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1 | AN ACT concerning public aid.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | changing Section 8A-8 as follows:
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6 | (305 ILCS 5/8A-8) (from Ch. 23, par. 8A-8)
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7 | Sec. 8A-8. Future Participation in the Public Assistance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Program.
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9 | (a) Any person applying for public assistance under this | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | Code who has been
found
guilty of a violation of this Article | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | or of any law of the United States or
of any state which is | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | substantially similar to Sections 8A-2 through 8A-5
for | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | violations related to public assistance or medical assistance
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14 | programs of the kind provided under this Code and who has not | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | been previously
convicted
for a violation of this Article or of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | any law of the United States or of any
state which is | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | substantially similar to Sections 8A-2 through 8A-5
for | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | violations related to public assistance or medical assistance
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19 | programs
of the kind provided under this Code shall have | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | applications for public
assistance
under this Code reviewed by | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | an administrative review board to determine
the person's | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | eligibility and the need for administrative safeguards to | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | prevent
any such further violations. The administrative review | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
24 | board shall be
composed of not less than two persons who are | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
25 | selected in accordance with
regulations of the Illinois | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
26 | Department or the local governmental unit. Hearings
conducted | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
27 | by the board shall:
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28 | (1) be of an informal nature, permitting the applicant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
29 | to attend at his
option;
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30 | (2) be open to the public, unless the applicant and the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
31 | administrative
review board determine otherwise;
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32 | (3) be subject to reasonable time and notification |
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1 | requirements as
determined by regulations of the Illinois | ||||||
2 | Department or local governmental
units; and
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3 | (4) be held at a location convenient to the applicant.
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4 | At the hearing, the administrative review board may deny | ||||||
5 | the application
based on an investigation of the person's | ||||||
6 | eligibility, or the board may
appoint a substitute payee, | ||||||
7 | require more frequent visits or consultations,
more frequent | ||||||
8 | financial reports or require any other action to the extent
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9 | permitted by State and federal law and regulations. A decision | ||||||
10 | by the
administrative review board to deny a person's | ||||||
11 | application shall only be
based on the person's failure to | ||||||
12 | qualify under the eligibility criteria
applicable to all | ||||||
13 | applicants for the public assistance program in question.
Any | ||||||
14 | decision by the administrative review board may be appealed | ||||||
15 | pursuant to
the provisions of this Code. In no instance shall | ||||||
16 | the administrative review
board delay the hearing or its | ||||||
17 | decision beyond the time allowed under State
or federal law and | ||||||
18 | regulations for determining an applicant's eligibility
for | ||||||
19 | public assistance.
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20 | If the person has been determined eligible, the Illinois | ||||||
21 | Department or
the local governmental unit may recoup prior | ||||||
22 | payments obtained in violation
of this Article from the current | ||||||
23 | cash assistance grants, unless such payments
have previously | ||||||
24 | been repaid. The Illinois Department or the local governmental
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25 | unit, on a case by case basis, shall limit the amount deducted | ||||||
26 | from the current
cash assistance grant so as not to cause undue | ||||||
27 | hardship to the person.
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28 | (b) To the extent permitted under federal law, any person | ||||||
29 | found
guilty of a first violation of this Article or of any law | ||||||
30 | of the United
States
or
of any state which is substantially | ||||||
31 | similar to Sections 8A-2 through 8A-5 for
violations related to | ||||||
32 | public assistance or medical assistance programs of the
kind | ||||||
33 | provided under this Code may be suspended from eligibility for | ||||||
34 | public
aid under this Code. Any person found guilty of a second | ||||||
35 | or subsequent
violation of this Article or of any law of the | ||||||
36 | United States or of any state
which is substantially similar to |
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1 | Sections 8A-2 through 8A-5 for violations
related to public | ||||||
2 | assistance or medical assistance programs of the kind
provided | ||||||
3 | under this Code shall be ineligible for public aid under this
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4 | Code.
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5 | (c) In no instance shall this Section adversely affect the | ||||||
6 | eligibility
of children who are in need of public aid under | ||||||
7 | this Code, or the amount
of the grant received by such | ||||||
8 | children. If a child's caretaker relative
is adversely affected | ||||||
9 | by this Section, a substitute payee may be appointed
until the | ||||||
10 | Illinois Department can determine, by rule, that the caretaker
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11 | relative can manage the public aid in the best interest of the | ||||||
12 | child.
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13 | (d) Any person, firm, corporation, association, agency, | ||||||
14 | institution or
other legal entity that has been convicted of a | ||||||
15 | violation of this Article
shall be prohibited from | ||||||
16 | participating as a vendor of goods or services
to recipients of | ||||||
17 | public aid under this Code. Such prohibition shall extend
to | ||||||
18 | any person with management responsibility in a firm, | ||||||
19 | corporation,
association, agency, institution, or other legal | ||||||
20 | entity that has been
convicted of any such violation and to an | ||||||
21 | officer or person owning, either
directly or indirectly, 5% or | ||||||
22 | more of the shares of stock or other
evidences of ownership in | ||||||
23 | a corporation.
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24 | (d-5) A person who has been convicted of a felony under the | ||||||
25 | Criminal Code of 1961 or a similar law of another state is | ||||||
26 | barred from participating as a vendor of goods or services in | ||||||
27 | the medical assistance program under Article V of this Code. | ||||||
28 | After the passage of 10 years following the conviction, a | ||||||
29 | person who has been barred from participation in the medical | ||||||
30 | assistance program under this subsection may apply to the | ||||||
31 | Department of Public Aid for reinstatement as a vendor of goods | ||||||
32 | or services in that program. The person must apply for | ||||||
33 | reinstatement in the form and manner prescribed by the | ||||||
34 | Department. An administrative review board appointed by the | ||||||
35 | Director of Public Aid shall conduct a hearing to review the | ||||||
36 | application to determine the person's eligibility and the need |
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1 | for administrative safeguards to prevent a reoccurrence of the | ||||||
2 | conduct that led to the person's conviction. The administrative | ||||||
3 | review board shall be composed at least 2 persons who are | ||||||
4 | selected in accordance with rules adopted by the Department. | ||||||
5 | The administrative review board must give the applicant prior | ||||||
6 | written notice of the time and place of the hearing and must | ||||||
7 | give the applicant an opportunity to present evidence at the | ||||||
8 | hearing. The hearing must:
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9 | (1) be of an informal nature, permitting the
applicant | ||||||
10 | to attend at his or her option;
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11 | (2) be open to the public, unless the applicant and
the | ||||||
12 | administrative review board determine otherwise;
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13 | (3) be subject to reasonable time and notification
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14 | requirements as determined by rules adopted by the | ||||||
15 | Department; and
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16 | (4) be held at a location convenient to the
applicant.
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17 | Following the hearing, the administrative review board | ||||||
18 | shall issue a decision on the application for reinstatement | ||||||
19 | based on the evidence introduced at the hearing. The | ||||||
20 | administrative review board's decision is a final | ||||||
21 | administrative decision for purposes of the Administrative | ||||||
22 | Review Law.
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23 | (e) Any employee of the Illinois Department, county | ||||||
24 | department or local
governmental unit who has been found guilty | ||||||
25 | of a violation of this Article
shall be terminated from | ||||||
26 | employment.
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27 | (Source: P.A. 89-489, eff. 1-1-97; 90-725, eff. 8-7-98.)
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28 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
29 | becoming law.
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