summary
Introduced
02/05/2026
02/05/2026
In Committee
02/24/2026
02/24/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
104th General Assembly
Bill Summary
Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides a process for an operator of a hotel to evict an occupant of the hotel who fails to pay the full amount of lodging when due and remains on the premises without the consent of the operator. Provides that nothing in the Act may be construed to affect the rights or remedies of an occupant who is a tenant under a bona fide lease agreement governed by Illinois landlord-tenant law. Provides that an operator or employee of an operator who is acting in good faith and in substantial compliance with the Act to be civilly or criminally liable for requesting law-enforcement assistance or for the peaceful removal of a non-paying occupant. Provides that the Act does not apply to any occupant placed in a hotel under a government-funded emergency, disaster-relief, or transitional housing program if: (1) the cost of lodging is paid for, directly or indirectly, by a federal, State, or local agency; and (2) the lodging agreement or agency contract expressly specifies the occupant's temporary stay and removal procedures. Authorizes a peace officer to remove a non-paying occupant as a trespasser upon verification of the operator's documentation under the Act and arrest the person for criminal trespass to real property under the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that nothing in the Act requires law enforcement to intervene in a bona fide lease dispute or a matter in which the occupant's payment status is genuinely contested. Authorizes the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board to adopt model policies and training materials for law-enforcement agencies and operators regarding the application of the Act.
AI Summary
This bill establishes a clear procedure for hotel operators to evict occupants who fail to pay for their lodging and remain on the premises without permission, defining such individuals as trespassers rather than tenants, but it explicitly protects those with a "bona fide lease agreement" (a formal written contract for residential tenancy under Illinois law) and occupants in government-funded emergency or transitional housing programs, provided specific conditions are met. The bill also offers a "safe harbor" for hotel operators and their employees, shielding them from civil or criminal liability if they act in good faith and follow specific steps, such as providing an invoice, written notice to vacate, and documenting non-payment, before requesting law enforcement assistance or peacefully removing a non-paying occupant, though this protection does not extend to willful misconduct or unlawful removal of protected individuals. Furthermore, law enforcement officers are authorized to remove non-paying occupants as trespassers and make arrests for criminal trespass if the occupant refuses to leave after proper notice, but they are not required to intervene in disputes over valid lease agreements or genuinely contested payment issues, and the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board will develop model policies and training for this process.
Committee Categories
Justice
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Assigned to Judiciary - Civil Committee (on 02/24/2026)
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