---
type: "Bill"
title: "PROBATE-SMALL EST-SURV SPOUSE"
description: "Amends the Probate Act of 1975. Provides that the minimum surviving spouse award is $20,000 (instead of $10,000) with an additional minimum award of $10,000 (instead of $5,000) for a surviving minor child or an adult dependent child. Effective immediately."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "96th"
identifier: "HB 5161"
citation: "Illinois HB 5161 (96th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 37
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2010-01-29"
last_action: "2010-07-02"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/0d53ade6-4c42-45a8-b6d8-0fc6f5858ea0"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=5161&GAID=10&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=50099&SessionID=76&GA=96"
source_hash: "301b50f6e5ead4eb3db4b27f01556d5e16ffd42f8870b8cc4c918353177930cc"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-il"]
---

# Illinois HB 5161 (96th) — PROBATE-SMALL EST-SURV SPOUSE

Amends the Probate Act of 1975. Provides that the minimum surviving spouse award is $20,000 (instead of $10,000) with an additional minimum award of $10,000 (instead of $5,000) for a surviving minor child or an adult dependent child. Effective immediately.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09600HB5161&GA=96&SessionId=76&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=50099&DocNum=5161&GAID=10&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09600HB5161eng&GA=96&SessionId=76&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=50099&DocNum=5161&GAID=10&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09600HB5161enr&GA=96&SessionId=76&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=50099&DocNum=5161&GAID=10&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **111–0** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **55–0** (pass) · upper
- Concurrence — **113–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Robert W. Pritchard — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2010-01-29** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Robert W. Pritchard `filing`
- **2010-01-29** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2010-01-29** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2010-02-16** Assigned to Judiciary I - Civil Law Committee `referral-committee`
- **2010-02-24** Do Pass / Short Debate Judiciary I - Civil Law Committee; 013-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2010-02-24** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2010-03-02** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2010-03-02** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2010-03-04** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 111-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2010-03-04** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Patricia R. Bellock
- **2010-03-09** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2010-03-09** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading March 10, 2010 `reading-1`
- **2010-03-12** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. William R. Haine
- **2010-03-15** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2010-03-15** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2010-04-06** Assigned to Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2010-04-14** Postponed - Judiciary
- **2010-04-14** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. William R. Haine `amendment-introduction`
- **2010-04-14** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2010-04-14** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Assignments Refers to Judiciary
- **2010-04-20** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2010-04-20** Do Pass as Amended Judiciary; 008-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2010-04-20** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading April 21, 2010
- **2010-04-23** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2010-04-23** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading April 27, 2010
- **2010-04-27** Third Reading - Passed; 055-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2010-04-27** Arrived in House `introduction`
- **2010-04-27** Placed on Calendar Order of Concurrence Senate Amendment(s) 1
- **2010-04-28** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion Filed Concur Rep. Robert W. Pritchard
- **2010-04-28** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2010-05-03** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Recommends Be Adopted Rules Committee; 004-000-000
- **2010-05-03** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 House Concurs 113-000-000
- **2010-05-03** Passed Both Houses
- **2010-06-01** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2010-07-02** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2010-07-02** Effective Date July 2, 2010
- **2010-07-02** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 96-0968 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/0d53ade6-4c42-45a8-b6d8-0fc6f5858ea0`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).