Section 130.1111  Requirements Relating to Continuances

a)         A request for continuance of a hearing shall be subject to the discretion of the Hearing Officer.

1)         Such continuance may be granted, for good cause shown, provided the request is received by the Hearing Officer and each party or authorized representative of record not less than five days prior to the latest hearing date unless good cause for a continuance is shown prior to or during the hearing or between hearing dates due to the absence of material evidence, sudden unavailability of counsel, sudden illness of a party or an essential witness, ongoing settlement negotiations, or other similar reasons.  Such request may be in writing.

2)         Oral requests for continuances shall not be granted unless made during the hearing for good cause.

3)         Good cause includes, but is not limited to, service in the armed forces, or serious illness relating to either party, that party's authorized representative of record, or essential witnesses, or sudden unavailability of counsel.

b)         A continuance, when granted, shall state a date certain, not more than 60 days from the prior scheduled hearing date at which time the hearing shall reconvene.

c)         Continuances may be granted for the purposes of allowing the parties to complete discovery requests made pursuant to Section 130.1115 of this Part, but only where upon "Good Cause" shown, in accordance with Section 130.1111(a) of this Part, discovery could not be completed prior to the scheduled date for hearing.

(Source:  Amended at 22 Ill. Reg. 1933, effective January 1, 1998)