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90_HB1113eng 205 ILCS 690/1 205 ILCS 690/5 205 ILCS 690/15 new 205 ILCS 690/20 new 205 ILCS 690/25 new 205 ILCS 690/30 new 205 ILCS 690/35 new 205 ILCS 690/36 new 205 ILCS 690/37 new 205 ILCS 690/38 new 205 ILCS 690/39 new Amends the Check Number Act. Changes the short title to the Check Printer and Check Number Act. Provides that persons not affiliated with a financial institution and engaged in the business of printing checks must register with the Commissioner of Banks and Real Estate. Requires these check printers to verify the name, address, telephone number, and social security number of check purchasers and to refuse to distribute ordered checks if the information cannot be verified. Requires these check printers to post a bond. Creates a civil cause of action for persons damaged by a check printer's failure to verify. Authorizes minimum damages of $1,000 plus attorneys' fees. Provides that making a false statement on the registration form is a Class 3 felony. Effective immediately. LRB9003071JSgc HB1113 Engrossed LRB9003071JSgc 1 AN ACT to amend the Check Number Act by changing Sections 2 1 and 5 and adding Sections 15, 20, 22, 25, 30, 35, 36, 37, 3 38, 39, and 40. 4 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 5 represented in the General Assembly: 6 Section 5. The Check Number Act is amended by changing 7 Sections 1 and 5 and adding Sections 15, 20, 22, 25, 30, 35, 8 36, 37, 38, 39, and 40 as follows: 9 (205 ILCS 690/1) 10 Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Check 11 Printer and Check Number Act. 12 (Source: P.A. 87-1143.) 13 (205 ILCS 690/5) 14 Sec. 5. Definitions. For the purposes of this Act: 15 "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Banks and Real 16 Estate. 17 "Consumer-deposit account" means a demand or other 18 similar deposit account such as a checking, negotiable order 19 of withdrawal, money market, savings deposit, share, or 20 member account established and maintained by a natural person 21 with a financial institution and operated primarily for 22 personal, family, or household purposes. 23 "Financial institution" means (i) any bank subject to the 24 Illinois Banking Act, any savings bank subject to the Savings 25 Bank Act, any savings and loan association subject to the 26 Illinois Savings and Loan Act of 1985, or any credit union 27 subject to the Illinois Credit Union Act; (ii)andany 28 federally chartered commercial bank, savings bank,orsavings 29 and loan association, or credit union organized and operated 30 in this State under the laws of the United States; and (iii) HB1113 Engrossed -2- LRB9003071JSgc 1 any business corporation, limited liability company, business 2 trust, partnership, joint venture, or other entity that is 3 directly or indirectly at least 50% owned by or commonly 4 owned with a financial institution. 5 "Check" means a writing that complies with the 6 requirements of Section 3-104 of the Uniform Commercial Code. 7 "Material change" means any change or addition to any 8 part of a check drawn on a consumer-deposit account 9 pertaining to the account holder's name, address, city, 10 state, or account number. 11 "New order" means an order for checks to be drawn on a 12 new or existing consumer-deposit account which has not been 13 previously fulfilled by a financial institution or by a 14 person fulfilling a check order on behalf of a financial 15 institution or by a person selling or distributing checks 16 registered with the Commissioner under this amendatory Act of 17 1997. 18 "Reorder" means an order for checks to be drawn on an 19 existing consumer-deposit account for which a check order has 20 been previously fulfilled by the person selling or 21 distributing checks. 22 "Person" means any natural person or his legal 23 representative, partnership, corporation, company, trust, 24 business entity, or association. 25 "Verification" means that the financial institution 26 maintaining the consumer-deposit account on which the checks 27 will be drawn is contacted by the seller or distributor of 28 the checks inquiring about the accuracy of a material change 29 or changes requested on any new order or reorder or that the 30 check seller or distributor has obtained acceptable 31 documentation from the person ordering the checks as provided 32 in Section 15. 33 (Source: P.A. 87-1143.) HB1113 Engrossed -3- LRB9003071JSgc 1 (205 ILCS 690/15 new) 2 Sec 15. Verification of check purchasers. 3 (a) A person, other than a financial institution or a 4 person fulfilling check orders on behalf of a financial 5 institution or a person fulfilling check orders under an 6 existing contract, who sells or distributes checks that may 7 be drawn against funds held by a financial institution in a 8 consumer-deposit account shall, before delivery of checks 9 constituting (i) a new order or (ii) a reorder containing a 10 material change or changes, obtain documentation from the 11 person ordering the checks verifying the accuracy of that 12 person's account number, name, and address including city and 13 state. Acceptable forms of documentation under this 14 subsection (a) shall include a copy of the person's account 15 signature card from the financial institution, account 16 agreement with the financial institution, account statement 17 issued by the financial institution, letter or verbal 18 response from the financial institution verifying the account 19 information, or a copy of the signed Magnetic Ink Character 20 Recognition specification sheet from the financial 21 institution. 22 (b) A person, other than a financial institution or a 23 person fulfilling check orders on behalf of a financial 24 institution or a person fulfilling check orders under an 25 existing contract, who sells or distributes checks that may 26 be drawn against funds held by a financial institution in a 27 consumer-deposit account shall before delivery of checks 28 constituting a reorder containing no material change, verify 29 the accuracy of the reorder by clearing the check written on 30 the same consumer-deposit account of the reorder presented 31 for payment for the reorder or obtaining an authorized credit 32 card transaction for payment for the reorder. 33 (c) The sale or distribution of checks by any person who 34 has not first obtained verification as required under this HB1113 Engrossed -4- LRB9003071JSgc 1 Section shall constitute a business offense for which the 2 fine shall be $1,000 for each offense. 3 (205 ILCS 690/20 new) 4 Sec. 20. Registration. A person, other than a financial 5 institution or a person fulfilling check orders on behalf of 6 a financial institution or person fulfilling check orders 7 under an existing contract, who sells or distributes checks 8 that may be drawn against funds held by a financial 9 institution in a consumer-deposit account shall register with 10 and pay a fee of $50 annually to the Commissioner no later 11 than January 15, 1998 and every January 15 thereafter or 12 within 30 days after commencement of doing business in this 13 State. The person shall register on forms provided by the 14 Commissioner that require the name of the business as 15 incorporated, state, and date of incorporation, address of 16 the person's principal place of business, telephone number, 17 and name of the principal contact of the registrant. If the 18 principal contact changes for any reason, it shall be the 19 responsibility of the registrant to notify the Commissioner. 20 (205 ILCS690/22 new) 21 Sec. 22. Fees. All moneys received by the Commissioner 22 under this Act shall be paid into, and all expenses incurred 23 by the Commissioner under this Act shall be paid from, the 24 Bank and Trust Company Fund. 25 (205 ILCS 690/25 new) 26 Sec. 25. Bond; conditions; amount. At the time of each 27 registration, the registrant shall file with, and have 28 approved by, the Commissioner a surety bond issued by a 29 bonding company authorized to do business in this State in 30 the principal sum of $10,000. The bond shall run to the 31 Commissioner and shall be for any liability incurred by the HB1113 Engrossed -5- LRB9003071JSgc 1 registrant for any violation of this Act, including damages 2 awarded in actions brought pursuant to Section 35. 3 From time to time, the Commissioner may determine the 4 amount of liabilities as described herein and may require the 5 registrant to file a bond in an additional sum if it is 6 determined to be necessary in accordance with the 7 requirements of this Section. In no case shall the bond be 8 less than the initial $10,000, nor more than the outstanding 9 liabilities if in excess of $10,000. 10 (205 ILCS 690/30 new) 11 Sec. 30. Civil action. When the Commissioner believes a 12 person has violated or is violating this Act or a rule 13 prescribed under this Act, the Commissioner may request the 14 Attorney General to bring a civil action in circuit court to 15 enjoin the violation or enforce compliance with this Act or a 16 rule prescribed under this Act. A person not complying with 17 an injunction issued under this Section is liable to the 18 State of Illinois in a civil suit for an amount of not more 19 than $10,000. 20 (205 ILCS 690/35 new) 21 Sec. 35. Recovery of damages. A person who is damaged 22 by reason of the registrant's failure to verify as required 23 under this Act may sue such person for damages including, at 24 a minimum, liquidated damages in the amount of $1,000, plus 25 all costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, 26 incurred in the prosecution of the action. 27 (205 ILCS 690/36 new) 28 Sec. 36. Criminal penalties. A person who willfully and 29 knowingly subscribes to or makes, or causes to be made, any 30 false statement on the registration form with intent to 31 deceive the Commissioner or his administrative officers HB1113 Engrossed -6- LRB9003071JSgc 1 shall, upon conviction thereof, be guilty of a Class 3 2 felony. 3 (205 ILCS 690/37 new) 4 Sec. 37. Record retention. Records pertaining to or 5 constituting the procedures for and results of the 6 verification required under this Act shall be retained for a 7 period of 18 months from the date of receipt of the 8 information. 9 (205 ILCS 690/38 new) 10 Sec. 38. Rules. The Commissioner has the power to 11 promulgate reasonable rules for the purpose of administering 12 the provisions of this Act. 13 (205 ILCS 690/39 new) 14 Sec. 39. Severability. The provisions of this Act are 15 severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes. 16 (205 ILCS 690/40 new) 17 Sec. 40. Conflicts. In the event of a conflict between 18 this Act and Article 3 of the Uniform Commercial Code, 19 Article 3 of the Uniform Commercial Code shall control.