093_HB3452

 
                                     LRB093 04372 MBS 04422 b

 1        AN ACT in relation to State government.

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

 4        Section 1.  Short title.  This Act may be  cited  as  the
 5    Human Voice Contact Act.

 6        Section  5.   Legislative findings.  The General Assembly
 7    finds that:
 8             (1)  the people of this State, from  time  to  time,
 9        need  contact  with State agencies because of problems or
10        concerns;
11             (2)  often when a person calls a State  agency  that
12        person  needs  to  talk  to  an individual, and it is not
13        necessarily convenient or practical for  that  person  to
14        leave a message or to follow an automated menu;
15             (3)   the  purpose of State agencies is to serve the
16        people of this State in a manner that is  as  accessible,
17        efficient, and responsive as possible;
18             (4)  when a person calls a State agency and receives
19        an  automated  operator or an automated menu instead of a
20        live  operator,  often  that  person  is  not   able   to
21        adequately receive assistance or services; and
22             (5)  the number of people calling a State agency and
23        not  getting  the  assistance  or  services that they are
24        entitled to because the State agency does not have a live
25        operator answering incoming phone calls grows by the day.

26        Section 10.  Definition.  In  this  Act,  "State  agency"
27    means  the  same  as  in  Section  1-7  of the Illinois State
28    Auditing Act.

29        Section 15.  Automated telephone answering equipment.   A
 
                            -2-      LRB093 04372 MBS 04422 b
 1    State   agency   that   uses  automated  telephone  answering
 2    equipment to answer incoming telephone calls must, during the
 3    normal business hours of the agency, provide the caller  with
 4    the  option, among the first set of menu choices, of speaking
 5    to a live  operator.   This  Section  does  not  apply  to  a
 6    telephone  line that is dedicated as a hot line for emergency
 7    services or to provide general information.