HB5172 EngrossedLRB103 38136 MXP 68268 b

1    AN ACT concerning government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Administrative Procedure Act is
5amended by changing Sections 10-10, 10-25, and 10-70 and by
6adding Section 10-25.1 as follows:
 
7    (5 ILCS 100/10-10)  (from Ch. 127, par. 1010-10)
8    Sec. 10-10. Components of rules. All agency rules
9establishing procedures for contested cases shall at a minimum
10comply with the provisions of this Article 10. In addition,
11agency rules establishing procedures may include, but need not
12be limited to, the following components: pre-hearing
13conferences, representation interview or deposition
14procedures, default procedures, selection of administrative
15law judges, the form of the final order, the standard of proof
16used, which agency official makes the final decision,
17representation of parties, procedures for requesting and
18receiving language access services, subpoena request
19procedures, discovery and protective order procedures, and any
20review or appeal process within the agency.
21(Source: P.A. 87-823.)
 
22    (5 ILCS 100/10-25)  (from Ch. 127, par. 1010-25)

 

 

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1    Sec. 10-25. Contested cases; notice; hearing.
2    (a) In a contested case, all parties shall be afforded an
3opportunity for a hearing after reasonable notice. The notice
4shall be served personally, by certified or registered mail,
5by email as provided by Section 10-75, or as otherwise
6provided by law upon the parties or their agents appointed to
7receive service of process and shall include the following:
8        (1) A statement of the time, place, and nature of the
9    hearing.
10        (2) A statement of the legal authority and
11    jurisdiction under which the hearing is to be held.
12        (3) A reference to the particular Sections of the
13    substantive and procedural statutes and rules involved.
14        (4) Except where a more detailed statement is
15    otherwise provided for by law, a short and plain statement
16    of the matters asserted, the consequences of a failure to
17    respond, and the official file or other reference number.
18        (5) To the extent such information is available, the
19    names, phone numbers, email addresses, and mailing
20    addresses of the administrative law judge or designated
21    agency contact, the parties, and all other persons to whom
22    the agency gives notice of the hearing unless otherwise
23    confidential by law.
24        (6) An enclosure written in, at a minimum, English,
25    Arabic, Cantonese, Gujarati, Korean, Mandarin, Polish,
26    Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu, Ukrainian, and

 

 

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1    Vietnamese, which notifies the recipient of the ability
2    for a party or the recipient's agent to request
3    interpretive assistance to participate in or understand
4    the hearing and to receive language access services for
5    translating the contents of the notice. A request to
6    receive a written or sight translation of the notice must
7    be made within 7 days of service of the notice.
8    (b) An opportunity shall be afforded all parties to be
9represented by legal counsel and to respond and present
10evidence and argument.
11    (c) Unless precluded by law, disposition may be made of
12any contested case by stipulation, agreed settlement, consent
13order, or default.
14    (d) Language access services and interpretive assistance
15provided in contested hearings shall be, at a minimum, in
16accordance with this Act, and as otherwise provided for in any
17law or rule governing an agency's contested hearings.
18(Source: P.A. 100-880, eff. 1-1-19; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)
 
19    (5 ILCS 100/10-25.1 new)
20    Sec. 10-25.1. Language access services.
21    (a) As used in this Article:
22    "Foreign language interpreter" means a person who is
23fluent in both English and another language, who listens to a
24communication in one language and orally converts it into
25another language while retaining the same meaning, and who

 

 

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1either (i) has satisfied the certification requirement set
2forth in Section 8a.2 of the Personnel Code or (ii) has been
3contracted with by the State or an agency to provide
4interpretive assistance in administrative hearings. A foreign
5language interpreter need not be physically present to provide
6interpretive assistance.
7    "Indigent person" has the meaning given in subdivision
8(a)(2) of Section 5-105 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
9    "Interpretive assistance" means services that involve
10listening to a communication in one language and orally
11converting that communication into another language while
12retaining the same meaning.
13    "Language access services" means the full spectrum of
14language services available to provide meaningful access to
15the programs and services for limited English proficient
16persons, including, but not limited to, in-person interpreter
17services, telephonic and video remote interpreter services,
18translation of written materials, and bilingual staff
19services.
20    "Limited English proficient person" means someone who
21speaks a language other than English as his or her primary
22language and has a limited ability to read, write, speak, or
23understand English and requires the assistance of a foreign
24language interpreter to effectively communicate in a legal
25proceeding.
26    "Nonsubstantive hearing" means a hearing to discuss

 

 

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1hearing rules, hearing processes, hearing procedures, and
2hearing scheduling. A hearing in which a substantive ruling is
3made is not a nonsubstantive hearing.
4    "Sight translation" means the conversion of written text
5in one language into another spoken language.
6    "Substantive hearing" means a hearing in which a
7substantive ruling may be made. "Substantive hearing" includes
8a prehearing conference or formal hearing in which testimony
9or evidence is being taken.
10    "Substantive ruling" means a ruling that directly relates
11to the merits of the case and does not include explanation of
12hearing rules, hearing processes, hearing procedures, or
13hearing scheduling.
14    "Translator" means a person who converts written text from
15one language into written text in another language.
16    "Written translation" means a conversion of written text
17from one language into written text in another language.
18    (b) A self-represented litigant, a witness, or a litigant
19who is an indigent person has the right to request
20interpretive assistance to participate in or understand a
21hearing at any time during the course of the hearing. If no
22request is made but the administrative law judge reasonably
23believes that a self-represented litigant or witness is a
24limited English proficient person, the administrative law
25judge shall inquire if the individual is in need of
26interpretive assistance to participate in or understand the

 

 

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1hearing. The fact that an individual for whom English is a
2second language knows some English should not prohibit that
3individual from being allowed to receive interpretive
4assistance from a foreign language interpreter. The conclusion
5of the administrative law judge regarding the need for
6interpretive assistance must be stated in the record.
7    (c) If interpretive assistance is requested by a
8self-represented litigant, a witness, or a litigant who is an
9indigent person or if interpretive assistance is determined to
10be necessary by the administrative law judge, the agency must
11appoint a foreign language interpreter at no cost to the
12person in need of the assistance for use in a substantive
13hearing. If it appears that interpretive assistance is needed
14but a foreign language interpreter is not available for the
15scheduled substantive hearing, the administrative law judge
16shall continue or postpone the hearing until appropriate
17services can be provided. In a substantive hearing, an
18interpreter who is not a foreign language interpreter should
19be appointed only if the agency made reasonable efforts to
20obtain a foreign language interpreter and one is not
21reasonably available. If the agency appoints an interpreter
22who is not a foreign language interpreter, the administrative
23law judge must examine the interpreter to ensure the
24interpreter is competent to interpret in the hearing, has
25proficiency in English and the applicable foreign language,
26and does not present a conflict of interest.

 

 

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1    (d) An agency may provide interpretive assistance during a
2nonsubstantive hearing by use of an interpreter who is not a
3foreign language interpreter, provided the administrative law
4judge examines the interpreter for competency for the purposes
5of the non-substantive hearing.
6    (e) All persons appointed to provide interpretive
7assistance in substantive and nonsubstantive hearings must
8swear or affirm that they:
9        (1) will make a true interpretation, from the English
10    language, in an understandable manner to the limited
11    English proficient person for whom the interpreter has
12    been appointed;
13        (2) will repeat the statements of the limited English
14    proficient person, in the English language, to the best of
15    the interpreter's ability;
16        (3) have not had any involvement in the issues of the
17    case before the hearing; and
18        (4) will not disclose privileged or confidential
19    communications to any person.
20    (f) If an appointed interpreter is not accurately
21interpreting communications, the limited English proficient
22person, or that person's attorney or authorized
23representative, if an authorized representative is permitted
24under agency rules, may request the appointment of a different
25interpreter, subject to the approval of the administrative law
26judge.

 

 

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1    (g) An agency may adopt rules for the implementation and
2administration of this Section. Nothing in this Section
3precludes an agency from providing language access services in
4addition to those required under this Section to any limited
5English proficient person, subject to agency discretion.
 
6    (5 ILCS 100/10-70)  (from Ch. 127, par. 1010-70)
7    Sec. 10-70. Waiver.
8    (a) Compliance with any or all of the provisions of this
9Act concerning contested cases may be waived by written
10stipulation of all parties.
11    (b) To waive any of the provisions relating to language
12access services under Sections 10-25 and 10-25.1, the parties
13must provide a signed written stipulation in both English and
14the preferred language of the party in need of language
15assistance.
16    (c) A written stipulation waiving the language access
17service provisions of Sections 10-25 and 10-25.1 of this Act
18may be withdrawn by the limited English proficient person at
19any time. The withdrawal may be made by oral declaration at
20hearing or in a written declaration. Following such a
21withdrawal, the remainder of the proceeding must be conducted
22in accordance with Sections 10-25 and 10-25.1.
23(Source: P.A. 87-823.)
 
24    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
252025.