Bill Text: IL SB1621 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: 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.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2025-06-02 - Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments [SB1621 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-SB1621-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB1621 Introduced 2/4/2025, by Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
705 ILCS 505/8 from Ch. 37, par. 439.8
705 ILCS 505/11 from Ch. 37, par. 439.11
735 ILCS 5/2-702
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.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning civil law.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Court of Claims Act is amended by changing
Sections 8 and 11 as follows:
(705 ILCS 505/8) (from Ch. 37, par. 439.8)
Sec. 8. Court of Claims jurisdiction; deliberation
periods. The court shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear
and determine the following matters:
(a) All claims against the State founded upon any law
of the State of Illinois or upon any regulation adopted
thereunder by an executive or administrative officer or
agency; provided, however, the court shall not have
jurisdiction (i) to hear or determine claims arising under
the Workers' Compensation Act or the Workers' Occupational
Diseases Act, or claims for expenses in civil litigation,
or (ii) to review administrative decisions for which a
statute provides that review shall be in the circuit or
appellate court.
(b) All claims against the State founded upon any
contract entered into with the State of Illinois.
(c) All claims against the State for time unjustly
served in prisons of this State, in county jails, in

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county juvenile detention facilities, or Illinois Youth
Centers, on parole or probation, or registered as a sex
offender when the person unjustly convicted or adjudicated
a delinquent imprisoned received a pardon from the
Governor stating that such pardon is issued on the ground
of innocence of the crime for which he or she was convicted
or adjudicated a delinquent imprisoned or he or she
received a certificate of innocence from the Circuit Court
as provided in Section 2-702 of the Code of Civil
Procedure. For such claims, the court shall make an award
of $50,000 per year, and prorated for any partial year,
during which the person was wrongfully incarcerated in a
State prison, in a county jail, in a county juvenile
detention facility, or in an Illinois Youth Center,
including the time the person was incarcerated awaiting
trial, and $25,000 for each year, and prorated for any
partial year, during which the person was wrongfully on
parole or probation or required to register as a sex
offender. The court shall make an additional award of
reasonable attorney's fees, costs, and expenses in an
amount determined by the circuit court after awarding a
certificate of innocence under Section 2-702 of the Code
of Civil Procedure. The ; provided, the amount of the
award is at the discretion of the court; and provided, the
court shall make no award in excess of the following
amounts: for imprisonment of 5 years or less, not more

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than $85,350; for imprisonment of 14 years or less but
over 5 years, not more than $170,000; for imprisonment of
over 14 years, not more than $199,150; and provided
further, the court shall fix attorney's fees not to exceed
25% of the award granted. On or after the effective date of
this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, the
court shall annually adjust the maximum awards required
authorized by this subsection (c) to reflect the increase,
if any, in the Consumer Price Index For All Urban
Consumers for the previous calendar year, as determined by
the United States Department of Labor, except that no
annual increment may exceed 5%. For the annual
adjustments, if the Consumer Price Index decreases during
a calendar year, there shall be no adjustment for that
calendar year. The transmission by the Prisoner Review
Board or the clerk of the circuit court of the information
described in Section 11(b) to the clerk of the Court of
Claims is conclusive evidence of the validity of the
claim. The changes made by Public Act 95-970 this
amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly apply to all
claims pending on or filed on or after September 22, 2008
(the effective date of Public Act 95-970). The changes
made by this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly
apply to all claims pending or filed on or after the
effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General
Assembly.

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(d) All claims against the State for damages in cases
sounding in tort, if a like cause of action would lie
against a private person or corporation in a civil suit,
and all like claims sounding in tort against the Medical
Center Commission, the Board of Trustees of the University
of Illinois, the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois
University, the Board of Trustees of Chicago State
University, the Board of Trustees of Eastern Illinois
University, the Board of Trustees of Governors State
University, the Board of Trustees of Illinois State
University, the Board of Trustees of Northeastern Illinois
University, the Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois
University, the Board of Trustees of Western Illinois
University, or the Board of Trustees of the Illinois
Mathematics and Science Academy; provided, that an award
for damages in a case sounding in tort, other than certain
cases involving the operation of a State vehicle described
in this paragraph, shall not exceed the sum of $2,000,000
to or for the benefit of any claimant. The $2,000,000
limit prescribed by this Section does not apply to an
award of damages in any case sounding in tort arising out
of the operation by a State employee of a vehicle owned,
leased or controlled by the State. The defense that the
State or the Medical Center Commission or the Board of
Trustees of the University of Illinois, the Board of
Trustees of Southern Illinois University, the Board of

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Trustees of Chicago State University, the Board of
Trustees of Eastern Illinois University, the Board of
Trustees of Governors State University, the Board of
Trustees of Illinois State University, the Board of
Trustees of Northeastern Illinois University, the Board of
Trustees of Northern Illinois University, the Board of
Trustees of Western Illinois University, or the Board of
Trustees of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
is not liable for the negligence of its officers, agents,
and employees in the course of their employment is not
applicable to the hearing and determination of such
claims. The changes to this Section made by this
amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly apply only to
claims filed on or after July 1, 2015.
The court shall annually adjust the maximum awards
authorized by this subsection to reflect the increase, if
any, in the Consumer Price Index For All Urban Consumers
for the previous calendar year, as determined by the
United States Department of Labor. The Comptroller shall
make the new amount resulting from each annual adjustment
available to the public via the Comptroller's official
website by January 31 of every year.
(e) All claims for recoupment made by the State of
Illinois against any claimant.
(f) All claims pursuant to the Line of Duty
Compensation Act. A claim under that Act must be heard and

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determined within one year after the application for that
claim is filed with the Court as provided in that Act.
(g) All claims filed pursuant to the Crime Victims
Compensation Act.
(h) All claims pursuant to the Illinois National
Guardsman's Compensation Act. A claim under that Act must
be heard and determined within one year after the
application for that claim is filed with the Court as
provided in that Act.
(i) All claims authorized by subsection (a) of Section
10-55 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act for the
expenses incurred by a party in a contested case on the
administrative level.
(Source: P.A. 100-1124, eff. 11-27-18.)
(705 ILCS 505/11) (from Ch. 37, par. 439.11)
Sec. 11. Filing claims.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this
Section and subsection (4) of Section 24, the claimant shall
in all cases set forth fully in his petition the claim, the
action thereon, if any, on behalf of the State, what persons
are owners thereof or interested therein, when and upon what
consideration such persons became so interested; that no
assignment or transfer of the claim or any part thereof or
interest therein has been made, except as stated in the
petition; that the claimant is justly entitled to the amount

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therein claimed from the State of Illinois, after allowing all
just credits; and that claimant believes the facts stated in
the petition to be true. The petition shall be verified, as to
statements of facts, by the affidavit of the claimant, his
agent, or attorney.
(b) Whenever a person has been convicted or adjudicated a
delinquent served a term of imprisonment and has received a
pardon by the Governor stating that such pardon was issued on
the ground of innocence of the crime for which he or she was
convicted or adjudicated a delinquent imprisoned, the Prisoner
Review Board shall transmit this information to the clerk of
the Court of Claims, together with the claimant's current
address. Whenever a person has served a term of imprisonment
and has received a certificate of innocence from the Circuit
Court as provided in Section 2-702 of the Code of Civil
Procedure, the clerk of the issuing Circuit Court shall
transmit this information to the clerk of the Court of Claims,
together with the claimant's current address. The clerk of the
Court of Claims shall immediately docket the case for
consideration by the Court of Claims, and shall provide notice
to the claimant of such docketing together with all hearing
dates and applicable deadlines. The Court of Claims shall hear
the case and render a decision within 90 days after its
docketing.
(Source: P.A. 95-970, eff. 9-22-08; 96-328, eff. 8-11-09.)

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Section 10. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by
changing Section 2-702 as follows:
(735 ILCS 5/2-702)
Sec. 2-702. Petition for a certificate of innocence that
the petitioner was innocent of all offenses for which he or she
was incarcerated.
(a) The General Assembly finds and declares that innocent
persons who have been wrongly convicted or adjudicated
delinquent of crimes in Illinois and subsequently imprisoned
have been frustrated in seeking legal redress due to a variety
of substantive and technical obstacles in the law and that
such persons should have an available avenue to obtain a
finding of innocence so that they may obtain relief through a
petition in the Court of Claims. The General Assembly further
finds misleading the current legal nomenclature which compels
an innocent person to seek a pardon for being wrongfully
incarcerated. It is the intent of the General Assembly that
the court, in exercising its discretion as permitted by law
regarding the weight and admissibility of evidence submitted
pursuant to this Section, shall, in the interest of justice,
give due consideration to difficulties of proof caused by the
passage of time, the death or unavailability of witnesses, the
destruction of evidence or other factors not caused by such
persons or those acting on their behalf.
(b) Any person who was convicted or adjudicated a

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delinquent and subsequently served any part of a sentence of
incarceration in a State prison, in a county jail, in a county
juvenile detention facility, or in an Illinois Youth Center,
on parole or probation, or registered as a sex offender
imprisoned for one or more felonies by the State of Illinois
which he or she did not commit may, under the conditions
hereinafter provided, file a petition for certificate of
innocence in the circuit court of the county in which the
person was convicted or adjudicated a delinquent. The petition
shall request a certificate of innocence finding that the
petitioner was innocent of one or more all offenses for which
he or she was convicted or adjudicated a delinquent
incarcerated.
(c) In order to present the claim for certificate of
innocence of an unjust conviction or juvenile delinquency
adjudication and imprisonment, the petitioner must attach to
his or her petition documentation demonstrating that:
(1) he or she has been convicted or adjudicated a
delinquent of one or more felonies by the State of
Illinois and subsequently sentenced to a term of
imprisonment, and has served all or any part of the
sentence; and
(2) his or her judgment of conviction or delinquency
adjudication was reversed or vacated, and the charge
indictment or information dismissed or, if a new trial was
ordered, either he or she was found not guilty at the new

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trial or he or she was not retried and the charge
indictment or information dismissed; or the statute, or
application thereof, on which the charge indictment or
information was based violated the Constitution of the
United States or the State of Illinois; and
(3) his or her claim is not time barred by the
provisions of subsection (i) of this Section.
(d) The petition shall state facts in sufficient detail to
permit the court to find that the petitioner is likely to
succeed at trial in proving that the petitioner is innocent of
the alleged offenses for which he or she was convicted or
adjudicated a delinquent charged in the indictment or
information or his or her acts or omissions charged in the
indictment or information did not constitute a felony or
misdemeanor against the State of Illinois, and the petitioner
did not by his or her own conduct voluntarily cause or bring
about his or her conviction or juvenile delinquency
adjudication. The petition shall be verified by the
petitioner.
(e) A copy of the petition shall be served on the Attorney
General and the State's Attorney of the county where the
conviction or juvenile delinquency adjudication was had. The
Attorney General and the State's Attorney of the county where
the conviction or juvenile delinquency adjudication was had
shall have the right to intervene as parties.
(f) In any hearing seeking a certificate of innocence, the

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court may take judicial notice of prior sworn testimony or
evidence admitted in the criminal or juvenile delinquency
proceedings related to the convictions or adjudications which
resulted in the alleged wrongful incarceration, if the
petitioner was either represented by counsel at such prior
proceedings or the right to counsel was knowingly waived.
(g) In order to obtain a certificate of innocence the
petitioner must prove by a preponderance of evidence that:
(1) the petitioner was convicted or adjudicated a
delinquent of one or more felonies by the State of
Illinois and subsequently sentenced to a term of
imprisonment, and has served all or any part of the
sentence;
(2)(A) the judgment of conviction or adjudication was
reversed or vacated, and the charge indictment or
information dismissed or, if a new trial was ordered,
either the petitioner was found not guilty at the new
trial or the petitioner was not retried and the charge
indictment or information dismissed; or (B) the statute,
or application thereof, on which the charge indictment or
information was based violated the Constitution of the
United States or the State of Illinois;
(3) the petitioner is innocent of one or more of the
offenses for which he or she was convicted or adjudicated
a delinquent or his or her acts or omissions for which he
or she was convicted or adjudicated a delinquent charged

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in the indictment or information or his or her acts or
omissions charged in the indictment or information did not
constitute a felony or misdemeanor against the State; and
(4) the petitioner did not by his or her own conduct
voluntarily cause or bring about his or her conviction or
juvenile delinquency adjudication.
(h) If the court finds that the petitioner is entitled to a
judgment, it shall enter a certificate of innocence finding
that the petitioner was innocent of one or more all offenses
for which he or she was convicted or adjudicated a delinquent.
The court shall also make a determination, subject to proof by
the claimant, of the reasonable attorney's fees, costs, and
expenses incurred by the claimant in connection with obtaining
the certificate of innocence under this Section incarcerated.
Upon entry of the certificate of innocence or pardon from the
Governor stating that such pardon was issued on the ground of
innocence of the crime for which he or she was convicted or
adjudicated a delinquent imprisoned, (1) the clerk of the
court shall transmit a copy of the certificate of innocence to
the clerk of the Court of Claims, together with the claimant's
current address; and (2) the court shall enter an order
expunging the record of arrest from the official records of
the arresting authority and order that the records of the
clerk of the circuit court and the Illinois State Police be
sealed until further order of the court upon good cause shown
or as otherwise provided herein, and the name of the defendant

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or respondent in a juvenile delinquency proceeding obliterated
from the official index requested to be kept by the circuit
court clerk under Section 16 of the Clerks of Courts Act in
connection with the arrest and conviction or delinquency
adjudication for the offense but the order shall not affect
any index issued by the circuit court clerk before the entry of
the order. The court shall enter the expungement order
regardless of whether the petitioner has prior criminal
convictions or delinquency adjudications.
All records sealed by the Illinois State Police may be
disseminated by the Department only as required by law or to
the arresting authority, the State's Attorney, the court upon
a later arrest for the same or similar offense, or for the
purpose of sentencing for any subsequent felony. Upon
conviction for any subsequent offense, the Department of
Corrections shall have access to all sealed records of the
Department pertaining to that individual.
Upon entry of the order of expungement, the clerk of the
circuit court shall promptly mail a copy of the order to the
person whose records were expunged and sealed. The clerk shall
post in the common areas of the courthouse a notice containing
information about grants for exonerated persons and their
dependents under Section 62 of the Higher Education Student
Assistance Act, including the Internet address of the Illinois
Student Assistance Commission. The Illinois Student Assistance
Commission shall develop a uniform statewide notice and

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provide the format of the notice to each clerk.
(i) Any person seeking a certificate of innocence under
this Section based on the dismissal of an indictment or
information or acquittal that occurred before September 22,
2008 (the effective date of Public Act 95-970) this amendatory
Act of the 95th General Assembly shall file his or her petition
within 2 years after September 22, 2008 (the effective date of
Public Act 95-970) this amendatory Act of the 95th General
Assembly. Any person seeking a certificate of innocence under
this Section based on the dismissal of an indictment or
information or acquittal that occurred on or after September
22, 2008 (the effective date of Public Act 95-970) this
amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly shall file his or
her petition within 2 years after the dismissal or acquittal.
Any person seeking a certificate of innocence under this
Section based on the dismissal of a juvenile delinquency
petition or an acquittal on such petition that occurred before
the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General
Assembly, including a petitioner whose petition was denied
solely on the basis that this Section did not formerly apply to
juvenile delinquency adjudications, shall file his or her
petition within 4 years after the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly. Any person
seeking a certificate of innocence under this Section based on
the dismissal of a juvenile delinquency petition or an
acquittal on such petition that occurred on or after the

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effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General
Assembly shall file his or her petition within 2 years after
the dismissal or acquittal.
(j) The decision to grant or deny a certificate of
innocence shall be binding only with respect to claims filed
in the Court of Claims and shall not have a res judicata effect
on any other proceedings.
(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21; 103-1046, eff. 1-1-25.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.