SB0377eng 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB0377 Engrossed LRB099 03137 AWJ 23145 b

AN ACT concerning local government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Counties Code is amended by changing Sections 5-43010, 5-43015, 5-43020, 5-43035, and 5-43045 as follows:

(55 ILCS 5/5-43010)

Sec. 5-43010. Administrative adjudication of county code violations; definitions.

(a) Any county may provide by ordinance for a system of administrative adjudication of county code violations to the extent permitted by the Illinois Constitution.

(b) Any county may provide by ordinance for a system of administrative adjudication of violations of ordinances enacted by a unit of local government where (i) the county and the unit of local government have entered into an intergovernmental agreement that provides for administrative adjudication of violations of the unit of local government's ordinances by an agency in the county government, and (ii) the violation occurred within the boundaries of the county.

(c) "Participating unit of local government" means a unit of local government that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with a county under this Division for the administrative adjudication of violations of its ordinances by an agency of the county government.

(d) "System A "system of administrative adjudication" means the adjudication of any violation of an a county ordinance, except for (i) proceedings not within the statutory or the home rule authority of counties or the participating unit of local government; and (ii) any offense under the Illinois Vehicle Code (or a similar offense that is a traffic regulation governing the movement of vehicles and except for any reportable offense under Section 6-204 of the Illinois Vehicle Code).

(e) "Unit of local government" has the meaning provided in Section 1 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution.

(Source: P.A. 96-1386, eff. 7-29-10.)

(55 ILCS 5/5-43015)

Sec. 5-43015. Administrative adjudication procedures not exclusive. The adoption by a county of a system of administrative adjudication does not preclude the county from using other methods to enforce county ordinances. An intergovernmental agreement entered into under this Division does not preclude a participating unit of local government from using other methods to enforce its ordinances.

(Source: P.A. 96-1386, eff. 7-29-10.)

(55 ILCS 5/5-43020)

Sec. 5-43020. Code hearing units; powers of hearing officers.

(a) An ordinance establishing a system of administrative adjudication, pursuant to this Division, shall provide for a code hearing unit within an existing agency or as a separate agency in the county government. The ordinance shall establish the jurisdiction of a code hearing unit that is consistent with this Division. The "jurisdiction" of a code hearing unit refers to the particular code violations that it may adjudicate.

(b) Adjudicatory hearings shall be presided over by hearing officers. The powers and duties of a hearing officer shall include:

(1) hearing testimony and accepting evidence that is relevant to the existence of the code violation;

(2) issuing subpoenas directing witnesses to appear and give relevant testimony at the hearing, upon the request of the parties or their representatives;

(3) preserving and authenticating the record of the hearing and all exhibits and evidence introduced at the hearing;

(4) issuing a determination, based on the evidence presented at the hearing, of whether a code violation exists, which shall be in writing and shall include a written finding of fact, decision, and order including the fine, penalty, or action with which the defendant must comply; and

(5) imposing penalties consistent with applicable code provisions and assessing costs upon finding a party liable for the charged violation, except, however, that in no event shall the hearing officer have authority to (i) impose a penalty of incarceration or (ii) impose a fine in excess of $50,000, or at the option of the county or the participating unit of local government where the fine is imposed for a violation of an ordinance of the participating unit of local government, such other amount not to exceed the maximum amount established by the Mandatory Arbitration System as prescribed by the Rules of the Illinois Supreme Court from time to time for the judicial circuit in which the county is located. The maximum monetary fine under this item (5), shall be exclusive of costs of enforcement or costs imposed to secure compliance with the county's ordinances and shall not be applicable to cases to enforce the collection of any tax imposed and collected by the county.

(c) Prior to conducting administrative adjudication proceedings, administrative hearing officers shall have successfully completed a formal training program that includes the following:

(1) instruction on the rules of procedure of the administrative hearings that they will conduct;

(2) orientation to each subject area of the code violations that they will adjudicate;

(3) observation of administrative hearings; and

(4) participation in hypothetical cases, including ruling on evidence and issuing final orders.

In addition, every administrative hearing officer must be an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois for at least 3 years.

(d) A proceeding before a code hearing unit shall be instituted upon the filing of a written pleading by an authorized official of the county or participating unit of local government.

(Source: P.A. 96-1386, eff. 7-29-10.)

(55 ILCS 5/5-43035)

Sec. 5-43035. Enforcement of judgment.

(a) Any fine, other sanction, or costs imposed, or part of any fine, other sanction, or costs imposed, remaining unpaid after the exhaustion of or the failure to exhaust judicial review procedures under the Illinois Administrative Review Law are a debt due and owing the county or the participating unit of local government where the fine is imposed for a violation of an ordinance of the participating unit of local government and may be collected in accordance with applicable law.

(b) After expiration of the period in which judicial review under the Illinois Administrative Review Law may be sought for a final determination of a code violation, unless stayed by a court of competent jurisdiction, the findings, decision, and order of the hearing officer may be enforced in the same manner as a judgment entered by a court of competent jurisdiction.

(c) In any case in which a defendant has failed to comply with a judgment ordering a defendant to correct a code violation or imposing any fine or other sanction as a result of a code violation, any expenses incurred by a county or the participating unit of local government where the fine is imposed for a violation of an ordinance of the participating unit of local government to enforce the judgment, including, but not limited to, attorney's fees, court costs, and costs related to property demolition or foreclosure, after they are fixed by a court of competent jurisdiction or a hearing officer, shall be a debt due and owing the county or the participating unit of local government where the fine is imposed for a violation of an ordinance of the participating unit of local government and may be collected in accordance with applicable law. Prior to any expenses being fixed by a hearing officer pursuant to this subsection (c), the county or the participating unit of local government where the fine is imposed for a violation of an ordinance of the participating unit of local government shall provide notice to the defendant that states that the defendant shall appear at a hearing before the administrative hearing officer to determine whether the defendant has failed to comply with the judgment. The notice shall set the date for the hearing, which shall not be less than 7 days after the date that notice is served. If notice is served by mail, the 7-day period shall begin to run on the date that the notice was deposited in the mail.

(d) Upon being recorded in the manner required by Article XII of the Code of Civil Procedure or by the Uniform Commercial Code, a lien shall be imposed on the real estate or personal estate, or both, of the defendant in the amount of any debt due and owing the county or the participating unit of local government where the fine is imposed for a violation of an ordinance of the participating unit of local government under this Section. The lien may be enforced in the same manner as a judgment lien pursuant to a judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.

(e) A hearing officer may set aside any judgment entered by default and set a new hearing date, upon a petition filed within 21 days after the issuance of the order of default, if the hearing officer determines that the petitioner's failure to appear at the hearing was for good cause or at any time if the petitioner establishes that the county or the participating unit of local government where the fine is imposed for a violation of an ordinance of the participating unit of local government did not provide proper service of process. If any judgment is set aside pursuant to this subsection (e), the hearing officer shall have authority to enter an order extinguishing any lien that has been recorded for any debt due and owing the county or the participating unit of local government where the fine is imposed for a violation of an ordinance of the participating unit of local government as a result of the vacated default judgment.

(Source: P.A. 96-1386, eff. 7-29-10.)

(55 ILCS 5/5-43045)

Sec. 5-43045. Impact on home rule authority. This Division does not preempt counties or participating units of local government from adopting other systems of administrative adjudication pursuant to their home rule powers (if any).

(Source: P.A. 96-1386, eff. 7-29-10.)