101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB3611

 

Introduced , by Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
625 ILCS 5/6-209.1 new
625 ILCS 5/11-208.3a new

    Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the Secretary of State shall rescind the suspension or cancellation of a person's driver's license that has been suspended or canceled prior to the effective date due to specified violations. Provides that, in the case of a license suspended before the effective date due to the person failing to pay any fine or penalty due or owing as a result of 10 or more violations of local standing, parking, or compliance regulations, a local government shall, within 120 days of receiving a list of persons whose licenses have been suspended before the effective date provided by the Secretary of State, provide the person with notice of a right to a hearing. Provides that an individual subject to suspension who has received a notice may, within 45 days of receiving the notice, request a hearing. Provides that, upon individual request, the local government shall conduct a financial hardship hearing before suspension of a license for unpaid fines or penalties. Prescribes requirements for notice and factors to be considered for a determination of financial hardship. Provides that, if an individual qualifies for a payment plan and makes timely payments, the government may not pursue other means to collect on the debt, and, if the individual misses a payment, may, after providing 60 days' written notice, pursue collection of the debt. Provides that a fourth missed payment shall be considered noncompliance. Provides that, if the individual does not appear at the pre-suspension hearing, the hearing officer may find the person in default and provide notice of the determination. Provides that an individual subject to suspension as a result of 10 or more violations of a vehicular standing, parking, or compliance regulation established by ordinance after a hearing officer's determination that the individual is in a financial hardship is not entitled to another financial hardship hearing.


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A BILL FOR

 

HB3611LRB101 09072 TAE 54165 b

1    AN ACT concerning transportation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by adding
5Sections 6-209.1 and 11-208.3a as follows:
 
6    (625 ILCS 5/6-209.1 new)
7    Sec. 6-209.1. Restoration of driving privileges; right to
8hearing.
9    (a) The Secretary shall rescind the suspension or
10cancellation of a person's driver's license that has been
11suspended or canceled prior to the effective date of this
12amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly due to:
13        (1) the person being convicted of theft of motor fuel
14    under Sections 16-25 or 16K-15 of the Criminal Code of 1961
15    or the Criminal Code of 2012;
16        (2) the person, since the issuance of the driver's
17    license, being adjudged to be afflicted with or suffering
18    from any mental disability or disease;
19        (3) a violation of Section 6-16 of the Liquor Control
20    Act of 1934 or a similar provision of a local ordinance;
21        (4) the person being convicted of a violation of
22    Section 6-20 of the Liquor Control Act of 1934 or a similar
23    provision of a local ordinance, if the person presents a

 

 

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1    certified copy of a court order that includes a finding
2    that the person was not an occupant of a motor vehicle at
3    the time of the violation;
4        (5) the person receiving a disposition of court
5    supervision for a violation of subsections (a), (d), or (e)
6    of Section 6-20 of the Liquor Control Act of 1934 or a
7    similar provision of a local ordinance, if the person
8    presents a certified copy of a court order that includes a
9    finding that the person was not an occupant of a motor
10    vehicle at the time of the violation
11        (6) the person failing to satisfy any fine or penalty
12    resulting from a final order issued by the Authority
13    relating directly or indirectly to 5 or more toll
14    violations, toll evasions, or both;
15        (7) the person being convicted of a violation of
16    Section 4-102 of this Code, if the person presents a
17    certified copy of a court order that includes a finding
18    that the person did not exercise actual physical control of
19    the vehicle at the time of the violation; or
20        (8) the person being convicted of criminal trespass to
21    vehicles under Section 21-2 of the Criminal Code of 2012,
22    if the person presents a certified copy of a court order
23    that includes a finding that the person did not exercise
24    actual physical control of the vehicle at the time of the
25    violation.
26    (b) In the case of a license that has been suspended before

 

 

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1the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General
2Assembly due to the person failing to pay any fine or penalty
3due or owing as a result of 10 or more violations of a
4municipality's or county's vehicular standing, parking, or
5compliance regulations established by ordinance under Section
611-208.3, the municipality or county shall, within 120 days
7after receiving the list provided by the Secretary under
8subsection (c), provide the person with notice that the person
9has a right to a hearing under Section 11-208.3a. The notice
10shall be sent by first class United States mail, postage
11prepaid, to the address of the registered owner or lessee of
12the cited vehicle as recorded with the Secretary of State or
13the lessor of the motor vehicle or, if any notice to that
14address is returned as undeliverable or unclaimed, by first
15class mail to the last known address recorded in a United
16States Post Office approved database.
17    (c) The Secretary shall provide a municipality or county
18with a list of persons whose driver's licenses have been
19suspended before the effective date of this amendatory Act of
20the 101th General Assembly due to the person failing to pay any
21fine or penalty due or owing as a result of 10 or more
22violations of a municipality's or county's vehicular standing,
23parking, or compliance regulations established by ordinance
24under Section 11-208.3.
 
25    (625 ILCS 5/11-208.3a new)

 

 

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1    Sec. 11-208.3a. Hearing to determine ability to satisfy
2fines or penalties for 10 or more violations of local standing,
3parking, or compliance regulations.
4    (a) An individual subject to suspension of a driver's
5license under Section 6-306.5 and who has received a notice of
6impending driver's license suspension, or an individual whose
7driver's license has been suspended before the effective date
8of this amendatory Act of the 101th General Assembly and who
9has received a notice as provided in subsection (b) of Section
106-209.1, may, within 45 days of receiving such notice, request
11a hearing under this Section. If the individual requests a
12hearing as provided in this subsection, a municipality or
13county shall conduct a hearing under this Section before
14requesting suspension of a license for unpaid fines or
15penalties, or, with respect to an individual whose driver's
16license has been suspended before the effective date of this
17amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, due or owing as a
18result of violations of local standing, parking, or compliance
19regulations pursuant to Section 6-306.5. The purpose of the
20hearing is to determine whether the individual cannot pay the
21fines or penalties because of a financial hardship.
22    (b) If an individual requests a hearing as provided in
23subsection (a), the municipality or county shall provide at
24least 21 days' written notice of the hearing. The notice shall:
25        (1) include a clear and prominent statement that the
26    hearing will determine whether the individual's driver's

 

 

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1    license will be, or continue to be, as appropriate,
2    suspended for failing to pay fines or penalties for
3    violations of a municipality's or county's vehicular
4    standing, parking, or compliance regulations;
5        (2) include a list of all fines or penalties for
6    violations of a municipality's or county's vehicular
7    standing, parking, or compliance regulations leading to
8    the suspension or proposed suspension;
9        (3) clearly inform the individual that:
10            (A) at the hearing, a hearing officer may determine
11        whether the individual failed to pay fines or penalties
12        because of a financial hardship;
13            (B) if the hearing officer determines that the
14        individual failed to pay the fines or penalties because
15        of a financial hardship, the hearing officer shall
16        determine that the municipality or county cannot
17        request suspension of the individual's driver's
18        license or, in the case of a suspended driver's
19        license, that such license shall be restored if the
20        individual establishes a monthly installment payment
21        plan with the municipality or county as provided in
22        subsection (f);
23            (C) at the hearing, the individual may provide
24        information that he or she is unable to pay the amount
25        due and owing because of a financial hardship;
26            (D) he or she should bring any documents that show

 

 

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1        the individual's income, including pay stubs, tax
2        returns, and any documents that show he or she is
3        participating in a program for low-income individuals,
4        such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
5        or Medicaid; and
6        (4) provide the date, time, and location of the
7    hearing.
8    Notice shall be served by first class United States mail,
9postage prepaid, to the address of the registered owner or
10lessee of the cited vehicle as recorded with the Secretary of
11State or the lessor of the motor vehicle or, if any notice to
12that address is returned as undeliverable or unclaimed, by
13first class mail to the last known address recorded in a United
14States Post Office approved database.
15    (c) The hearing officer shall make a determination
16concerning whether the individual is experiencing a financial
17hardship. An individual is experiencing a financial hardship if
18he or she:
19        (1) has a household income of 300% or less than the
20    Federal Poverty Level; or
21        (2) participates in any of the following programs:
22    Supplemental Security Income; Social Security Disability
23    Income; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
24    Women, Infants and Children; Aid to the Aged, Blind, and
25    Disabled; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families;
26    Unemployment Insurance Benefits; Medicaid; Supplemental

 

 

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1    Nutrition Assistance Program; Transitional Assistance; or
2    State Children and Family Assistance.
3    (d) An individual may demonstrate that he or she is
4experiencing a financial hardship by providing any of the
5following:
6        (1) proof of income from a pay stub, bank statement,
7    tax return, rent, or other evidence of earnings; or
8        (2) eligibility cards or electronic benefit cards or
9    other documents that show participation in a public
10    benefits programs described in subdivision (c)(1)(B).
11    (e) A hearing officer may continue a hearing as needed to
12allow the individual to present additional information or
13enable the hearing officer to make additional determinations.
14    (f) If, after the hearing, the hearing officer determines
15that the individual is experiencing a financial hardship, the
16individual shall be eligible to establish a monthly installment
17payment plan with the municipality or county of:
18        (1) $25 for total fines and penalties due and owing
19    that are $500 or less with payments on the plan not to
20    exceed 18 months; or
21        (2) $50 for total fines and penalties due and owing
22    that are more than $500 with payments on the plan not to
23    exceed 48 months.
24    If the individual complies with either item (1) or item (2)
25of this subsection, as applicable, or if the individual has
26satisfied the fines and penalties due and owing, whichever is

 

 

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1the earlier, the fine amount due and owing, and any associated
2late fees and penalties shall be deemed satisfied.
3    (g) If the individual enters into a payment plan as
4provided in subsection (f), the municipality or county may not
5request the suspension of the individual's driver's license, or
6in the case of a suspended driver's license, the municipality
7or county shall request the Secretary to restore the license.
8Upon such a request, the Secretary shall restore the driving
9privileges of the individual.
10    (h) If the individual makes timely payments on a payment
11plan ordered under this Section, the municipality or county may
12not pursue other means to collect on the debt. If the
13individual misses a payment, the municipality or county may,
14after providing the individual with 60 days' written notice and
15an opportunity to come current, pursue collection of the debt,
16including late fees and penalties associated with the debt. The
17individual shall be given not more than 3 opportunities to come
18current in the duration of the payment plan, and a fourth
19missed payment shall be considered to be noncompliance with the
20payment plan.
21    (i) If the individual does not appear at the pre-suspension
22hearing, the hearing officer may find the individual in default
23and proceed with the hearing and determine that the individual
24is not experiencing a financial hardship. The municipality or
25county shall provide written notice of the outcome of the
26hearing by first class mail, postage prepaid.

 

 

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1    (j) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (h), if an
2individual who has established a payment fails to comply with
3the payment plan, the municipality or county may pursue any
4means to collect on the debt.
5    (k) This Section does not apply to an individual who has
6become subject to a driver's license suspension under Section
76-306.5 as a result of 10 or more violations of a
8municipality's or county's vehicular standing, parking, or
9compliance regulations established by ordinance after a
10hearing officer's determination that the individual is
11experiencing a financial hardship.
12    (1) Nothing in this Section prohibits an individual who is
13not experiencing a financial hardship from agreeing to a
14payment plan with the municipality or county in order to
15satisfy the financial obligations and avoid suspension of the
16driver's license of the individual.