Illinois Senate Bill 1621

---

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5)
Status: Introduced on February 4 2025 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2025-06-02 - Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments
Pending: Senate Assignments Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [HTML]

Amends the Court of Claims Act. Provides that the Court of Claims has exclusive jurisdiction to hear all claims against the State for time unjustly served in State prisons, in county jails, in county juvenile detention facilities, or in Illinois Youth Centers, on parole or probation, or registered as a sex offender if the person was unjustly convicted or adjudicated a delinquent and received a pardon from the Governor on the ground of innocence of the crime for which the person was convicted or adjudicated a delinquent or the person received a certificate of innocence. Removes language providing the amount of the award the court may give for a successful claim. Provides instead that the court shall make an award of $50,000 per year during which the person was wrongfully incarcerated and $25,000 for each year during which the person was wrongfully on parole or probation or required to register as a sex offender. Provides that the changes made by the amendatory Act apply to claims pending or filed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Allows any person who is convicted or adjudicated a delinquent and then serves any part of a sentence of incarceration in a State prison, in a county jail, in a county juvenile detention facility, or in a Illinois Youth Center, on parole or probation, or registered as a sex offender (rather than convicted and subsequently imprisoned) for one or more felonies by the State that the person did not commit may file a petition for certificate of innocence. Requires the court to make an award of reasonable attorney's fees, costs, and expenses after awarding a certificate of innocence. Provides that any person seeking a certificate of innocence based on the dismissal of a juvenile delinquency petition or an acquittal that occurred before the effective date of the amendatory Act shall file a petition within 4 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act, and any person seeking a certificate of innocence based on the dismissal of a juvenile delinquency petition or an acquittal that occurred on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall file a petition within 2 years after the dismissal or acquittal. Effective immediately.

COURT OF CLAIMS-AWARDS

Sen. Elgie Sims [D]	Sen. Mattie Hunter [D]	Sen. Adriane Johnson [D]	Sen. Michael Hastings [D]
Sen. Graciela Guzman [D]

Date	Chamber	Action
2025-06-02	Senate	Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments
2025-05-26	Senate	Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter
2025-05-23	Senate	Rule 2-10 Committee/3rd Reading Deadline Established As June 1, 2025
2025-05-09	Senate	Rule 2-10 Committee/3rd Reading Deadline Established As May 23, 2025
2025-04-11	Senate	Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As May 9, 2025
2025-03-28	Senate	Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Graciela Guzmán
2025-03-21	Senate	Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As April 11, 2025
2025-02-27	Senate	Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Michael E. Hastings
2025-02-24	Senate	Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Adriane L. Johnson
2025-02-11	Senate	Assigned to Appropriations
2025-02-04	Senate	Referred to Assignments
2025-02-04	Senate	First Reading
2025-02-04	Senate	Filed with Secretary by Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr.

Chapter	Article	Section	Citation Type	Statute Text
705	505	11	Amended Code	Citation Text
705	505	8	Amended Code	Citation Text
735	5	2-702	Amended Code	Citation Text

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocNum=1621&GAID=18&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=160418&SessionID=114
Text	https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus/FullText?LegDocId=200205&DocName=10400SB1621&DocNum=1621&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=160418&GAID=18&SessionID=114&SpecSess=&Session=