Section 100.20  Certification of a Qualified Security Procedure for Electronic Records and Signature

a)         In order to obtain the Secretary's certification of a qualified security procedure, an applicant must file an application form, designated by the Secretary, at the following location:

            Certification Authority Application Section

            Room 461

            Howlett Building

            Springfield, Illinois 62756

b)         The applicant must document security procedures, policies and practices that delineate full and complete identification of security procedures. The documentation shall be submitted for review, in the form of a Certification Practice Statement (CPS) and Certificate Policy (CP), to the Secretary's Electronic Signature Steering Committee.

c)         Applicants certified by the Secretary shall:

1)         have adopted secure policies and procedures as designated by a recognized industry organization;

2)         meet the criteria for acceptance of electronic signatures and records and the criteria for recognition of qualified security procedures as delineated in Sections 100.30 and 100.40 of this Part;

3)         maintain an office in this State or maintain a registered agent for service of process in this State;

4)         submit a suitable guaranty described in Section 100.50 of this Part;

5)         submit an annual audit that complies with Section 100.60 of this Part;

6)         pay an annual application fee of $2,000.  The fee shall be paid by certified check upon the annual submittal of the application and be made payable to the Illinois Secretary of State.  Such fee shall not be applicable to agencies of State government applying for the Secretary's certification pursuant to this Part; and

7)         maintain records in accordance with Section 100.100 of this Part.