Illinois Compiled Statutes

Illinois Compiled Statutes
Name	Illinois Compiled Statutes
Jurisdiction	Illinois
Created	1970s
Source documents	Illinois General Assembly
Status	Active

Illinois Compiled Statutes are the codified statutory laws enacted by the Illinois General Assembly and organized into subject-specific chapters and sections, serving as the principal statutory reference for Illinois legal practice and administration. The statutes interact with the Constitution of Illinois, judicial decisions from the Illinois Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court, and administrative rules from agencies such as the Illinois Department of Revenue and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, while being cited in litigation involving parties like the AFL–CIO, City of Chicago, Cook County, Exelon Corporation, and McDonald's Corporation.

History and Development

The origins of the codification trace to post‑Civil War reforms influenced by nationwide codification movements that affected states like New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Ohio, and by legal figures such as David Dudley Field whose methods shaped early American statutory organization; subsequent Illinois efforts paralleled revisions in states including California, Texas, and Michigan. During the Progressive Era and the 20th century, legislative modernization in Illinois responded to changes in law prompted by events like the Great Chicago Fire, the Haymarket affair, and the growth of industries represented by firms like U.S. Steel and Standard Oil, leading to reorganizations influenced by scholars at institutions such as University of Chicago and Northwestern University School of Law. Major codification milestones involved collaborations among the Illinois Law Revision Commission, publishers like West Publishing and LexisNexis, and legal reformers associated with the American Bar Association and the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.

Structure and Organization

The statutory code is divided into numbered chapters and topical titles comparable to schemes used by the United States Code, with sections resembling citation formats used in decisions of the Seventh Circuit and in opinions by the Illinois Appellate Court. Organizational units reflect subject areas overseen by entities such as the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Commerce Commission, and the Illinois Gaming Board, and they parallel statutory arrangements found in codes from jurisdictions like New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia. Cross‑references frequently cite administrative rules promulgated under the Administrative Procedure Act (Illinois), case precedents from the Illinois Supreme Court and federal courts like the Northern District of Illinois, and federal statutes such as the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act when state and federal law intersect.

Publication and Codification Process

Official publication and annotated editions have been produced by commercial publishers including West Publishing and LexisNexis, while the Illinois General Assembly and the Illinois Secretary of State maintain official compilations and session laws; this mirrors publication practices employed by bodies such as the United States Government Publishing Office and state printers in California and New York (state). Codification typically incorporates session laws enacted by the Illinois General Assembly during legislative sessions, bill texts from the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate, governor's actions including those by governors like Rod Blagojevich and Bruce Rauner, and editorial work influenced by academic centers such as UIC Law and organizations like the Illinois State Bar Association.

Legislative Amendments and Updating

Amendments proceed through bills passed by the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate, approval or veto by the Governor of Illinois, and sometimes judicial review by the Illinois Supreme Court or federal courts such as the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals; major reform episodes have coincided with political events involving figures like Richard J. Daley and Barack Obama during their respective careers in Chicago and Illinois politics. Updating mechanisms include session law publication, supplementing annotations in commercial publishers, and corrections issued through initiatives led by the Illinois Law Revision Commission and legislative counsel offices modeled after those in states like Massachusetts and Ohio. Emergency amendments, referenda, and constitutional amendments (approved by voters in referendums similar to those in California and Florida) can produce rapid codification changes reflected in updated statutory compilations.

Access and Availability

Statutes are accessible via official channels maintained by the Illinois General Assembly and the Illinois Secretary of State, and through commercial research platforms operated by West Publishing, LexisNexis, and Bloomberg Law, as well as public law libraries at institutions like the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, University of Chicago Law Library, and county law libraries in Cook County. Print and online annotated versions include editorial enhancements similar to annotations found in publications covering New York (state) Consolidated Laws and the United States Code Annotated, and practical access is supplemented by legal aid groups such as Chicago Legal Clinic and nonprofit organizations modeled after the Legal Aid Society.

Relationship to Illinois Constitution and Case Law

Statutory provisions operate under the supremacy of the Constitution of Illinois and are interpreted by courts including the Illinois Supreme Court, the Illinois Appellate Court, and federal tribunals such as the United States Supreme Court and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals when federal issues arise; landmark decisions from justices like those on the Illinois Supreme Court establish doctrines that shape statutory interpretation similarly to how the U.S. Supreme Court influences federal statutory law. Conflicts between statutes and constitutional provisions may prompt declaratory judgments, injunctions, and remands in cases involving parties and entities like the City of Chicago, Cook County, labor unions such as the AFL–CIO, corporations including Commonwealth Edison, and advocacy groups like the ACLU of Illinois.

Category:Law of Illinois