Full Text of SB1448 95th General Assembly
SB1448sam002 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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Sen. Martin A. Sandoval
Filed: 3/14/2007
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LRB095 11076 AJO 33603 a |
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| AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1448
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| AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1448, AS AMENDED, | 3 |
| by deleting everything after the enacting clause with the | 4 |
| following:
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| "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | 6 |
| Access to Governmental Services Act. | 7 |
| Section 5. Definitions. | 8 |
| "Equal access" means to be informed of, participate in, and | 9 |
| benefit from public services offered by a State agency, | 10 |
| constitutional office, or a State program at a level equal to | 11 |
| individuals who do not have limited English proficiency. | 12 |
| "Limited English proficiency" means the inability to | 13 |
| adequately understand or express oneself in the spoken or | 14 |
| written English language. | 15 |
| "Oral language services" includes various methods to | 16 |
| provide verbal information and interpretations, such as staff |
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| interpreters, bilingual staff, telephone interpreter programs, | 2 |
| and private interpreter programs. | 3 |
| "Important documents" means application or informational | 4 |
| materials, websites, notices, and complaint forms offered by | 5 |
| State agencies, constitutional officers, and State programs, | 6 |
| as defined by rule by the appropriate State agency, | 7 |
| constitutional officer, or State program. "Important | 8 |
| documents" does not include applications and examinations | 9 |
| related to the licensure, certification, or registration of | 10 |
| businesses and professionals. | 11 |
| "State program" means any program administered by a State | 12 |
| agency, but does not include any program administered, in whole | 13 |
| or in part, by a unit of local government or a school district, | 14 |
| regardless of whether State funds are expended under the | 15 |
| program. | 16 |
| "Sufficient number of qualified bilingual persons in | 17 |
| public contact positions" means the number of qualified | 18 |
| bilingual persons required in order to provide the same level | 19 |
| of service to non-English-speaking persons as is available to | 20 |
| English-speaking persons seeking the same service. | 21 |
| Section 10. Language access required. | 22 |
| (a) Each State agency, constitutional officer, and State | 23 |
| program shall take reasonable steps to provide equal access to | 24 |
| public services for individuals with limited English | 25 |
| proficiency. |
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| (b) Reasonable steps to provide equal access to public | 2 |
| services include, but are not limited to: | 3 |
| (1) Having a sufficient number of qualified bilingual | 4 |
| persons in public contact positions or as interpreters to | 5 |
| assist persons in public contact positions in providing | 6 |
| services to individuals with limited English proficiency | 7 |
| where there is documented substantial need due to contact | 8 |
| between a State agency, constitutional officer, or State | 9 |
| program and individuals with limited English proficiency. | 10 |
| (2) Translating important documents ordinarily | 11 |
| provided to the public into any language spoken by any | 12 |
| limited English proficient population that constitutes at | 13 |
| least 3% of the overall population of the State as measured | 14 |
| by the U.S. Census. | 15 |
| (c) Each State agency, constitutional officer, and State | 16 |
| program shall adopt rules regarding the requirements of this | 17 |
| Section not more than 6 months after the date that this Act | 18 |
| takes effect, or as soon thereafter as possible. | 19 |
| (d) The Illinois Human Rights Commission shall implement a | 20 |
| process to address disputes arising under this Act, including, | 21 |
| but not limited to, disputes concerning the interpretation of | 22 |
| "important documents" and "sufficient number of qualified | 23 |
| bilingual persons in public contact positions", not less than 6 | 24 |
| months after the date that this Act takes effect, or as soon | 25 |
| thereafter as possible.".
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