AS OF NOW — THE LAW

By J. DAVID COLDREN, Executive Director
Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

As of July 1, 1986, a new state law (P.A. 84-1053) is into effect and requires the Illinois Department of State Police to begin charging a fee for disseminating conviction information to those policing bodies of the State of Illinois assisting local liquor control commissioners in carrying out their licensing responsibilities.

Under the law, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority is responsible for establishing the fee the Department of State Police must charge. Please be advised that the Authority approves a ten dollar ($10) fee for state fiscal year 1987 (July 1, 1986 - June 30, 1987). The Authority will review this fee annually and inform you before July 1st of each year of any changes in this amount.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank the number of police departments and municipalities who took the time to advise the Authority in establishing this fee. From the written comments and public testimony received, local governments appear to be taking either one of two basic approaches toward this fee requirement. Many of the jurisdictions we have spoken with indicated that their current liquor license application fees are already sufficiently high to absorb this additional ten dollar fee and they will not increase the current license fee. However, some other jurisdictions indicated that they intend to pass this new fee directly onto the liquor license applicant by enacting ordinances referencing "the fee amount established by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority pursuant to 'Section 3.1 of An Act in relation to criminal identification and investigation' (Ill. Rev. Stat., ch. 38, par. 206-3.1)." •

Whichever approach is best for your jurisdiction, please feel free to direct any questions you may have to the Authority's legal counsel, Mr. Paul Fields. •

August 1986 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 13