Illinois 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois House Bill HB3566 Latest Draft

Bill / Engrossed Version Filed 03/25/2025

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  HB3566 Engrossed  LRB104 10092 JRC 20164 b
1  AN ACT concerning civil law.
2  Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3  represented in the General Assembly:
4  Section 5. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by
5  changing Sections 9-106 and 9-121 as follows:
6  (735 ILCS 5/9-106)    (from Ch. 110, par. 9-106)
7  Sec. 9-106. Pleadings and evidence.
8  (a) On complaint by the party or parties entitled to the
9  possession of such premises being filed in the circuit court
10  for the county where such premises are situated, stating that
11  such party is entitled to the possession of such premises
12  (describing the same with reasonable certainty), and that the
13  defendant (naming the defendant) unlawfully withholds the
14  possession thereof from him, her or them, the clerk of the
15  court shall issue a summons.
16  (b) A complaint may not name a minor as a defendant. As
17  used in this Section, "minor" means a person under the age of
18  18, unless that person has been ordered emancipated under the
19  Emancipation of Minors Act and has the rights and
20  responsibilities of a mature minor under of the Emancipation
21  of Minors Act.
22  (c) A complaint that names a defendant who is a minor at
23  the time of filing shall be dismissed in its entirety against

 

  HB3566 Engrossed  LRB104 10092 JRC 20164 b


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1  all defendants. Any action dismissed under this Section shall
2  be immediately sealed under Section 9-121.
3  (d) In addition to any other remedies available to the
4  minor, a minor named as a defendant in violation of this
5  Section is entitled to reasonable attorney's fees, actual
6  damages, and liquidated damages in the amount of $1,000.
7  (e) Nothing in this Section prohibits a party from
8  refiling an action against any defendants who otherwise may be
9  properly named. Upon dismissing the case under this Section,
10  the court may not waive any fees associated with refiling the
11  action against defendants that are otherwise properly named.
12  (f) The defendant may under a general denial of the
13  allegations of the complaint offer in evidence any matter in
14  defense of the action. Except as otherwise provided in Section
15  9-120, no matters not germane to the distinctive purpose of
16  the proceeding shall be introduced by joinder, counterclaim or
17  otherwise. However, a claim for rent may be joined in the
18  complaint, and judgment may be entered for the amount of rent
19  found due.
20  (Source: P.A. 90-360, eff. 1-1-98.)
21  (735 ILCS 5/9-121)
22  Sec. 9-121. Sealing of court file.
23  (a) Definition. As used in this Section, "court file"
24  means the court file created when an eviction action is filed
25  with the court.

 

 

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1  (b) Discretionary sealing of court file. The court may
2  order that a court file in an eviction action be placed under
3  seal if the court finds that the plaintiff's action is
4  sufficiently without a basis in fact or law, which may include
5  a lack of jurisdiction, that placing the court file under seal
6  is clearly in the interests of justice, and that those
7  interests are not outweighed by the public's interest in
8  knowing about the record.
9  (c) Mandatory sealing of court file. The court file
10  relating to an eviction action brought against a tenant under
11  Section 9-207.5 of this Code or as set forth in subdivision
12  (h)(6) of Section 15-1701 of this Code or that has been
13  dismissed under Section 9-106 of this Code shall be placed
14  under seal.
15  (d) This Section is operative on and after August 1, 2022.
16  (Source: P.A. 102-5, eff. 5-17-21.)

 

 

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