97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB3193

 

Introduced 2/1/2012, by Sen. Mike Jacobs

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
220 ILCS 5/4-203  from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 4-203
220 ILCS 5/13-304
220 ILCS 20/7  from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 557

    Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that all fines and penalties recovered by the State in certain actions and all other fines and civil penalties shall be paid into the State treasury to the credit of the Public Utility Fund (instead of the General Revenue Fund). Amends the Illinois Gas Pipeline Safety Act. Removes from the Act that the amount of any final civil penalty may be deducted from any sums owed by the State to the person charged or that may be recovered in a civil action. Provides that all penalties recovered by the State in any action shall be paid into the Public Utility Fund (instead of the General Revenue Fund). Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3193LRB097 13608 CEL 58143 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing
5Sections 4-203 and 13-304 as follows:
 
6    (220 ILCS 5/4-203)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 4-203)
7    Sec. 4-203. Action to recover penalties.
8    (a) All civil penalties established under this Act shall be
9assessed and collected by the Commission. Except for the
10penalties provided under Section 2-202, civil penalties may be
11assessed only after notice and opportunity to be heard. In
12determining the amount of the penalty, the Commission shall
13consider the appropriateness of the penalty to the size of the
14business of the public utility, corporation other than a public
15utility, or person acting as a public utility charged, the
16gravity of the violation, such other mitigating or aggravating
17factors as the Commission may find to exist, and the good faith
18of the public utility, corporation other than a public utility,
19or person acting as a public utility charged in attempting to
20achieve compliance after notification of a violation. Nothing
21in this Section, however, increases or decreases any minimum or
22maximum penalty prescribed elsewhere in this Act.
23    (b) If timely judicial review of a Commission order that

 

 

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1imposes a civil penalty is taken by the public utility,
2corporation other than a public utility, or person acting as a
3public utility on which the civil penalty has been imposed, the
4reviewing court shall enter a judgment on all amounts upon
5affirmance of the Commission order. If timely judicial review
6is not taken and the civil penalty remains unpaid for 60 days
7after service of the order, the Commission in its discretion
8may either begin revocation proceedings or bring suit to
9recover the penalties. Unless stayed by a reviewing court,
10interest at the post-judgment rate set forth in Section 2-1303
11of the Code of Civil Procedure shall accrue from 60 days after
12the date of service of the Commission order.
13    (c) Actions to recover delinquent civil penalties under
14this Act shall be brought in the name of the People of the
15State of Illinois in the circuit court in and for the county in
16which the cause, or some part thereof, arose, or in which the
17corporation complained of, if any, has its principal place of
18business, or in which the person, if any, complained of,
19resides. The action shall be commenced and prosecuted to final
20judgment by the Commission. In any such action, all interest
21incurred up to the time of final court judgment may be sued for
22and recovered in that action. In all such actions, the
23procedure and rules of evidence shall be the same as in
24ordinary civil actions, except as otherwise herein provided.
25All fines and penalties recovered by the State in any such
26action shall be paid into the State treasury to the credit of

 

 

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1the Public Utility Fund General Revenue Fund. Any such action
2may be compromised or discontinued on application of the
3Commission upon such terms as the court shall approve and
4order.
5    (d) Civil penalties related to the late filing of reports,
6taxes, or other filings shall be paid into the State treasury
7to the credit of the Public Utility Fund. Except as otherwise
8provided in this Act, all other fines and civil penalties shall
9be paid into the State treasury to the credit of the Public
10Utility Fund General Revenue Fund.
11(Source: P.A. 93-457, eff. 8-8-03.)
 
12    (220 ILCS 5/13-304)
13    (Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2013)
14    Sec. 13-304. Action to recover civil penalties.
15    (a) The Commission shall assess and collect all civil
16penalties established under this Act against
17telecommunications carriers, corporations other than
18telecommunications carriers, and persons acting as
19telecommunications carriers. Except for the penalties provided
20under Section 2-202, civil penalties may be assessed only after
21notice and opportunity to be heard. Any such civil penalty may
22be compromised by the Commission. In determining the amount of
23the civil penalty to be assessed, or the amount of the civil
24penalty to be compromised, the Commission is authorized to
25consider any matters of record in aggravation or mitigation of

 

 

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1the penalty, including but not limited to the following:
2        (1) the duration and gravity of the violation of the
3    Act, the rules, or the order of the Commission;
4        (2) the presence or absence of due diligence on the
5    part of the violator in attempting either to comply with
6    requirements of the Act, the rules, or the order of the
7    Commission, or to secure lawful relief from those
8    requirements;
9        (3) any economic benefits accrued by the violator
10    because of the delay in compliance with requirements of the
11    Act, the rules, or the order of the Commission; and
12        (4) the amount of monetary penalty that will serve to
13    deter further violations by the violator and to otherwise
14    aid in enhancing voluntary compliance with the Act, the
15    rules, or the order of the Commission by the violator and
16    other persons similarly subject to the Act.
17    (b) If timely judicial review of a Commission order that
18imposes a civil penalty is taken by a telecommunications
19carrier, a corporation other than a telecommunications
20carrier, or a person acting as a telecommunications carrier on
21whom or on which the civil penalty has been imposed, the
22reviewing court shall enter a judgment on all amounts upon
23affirmance of the Commission order. If timely judicial review
24is not taken and the civil penalty remains unpaid for 60 days
25after service of the order, the Commission in its discretion
26may either begin revocation proceedings or bring suit to

 

 

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1recover the penalties. Unless stayed by a reviewing court,
2interest shall accrue from the 60th day after the date of
3service of the Commission order to the date full payment is
4received by the Commission.
5    (c) Actions to recover delinquent civil penalties under
6this Section shall be brought in the name of the People of the
7State of Illinois in the circuit court in and for the county in
8which the cause, or some part thereof, arose, or in which the
9entity complained of resides. The action shall be commenced and
10prosecuted to final judgement by the Commission. In any such
11action, all interest incurred up to the time of final court
12judgment may be recovered in that action. In all such actions,
13the procedure and rules of evidence shall be the same as in
14ordinary civil actions, except as otherwise herein provided.
15Any such action may be compromised or discontinued on
16application of the Commission upon such terms as the court
17shall approve and order.
18    (d) Civil penalties related to the late filing of reports,
19taxes, or other filings shall be paid into the State treasury
20to the credit of the Public Utility Fund. Except as otherwise
21provided in this Act, all other fines and civil penalties shall
22be paid into the State treasury to the credit of the Public
23Utility Fund General Revenue Fund.
24(Source: P.A. 92-22, eff. 6-30-01.)
 
25    Section 10. The Illinois Gas Pipeline Safety Act is amended

 

 

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1by changing Section 7 as follows:
 
2    (220 ILCS 20/7)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 557)
3    Sec. 7. Penalties; action for penalties.
4    (a) Any person violating paragraph (a) of Section 6 of this
5Act or any rule or order issued under this Act is subject to a
6civil penalty not to exceed the maximum penalties established
7by Section 60122(a)(1) of Title 49 of the United States Code
8for each day the violation persists. Such civil penalties do
9not apply to a violation with respect to a pipeline facility in
10existence on the effective date of this Act unless such
11violation persists one year from the effective date.
12    (b) Any civil penalty may be compromised by the Commission.
13In determining the amount of the penalty, or the amount agreed
14upon in compromise, the Commission shall consider the
15appropriateness of the penalty to the size of the business of
16the person charged, the gravity of the violation, and the good
17faith of the person charged in attempting to achieve
18compliance, after notification of a violation. The amount of
19the penalty when finally determined, or the amount agreed upon
20in compromise, may be deducted from any sums owing by the State
21of Illinois to the person charged or may be recovered in a
22civil action in accordance with paragraph (c) of this Section
237.
24    (c) Actions to recover penalties under this Act shall be
25brought in the name of the People of the State of Illinois in

 

 

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1the circuit court in and for the county in which the cause or
2some part thereof, arose or in which the corporation complained
3of, if any, has its principal place of business or in which the
4person, if any, complained of, resides. All penalties recovered
5by the State in any action shall be paid into the Public
6Utility Fund general fund of the State Treasury. The action
7shall be commenced and prosecuted to final judgment by the
8Attorney General on behalf of the Commission. In all such
9actions, the procedure and rules of evidence shall conform with
10the Civil Practice Law and other rules of court governing civil
11trials.
12    (d) In addition the Commission may proceed under Section
134-202 of the Public Utilities Act, either by mandamus or
14injunction, to secure compliance with its rules, regulations
15and orders issued under this Act.
16    (e) Any person penalized under this Section is not subject,
17for the same cause, to any other penalty provided in the Public
18Utilities Act.
19(Source: P.A. 91-814, eff. 6-13-00.)
 
20    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
21becoming law.