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    AN ACT concerning criminal  law.

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

 
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    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Joint 
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Criminal Law Review Commission Act.
 
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    Section 5. Joint Criminal Law Review Commission. 
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    (a) There is created the Joint Criminal Law Review 
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Commission, hereinafter referred to as the Commission, 
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consisting of 13 members appointed as follows:
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        (1) Three members appointed by the President of the 
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    Senate;
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        (2) Three members appointed by the Minority Leader of 
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    the Senate;
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        (3) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the House 
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    of Representatives;
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        (4) Three members appointed by the Minority Leader of 
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    the House of Representatives; and
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        (5) One member appointed by the Governor.
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    (b) Commission members shall serve 2-year terms or until 
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their successors are appointed.
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    (c) Commission intent. The Commission is intended to:
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        (1) make the criminal laws of Illinois easier to 
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    understand, access, apply, and interpret;
 


 






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        (2) promote obedience to the rule of law; and
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        (3) reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of the 
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    criminal justice system by eliminating disputes relating 
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    to criminal laws that result in retrials, delays, and 
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    mistakes in the process.
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    (d) Commission review.
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        (1) The Commission shall conduct an ongoing study, 
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    review, and evaluation of the existing laws pertaining to 
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    criminal or penal offenses in the State to ensure that 
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    these provisions are constitutional, consistent, 
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    appropriately located, and drafted concisely; and
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        (2) The Commission shall review and evaluate all 
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    proposed legislation filed in the Illinois General 
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    Assembly relating to criminal or penal offenses to ensure 
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    that such legislation is necessary and uniform and adheres 
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    to generally accepted drafting principles. The Commission 
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    shall review and evaluate each filed legislative proposal 
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    to determine whether it:
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            (A) is constitutional;
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            (B) is not duplicative of or inadvertently 
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        inconsistent with existing law;
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            (C) contains an appropriate mental state; and
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            (D) is placed in an appropriate place within the 
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        Illinois Compiled Statutes.
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    (e) Commission recommendations. As to clause (d)(1), 
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review and evaluation of existing law, the Commission shall 
 


 






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make recommendations to the General Assembly for actions to be 
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taken. As to clause (d)(2), review and evaluation of proposed 
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legislation, the Commission shall make one of the 3 following 
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recommendations to the General Assembly:
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        (1) approve the legislative proposal;
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        (2) approve the legislative proposal with specific 
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    changes; or

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        (3) do not approve the legislative proposal.
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    (f) Commission authority. The Commission shall make 
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ongoing recommendations to the General Assembly regarding 
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proposed legislation.  Commission recommendations shall be 
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advisory in nature.

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    (g) The Commission shall report to the General Assembly 
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annually or as it deems necessary or useful on the results of 
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its study, review, and evaluation as set forth in clause (d)(1) 
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and the performance of the Commission's duties. The Commission 
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shall also report to the General Assembly on a regular basis or 
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as it deems necessary or useful during the legislative session 
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on the Commission's recommendations relating to proposed 
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legislation as set forth in clause (d)(2).
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    (h) The Commission may request assistance from any other 
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entity as necessary or useful for the performance of its 
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duties.


 

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