103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB2055 Introduced , by Rep. William "Will" Davis SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 705 ILCS 105/27.3f Amends the Clerk of Courts Act. Provides that each circuit court clerk shall charge and collect a fee on all new cases (rather than all matters) filed in probate cases in the amount of $100. Removes language providing that no fee shall be imposed against an indigent person who is, in the discretion of the court, unable to proceed in an action without payment of fees, costs, and charges and whose payment of those fees, costs, and charges would result in substantial hardship to the person or his or her family. Provides that no fee shall be imposed against an indigent person who is otherwise unable to pay the fee because it would cause substantial hardship to the person. Makes conforming changes. LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB2055 Introduced , by Rep. William "Will" Davis SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 705 ILCS 105/27.3f 705 ILCS 105/27.3f Amends the Clerk of Courts Act. Provides that each circuit court clerk shall charge and collect a fee on all new cases (rather than all matters) filed in probate cases in the amount of $100. Removes language providing that no fee shall be imposed against an indigent person who is, in the discretion of the court, unable to proceed in an action without payment of fees, costs, and charges and whose payment of those fees, costs, and charges would result in substantial hardship to the person or his or her family. Provides that no fee shall be imposed against an indigent person who is otherwise unable to pay the fee because it would cause substantial hardship to the person. Makes conforming changes. LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB2055 Introduced , by Rep. William "Will" Davis SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 705 ILCS 105/27.3f 705 ILCS 105/27.3f 705 ILCS 105/27.3f Amends the Clerk of Courts Act. Provides that each circuit court clerk shall charge and collect a fee on all new cases (rather than all matters) filed in probate cases in the amount of $100. Removes language providing that no fee shall be imposed against an indigent person who is, in the discretion of the court, unable to proceed in an action without payment of fees, costs, and charges and whose payment of those fees, costs, and charges would result in substantial hardship to the person or his or her family. Provides that no fee shall be imposed against an indigent person who is otherwise unable to pay the fee because it would cause substantial hardship to the person. Makes conforming changes. LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b A BILL FOR HB2055LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b HB2055 LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b HB2055 LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b 1 AN ACT concerning courts. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Clerks of Courts Act is amended by changing 5 Section 27.3f as follows: 6 (705 ILCS 105/27.3f) 7 Sec. 27.3f. Guardianship and advocacy operations fee. 8 (a) As used in this Section, "guardianship and advocacy" 9 means the guardianship and advocacy services provided by the 10 Guardianship and Advocacy Commission and defined in the 11 Guardianship and Advocacy Act. Viable public guardianship and 12 advocacy programs, including the public guardianship programs 13 created and supervised in probate proceedings in the Illinois 14 courts, are essential to the administration of justice and 15 ensure that incapacitated persons and their estates are 16 protected. To defray the expense of maintaining and operating 17 the divisions and programs of the Guardianship and Advocacy 18 Commission and to support viable guardianship and advocacy 19 programs throughout Illinois, each circuit court clerk shall 20 charge and collect a fee on all new cases matters filed in 21 probate cases in the amount of $100 in accordance with this 22 Section, but no fees shall be assessed against the State 23 Guardian, any State agency under the jurisdiction of the 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB2055 Introduced , by Rep. William "Will" Davis SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 705 ILCS 105/27.3f 705 ILCS 105/27.3f 705 ILCS 105/27.3f Amends the Clerk of Courts Act. Provides that each circuit court clerk shall charge and collect a fee on all new cases (rather than all matters) filed in probate cases in the amount of $100. Removes language providing that no fee shall be imposed against an indigent person who is, in the discretion of the court, unable to proceed in an action without payment of fees, costs, and charges and whose payment of those fees, costs, and charges would result in substantial hardship to the person or his or her family. Provides that no fee shall be imposed against an indigent person who is otherwise unable to pay the fee because it would cause substantial hardship to the person. Makes conforming changes. LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b A BILL FOR 705 ILCS 105/27.3f LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b HB2055 LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b HB2055- 2 -LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b HB2055 - 2 - LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b HB2055 - 2 - LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b 1 Governor, any public guardian, or any State's Attorney. 2 (b) No fee specified in this Section shall be imposed in 3 any minor guardianship established under Article XI of the 4 Probate Act of 1975, or against an indigent person who, upon 5 petition, is found by the court to meet . An indigent person 6 shall include any person who meets one or more of the following 7 criteria: 8 (1) He or she is receiving assistance under one or 9 more of the following public benefits programs: 10 Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Aid to the Aged, 11 Blind, and Disabled (AABD), Temporary Assistance for Needy 12 Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 13 (SNAP) (formerly Food Stamps), General Assistance, State 14 Transitional Assistance, or State Children and Family 15 Assistance. 16 (2) His or her available income is 125% or less of the 17 current poverty level as established by the United States 18 Department of Health and Human Services, unless the 19 applicant's assets that are not exempt under Part 9 or 10 20 of Article XII of the Code of Civil Procedure are of a 21 nature and value that the court determines that the 22 applicant is able to pay the fees, costs, and charges. 23 (3) (Blank). He or she is, in the discretion of the 24 court, unable to proceed in an action without payment of 25 fees, costs, and charges and whose payment of those fees, 26 costs, and charges would result in substantial hardship to HB2055 - 2 - LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b HB2055- 3 -LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b HB2055 - 3 - LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b HB2055 - 3 - LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b 1 the person or his or her family. 2 (4) He or she is an indigent person pursuant to 3 Section 5-105.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, providing 4 that an "indigent person" means a person whose income is 5 125% or less of the current official federal poverty 6 guidelines or who is otherwise eligible to receive civil 7 legal services under the Legal Services Corporation Act of 8 1974. 9 (5) He or she is otherwise unable to pay the fee 10 because it would cause substantial hardship to the person. 11 (c) The clerk is entitled to receive the fee specified in 12 this Section, which shall be paid in advance, and managed by 13 the clerk as set out in paragraph (2). , except that, for good 14 cause shown, the court may suspend, reduce, or release the 15 costs payable under this Section: 16 (1) (Blank). For administration of the estate of a 17 decedent (whether testate or intestate) or of a missing 18 person, a fee of $100. 19 (2) The guardianship and advocacy operations fee, as 20 outlined in subsection (a) this Section, shall be in 21 addition to all other fees and charges and assessable as 22 costs. Five percent of the fee collected under subsection 23 (a) shall be retained by the clerk for deposit into the 24 Circuit Court Clerk Operation and Administrative Fund to 25 defray costs of collection and 95% of the fee shall be 26 disbursed within 60 days after receipt by the circuit HB2055 - 3 - LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b HB2055- 4 -LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b HB2055 - 4 - LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b HB2055 - 4 - LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b 1 clerk to the State Treasurer for deposit by the State 2 Treasurer into the Guardianship and Advocacy Fund. 3 (Source: P.A. 97-1093, eff. 1-1-13.) HB2055 - 4 - LRB103 24806 LNS 51137 b