HB3627 Summary

• Reinstates the death penalty in Illinois by eliminating the 2011 abolition provision and restoring capital punishment as an authorized sentence for first-degree murder convictions.

• Eliminates multiple aggravating factors (such as murder for hire, certain felony murders, and drug-related killings) while retaining others like murder of peace officers, multiple murders, and crimes involving terrorism or violence against children and elderly persons.

• Creates the Capital Crimes Litigation Act of 2021, establishing a Capital Litigation Trust Fund to provide funding for both prosecution and defense of capital cases, with appointed counsel compensation capped at $125 per hour.

• Requires courts to conduct separate sentencing hearings with jury consideration of aggravating and mitigating factors, with unanimous jury agreement required before death sentence can be imposed.

• Authorizes the State Appellate Defender to provide legal assistance, investigators, and expert witnesses to trial counsel in capital cases and establish protections for defense budgets and expense certifications under Freedom of Information Act exemptions.