HB5558 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB102 25991 LNS 35394 b

102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB5558

Introduced 1/31/2022, by Rep. Ann M. Williams

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

775 ILCS 5/7-101	from Ch. 68, par. 7-101
775 ILCS 5/8A-102	from Ch. 68, par. 8A-102
775 ILCS 5/10-101	from Ch. 68, par. 10-101
775 ILCS 5/10-102	from Ch. 68, par. 10-102
775 ILCS 5/10-105 new

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that the Department of Human Rights has the power to intervene in complaints pending before the Human Rights Commission regarding employment, financial credit, public accommodations, elementary, secondary, and higher education, or additional civil rights violations. Provides that the Department may petition and shall be permitted as a matter of right to intervene as a party in the proceeding if the Commission determines that: (i) the case involves matters of public interest or importance beyond the issues in the case; (ii) the Department has an interest different from one or more of the parties; (iii) the expertise of the Department makes it better suited to articulate a particular point of view; or (iv) the representation of the Department's interest by existing parties is or may be inadequate and the Department will or may be bound by an order or judgment in the action. Allows the Attorney General to seek to intervene on behalf of the Department in a civil action filed by a complainant in State or federal court if the Department certifies that the case is of general public importance. Makes conforming changes.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning human rights.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Human Rights Act is amended by changing Sections 7-101, 8A-102, 10-101, and 10-102 and by adding Section 10-105 as follows:

(775 ILCS 5/7-101) (from Ch. 68, par. 7-101)

Sec. 7-101. Powers and Duties. In addition to other powers and duties prescribed in this Act, the Department shall have the following powers:

(A) Rules and Regulations. To adopt, promulgate, amend, and rescind rules and regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act pursuant to the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

(B) Charges. To issue, receive, investigate, conciliate, settle, and dismiss charges filed in conformity with this Act.

(C) Compulsory Process. To request subpoenas as it deems necessary for its investigations.

(D) Complaints. To file complaints with the Commission in conformity with this Act and to intervene in complaints pending before the Commission filed under Article 2, 4, 5, 5A, or 6.

(E) Judicial Enforcement. To seek temporary relief and to enforce orders of the Commission in conformity with this Act.

(F) Equal Employment Opportunities. To take such action as may be authorized to provide for equal employment opportunities and affirmative action.

(G) Recruitment; Research; Public Communication; Advisory Councils. To engage in such recruitment, research and public communication and create such advisory councils as may be authorized to effectuate the purposes of this Act.

(H) Coordination with other Agencies. To coordinate its activities with federal, state, and local agencies in conformity with this Act.

(I) Public Grants; Private Gifts. To accept public grants and private gifts as may be authorized.

(J) Education and Training. To implement a formal and unbiased program of education and training for all employees assigned to investigate and conciliate charges under Articles 7A and 7B. The training program shall include the following:

(1) substantive and procedural aspects of the investigation and conciliation positions;

(2) current issues in human rights law and practice;

(3) lectures by specialists in substantive areas related to human rights matters;

(4) orientation to each operational unit of the Department and Commission;

(5) observation of experienced Department investigators and attorneys conducting conciliation conferences, combined with the opportunity to discuss evidence presented and rulings made;

(6) the use of hypothetical cases requiring the Department investigator and conciliation conference attorney to issue judgments as a means to evaluating knowledge and writing ability;

(7) writing skills;

(8) computer skills, including but not limited to word processing and document management.

A formal, unbiased and ongoing professional development program including, but not limited to, the above-noted areas shall be implemented to keep Department investigators and attorneys informed of recent developments and issues and to assist them in maintaining and enhancing their professional competence.

(Source: P.A. 99-74, eff. 7-20-15.)

(775 ILCS 5/8A-102) (from Ch. 68, par. 8A-102)

Sec. 8A-102. Hearing on Complaint.

(A) Services. Within five days after a complaint is filed by the Department, or the aggrieved party, as the case may be, the Commission shall cause it to be served on the respondent together with a notice of hearing before a hearing officer of the Commission at a place therein fixed.

(B) Time and Location of Hearing. An initial hearing date shall be scheduled for not less than thirty nor more than ninety days after service of the complaint at a place that is within one hundred miles of the place at which the civil rights violation is alleged to have occurred. The hearing officer may, for good cause shown, extend the date of the hearing.

(B-5) Intervention by the Department.

(1) After the filing of a complaint under Article 2, 4, 5, 5A, or 6, the Department may petition and shall be permitted as a matter of right to intervene as a party in the proceeding if the Commission determines that:

(i) the case involves matters of public interest or importance beyond the issues in the case;

(ii) the Department has an interest different from one or more of the parties;

(iii) the expertise of the Department makes it better suited to articulate a particular point of view; or

(iv) the representation of the Department's interest by existing parties is or may be inadequate and the Department will or may be bound by an order or judgment in the action.

(2) The Department, as an intervenor, shall have all of the rights of an original party subject to the order of the administrative law judge.

(3) Upon such intervention, the Commission may award such relief as is authorized to be granted to a complainant under Section 8A-104.

(C) Amendment.

(1) A complaint may be amended under oath by leave of the presiding hearing officer, for good cause shown, upon timely written motion and reasonable notice to all interested parties at any time prior to the issuance of a recommended order pursuant to Section 8A-102(I) or 8B-102(J). The amended complaint shall be served upon all parties of record and the Department of Human Rights by the complainant, or by the Department if it prepared and filed the amended complaint, within 7 days of the date of the order permitting its filing or such additional time as the hearing officer may order. Amendments to the complaint may encompass any unlawful discrimination which is like or reasonably related to the charge and growing out of the allegations in such charge, including, but not limited to, allegations of retaliation.

(2) A motion that the complaint be amended to conform to the evidence, made prior to the close of the public hearing, may be addressed orally on the record to the hearing officer, and shall be granted for good and sufficient cause.

(D) Answer.

(1) The respondent shall file an answer under oath or affirmation to the original or amended complaint within 30 days of the date of service thereof, but the hearing officer may, for good cause shown, grant further time for the filing of an answer.

(2) When the respondent files a motion to dismiss the complaint within 30 days and the motion is denied by the hearing officer, the time for filing the answer shall be within 15 days of the date of denial of the motion.

(3) Any allegation in the complaint which is not denied or admitted in the answer is deemed admitted unless the respondent states in the answer that he is without sufficient knowledge or information to form a belief with respect to such allegation.

(4) The failure to file an answer is deemed to constitute an admission of the allegations contained in the complaint.

(5) The respondent has the right to amend his answer, upon leave of the hearing officer, for good cause shown.

(E) Proceedings In Forma Pauperis.

(1) If the hearing officer is satisfied that the complainant or respondent is a poor person, and unable to prosecute or defend the complaint and pay the costs and expenses thereof, the hearing officer may permit the party to commence and prosecute or defend the action as a poor person. Such party shall have all the necessary subpoenas, appearances, and proceedings without prepayment of witness fees or charges. Witnesses shall attend as in other cases under this Act and the same remedies shall be available for failure or refusal to obey the subpoena as are provided for in Section 8-104 of this Act.

(2) A person desiring to proceed without payment of fees or charges shall file with the hearing officer an affidavit stating that he is a poor person and unable to pay costs, and that the action is meritorious.

(F) Discovery. The procedure for obtaining discovery of information from parties and witnesses shall be specified by the Commission in rules. If no rule has been promulgated by the Commission on a particular type of discovery, the Code of Civil Procedure may be considered persuasive authority. The types of discovery shall be the same as in civil cases in the circuit courts of this State, provided, however, that a party may take discovery depositions only upon leave of the hearing officer and for good cause shown.

(G) Hearing.

(1) Both the complainant and the respondent may appear at the hearing and examine and cross-examine witnesses.

(2) The testimony taken at the hearing shall be under oath or affirmation and a transcript shall be made and filed in the office of the Commission.

(3) The testimony taken at the hearing is subject to the same rules of evidence that apply in courts of this State in civil cases.

(H) Compelling Appearance of Parties at Hearing. The appearance at the hearing of a party or a person who at the time of the hearing is an officer, director, or employee of a party may be required by serving the party with a notice designating the person who is required to appear. The notice also may require the production at the hearing of documents or tangible things. If the party or person is a nonresident of the county, the hearing officer may order any terms and conditions in connection with his appearance at the hearing that are just, including payment of his reasonable expenses. Upon a failure to comply with the notice, the hearing officer may enter any order that is just.

(I) Decision.

(1) When all the testimony has been taken, the hearing officer shall determine whether the respondent has engaged in or is engaging in the civil rights violation with respect to the person aggrieved as charged in the complaint. A determination sustaining a complaint shall be based upon a preponderance of the evidence.

(2) The hearing officer shall make findings of fact in writing and, if the finding is against the respondent, shall issue and cause to be served on the parties and the Department a recommended order for appropriate relief as provided by this Act.

(3) If, upon all the evidence, the hearing officer finds that a respondent has not engaged in the discriminatory practice charged in the complaint or that a preponderance of the evidence does not sustain the complaint, he shall state his findings of fact and shall issue and cause to be served on the parties and the Department a recommended order dismissing the complaint.

(4) The findings and recommended order of the hearing officer shall be filed with the Commission. The findings and recommended order may be authored by a hearing officer other than the hearing officer who presides at the public hearing if:

(a) the hearing officer who presides at the public hearing is unable to author the findings and recommended order by reason of death, disability, or separation from employment; and

(b) all parties to a complaint file a joint motion agreeing to have the findings and recommended order written by a hearing officer who did not preside at the public hearing.

(5) A recommended order dismissing a complaint may include an award of reasonable attorneys fees in favor of the respondent against the complainant or the complainant's attorney, or both, if the hearing officer concludes that the complaint was frivolous, unreasonable or groundless or that the complainant continued to litigate after it became clearly so.

(6) The hearing officer may issue a recommended order of dismissal with prejudice or a recommended order of default as a sanction for the failure of a party to prosecute his or her case, file a required pleading, appear at a hearing, or otherwise comply with this Act, the rules of the Commission, or a previous order of the hearing officer.

(Source: P.A. 92-472, eff. 1-1-02.)

(775 ILCS 5/10-101) (from Ch. 68, par. 10-101)

Sec. 10-101. Applicability. With the exception of Sections Section 10-104 and 10-105, this Article shall apply solely to civil actions arising under Article 3 of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 93-1017, eff. 8-24-04.)

(775 ILCS 5/10-102) (from Ch. 68, par. 10-102)

Sec. 10-102. Court Actions.

(A) Circuit Court Actions.

(1) An aggrieved party may commence a civil action in an appropriate Circuit Court not later than 2 years after the occurrence or the termination of an alleged civil rights violation or the breach of a conciliation or settlement agreement entered into under this Act, whichever occurs last, to obtain appropriate relief with respect to the alleged civil rights violation or breach. Venue for such civil action shall be determined under Section 8-111(A)(1).

(2) The computation of such 2-year period shall not include any time during which an administrative proceeding under this Act was pending with respect to a complaint or charge under this Act based upon the alleged civil rights violation. This paragraph does not apply to actions arising from a breach of a conciliation or settlement agreement.

(3) An aggrieved party may commence a civil action under this subsection whether or not a charge has been filed under Section 7B-102 and without regard to the status of any such charge, however, if the Department or local agency has obtained a conciliation or settlement agreement with the consent of an aggrieved party, no action may be filed under this subsection by such aggrieved party with respect to the alleged civil rights violation practice which forms the basis for such complaint except for the purpose of enforcing the terms of such conciliation or settlement agreement.

(4) An aggrieved party shall not commence a civil action under this subsection with respect to an alleged civil rights violation which forms the basis of a complaint issued by the Department if a hearing officer has commenced a hearing on the record under Article 3 of this Act with respect to such complaint.

(B) Appointment of Attorney by Court. Upon application by a person alleging a civil rights violation or a person against whom the civil rights violation is alleged, if in the opinion of the court such person is financially unable to bear the costs of such action, the court may:

(1) appoint an attorney for such person, any attorney so appointed may petition for an award of attorneys fees pursuant to subsection (C)(2) of this Section; or

(2) authorize the commencement or continuation of a civil action under subsection (A) without the payment of fees, costs, or security.

(C) Relief which may be granted.

(1) In a civil action under subsection (A) if the court finds that a civil rights violation has occurred or is about to occur, the court may award to the plaintiff actual and punitive damages, and may grant as relief, as the court deems appropriate, any permanent or preliminary injunction, temporary restraining order, or other order, including an order enjoining the defendant from engaging in such civil rights violation or ordering such affirmative action as may be appropriate.

(2) In a civil action under subsection (A), the court, in its discretion, may allow the prevailing party, other than the State of Illinois, reasonable attorneys fees and costs. The State of Illinois shall be liable for such fees and costs to the same extent as a private person.

(D) Intervention by the Attorney General. If the Department certifies that the case is of general public importance, the By The Department. The Attorney General of Illinois may seek to intervene on behalf of the Department in a civil action filed by a complainant in State or federal court under this Section if the Department certifies that the case is of general public importance. Upon such intervention, the court may award any of the remedies set forth in Section 8B-104 and subsection (B) of Section 10-104 such relief as is authorized to be granted to a plaintiff in a civil action under Section 10-102(C).

(Source: P.A. 101-661, eff. 4-2-21.)

(775 ILCS 5/10-105 new)

Sec. 10-105. Intervention by the Attorney General. If the Department certifies that the case is of general public importance, the Attorney General may seek to intervene on behalf of the Department in a civil action filed by a complainant in State or federal court. Upon such intervention, the court or jury may award any of the remedies set forth in Section 8A-104 and subsection (B) of Section 10-104.