Illinois enacts discretionary appointment for certain drivers license suspension defendants

06/26/2026, Illinois, Legislation, Other subject area

In 2026, the Illinois legislature enacted HB 4217, a bill to provide for discretionary appointment of counsel for certain individuals in drivers license suspension matters. Under the law, a public defender appointed to represent a criminal defendant may represent the defendant in a related case for suspension of their drivers license.

Bill Status: Enacted

Appointment of Counsel: Discretionary
Qualified: Yes
? If "yes", the established right to counsel or discretionary appointment of counsel is limited in some way, including any of: the only authority is a lower/intermediate court decision or a city council, not a high court or state legislature; there has been a subsequent case that has cast doubt; a statute is ambiguous; or the right or discretionary appointment is not for all types of individuals or proceedings within that category.