Via Law Center for Better Housing:
Eviction filings can follow you no matter if the case was thrown out or if you won the case – Illinois should seal eviction cases to protect our ability to find future housing! Support HB 1569/SB242
Landlords increasingly rely on reports from tenant screening companies that automatically weed out anyone with an eviction filing in their past, no matter the outcome of the case. How are we supposed to stay housed when one lost paycheck can cause a filing? Support HB 1569/SB242
Allowing the court to seal eviction records by agreement benefits everyone when it encourages settlements. Support HB 1569/SB242
National and local data has consistently demonstrated that Black and Latino renters, particularly female renters, are disproportionately at risk of eviction filing. Protect women of color by supporting HB 1569/SB242
Illinois is lagging behind Indiana and Utah without a statewide law allowing eviction case record sealing, this can’t stand! Support HB 1569/SB242
Pre-pandemic, more than 50% of eviction filings in Illinois did not result in a judgment against the tenant – but just the filing meant their credit was ruined and they were rejected from future apartment applications. Support HB 1569/SB242 to protect tenants in Illinois
How to submit witness slips
Witness slips are records the Illinois General Assembly keeps regarding support and opposition for potential laws. They can help sway legislators to support or oppose anything. We want to make sure our bills have a good number of supportive witness slips from residents across the state, so make sure you fill one out and tell others in the state to as well! You may be asked to submit witness slips for the same bill at several points across the legislative cycle, as it comes up for hearings or amendments are made in negotiations. If you create an account at https://my.ilga.gov/Account/Register you can manage/edit your witness slips.
When a hearing is coming up, we will send out asks over email and social media that people submit witness slips, with the link to complete it for the particular bill hearing or amended version we are on.
Link for March 8 House Judiciary-Civil Committee Hearing: https://bit.ly/HB1569YES.
WITNESS SLIP INSTRUCTIONS
For an Organization (e.g. if you are submitting it on behalf of an organization)
1. Start by making sure you have the link to the specific bill you want to slip
2. Fill out the form with your information in Section I
· Since you are representing an organization for this specific witness slip, put the organization name in the “Firm/Business or Agency” field in Section I and the organization’s name again in Section II
3. Then choose “proponent” as your organization’s position.
4. Choose “record of appearance only” in Section IV.
5. Click the box at the bottom agreeing to the terms.
6. Click the button “create slip”
(you will get an email confirmation with your witness slip)
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For an Individual (e.g. if you are submitting it on your own behalf, not tied to an organization)
1. Start by making sure you have the link to the specific bill you want to slip
2. Fill out the form with your information in section I
· Since you do not represent an organization for this specific witness slip, put N/A in the “Firm/Business or Agency” field in Section I and “N/A” in Section II
3. Then choose “proponent.”
4. Choose “record of appearance only” in Section IV.
5. Click the box at the bottom agreeing to the terms.
6. Click the button “create slip”
(you will get an email confirmation with your witness slip)
What committee is this in? And who is in that committee?
At the moment, we are focusing on the House Bill before it moves to the Senate. It is more important to contact House Members at this point.
SB 242 is currently pending in the Senate —- Judiciary Committee
HB1569 is currently pending in the House —– Judiciary-Civil Committee
| Members of the Senate Judiciary committee | Members of the House Judiciary-Civil committee |
| Chair: Robert F. Martwick (D) | Chairperson: Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D) |
| Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D) | Vice-Chairperson: Ann M. Williams (D) |
| Ann Gillespie (D) | Republican Spokesperson: Dan Ugaste (R) |
| Michael W. Halpin (D) | Kam Buckner (D) |
| Don Harmon (D) | Terra Costa Howard (D) |
| Michael E. Hastings (D) | Eva-Dina Delgado (D) |
| Minority Spokesperson: Jil Tracy (R) | Daniel Didech (D) |
| John F. Curran (R) | David Friess (R) |
| Chapin Rose (R) | Jay Hoffman (D) |
| Thaddeus Jones (D) | |
| Jenn Ladisch Douglass (D) | |
| Martin McLaughlin (R) | |
| Tim Ozinga (R) | |
| Curtis J. Tarver, II (D) | |
| Tom Weber (R) |
When a Senator or Representative is voting in a committee, they are voting on behalf of the interests of the whole State; in other words, you should feel free to contact any member of the committee, even if they are not your member of the General Assembly.
Contact information for these Senators and Representatives can be found at https://ilga.gov/.