Governor Rauner Signs The Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act into Law!
Chicago Appleseed is excited to share that yesterday, Governor Rauner signed HB 4594- The Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act into law. The Act reforms Illinois’ system of court costs, fines, and fees and reduces the burden of court costs, fines, and fees on Illinoisans who can’t afford to pay them.
The law will be effective on July 1, 2019 and is set to sunset on January 1, 2021. The Act reorganizes and standardizes 90 different court costs, fines, and fees that are currently scattered across the statutes and provides for a system of waivers to low-income individuals who can’t afford to pay.
More advocacy is needed to reduce the impact of court costs, fines, and fees on low-income people accused of crimes. But Chicago Appleseed, and its collaboration partners, are encouraged by this very important first step and look forward to monitoring implementation and continuing to advocate for further court costs, fines, and fees reforms.