(225 ILCS 415/23) (from Ch. 111, par. 6223)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2025)

Sec. 23. Grounds for disciplinary action.

(a) The Department may refuse to issue or renew, or may revoke, suspend, place on probation, reprimand or take other disciplinary or non-disciplinary action as the Department may deem appropriate, including imposing fines not to exceed $10,000 for each violation and the assessment of costs as provided for in Section 23.3 of this Act, with regard to any license for any one or combination of the following:

(1) Material misstatement in furnishing information to the Department;

(2) Violations of this Act, or of the rules promulgated thereunder;

(3) Conviction by plea of guilty or nolo contendere, finding of guilt, jury verdict, or entry of judgment or by sentencing of any crime, including, but not limited to, convictions, preceding sentences of supervision, conditional discharge, or first offender probation under the laws of any jurisdiction of the United States: (i) that is a felony or (ii) that is a misdemeanor, an essential element of which is dishonesty, or that is directly related to the practice of the profession;

(4) Fraud or any misrepresentation in applying for or procuring a license under this Act or in connection with applying for renewal of a license under this Act;

(5) Professional incompetence;

(6) Aiding or assisting another person, firm, partnership or corporation in violating any provision of this Act or rules;

(7) Failing, within 60 days, to provide information in response to a written request made by the Department;

(8) Engaging in dishonorable, unethical or unprofessional conduct of a character likely to deceive, defraud or harm the public;

(9) Habitual or excessive use or abuse of drugs defined in law as controlled substances, alcohol, or any other substances that results in the inability to practice with reasonable judgment, skill, or safety;

(10) Discipline by another state, unit of government, government agency, the District of Columbia, a territory, or foreign nation, if at least one of the grounds for the discipline is the same or substantially equivalent to those set forth herein;

(11) Charging for professional services not rendered, including filing false statements for the collection of fees for which services were not rendered, or giving, directly or indirectly, any gift or anything of value to attorneys or their staff or any other persons or entities associated with any litigation, that exceeds $100 total per year; for the purposes of this Section, pro bono services, as defined by State law, are permissible in any amount;

(12) A finding by the Board that the certificate holder, after having his certificate placed on probationary status, has violated the terms of probation;

(13) Willfully making or filing false records or reports in the practice of shorthand reporting, including but not limited to false records filed with State agencies or departments;

(14) Physical illness, including but not limited to, deterioration through the aging process, or loss of motor skill which results in the inability to practice under this Act with reasonable judgment, skill or safety;

(15) Solicitation of professional services other than by permitted advertising;

(16) Willful failure to take full and accurate stenographic notes of any proceeding;

(17) Willful alteration of any stenographic notes taken at any proceeding;

(18) Willful failure to accurately transcribe verbatim any stenographic notes taken at any proceeding;

(19) Willful alteration of a transcript of stenographic notes taken at any proceeding;

(20) Affixing one's signature to any transcript of his stenographic notes or certifying to its correctness unless the transcript has been prepared by him or under his immediate supervision;

(21) Willful failure to systematically retain stenographic notes or transcripts on paper or any electronic media for 10 years from the date that the notes or transcripts were taken;

(22) Failure to deliver transcripts in a timely manner or in accordance with contractual agreements;

(23) Establishing contingent fees as a basis of compensation;

(24) Mental illness or disability that results in the inability to practice under this Act with reasonable judgment, skill, or safety;

(25) Practicing under a false or assumed name, except as provided by law;

(26) Cheating on or attempting to subvert the licensing examination administered under this Act;

(27) Allowing one's license under this Act to be used by an unlicensed person in violation of this Act.

All fines imposed under this Section shall be paid within 60 days after the effective date of the order imposing the fine or in accordance with the terms set forth in the order imposing the fine.

(b) The determination by a circuit court that a certificate holder is subject to involuntary admission or judicial admission as provided in the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code, operates as an automatic suspension. Such suspension will end only upon a finding by a court that the patient is no longer subject to involuntary admission or judicial admission, an order by the court so finding and discharging the patient. In any case where a license is suspended under this Section, the licensee may file a petition for restoration and shall include evidence acceptable to the Department that the licensee can resume practice in compliance with acceptable and prevailing standards of the profession.

(c) In cases where the Department of Healthcare and Family Services has previously determined a licensee or a potential licensee is more than 30 days delinquent in the payment of child support and has subsequently certified the delinquency to the Department, the Department may refuse to issue or renew or may revoke or suspend that person's license or may take other disciplinary action against that person based solely upon the certification of delinquency made by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services in accordance with item (5) of subsection (a) of Section 2105-15 of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.

(d) In enforcing this Section, the Department, upon a showing of a possible violation, may compel any individual who is certified under this Act or any individual who has applied for certification under this Act to submit to a mental or physical examination and evaluation, or both, which may include a substance abuse or sexual offender evaluation, at the expense of the Department. The Department shall specifically designate the examining physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches or, if applicable, the multidisciplinary team involved in providing the mental or physical examination and evaluation, or both. The multidisciplinary team shall be led by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches and may consist of one or more or a combination of physicians licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches, licensed chiropractic physicians, licensed clinical psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed clinical professional counselors, and other professional and administrative staff. Any examining physician or member of the multidisciplinary team may require any person ordered to submit to an examination and evaluation pursuant to this Section to submit to any additional supplemental testing deemed necessary to complete any examination or evaluation process, including, but not limited to, blood testing, urinalysis, psychological testing, or neuropsychological testing.

The Department may order the examining physician or any member of the multidisciplinary team to provide to the Department any and all records, including business records, that relate to the examination and evaluation, including any supplemental testing performed. The Department may order the examining physician or any member of the multidisciplinary team to present testimony concerning this examination and evaluation of the certified shorthand reporter or applicant, including testimony concerning any supplemental testing or documents relating to the examination and evaluation. No information, report, record, or other documents in any way related to the examination and evaluation shall be excluded by reason of any common law or statutory privilege relating to communication between the licensee or applicant and the examining physician or any member of the multidisciplinary team. No authorization is necessary from the certified shorthand reporter or applicant ordered to undergo an evaluation and examination for the examining physician or any member of the multidisciplinary team to provide information, reports, records, or other documents or to provide any testimony regarding the examination and evaluation. The individual to be examined may have, at his or her own expense, another physician of his or her choice present during all aspects of the examination.

Failure of any individual to submit to mental or physical examination and evaluation, or both, when directed, shall result in an automatic suspension, without hearing, until such time as the individual submits to the examination. If the Department finds a certified shorthand reporter unable to practice because of the reasons set forth in this Section, the Department shall require the certified shorthand reporter to submit to care, counseling, or treatment by physicians approved or designated by the Department, as a condition for continued, reinstated, or renewed certification.

When the Secretary immediately suspends a certificate under this Section, a hearing upon the person's certificate must be convened by the Department within 15 days after the suspension and completed without appreciable delay. The Department shall have the authority to review the certified shorthand reporter's record of treatment and counseling regarding the impairment, to the extent permitted by applicable federal statutes and regulations safeguarding the confidentiality of medical records.

Individuals certified under this Act, affected under this Section, shall be afforded an opportunity to demonstrate to the Department that they can resume practice in compliance with acceptable and prevailing standards under the provisions of their certification.

(e) (Blank).

(f) The Department may refuse to issue or may suspend without hearing, as provided for in the Code of Civil Procedure, the license of any person who fails to file a return, to pay the tax, penalty, or interest shown in a filed return, or to pay any final assessment of tax, penalty, or interest as required by any tax Act administered by the Illinois Department of Revenue, until such time as the requirements of any such tax Act are satisfied in accordance with subsection (g) of Section 2105-15 of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.

(Source: P.A. 100-872, eff. 8-14-18.)