(The Center Square) – A group that advocates against lawsuit abuse is warning that last-minute changes made to an unrelated bill working its way through the Illinois legislature in its final hours of legislative session would open businesses up to lawsuits from around the country.
Senate Bill 26, a bill originally intended to amend the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015, was gutted and replaced Thursday with new language that would change Illinois from a “specific jurisdiction” state to a “general jurisdiction” state, expanding Illinois courts’ reach over out-of-state businesses.
“With this last-minute amendment, S.B. 26 is now one of the single worst pieces of legislation, nationwide, that we have seen this year,” Tiger Joyce, president of the American Tort Reform Association, said in a statement. “This would open the floodgates to lawsuits from around the country, making every business registered in Illinois a target. For lawmakers to sneak this in at the final hour is incredibly telling of just how detrimental this legislation would be for hardworking Illinois families.”
ATRA says the measure, if concurred in the Senate, “would allow out-of-state plaintiffs to sue out-of-state companies in Illinois courts over incidents with no connection to the state.”
The legislative session is scheduled to end at 11:59 p.m. Saturday.
ATRA says if the measure passes, Illinois taxpayers will pay the price.
“If S.B. 26 becomes law, Illinois will not only saddle its families with astronomically higher costs, but the state will be sending a clear message to businesses nationwide: you are not safe here,” Joyce said.
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, signed on as a sponsor shortly before the amendment was filed. Welch, ATRA noted, received $80,000 from the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association’s political action committee, more than any other state legislator, during a recent reporting period. Welch’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“We urge the Senate to reject this reckless legislation and for [Gov. J.B. Pritzker] to veto it if it reaches his desk,” Joyce said, adding, “This 11th-hour effort is straight out of the Illinois trial lawyers’ playbook and this bill is a trial lawyers’ dream – especially given the state’s storied ‘Judicial Hellhole® reputation,” Joyce said.
