the petition or its heading that it is filed under this Section. A trial court that has received a petition complaining of a conviction or sentence that fails to specify in the petition or its heading that it is filed under this Section need not evaluate the petition to determine whether it could otherwise have stated some grounds for relief under this Article.

(e) A proceeding under this Article may not be commenced on behalf of a defendant who has been sentenced to death without the written consent of the defendant, unless the defendant, because of a mental or physical condition, is incapable of asserting his or her own claim.

(f) Only one petition may be filed by a petitioner under this Article without leave of the court. Leave of court may be granted only if a petitioner demonstrates cause for his or her failure to bring the claim in his or her initial post-conviction proceedings and prejudice results from that failure. For purposes of this subsection (f): (1) a prisoner shows cause by identifying an objective factor that impeded his or her ability to raise a specific claim during his or her initial post-conviction proceedings; and (2) a prisoner shows prejudice by demonstrating that the claim not raised during his or her initial post-conviction proceedings so infected the trial that the resulting conviction or sentence violated due process.

(Source: P.A. 93-493, eff. 1-1-04; 93-605, eff. 11-19-03; revised 12-9-03.)

Section 15. The State Appellate Defender Act is amended by changing Section 10 as follows:

(725 ILCS 105/10) (from Ch. 38, par. 208-10)

Sec. 10. Powers and duties of State Appellate Defender.

(a) The State Appellate Defender shall represent indigent persons on appeal in criminal and delinquent minor proceedings, when appointed to do so by a court under a Supreme Court Rule or law of this State.

(b) The State Appellate Defender shall submit a budget for the approval of the State Appellate Defender Commission.

(c) The State Appellate Defender may:

(1) maintain a panel of private attorneys available to serve as counsel on a case basis;

(2) establish programs, alone or in conjunction with law schools, for the purpose of utilizing volunteer law students as legal assistants;

(3) cooperate and consult with state agencies, professional associations, and other groups concerning the causes of criminal conduct, the rehabilitation and correction of persons charged with and convicted of crime, the administration of criminal justice, and, in counties of less than 1,000,000 population, study, design, develop and implement model systems for the delivery of trial level defender services, and make an annual report to the General Assembly;

(4) provide investigative services to appointed counsel and county public defenders;

(5) in cases in which a death sentence is an authorized disposition, provide trial counsel with the assistance of expert witnesses, investigators, and mitigation specialists from funds appropriated to the State Appellate Defender specifically for that purpose by the General Assembly. The Office of State Appellate Defender shall not be appointed to serve as trial counsel in capital cases.

(d) For each State fiscal year, the State Appellate Defender shall appear before the General Assembly and request appropriations to be made from the Capital Litigation Trust Fund to the State Treasurer for the purpose of providing defense assistance in capital cases outside of Cook County and for expenses incurred by the the State Appellate Defender in representing petitioners in capital cases in post-conviction proceedings under Article 122 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 and in relation to petitions filed under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to capital cases and for the representation of those petitioners by attorneys approved by or contracted with the State Appellate Defender. The State Appellate Defender may appear before the General Assembly at other times during the State's fiscal year to request supplemental appropriations from the Trust Fund to the State Treasurer.

(e) The requirement for reporting to the General Assembly shall be satisfied by filing copies of the report with the Speaker, the Minority Leader and the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the President, the Minority Leader and the Secretary of the Senate and the Legislative Research Unit, as required by Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization Act and filing such additional copies with the State Government Report Distribution Center for the General Assembly as is required under paragraph (t) of Section 7 of the State Library Act.

(Source: P.A. 91-589, eff. 1-1-00.)

Section 20. The Capital Crimes Litigation Act is amended by changing Section 15 as follows:

(725 ILCS 124/15)

Sec. 15. Capital Litigation Trust Fund.

(a) The Capital Litigation Trust Fund is created as a special fund in the State Treasury. The Trust Fund shall be administered by the State Treasurer to provide moneys for the appropriations to be made, grants to be awarded, and compensation and expenses to be paid under this Act. All interest earned from the investment or deposit of moneys accumulated in the Trust Fund shall, under Section 4.1 of the State Finance Act, be deposited into the Trust Fund.

(b) Moneys deposited into the Trust Fund shall not be considered general revenue of the State of Illinois.

(c) Moneys deposited into the Trust Fund shall be used exclusively for the purposes of providing funding for the prosecution and defense of capital cases and for providing funding for post-conviction proceedings in capital cases under Article 122 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 and in relation to petitions filed under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to capital cases as provided in this Act and shall not be appropriated, loaned, or in any manner transferred to the General Revenue Fund of the State of Illinois.

(d) Every fiscal year the State Treasurer shall transfer from the General Revenue Fund to the Capital Litigation Trust Fund an amount equal to the full amount of moneys appropriated by the General Assembly (both by original and supplemental appropriation), less any unexpended balance from the previous fiscal year, from the Capital Litigation Trust Fund for the specific purpose of making funding available for the prosecution and defense of capital cases and for the litigation expenses associated with post-conviction proceedings in capital cases under Article 122 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 and in relation to petitions filed under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to capital cases. The Public Defender and State's Attorney in Cook County, the State Appellate Defender, the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, and the Attorney General shall make annual requests for appropriations from the Trust Fund.

(1) The Public Defender in Cook County shall request appropriations to the State Treasurer for expenses incurred by the Public Defender and for funding for private appointed defense counsel in Cook County.

(2) The State's Attorney in Cook County shall request an appropriation to the State Treasurer for expenses incurred by the State's Attorney.

(3) The State Appellate Defender shall request a direct appropriation from the Trust Fund for expenses incurred by the State Appellate Defender in providing assistance to trial attorneys under item (c)(5) of Section 10 of the State Appellate Defender Act and for expenses incurred by the State Appellate Defender in representing petitioners in capital cases in post-conviction proceedings under Article 122 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 and in relation to petitions filed under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to capital cases and for the representation of those petitioners by attorneys approved by or contracted with the State Appellate Defender and an appropriation to the State Treasurer for payments from the Trust Fund for the defense of cases in counties other than Cook County.

(4) The State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor shall request a direct appropriation from the Trust Fund to pay expenses incurred by the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor and an appropriation to the State Treasurer for payments from the Trust Fund for expenses incurred by State's Attorneys in counties other than Cook County.

(5) The Attorney General shall request a direct appropriation from the Trust Fund to pay expenses incurred by the Attorney General in assisting the State's Attorneys in counties other than Cook County and to pay for expenses incurred by the Attorney General when the Attorney General is ordered by the presiding judge of the Criminal Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County to prosecute or supervise the prosecution of Cook County cases and for expenses incurred by the Attorney General in representing the State in post-conviction proceedings in capital cases under Article 122 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 and in relation to petitions filed under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to capital cases.

The Public Defender and State's Attorney in Cook County, the State Appellate Defender, the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, and the Attorney General may each request supplemental appropriations from the Trust Fund during the fiscal year.

(e) Moneys in the Trust Fund shall be expended only as follows:

(1) To pay the State Treasurer's costs to administer the Trust Fund. The amount for this purpose may not exceed 5% in any one fiscal year of the amount otherwise appropriated from the Trust Fund in the same fiscal year.

(2) To pay the capital litigation expenses of trial defense and post-conviction proceedings in capital cases under Article 122 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 and in relation to petitions filed under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to capital cases including, but not limited to, DNA testing, including DNA testing under Section 116-3 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963, analysis, and expert testimony, investigatory and other assistance, expert, forensic, and other witnesses, and mitigation specialists, and grants and aid provided to public defenders, appellate defenders, and any attorney approved by or contracted with the State Appellate Defender representing petitioners in post-conviction proceedings in capital cases under Article 122 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 and in relation to petitions filed under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to capital cases or assistance to attorneys who have been appointed by the court to represent defendants who are charged with capital crimes.

(3) To pay the compensation of trial attorneys, other than public defenders or appellate defenders, who have been appointed by the court to represent defendants who are charged with capital crimes or attorneys approved by or contracted with the State Appellate Defender to represent petitioners in post-conviction proceedings in capital cases under Article 122 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 and in relation to petitions filed under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to capital cases.

(4) To provide State's Attorneys with funding for capital litigation expenses and for expenses of representing the State in post-conviction proceedings in capital cases under Article 122 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 and in relation to petitions filed under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to capital cases including, but not limited to, investigatory and other assistance and expert, forensic, and other witnesses necessary to prosecute capital cases. State's Attorneys in any county other than Cook County seeking funding for capital litigation expenses and for expenses of representing the State in post-conviction proceedings in capital cases under Article 122 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 and in relation to petitions filed under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to capital cases including, but not limited to, investigatory and other assistance and expert, forensic, or other witnesses under this Section may request that the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor or the Attorney General, as the case may be, certify the expenses as reasonable, necessary, and appropriate for payment from the Trust Fund, on a form created by the State Treasurer. Upon certification of the expenses and delivery of the certification to the State Treasurer, the Treasurer shall pay the expenses directly from the Capital Litigation Trust Fund if there are sufficient moneys in the Trust Fund to pay the expenses.

(5) To provide financial support through the Attorney General pursuant to the Attorney General Act for the several county State's Attorneys outside of Cook County, but shall not be used to increase personnel for the Attorney General's Office, except when the Attorney General is ordered by the presiding judge of the Criminal Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County to prosecute or supervise the prosecution of Cook County cases.

(6) To provide financial support through the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor pursuant to the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor's Act for the several county State's Attorneys outside of Cook County, but shall not be used to increase personnel for the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor.

(7) To provide financial support to the State Appellate Defender pursuant to the State Appellate Defender Act.

Moneys expended from the Trust Fund shall be in addition to county funding for Public Defenders and State's Attorneys, and shall not be used to supplant or reduce ordinary and customary county funding.

(f) Moneys in the Trust Fund shall be appropriated to the State Appellate Defender, the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, the Attorney General, and the State Treasurer. The State Appellate Defender shall receive an appropriation from the Trust Fund to enable it to provide assistance to appointed defense counsel and attorneys approved by or contracted with the State Appellate Defender to represent petitioners in post-conviction proceedings in capital cases under Article 122 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 and in relation to petitions filed under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to capital cases throughout the State and to Public Defenders in counties other than Cook. The State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor and the Attorney General shall receive appropriations from the Trust Fund to enable them to provide assistance to State's Attorneys in counties other than Cook County and when the Attorney General is ordered by the presiding judge of the Criminal Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County to prosecute or supervise the prosecution of Cook County cases. Moneys shall be appropriated to the State Treasurer to enable the Treasurer (i) to make grants to Cook County, (ii) to pay the expenses of Public Defenders, the State Appellate Defender, the Attorney General, the Office of the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, and State's Attorneys in counties other than Cook County, (iii) to pay the expenses and compensation of appointed defense counsel and attorneys approved by or contracted with the State Appellate Defender to represent petitioners in post-conviction proceedings in capital cases under Article 122 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 and in relation to petitions filed under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to capital cases in counties other than Cook County, and (iv) to pay the costs of administering the Trust Fund. All expenditures and grants made from the Trust Fund shall be subject to audit by the Auditor General.

(g) For Cook County, grants from the Trust Fund shall be made and administered as follows:

(1) For each State fiscal year, the State's Attorney and Public Defender must each make a separate application to the State Treasurer for capital litigation grants.

(2) The State Treasurer shall establish rules and procedures for grant applications. The rules shall require the Cook County Treasurer as the grant recipient to report on a periodic basis to the State Treasurer how much of the grant has been expended, how much of the grant is remaining, and the purposes for which the grant has been used. The rules may also require the Cook County Treasurer to certify on a periodic basis that expenditures of the funds have been made for expenses that are reasonable, necessary, and appropriate for payment from the Trust Fund.

(3) The State Treasurer shall make the grants to the Cook County Treasurer as soon as possible after the beginning of the State fiscal year.

(4) The State's Attorney or Public Defender may apply for supplemental grants during the fiscal year.

(5) Grant moneys shall be paid to the Cook County Treasurer in block grants and held in separate accounts for the State's Attorney, the Public Defender, and court appointed defense counsel other than the Cook County Public Defender, respectively, for the designated fiscal year, and are not subject to county appropriation.

(6) Expenditure of grant moneys under this subsection (g) is subject to audit by the Auditor General.

(7) The Cook County Treasurer shall immediately make payment from the appropriate separate account in the county treasury for capital litigation expenses to the State's Attorney, Public Defender, or court appointed defense counsel other than the Public Defender, as the case may be, upon order of the State's Attorney, Public Defender or the court, respectively.

(h) If a defendant in a capital case in Cook County is represented by court appointed counsel other than the Cook County Public Defender, the appointed counsel shall petition the court for an order directing the Cook County Treasurer to pay the court appointed counsel's reasonable and necessary compensation and capital litigation expenses from grant moneys provided from the Trust Fund. These petitions shall be considered in camera. Orders denying petitions for compensation or expenses are final. Counsel may not petition for expenses that may have been provided or compensated by the State Appellate Defender under item (c)(5) of Section 10 of the State Appellate Defender Act.

(i) In counties other than Cook County, and when the Attorney General is ordered by the presiding judge of the Criminal Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County to prosecute or supervise the prosecution of Cook County cases, and excluding capital litigation expenses or services that may have been provided by the State Appellate Defender under item (c)(5) of Section 10 of the State Appellate Defender Act:

(1) Upon certification by the circuit court, on a form created by the State Treasurer, that all or a portion of the expenses are reasonable, necessary, and appropriate for payment from the Trust Fund and the court's delivery of the certification to the Treasurer, the Treasurer shall pay the certified expenses of Public Defenders and the State Appellate Defender from the money appropriated to the Treasurer for capital litigation expenses of Public Defenders and post-conviction proceeding expenses in capital cases of the State Appellate Defender and expenses in relation to petitions filed under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to capital cases in any county other than Cook County, if there are sufficient moneys in the Trust Fund to pay the expenses.

(2) If a defendant in a capital case is represented by court appointed counsel other than the Public Defender, the appointed counsel shall petition the court to certify compensation and capital litigation expenses including, but not limited to, investigatory and other assistance, expert, forensic, and other witnesses, and mitigation specialists as reasonable, necessary, and appropriate for payment from the Trust Fund. If a petitioner in a capital case who has filed a petition for post-conviction relief under Article 122 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 or a petition under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to capital cases is represented by an attorney approved by or contracted with the State Appellate Defender other than the State Appellate Defender, that attorney shall petition the court to certify compensation and litigation expenses of post-conviction proceedings under Article 122 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 or in relation to petitions filed under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to capital cases. Upon certification on a form created by the State Treasurer of all or a portion of the compensation and expenses certified as reasonable, necessary, and appropriate for payment from the Trust Fund and the court's delivery of the certification to the Treasurer, the State Treasurer shall pay the certified compensation and expenses from the money appropriated to the Treasurer for that purpose, if there are sufficient moneys in the Trust Fund to make those payments.

(3) A petition for capital litigation expenses or post-conviction proceeding expenses or expenses incurred in filing a petition under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure in relation to capital cases under this subsection shall be considered in camera. Orders denying petitions for compensation or expenses are final.

(j) If the Trust Fund is discontinued or dissolved by an Act of the General Assembly or by operation of law, any balance remaining in the Trust Fund shall be returned to the General Revenue Fund after deduction of administrative costs, any other provision of this Act to the contrary notwithstanding.

(Source: P.A. 93-127, eff. 1-1-04; 93-605, eff. 11-19-03; revised 12-9-03.)

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