Bill Text: IL HB0305 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that a non-expert's opinion or inference testimony is limited to opinions or inferences that are rationally based on his or her perception, helpful to a clear understanding of his or her testimony or the determination of a fact in issue, and not based on scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge. Sets forth requirements regarding: qualifications, testimony, disclosure, and compensation of expert witnesses; bases of expert opinion testimony; limitations on expert testimony; pre-trial hearings and disclosures concerning expert witnesses; precedents to be followed in interpreting the new provisions; interlocutory appeals of rulings on the admissibility of expert evidence; standards to be followed by reviewing courts in determining the admissibility of expert testimony; severability; and other matters. Applies to actions commenced on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act and pending actions in which a trial has not been scheduled or in which a trial has been scheduled more than 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 8-0)
Status: (Failed) 2013-01-08 - Session Sine Die [HB0305 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2011-HB0305-Introduced.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning civil law.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by adding | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Part 29 to Article VIII as follows:
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6 | (735 ILCS 5/Art. VIII Pt. 29 heading new) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Part 29. Reliability in Expert Testimony Standards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | (735 ILCS 5/8-2901 new) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | Sec. 8-2901. Opinion testimony by lay witnesses. If the | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | witness is not testifying as an expert, the witness' testimony | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | in the form of opinions or inferences is limited to those | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | opinions or inferences which are (a) rationally based on the | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | perception of the witness, (b) helpful to a clear understanding | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | of the witness' testimony or the determination of a fact in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | issue, and (c) not based on scientific, technical, or other | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | specialized knowledge within the scope of Section 8-2903.
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17 | (735 ILCS 5/8-2902 new) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | Sec. 8-2902. Testimony by experts. If scientific, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, |
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1 | experience, training, or education may testify thereto in the | ||||||
2 | form of an opinion or otherwise, if (a) the testimony is based | ||||||
3 | upon sufficient facts or data, (b) the testimony is the product | ||||||
4 | of reliable principles and methods, and (c) the witness has | ||||||
5 | applied the principles and methods reliably to the facts of the | ||||||
6 | case.
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7 | (735 ILCS 5/8-2903 new) | ||||||
8 | Sec. 8-2903. Bases of expert opinion testimony. The facts | ||||||
9 | or data in the particular case upon which an expert bases an | ||||||
10 | opinion or inference may be those perceived by or made known to | ||||||
11 | the expert at or before the hearing. If of a type reasonably | ||||||
12 | relied upon by experts in the particular field in forming | ||||||
13 | opinions or inferences upon the subject, the facts or data need | ||||||
14 | not be admissible in evidence in order for the opinion or | ||||||
15 | inference to be admitted. Facts or data that are otherwise | ||||||
16 | inadmissible shall not be disclosed to the jury by the | ||||||
17 | proponent of the opinion or inference unless the court | ||||||
18 | determines that their probative value in assisting the jury to | ||||||
19 | evaluate the expert's opinion substantially outweighs their | ||||||
20 | prejudicial effect.
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21 | (735 ILCS 5/8-2904 new) | ||||||
22 | Sec. 8-2904. Bars to expert testimony. | ||||||
23 | (a) A witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, | ||||||
24 | experience, training, or education may only offer expert |
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1 | testimony with respect to a particular field in which the | ||||||
2 | expert is qualified. | ||||||
3 | (b) An expert witness may receive a reasonable and | ||||||
4 | customary fee for the rendering of professional services, | ||||||
5 | provided that the testimony of an expert witness shall not be | ||||||
6 | admitted if any such compensation is contingent on the outcome | ||||||
7 | of any claim or case with respect to which the testimony is | ||||||
8 | being offered.
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9 | (735 ILCS 5/8-2905 new) | ||||||
10 | Sec. 8-2905. Mandatory pre-trial hearing. If the witness is | ||||||
11 | testifying as an expert, then upon motion of a party, the court | ||||||
12 | shall hold a pre-trial hearing to determine whether the witness | ||||||
13 | qualifies as an expert and whether the expert's testimony | ||||||
14 | satisfies the requirements of Sections 8-2902, 8-2903, and | ||||||
15 | 8-2904. The court shall allow sufficient time for a hearing and | ||||||
16 | shall rule on the qualifications of the witness to testify as | ||||||
17 | an expert and whether or not the testimony satisfies the | ||||||
18 | requirements of Sections 8-2902, 8-2903, and 8-2904. Such | ||||||
19 | hearing and ruling shall be completed no later than the final | ||||||
20 | pre-trial hearing. The trial court's ruling shall set forth the | ||||||
21 | findings of fact and conclusions of law upon which the order to | ||||||
22 | admit or exclude expert evidence is based.
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23 | (735 ILCS 5/8-2906 new) | ||||||
24 | Sec. 8-2906. Mandatory pre-trial disclosure of expert |
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1 | testimony. | ||||||
2 | (a) Whether or not any party elects to request a pre-trial | ||||||
3 | hearing contemplated in Section 8-2905, all parties shall | ||||||
4 | disclose to other parties the identity of any person who may be | ||||||
5 | used at trial to present expert evidence. | ||||||
6 | (b) Except as otherwise stipulated or directed by the | ||||||
7 | court, this disclosure shall, with respect to a witness who is | ||||||
8 | retained or specially employed to provide expert testimony in | ||||||
9 | the case or whose duties as an employee of the party regularly | ||||||
10 | involve giving expert testimony, be accompanied by a written | ||||||
11 | report prepared and signed by the witness. The report shall | ||||||
12 | contain a complete statement of all opinions to be expressed | ||||||
13 | and the basis and reasons therefor; the data or other | ||||||
14 | information considered by the witness in forming the opinions; | ||||||
15 | any exhibits to be used as a summary of or support for the | ||||||
16 | opinions; the qualifications of the witness, including a list | ||||||
17 | of all publications authored by the witness within the | ||||||
18 | preceding 10 years; the compensation to be paid for the study | ||||||
19 | and testimony; and a listing of any other cases in which the | ||||||
20 | witness has testified as an expert at trial or by deposition | ||||||
21 | within the preceding 4 years. | ||||||
22 | (c) These disclosures shall be made at the times and in the | ||||||
23 | sequence directed by the court. In the absence of other | ||||||
24 | directions from the court or stipulation by the parties, the | ||||||
25 | disclosures shall be made at least 90 days before the trial | ||||||
26 | date or the date the case is to be ready for trial or, if the |
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1 | evidence is intended solely to contradict or rebut evidence on | ||||||
2 | the same subject matter identified by another party under | ||||||
3 | paragraph (b), within 30 days after the disclosure made by the | ||||||
4 | other party. | ||||||
5 | (d) A party may depose any person who has been identified | ||||||
6 | as an expert whose opinions may be presented at trial. If a | ||||||
7 | report from the expert is required under paragraph (b), the | ||||||
8 | deposition shall not be conducted until after the report is | ||||||
9 | provided.
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10 | (735 ILCS 5/8-2907 new) | ||||||
11 | Sec. 8-2907. Interpretation. In interpreting and applying | ||||||
12 | this Act, the courts of this State shall follow the opinions of | ||||||
13 | the Supreme Court of the United States in Daubert v. Merrell | ||||||
14 | Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 509 U.S. 579 (1993), General | ||||||
15 | Electric Co. v. Joiner, 522 U.S. 136 (1997), Kumho Tire Co. | ||||||
16 | Ltd. v. Carmichael, 526 U.S. 137 (1999), Weisgram v. Marley, | ||||||
17 | 528 U.S. 440 (2000), and their progeny; moreover, the courts of | ||||||
18 | this State may draw from other precedents binding in the | ||||||
19 | federal courts of this State applying the standards announced | ||||||
20 | by the Supreme Court of the United States in the foregoing | ||||||
21 | cases.
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22 | (735 ILCS 5/8-2908 new) | ||||||
23 | Sec. 8-2908. Interlocutory appeal. Interlocutory appeal of | ||||||
24 | a ruling on the admissibility of expert evidence shall be |
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1 | available at the discretion of the appellate court. In deciding | ||||||
2 | whether to grant the interlocutory appeal, the court shall | ||||||
3 | consider whether: (i) the ruling involved any challenge to the | ||||||
4 | constitutionality of this Act; (ii) the ruling will help prove | ||||||
5 | or disprove criminal liability; or (iii) the ruling will help | ||||||
6 | establish civil liability at or above $75,000, where the | ||||||
7 | testimony could be outcome-determinative for establishing | ||||||
8 | liability or determining damages. Neither a party's failure to | ||||||
9 | seek interlocutory appeal nor an appellate court's decision to | ||||||
10 | deny a motion for interlocutory appeal shall waive a party's | ||||||
11 | right to appeal a ruling on the admissibility of expert | ||||||
12 | evidence after an entry of judgment in the case.
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13 | (735 ILCS 5/8-2909 new) | ||||||
14 | Sec. 8-2909. Standard of review. | ||||||
15 | (a) As the proper construction of the expert evidence | ||||||
16 | admissibility framework prescribed by this Act is a question of | ||||||
17 | law, the reviewing court shall apply a de novo standard of | ||||||
18 | review in determining whether the trial court fully applied the | ||||||
19 | proper legal standard in considering the admissibility of | ||||||
20 | expert evidence. | ||||||
21 | (b) As the application of this Act to determine the | ||||||
22 | admissibility of expert testimony is a question of fact, the | ||||||
23 | reviewing court shall apply an abuse of discretion standard in | ||||||
24 | determining whether the trial court properly admitted or | ||||||
25 | excluded particular expert evidence.
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1 | (735 ILCS 5/8-2910 new)
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2 | Sec. 8-2910. Application. This Part applies to all actions | ||||||
3 | commenced on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act | ||||||
4 | of the 97th General Assembly
and to all pending actions in | ||||||
5 | which trial has not been scheduled or in which trial has been | ||||||
6 | scheduled in excess of 90 days after the effective date of this | ||||||
7 | amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly.
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8 | Section 97. Severability. The provisions of this Act are | ||||||
9 | severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.
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10 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
11 | becoming law.
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