Section 176.1080  Orders, Notifications, and Time Limits on Obtaining Relief

a)         The Department shall prepare a written order for all final determinations, which shall include the Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, Recommendations of the hearing officer, and the Order of the Secretary.

b)         The hearing officer shall prepare the Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Recommendations to the Secretary.  The Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law must be stated separately.

c)         The Order of the Secretary shall be the decision of the Office of the Secretary of State upon the application for relief.

d)         The Department of Administrative Hearings shall notify all parties or their agents personally, by facsimile, regular mail, or electronic transmission, of the Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, Recommendations, and the Order.  If it is the Order of the Secretary to grant the petitioner relief, then the Department of Administrative Hearings will also provide instructions on what steps the petitioner must take to obtain the relief.  The failure to follow and complete these instructions will result in the denial of relief.

e)         An Order of Default will be entered against the petitioner or respondent who fails to appear for a hearing at the scheduled time and has failed to request or been granted a continuance under Section 176.1070(u).

f)         Orders resulting from formal hearings are final administrative orders within the meaning of the Administrative Review Law [735 ILCS 5/Art. III].

(Source:  Added at 47 Ill. Reg. 8640, effective June 5, 2023)