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Rep. William Delgado
Filed: 5/31/2005
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09400SB0334ham001 |
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LRB094 05047 BDD 47460 a |
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| AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 334
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| AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 334 by replacing |
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| everything after the enacting clause with the following:
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| "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the |
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| Access to Governmental Services Act.
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| Section 5. Definitions. |
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| "Executive branch State agency" means each Department of |
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| State government created under the Civil Administrative Code of |
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| Illinois. |
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| "Having limited English proficiency" means indicated on |
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| the U.S. Census as speaking a language other than English and |
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| speaking English "not well" or "not at all". |
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| "Important documents" means application or informational |
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| materials, notices, and complaint forms offered by executive |
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| branch State agencies, as defined by rule by the appropriate |
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| executive branch State agency. "Important documents" does not |
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| include applications and examinations related to the |
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| licensure, certification, or registration of businesses and |
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| professionals. |
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| "Sufficient number of qualified bilingual persons in |
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| public contact positions" means the number of qualified |
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| bilingual persons required in order to provide the same level |
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| of service to non-English-speaking persons as is available to |
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| English-speaking persons seeking the same service.
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09400SB0334ham001 |
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LRB094 05047 BDD 47460 a |
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| Section 10. Language access required. |
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| (a) Each executive branch State agency shall take |
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| reasonable steps to provide the following in each county where |
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| the number of residents in a single language group is more than |
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| 5% of all residents of that county as measured by the U.S. |
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| Census: |
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| (1) Having a sufficient number of qualified bilingual |
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| persons in public contact positions or as interpreters in |
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| at least one office in the county, determined by the agency |
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| to be in an area of need, to assist in providing services |
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| to individuals having limited English proficiency. |
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| (2) Having available in at least one office in the |
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| county, determined by the agency to be in an area of need, |
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| personnel to interpret, upon request, important documents |
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| ordinarily provided to the public. |
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| Nothing in this Act requires an executive branch State |
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| agency to establish an office in a county where it would not |
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| otherwise maintain an office. |
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| (b) Each executive branch State agency shall adopt rules |
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| regarding the requirements of this Section not less than 6 |
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| months after the date that this Act takes effect, or as soon |
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| thereafter as possible. |
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| (c) The Illinois Human Rights Commission shall implement a |
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| process to address disputes arising under this Act, including, |
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| but not limited to, disputes concerning the interpretation of |
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| "important documents" and "sufficient number of qualified |
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| bilingual persons in public contact positions" and agency |
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| determinations of the offices where the services are provided, |
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| not less than 6 months after the date that this Act takes |
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| effect, or as soon thereafter as possible.".
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