94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB3840

 

Introduced 2/25/2005, by Rep. Constance A. Howard

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
220 ILCS 5/2-204 new
220 ILCS 5/10-112   from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 10-112

    Amends the Public Utilities Act. Allows the Illinois Commerce Commission to conduct official business via approved electronic methods, and requires the Commission to use the electronic processing capabilities at its disposal. In provisions concerning service of Commission orders, provides that service by electronic means shall constitute service without additional proof of a receipt of a copy of the order.


LRB094 03793 AMC 33804 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3840 LRB094 03793 AMC 33804 b

1     AN ACT concerning utilities.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by adding
5 Section 2-204 and by changing Section 10-112 as follows:
 
6     (220 ILCS 5/2-204 new)
7     Sec. 2-204. Electronic writings; administrative rules;
8 fees.
9     (a) To enable the efficient and effective execution of its
10 responsibilities under this Act, the Commission may conduct
11 official business via approved electronic methods and shall use
12 the electronic processing capabilities and associated
13 technological solutions at its disposal, including without
14 limitation all of the following activities:
15         (1) Whenever a document, record, or other writing of
16     any kind or description is either required or permitted by
17     statute or by rule of the Commission to be filed with,
18     submitted to, or otherwise provided to the Commission, the
19     document, record, or writing may be filed with, submitted
20     to, or otherwise provided to the Commission in electronic
21     form pursuant to rules adopted by the Commission.
22         (2) Whenever a document, record, or other writing of
23     any kind or description is either required or permitted by
24     statute or by rule of the Commission to be provided by the
25     Commission or by any person or party to one or more persons
26     or parties other than the Commission, the document, record,
27     or writing may be provided to the persons or parties in
28     electronic form pursuant to rules adopted by the
29     Commission.
30         (3) The Commission may accept digital signatures or
31     other approved forms of electronic authentication in lieu
32     of a written signature for any official business process or

 

 

HB3840 - 2 - LRB094 03793 AMC 33804 b

1     transaction that requires a signature, including the
2     acceptance of electronic documents or other informational
3     content.
4         (4) The Commission may accept an electronic date/time
5     stamp derived from a trusted time source for the purposes
6     of acknowledging the receipt of electronic filings. The
7     electronic date/time stamp shall serve the same purpose as
8     is provided by a United States Postal Service cancellation
9     mark pursuant to Section 1.25 of the Statute on Statutes.
10         (5) The Commission may impose appropriate
11     administrative controls, such as user account registration
12     requirements and end user license agreements, as well as
13     reasonable technical standards, such as limitations on
14     acceptable file sizes and file formats, as may be required
15     to effectively manage the filing or submission of
16     electronic documents or other informational content
17     covered under this Act. The Commission may adopt and impose
18     administrative controls and technical standards that are
19     consistent with standards and policies embodied in current
20     State agency rules.
21         (6) The Commission may charge reasonable fees set by
22     rule to offset the cost of developing, deploying, and
23     enhancing automated systems for the purposes of conducting
24     official business activities pursuant to rules adopted by
25     the Commission.
26         (7) The Commission may charge reasonable fees set by
27     rule to offset the cost of accepting, processing, storing,
28     and otherwise administering manual systems for managing
29     documents, records, and other writings that are not in
30     electronic form.
31     (b) Fees collected by the Commission pursuant to the rules
32 adopted under this Section shall be deposited into the Public
33 Utility Fund in the State treasury.
34     (c) Rules adopted under this Section shall comply with the
35 requirements of Article 25 of the Electronic Commerce Security
36 Act and other applicable State statutes and shall comply, to

 

 

HB3840 - 3 - LRB094 03793 AMC 33804 b

1 the extent practicable, with the rules adopted by the
2 Department of Central Management Services under that Article.
 
3     (220 ILCS 5/10-112)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 10-112)
4     Sec. 10-112. Service of Commission orders. Every order of
5 the Commission shall be served upon every person or corporation
6 to be affected thereby by personal delivery of a copy thereof,
7 by mailing in the United States mail a copy thereof in a sealed
8 package with postage prepaid, or by electronic means to the
9 person to be affected thereby or in the case of a corporation,
10 to any officer or agent thereof upon whom a summons of a
11 circuit court may be served in a civil action. Where such
12 persons or corporations, or both, exceed 3 in number, service
13 as herein provided may be upon the attorneys or representatives
14 of record, if there be any; and in any event, service by
15 electronic means or mailing in the United States mail as herein
16 provided, shall constitute service, without additional proof
17 of a receipt of such copy or copies of such order. Within a
18 time specified in the order of the Commission every person and
19 corporation upon whom it is served must, if so required in the
20 order, notify the Commission in like manner whether the terms
21 of the order are accepted and will be obeyed.
22 (Source: P.A. 91-341, eff. 7-29-99.)
 
23     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
24 becoming law.