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90_SB0574eng 65 ILCS 5/Art. 1, Div. 2.1 heading new 65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-1 new 65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-2 new 65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-3 new 65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-4 new 65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-5 new 65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-6 new 65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-7 new 65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-8 new 65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-9 new Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that a municipality may provide for a system of administrative adjudication of violations of certain municipal ordinances. Provides that administrative adjudication is not the exclusive method to enforce municipal ordinances. Sets the powers and qualifications of hearing officers. Provides for notice and opportunity for a hearing at administrative proceedings. Provides that the rules of evidence do not apply in administrative hearings. Provides for judicial review of administrative decisions. Allows a municipality to enforce judgments of hearing officers. Provides that existing systems of administrative adjudication shall not be affected. LRB9002431MWpc SB574 Engrossed LRB9002431MWpc 1 AN ACT to amend the Illinois Municipal Code by adding 2 Division 2.1 to Article 1. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by 6 adding Division 2.1 to Article 1 as follows: 7 (65 ILCS 5/Art. 1, Div. 2.1 heading new) 8 DIVISION 2.1. ADMINISTRATIVE ADJUDICATIONS 9 (65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-1 new) 10 Sec. 1-2.1-1. Administrative adjudication of municipal 11 code violations. Any municipality may provide by ordinance 12 for a system of administrative adjudication of municipal code 13 violations to the extent permitted by the Illinois 14 Constitution. A "municipal code violation" means any 15 violation of a municipal ordinance, except for any offense 16 under the Illinois Vehicle Code or a similar offense that is 17 a traffic regulation governing the movement of vehicles and 18 except for any reportable offense under Section 6-204 of the 19 Illinois Vehicle Code. 20 (65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-2 new) 21 Sec. 1-2.1-2. Administrative adjudication procedures not 22 exclusive. The adoption by a municipality of a system of 23 administrative adjudication does not preclude the 24 municipality from using other methods to enforce municipal 25 ordinances. 26 (65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-3 new) 27 Sec. 1-2.1-3. Code hearing units; powers of hearing 28 officers. SB574 Engrossed -2- LRB9002431MWpc 1 (a) An ordinance establishing a system of administrative 2 adjudication, pursuant to this Division, shall provide for a 3 code hearing unit within an existing agency or as a separate 4 agency in the municipal government. The ordinance shall 5 establish the jurisdiction of a code hearing unit that is 6 consistent with this Division. The "jurisdiction" of a code 7 hearing unit refers to the particular code violations that it 8 may adjudicate. 9 (b) Adjudicatory hearings shall be presided over by 10 hearing officers. The powers and duties of a hearing officer 11 shall include: 12 (1) hearing testimony and accepting evidence that 13 is relevant to the existence of the code violation; 14 (2) issuing subpoenas directing witnesses to appear 15 and give relevant testimony at the hearing, upon the 16 request of the parties or their representatives; 17 (3) preserving and authenticating the record of the 18 hearing and all exhibits and evidence introduced at the 19 hearing; 20 (4) issuing and signing a written finding, 21 decision, and order stating whether a code violation 22 exists; and 23 (5) imposing penalties consistent with applicable 24 code provisions and assessing costs upon finding a party 25 liable for the charged violation, except, however, that 26 in no event shall the hearing officer have authority to 27 impose a penalty of incarceration. 28 (c) Prior to conducting administrative adjudication 29 proceedings, administrative hearing officers shall have 30 successfully completed a formal training program that 31 includes the following: 32 (1) instruction on the rules of procedure of the 33 administrative hearings that they will conduct; 34 (2) orientation to each subject area of the code SB574 Engrossed -3- LRB9002431MWpc 1 violations that they will adjudicate; 2 (3) observation of administrative hearings; and 3 (4) participation in hypothetical cases, including 4 ruling on evidence and issuing final orders. 5 In addition, all administrative hearing officers must 6 meet at least one of the following qualifications: (i) be 7 licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois; (ii) have 8 previously served as a hearing officer for a minimum of one 9 year for the State or any municipal corporation or political 10 subdivision of this State; or (iii) have at least 4 years of 11 professional experience in the subject area of the code 12 violations that they will adjudicate. 13 (65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-4 new) 14 Sec. 1-2.1-4. Administrative hearing proceedings. 15 (a) Any ordinance establishing a system of 16 administrative adjudication pursuant to this Division shall 17 afford the parties due process of law, including notice and 18 opportunity for hearing. 19 (b) Parties shall be given notice of an adjudicatory 20 hearing that includes the type and nature of the code 21 violation to be adjudicated, the date and location of the 22 adjudicatory hearing, the legal authority and jurisdiction 23 under which the hearing is to be held, and the penalties for 24 failure to appear at the hearing. 25 (c) Parties shall be provided with an opportunity for a 26 hearing during which they may be represented by counsel, 27 present witnesses, and cross-examine opposing witnesses. 28 Parties may request the hearing officer to issue subpoenas to 29 direct the attendance and testimony of relevant witnesses and 30 the production of relevant documents. 31 (65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-5 new) 32 Sec. 1-2.1-5. Rules of evidence shall not govern. The SB574 Engrossed -4- LRB9002431MWpc 1 formal and technical rules of evidence do not apply in an 2 adjudicatory hearing permitted under this Division. 3 (65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-6 new) 4 Sec. 1-2.1-6. Judicial review. Any final decision by a 5 code hearing unit that a code violation does or does not 6 exist shall constitute a final determination for purposes of 7 judicial review under the Illinois Administrative Review Law. 8 (65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-7 new) 9 Sec. 1-2.1-7. Enforcement of judgment. 10 (a) Any fine, other sanction, or costs imposed, or part 11 of any fine, other sanction, or costs imposed, remaining 12 unpaid after the exhaustion of or the failure to exhaust 13 judicial review procedures under the Illinois Administrative 14 Review Law are a debt due and owing the municipality and may 15 be collected in accordance with applicable law. 16 (b) After expiration of the period in which judicial 17 review under the Illinois Administrative Review Law may be 18 sought for a final determination of a code violation, unless 19 stayed by a court of competent jurisdiction, the findings, 20 decision, and order of the hearing officer may be enforced in 21 the same manner as a judgment entered by a court of competent 22 jurisdiction. 23 (c) In any case in which a hearing officer finds that a 24 defendant has failed to comply with a judgment ordering a 25 defendant to correct a code violation or imposing any fine or 26 other sanction as a result of a code violation, any expenses 27 incurred by a municipality to enforce the judgment including, 28 but not limited to, attorney's fees, court costs, and costs 29 related to property demolition or foreclosure after they are 30 fixed by the hearing officer, shall be a debt due and owing 31 the municipality and may be collected in accordance with 32 applicable law. SB574 Engrossed -5- LRB9002431MWpc 1 (d) A lien shall be imposed on the real or personal 2 estate, or both, of the defendant in the amount of any debt 3 due and owing the municipality under this Section. The lien 4 shall be enforceable in the same manner as a lien of 5 judgment. 6 (65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-8 new) 7 Sec. 1-2.1-8. Impact on existing administrative 8 adjudication systems. The Division shall not affect the 9 validity of systems of administrative adjudication that were 10 authorized by State law, including home rule authority, and 11 in existence prior to the effective date of this amendatory 12 Act of 1997. 13 (65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-9 new) 14 Sec. 1-2.1-9. Impact on home rule authority. This 15 Division shall not preempt municipalities from adopting other 16 systems of administrative adjudication pursuant to their home 17 rule powers.