103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB2376

 

Introduced 2/10/2023, by Sen. Karina Villa

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
5 ILCS 100/10-10  from Ch. 127, par. 1010-10
5 ILCS 100/10-25  from Ch. 127, par. 1010-25
5 ILCS 100/10-25.1 new
5 ILCS 100/10-45  from Ch. 127, par. 1010-45
5 ILCS 100/10-50  from Ch. 127, par. 1010-50
5 ILCS 100/10-70  from Ch. 127, par. 1010-70
20 ILCS 405/600 new

    Provides that all agency rules establishing procedures for contested cases may include procedures for requesting language assistance. Provides that, in a contested case, all parties shall be afforded an opportunity for an administrative hearing after reasonable notice in the preferred spoken language of the parties, if known by the agency. Provides that notice for the administrative hearings shall include instructions at the top of the notice, written in, at a minimum, English, Spanish, Polish, Gujarati, Urdu, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, and Tagalog, for assistance in translating the contents of the notice, and a statement written in those languages. Defines "language assistance". Provides that the administrative law judge has the duty to inquire and determine if a participant in the hearing needs language assistance to participate in or understand the hearing. Provides that if an individual for whom English is a second language knows some English, it should not prohibit that individual from being allowed to receive language assistance. Provides that the examination of the individual believed to be in need of language assistance must be done on the record, and the conclusion of the administrative law judge must be stated on the record. Provides that any party or witness has the right to request language assistance to participate in or understand the hearing at any time during the course of the hearing. Creates qualifications for the certification of administrative hearing interpreters.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Administrative Procedure Act is
5amended by changing Sections 10-10, 10-25, 10-45, 10-50, and
610-70 and by adding Section 10-25.1 as follows:
 
7    (5 ILCS 100/10-10)  (from Ch. 127, par. 1010-10)
8    Sec. 10-10. Components of rules. All agency rules
9establishing procedures for contested cases shall at a minimum
10comply with the provisions of this Article 10. In addition,
11agency rules establishing procedures may include, but need not
12be limited to, the following components: pre-hearing
13conferences, representation interview or deposition
14procedures, default procedures, selection of administrative
15law judges, the form of the final order, the standard of proof
16used, which agency official makes the final decision,
17representation of parties, procedure for requesting language
18assistance, subpoena request procedures, discovery and
19protective order procedures, and any review or appeal process
20within the agency.
21(Source: P.A. 87-823.)
 
22    (5 ILCS 100/10-25)  (from Ch. 127, par. 1010-25)

 

 

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1    Sec. 10-25. Contested cases; notice; hearing.
2    (a) In a contested case, all parties shall be afforded an
3opportunity for a hearing after reasonable notice in the
4preferred spoken language of the parties, if known by the
5agency. The notice shall be served personally, by certified or
6registered mail, by email as provided by Section 10-75, or as
7otherwise provided by law upon the parties or their agents
8appointed to receive service of process and shall include the
9following:
10        (1) A statement of the time, place, and nature of the
11    hearing.
12        (2) A statement of the legal authority and
13    jurisdiction under which the hearing is to be held.
14        (3) A reference to the particular Sections of the
15    substantive and procedural statutes and rules involved.
16        (4) Except where a more detailed statement is
17    otherwise provided for by law, a short and plain statement
18    of the matters asserted, the consequences of a failure to
19    respond, and the official file or other reference number.
20        (5) To the extent such information is available, the
21    names, phone numbers, email addresses, and mailing
22    addresses of the administrative law judge or designated
23    agency contact, the parties, and all other persons to whom
24    the agency gives notice of the hearing unless otherwise
25    confidential by law.
26        (6) Instructions at the top of the notice, written in,

 

 

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1    at a minimum, English, Spanish, Polish, Gujarati, Urdu,
2    Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, and Tagalog, for assistance
3    in translating the contents of the notice.
4        (7) A statement written in, at a minimum, English,
5    Spanish, Polish, Gujarati, Urdu, Mandarin, Cantonese,
6    Korean, and Tagalog, of the right to request an
7    interpreter for the hearing.
8    (b) An opportunity shall be afforded all parties to be
9represented by legal counsel and to respond and present
10evidence and argument.
11    (c) Unless precluded by law, disposition may be made of
12any contested case by stipulation, agreed settlement, consent
13order, or default.
14(Source: P.A. 100-880, eff. 1-1-19; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)
 
15    (5 ILCS 100/10-25.1 new)
16    Sec. 10-25.1. Language Assistance.
17    (a) "Language assistance" means oral interpretation or
18written or sight translation into English of a language other
19than English or of English into another language for a party or
20witness who cannot speak or understand English or who can do so
21only with difficulty. "Sight translation" means the reading of
22text written in one language by an interpreter who orally
23translates it into another language.
24    (b) The administrative law judge has the duty to inquire
25and determine if a participant in the hearing needs language

 

 

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1assistance to participate in or understand the hearing. The
2fact that an individual for whom English is a second language
3knows some English should not prohibit that individual from
4being allowed to receive language assistance. The examination
5of the individual believed to be in need of language
6assistance must be done on the record, and the conclusion of
7the administrative law judge must be stated on the record.
8    (c) Any party or witness has the right to request language
9assistance to participate in or understand the hearing at any
10time during the course of the hearing.
11    (d) When language assistance is requested or determined to
12be necessary by the administrative law judge, the agency must
13appoint a certified, registered, or qualified interpreter, at
14no cost to the person in need of the assistance. If it appears
15that language assistance is needed but interpreters are not
16available for the scheduled hearing, the administrative law
17judge shall continue or postpone the hearing until appropriate
18services can be provided. An unregistered interpreter should
19be appointed only if the agency made reasonable efforts to
20obtain a certified, registered, or qualified interpreter and
21is not reasonably available. If the agency appoints an
22unregistered interpreter, the administrative law judge must
23examine the interpreter on the record to ensure the
24interpreter is qualified to interpret in the hearing, has
25proficiency in English and the foreign language, and does not
26present a conflict of interest.

 

 

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1        (1) Interpreters on the registry established pursuant
2    to Section 405-600 of the Department of Central Management
3    Services Law must be certified, registered, or qualified
4    for purposes of this Section.
5        (2) Court interpreters on the registry established
6    pursuant to the Illinois Supreme Court Language Access
7    Policy recommended lists of court interpreters must be
8    certified, registered, or qualified for purposes of this
9    Section.
10    (e) The appointed interpreter must swear or affirm that he
11or she:
12        (1) will make a true interpretation in an
13    understandable manner to the person for whom the
14    interpreter has been appointed;
15        (2) will repeat the statements of the person in need
16    of interpretation assistance in the English language to
17    the best of his or her ability;
18        (3) has not had any involvement in the issues of the
19    case before the hearing; and
20        (4) will not disclose privileged or confidential
21    communications to any person.
22    (f) If the party or witness in need of interpretation or an
23attorney or advocate involved in the proceeding concludes that
24the appointed interpreter is not interpreting communications
25correctly, they may request the appointment of a different
26interpreter.
 

 

 

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1    (5 ILCS 100/10-45)  (from Ch. 127, par. 1010-45)
2    Sec. 10-45. Proposal for decision. Except where otherwise
3expressly provided by law, when in a contested case a majority
4of the officials of the agency who are to render the final
5decision has not heard the case or read the record, the
6decision, if adverse to a party to the proceeding other than
7the agency, shall not be made until a proposal for decision is
8served upon the parties and an opportunity is afforded to each
9party adversely affected to file exceptions and to present a
10brief and, if the agency so permits, oral argument to the
11agency officials who are to render the decision. The proposal
12for decision shall contain a statement of the reasons therefor
13and of each issue of fact or law necessary to the proposed
14decision and shall be prepared by the persons who conducted
15the hearing or one who has read the record. Where an
16interpreter is appointed for a party in the hearing under
17Section 10-25.1, the agency must provide a translation of the
18proposal for decision or provide an interpreter for sight
19translation of the proposal for decision to the party needing
20language assistance.
21(Source: P.A. 87-823.)
 
22    (5 ILCS 100/10-50)  (from Ch. 127, par. 1010-50)
23    Sec. 10-50. Decisions and orders.
24    (a) A final decision or order adverse to a party (other

 

 

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1than the agency) in a contested case shall be in writing or
2stated in the record. A final decision shall include findings
3of fact and conclusions of law, separately stated. Findings of
4fact, if set forth in statutory language, shall be accompanied
5by a concise and explicit statement of the underlying facts
6supporting the findings. If, in accordance with agency rules,
7a party submitted proposed findings of fact, the decision
8shall include a ruling upon each proposed finding. Parties or
9their agents appointed to receive service of process shall be
10notified either personally, by registered or certified mail,
11by email as provided by Section 10-75, or as otherwise
12provided by law. Upon request a copy of the decision or order
13shall be delivered or mailed forthwith to each party and to his
14attorney of record. Where an interpreter is appointed for a
15party in the hearing under Section 10-25.1, the agency must
16provide a translation of the proposal for decision or provide
17an interpreter to sight translate the proposal for decision to
18the party needing language assistance.
19    (b) All agency orders shall specify whether they are final
20and subject to the Administrative Review Law. Every final
21order shall contain a list of all parties of record to the case
22including the name and address of the agency or officer
23entering the order and the addresses of each party as known to
24the agency where the parties may be served with pleadings,
25notices, or service of process for any review or further
26proceedings. Every final order shall also state whether the

 

 

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1rules of the agency require any motion or request for
2reconsideration and cite the rule for the requirement. The
3changes made by this amendatory Act of the 100th General
4Assembly apply to all actions filed under the Administrative
5Review Law on or after the effective date of this amendatory
6Act of the 100th General Assembly.
7    (c) A decision by any agency in a contested case under this
8Act shall be void unless the proceedings are conducted in
9compliance with the provisions of this Act relating to
10contested cases, except to the extent those provisions are
11waived under Section 10-70 and except to the extent the agency
12has adopted its own rules for contested cases as authorized in
13Section 1-5.
14(Source: P.A. 100-212, eff. 8-18-17; 100-880, eff. 1-1-19;
15101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)
 
16    (5 ILCS 100/10-70)  (from Ch. 127, par. 1010-70)
17    Sec. 10-70. Waiver.
18    (a) Compliance with any or all of the provisions of this
19Act concerning contested cases may be waived by written
20stipulation of all parties.
21    (b) Where an administrative law judge has determined that
22a party needs language assistance to understand or participate
23in the hearing under Section 10-25.1, the parties must include
24a signed written stipulation in the preferred language of the
25party in need of language assistance.

 

 

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1    (c) A written stipulation waiving any of the provisions in
2Sections 10-25, 10-25.1, 10-45, and 10-50 of this Act about
3language assistance may be withdrawn by the party in need of
4language assistance by oral declaration at hearing or in a
5written declaration at any time. A withdrawal of the waiver,
6in compliance with this subsection (c), will require
7compliance of the language assistance provisions of this Act
8going forward in the proceeding.
9(Source: P.A. 87-823.)
 
10    Section 10. The Department of Central Management Services
11Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by
12adding Section 600 as follows:
 
13    (20 ILCS 405/600 new)
14    Sec. 600. Certification of administrative hearing
15interpreters.
16    (a) The Department shall compile, maintain, and
17disseminate a current registry of foreign language
18interpreters certified, qualified, and registered by the
19Department that meet the minimum standards in interpreting
20skills and linguistic abilities developed by the Department.
21Any certified, qualified, and registered interpreter listed
22may be examined by each employing agency to determine the
23interpreter's knowledge of the employing agency's technical
24program terminology and procedures. For purposes of this

 

 

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1section, the following definitions apply:
2        (1) "Certified interpreter" means a foreign language
3    interpreter certified pursuant to the program established
4    by the Department and listed on the Department's statewide
5    registry.
6        (2) "Qualified interpreter" means a foreign language
7    interpreter qualified pursuant to the program established
8    by the Department and listed on the Department's statewide
9    registry.
10        (3) "Registered interpreter" means a foreign language
11    interpreter registered pursuant to the program established
12    by the Department and listed on the Department's statewide
13    registry.
14    (b) The Department shall designate the languages for
15certification. The Department may stop providing an
16examination for the certification of a language if it finds
17that there is an insufficient need for interpreting assistance
18in the language using the criteria in subsection (c).
19    (c) The language designations shall be based on the
20following:
21        (1) The language needs of non-English-speaking persons
22    appearing before the administrative agencies as determined
23    by consultation with the agencies.
24        (2) The cost of developing a language examination.
25        (3) The availability of experts needed to develop a
26    language examination.

 

 

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1        (4) Other information the department deems relevant.
2    (d) The Department may charge reasonable fees to
3interpreters for applying, testing, training, certification,
4registration, and renewal of registration.