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| 1 | AN ACT concerning access to governmental services.
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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 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Access | ||||||
| 5 | to Governmental Services Act. | ||||||
| 6 | Section 5. Definitions. | ||||||
| 7 | "Equal access" means to be informed of, participate in, and | ||||||
| 8 | benefit from public services offered by a State agency, circuit | ||||||
| 9 | court, constitutional office, or a State program at a level | ||||||
| 10 | equal to individuals who do not have limited English | ||||||
| 11 | proficiency. | ||||||
| 12 | "Limited English proficiency" means the inability to | ||||||
| 13 | adequately understand or express oneself in the spoken or | ||||||
| 14 | written English language. | ||||||
| 15 | "Oral language services" includes various methods to | ||||||
| 16 | provide verbal information and interpretations, such as staff | ||||||
| 17 | interpreters, bilingual staff, telephone interpreter programs, | ||||||
| 18 | and private interpreter programs. | ||||||
| 19 | "Important documents" means application or informational | ||||||
| 20 | materials, websites, notices, and complaint forms offered by | ||||||
| 21 | State agencies, constitutional officers, circuit court clerks, | ||||||
| 22 | and State programs, as defined by rule by the appropriate State | ||||||
| 23 | agency, constitutional officer, circuit court clerk, or State | ||||||
| 24 | program. "Important documents" does not include applications | ||||||
| 25 | and examinations related to the licensure, certification, or | ||||||
| 26 | registration of businesses and professionals. | ||||||
| 27 | "State program" means any program administered by a State | ||||||
| 28 | agency, but does not include any program administered, in whole | ||||||
| 29 | or in part, by a unit of local government or a school district, | ||||||
| 30 | regardless of whether State funds are expended under the | ||||||
| 31 | program. | ||||||
| 32 | "Sufficient number of qualified bilingual persons in | ||||||
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| 1 | public contact positions" means the number of qualified | ||||||
| 2 | bilingual persons required in order to provide the same level | ||||||
| 3 | of service to non-English-speaking persons as is available to | ||||||
| 4 | English-speaking persons seeking the same service. | ||||||
| 5 | Section 10. Language access required. | ||||||
| 6 | (a) Each State agency, constitutional officer, circuit | ||||||
| 7 | court clerk, and State program shall take reasonable steps to | ||||||
| 8 | provide equal access to public services for individuals with | ||||||
| 9 | limited English proficiency. | ||||||
| 10 | (b) Reasonable steps to provide equal access to public | ||||||
| 11 | services include, but are not limited to: | ||||||
| 12 | (1) Having a sufficient number of qualified bilingual | ||||||
| 13 | persons in public contact positions or as interpreters to | ||||||
| 14 | assist persons in public contact positions in providing | ||||||
| 15 | services to individuals with limited English proficiency | ||||||
| 16 | where there is documented substantial need due to contact | ||||||
| 17 | between a State agency, constitutional officer, circuit | ||||||
| 18 | court clerk, or State program and individuals with limited | ||||||
| 19 | English proficiency. | ||||||
| 20 | (2) Translating important documents ordinarily | ||||||
| 21 | provided to the public into any language spoken by any | ||||||
| 22 | limited English proficient population that constitutes at | ||||||
| 23 | least 3% of the overall population of the State as measured | ||||||
| 24 | by the U.S. Census. | ||||||
| 25 | (c) Each State agency, constitutional officer, circuit | ||||||
| 26 | court clerk, and State program shall adopt rules regarding the | ||||||
| 27 | requirements of this Section not less than 6 months after the | ||||||
| 28 | date that this Act takes effect, or as soon thereafter as | ||||||
| 29 | possible. | ||||||
| 30 | (d) The Illinois Human Rights Commission shall implement a | ||||||
| 31 | process to address disputes arising under this Act, including, | ||||||
| 32 | but not limited to, disputes concerning the interpretation of | ||||||
| 33 | "important documents" and "sufficient number of qualified | ||||||
| 34 | bilingual persons in public contact positions", not less than 6 | ||||||
| 35 | months after the date that this Act takes effect, or as soon | ||||||
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| 1 | thereafter as possible.
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