103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB3971

 

Introduced 2/17/2023, by Rep. Curtis J. Tarver, II

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
5 ILCS 280/1  from Ch. 102, par. 120
10 ILCS 5/29-15  from Ch. 46, par. 29-15
65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-5  from Ch. 24, par. 3.1-10-5
730 ILCS 5/5-5-5  from Ch. 38, par. 1005-5-5

    Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Removes provisions providing that a person is not eligible to take the oath of office for a municipal office if that person has been convicted of certain crimes. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that a person convicted of a felony, bribery, perjury, or other infamous crime (rather than a felony) for an offense committed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act while he or she was serving as a public official is ineligible to hold any local public office (in addition to being ineligible to hold an office created by the Constitution of the State) unless the person's conviction is reversed or until the completion of his or her sentence and his or her eligibility to hold office is restored. Amends the Officials Convicted of Infamous Crimes Act and the Election Code making conforming changes.


LRB103 26855 AWJ 53219 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3971LRB103 26855 AWJ 53219 b

1    AN ACT concerning criminal convictions.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. Amends the Officials Convicted of Infamous
5Crimes Act by changing Section 1 as follows:
 
6    (5 ILCS 280/1)  (from Ch. 102, par. 120)
7    Sec. 1. Any person holding office under the Constitution
8of the State of Illinois and every elected official of local
9government or of any school district who is convicted in any
10court of the State of Illinois or of the United States of a
11felony, bribery, perjury, or other infamous crime, as
12understood in Section 1 of Article XIII of the Constitution of
131970, shall be, upon conviction, ineligible to continue in
14such office unless the person's conviction is reversed under
15this Section or the person's eligibility to hold office is
16restored under Section 29-15 of the Election Code.
17    If, subsequently, a final order reverses the conviction,
18eligibility to hold the office, to the extent of the original
19term then remaining, is restored, and the officer shall be
20reinstated, for the duration of the term of office remaining.
21Each such officer shall be promptly repaid all compensation
22withheld from him as a result of his removal. No rights of an
23officer under any pension plan subject to the jurisdiction of

 

 

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1this State, of which the officer is a member at the time of his
2ineligibility for office, shall be abridged if the officer is
3returned to office by this Act.
4    After conviction and until a final order of reversal under
5this Section or restoration of eligibility to hold office
6under Section 29-15 of the Election Code, there shall be no
7payment of compensation to any such officer. Upon the
8conviction and ineligibility of any person under this Act, a
9successor shall be chosen according to law. This successor
10shall hold office for the remainder of the term or until a
11final order reversing the conviction is entered.
12(Source: P.A. 88-419.)
 
13    Section 10. The Election Code is amended by changing
14Section 29-15 as follows:
 
15    (10 ILCS 5/29-15)  (from Ch. 46, par. 29-15)
16    Sec. 29-15. Conviction deemed infamous. Any person
17convicted of a felony, bribery, perjury, or other an infamous
18crime as such term is defined in Section 124-1 of the Code of
19Criminal Procedure of 1963, as amended, shall thereafter be
20prohibited from holding any office of honor, trust, or profit
21unless the person's conviction is reversed under Section 1 of
22the Officials Convicted of Infamous Crimes Act or the person's
23eligibility to hold office is restored following the
24completion of his or her sentence , unless such person is again

 

 

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1restored to such rights by the terms of a pardon for the
2offense, by receiving has received a restoration of rights by
3the Governor, or otherwise according to law. Any time after a
4judgment of conviction is rendered, a person convicted of a
5felony, bribery, perjury, or other an infamous crime may
6petition the Governor for a restoration of rights.
7    The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of
8the 102nd General Assembly are declarative of existing law.
9(Source: P.A. 102-15, eff. 6-17-21.)
 
10    Section 15. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by
11changing Section 3.1-10-5 as follows:
 
12    (65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-5)  (from Ch. 24, par. 3.1-10-5)
13    Sec. 3.1-10-5. Qualifications; elective office.
14    (a) A person is not eligible for an elective municipal
15office unless that person is a qualified elector of the
16municipality and has resided in the municipality at least one
17year next preceding the election or appointment, except as
18provided in Section 3.1-20-25, subsection (b) of Section
193.1-25-75, Section 5-2-2, or Section 5-2-11.
20    (b) A person is not eligible to take the oath of office for
21a municipal office if that person is, at the time required for
22taking the oath of office, in arrears in the payment of a tax
23or other indebtedness due to the municipality or has been
24convicted in any court located in the United States of any

 

 

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1infamous crime, bribery, perjury, or other felony, unless such
2person is again restored to his or her rights of citizenship
3that may have been forfeited under Illinois law as a result of
4a conviction, which includes eligibility to hold elected
5municipal office, by the terms of a pardon for the offense, has
6received a restoration of rights by the Governor, or otherwise
7according to law. Any time after a judgment of conviction is
8rendered, a person convicted of an infamous crime, bribery,
9perjury, or other felony may petition the Governor for a
10restoration of rights.
11    The changes made to this subsection by this amendatory Act
12of the 102nd General Assembly are declarative of existing law
13and apply to all persons elected at the April 4, 2017
14consolidated election and to persons elected or appointed
15thereafter.
16    (b-5) (Blank).
17    (c) A person is not eligible for the office of alderperson
18of a ward unless that person has resided in the ward that the
19person seeks to represent, and a person is not eligible for the
20office of trustee of a district unless that person has resided
21in the municipality, at least one year next preceding the
22election or appointment, except as provided in Section
233.1-20-25, subsection (b) of Section 3.1-25-75, Section 5-2-2,
24or Section 5-2-11.
25    (d) If a person (i) is a resident of a municipality
26immediately prior to the active duty military service of that

 

 

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1person or that person's spouse, (ii) resides anywhere outside
2of the municipality during that active duty military service,
3and (iii) immediately upon completion of that active duty
4military service is again a resident of the municipality, then
5the time during which the person resides outside the
6municipality during the active duty military service is deemed
7to be time during which the person is a resident of the
8municipality for purposes of determining the residency
9requirement under subsection (a).
10(Source: P.A. 102-15, eff. 6-17-21.)
 
11    Section 20. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by
12changing Section 5-5-5 as follows:
 
13    (730 ILCS 5/5-5-5)  (from Ch. 38, par. 1005-5-5)
14    Sec. 5-5-5. Loss and restoration of rights.
15    (a) Conviction and disposition shall not entail the loss
16by the defendant of any civil rights, except under this
17Section and Sections 29-6 and 29-10 of The Election Code, as
18now or hereafter amended.
19    (b) A person convicted before the effective date of this
20amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly of a felony shall
21be ineligible to hold an office created by the Constitution of
22this State until the completion of his sentence.
23    (b-5) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person
24convicted of a felony, bribery, perjury, or other infamous

 

 

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1crime for an offense committed on or after the effective date
2of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly and
3committed while he or she was serving as a public official in
4this State is ineligible to hold any local public office or any
5office created by the Constitution of this State unless the
6person's conviction is reversed under Section 1 of the
7Officials Convicted of Infamous Crimes Act or until the
8completion of his or her sentence and his or her eligibility to
9hold office is restored under Section 29-15 of the Election
10Code.
11    (c) A person sentenced to imprisonment shall lose his
12right to vote until released from imprisonment.
13    (d) On completion of sentence of imprisonment or upon
14discharge from probation, conditional discharge or periodic
15imprisonment, or at any time thereafter, all license rights
16and privileges granted under the authority of this State which
17have been revoked or suspended because of conviction of an
18offense shall be restored unless the authority having
19jurisdiction of such license rights finds after investigation
20and hearing that restoration is not in the public interest.
21This paragraph (d) shall not apply to the suspension or
22revocation of a license to operate a motor vehicle under the
23Illinois Vehicle Code.
24    (e) Upon a person's discharge from incarceration or
25parole, or upon a person's discharge from probation or at any
26time thereafter, the committing court may enter an order

 

 

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1certifying that the sentence has been satisfactorily completed
2when the court believes it would assist in the rehabilitation
3of the person and be consistent with the public welfare. Such
4order may be entered upon the motion of the defendant or the
5State or upon the court's own motion.
6    (f) Upon entry of the order, the court shall issue to the
7person in whose favor the order has been entered a certificate
8stating that his behavior after conviction has warranted the
9issuance of the order.
10    (g) This Section shall not affect the right of a defendant
11to collaterally attack his conviction or to rely on it in bar
12of subsequent proceedings for the same offense.
13    (h) No application for any license specified in subsection
14(i) of this Section granted under the authority of this State
15shall be denied by reason of an eligible offender who has
16obtained a certificate of relief from disabilities, as defined
17in Article 5.5 of this Chapter, having been previously
18convicted of one or more criminal offenses, or by reason of a
19finding of lack of "good moral character" when the finding is
20based upon the fact that the applicant has previously been
21convicted of one or more criminal offenses, unless:
22        (1) there is a direct relationship between one or more
23    of the previous criminal offenses and the specific license
24    sought; or
25        (2) the issuance of the license would involve an
26    unreasonable risk to property or to the safety or welfare

 

 

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1    of specific individuals or the general public.
2    In making such a determination, the licensing agency shall
3consider the following factors:
4        (1) the public policy of this State, as expressed in
5    Article 5.5 of this Chapter, to encourage the licensure
6    and employment of persons previously convicted of one or
7    more criminal offenses;
8        (2) the specific duties and responsibilities
9    necessarily related to the license being sought;
10        (3) the bearing, if any, the criminal offenses or
11    offenses for which the person was previously convicted
12    will have on his or her fitness or ability to perform one
13    or more such duties and responsibilities;
14        (4) the time which has elapsed since the occurrence of
15    the criminal offense or offenses;
16        (5) the age of the person at the time of occurrence of
17    the criminal offense or offenses;
18        (6) the seriousness of the offense or offenses;
19        (7) any information produced by the person or produced
20    on his or her behalf in regard to his or her rehabilitation
21    and good conduct, including a certificate of relief from
22    disabilities issued to the applicant, which certificate
23    shall create a presumption of rehabilitation in regard to
24    the offense or offenses specified in the certificate; and
25        (8) the legitimate interest of the licensing agency in
26    protecting property, and the safety and welfare of

 

 

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1    specific individuals or the general public.
2    (i) A certificate of relief from disabilities shall be
3issued only for a license or certification issued under the
4following Acts:
5        (1) the Animal Welfare Act; except that a certificate
6    of relief from disabilities may not be granted to provide
7    for the issuance or restoration of a license under the
8    Animal Welfare Act for any person convicted of violating
9    Section 3, 3.01, 3.02, 3.03, 3.03-1, or 4.01 of the Humane
10    Care for Animals Act or Section 26-5 or 48-1 of the
11    Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012;
12        (2) the Illinois Athletic Trainers Practice Act;
13        (3) the Barber, Cosmetology, Esthetics, Hair Braiding,
14    and Nail Technology Act of 1985;
15        (4) the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Repairer Regulation
16    Act;
17        (5) the Boxing and Full-contact Martial Arts Act;
18        (6) the Illinois Certified Shorthand Reporters Act of
19    1984;
20        (7) the Illinois Farm Labor Contractor Certification
21    Act;
22        (8) the Registered Interior Designers Act;
23        (9) the Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act of
24    1989;
25        (10) the Landscape Architecture Registration Act;
26        (11) the Marriage and Family Therapy Licensing Act;

 

 

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1        (12) the Private Employment Agency Act;
2        (13) the Professional Counselor and Clinical
3    Professional Counselor Licensing and Practice Act;
4        (14) the Real Estate License Act of 2000;
5        (15) the Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act;
6        (16) the Professional Engineering Practice Act of
7    1989;
8        (17) the Water Well and Pump Installation Contractor's
9    License Act;
10        (18) the Electrologist Licensing Act;
11        (19) the Auction License Act;
12        (20) the Illinois Architecture Practice Act of 1989;
13        (21) the Dietitian Nutritionist Practice Act;
14        (22) the Environmental Health Practitioner Licensing
15    Act;
16        (23) the Funeral Directors and Embalmers Licensing
17    Code;
18        (24) (blank);
19        (25) the Professional Geologist Licensing Act;
20        (26) the Illinois Public Accounting Act; and
21        (27) the Structural Engineering Practice Act of 1989.
22(Source: P.A. 102-284, eff. 8-6-21.)