(820 ILCS 205/17) (from Ch. 48, par. 31.17) (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2025) Sec. 17. It shall be the duty of the Department of Labor to enforce the provisions of this Act. The Department of Labor shall have the power to conduct investigations in connection with the administration and enforcement of this Act and the authorized officers and employees of the Department of Labor are hereby authorized and empowered, to visit and inspect, at all reasonable times and as often as possible, all places covered by this Act. Truant officers and other school officials authorized by the board of education or school directors shall report violations under this Act to the Department of Labor, and may enter any place in which children are, or are believed to be employed and inspect the work certificates on file. Such truant officers or other school officials also are authorized to file complaints against any employer found violating the provisions of this Act in case no complaints for such violations are pending; and when such complaints are filed by truant officers or other school officials, the State's Attorneys of this State shall appear for the people, and attend to the prosecution of such complaints. The Department of Labor shall conduct hearings in accordance with the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act upon written complaint by an investigator of the Department of Labor, truant officer, or other school official, or any interested person of a violation of the Act or to revoke any certificate under this Act. After such hearing, if supported by the evidence, the Department of Labor may issue and cause to be served on any party an order to cease and desist from violation of the Act, take such further affirmative or other action as deemed reasonable to eliminate the effect of the violation, and may revoke any certificate issued under the Act and determine the amount of any civil penalty allowed by the Act. The Department may serve such orders by certified mail or by sending a copy by email to an email address previously designated by the party for purposes of receiving notice under this Act. An email address provided by the party in the course of the administrative proceeding shall not be used in any subsequent proceedings, unless the party designates that email address for the subsequent proceeding. The Director of Labor or his authorized representative may compel by subpoena, the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of books, payrolls, records, papers and other evidence in any investigation or hearing and may administer oaths to witnesses.(Source: P.A. 103-201, eff. 1-1-24; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24. Repealed by P.A. 103-721, eff. 1-1-25.) |