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| Public Act 100-1108 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning State government.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Illinois Plain Language Task Force Act is | ||||
amended by changing Sections 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 and by | ||||
adding Sections 30 and 35 as follows: | ||||
(20 ILCS 4090/5)
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Sec. 5. Purpose. The mission of the Illinois Plain Language | ||||
Task Force is to implement, monitor, and maintain the mission | ||||
of this Act, including developing training requirements and | ||||
other assistance, and to conduct a study on, and to propose any | ||||
additional legislative measures designed to realize: | ||||
(1) the potential benefits of incorporating plain | ||||
language in State government documents, statutes, and | ||||
contracts into which the State enters; and | ||||
(2) how plain language principles might be | ||||
incorporated into the statutes governing contracts among | ||||
private parties so as to provide additional protections to | ||||
Illinois consumers, to reduce litigation between private | ||||
parties over the meaning of contractual terms, and to | ||||
foster judicial economy.
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(Source: P.A. 96-350, eff. 8-13-09.) | ||||
(20 ILCS 4090/10)
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Sec. 10. Definition. As used in this Act: | ||
"Plain language" shall have the same meaning as "plain | ||
writing" as used in the federal Plain Writing Act of 2010, and | ||
subsequent guidance documents, including the Federal Plain | ||
Language Guidelines has the same meaning ascribed to it in the | ||
Executive Memorandum of the President of the United States, | ||
mandating that Federal Agencies and Federal Administrative | ||
Rules employ plain language, issued June 1, 1998, namely that | ||
"plain language" documents have logical organization, | ||
easy-to-read design features, and use: (i) common, everyday | ||
words, except for necessary technical terms; (ii) "you" and | ||
other pronouns; (iii) the active voice; and (iv) short | ||
sentences.
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(Source: P.A. 96-350, eff. 8-13-09.) | ||
(20 ILCS 4090/15)
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Sec. 15. Task Force. | ||
(a) The Illinois Plain Language Task Force is hereby | ||
created. The Illinois Plain Language Task Force shall be | ||
chaired by the Governor or his or her designee and shall | ||
consist of the following members: one member appointed by the | ||
Illinois Attorney General; one member appointed by the Senate | ||
President; one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the | ||
Senate; one member appointed by the Speaker of the House; one | ||
member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House; and 3 | ||
members appointed by the Governor, one of whom represents the | ||
interests of the banking industry, one of whom represents the | ||
interests of the business community, and one of whom represents | ||
the interests of the consumers. | ||
(b) Members of the Task Force must be appointed no later | ||
than 90 days after the effective date of this Act. | ||
(c) If a vacancy occurs on the Task Force, it shall be | ||
filled according to the guidelines of the initial appointment. | ||
(d) At the discretion of the chair, additional individuals | ||
may participate as non-voting members in the meetings of the | ||
Task Force. | ||
(e) Members of the Illinois Plain Language Task Force shall | ||
serve without compensation. The Office of the Governor shall | ||
provide staff and administrative services to the Task Force.
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(Source: P.A. 96-350, eff. 8-13-09.) | ||
(20 ILCS 4090/20)
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Sec. 20. Duties. Once all members have been appointed, the | ||
Task Force shall meet not less than once each quarter following | ||
the effective date of this Act to carry out the duties | ||
prescribed in this Act. An initial report delineating the Task | ||
Force's findings, conclusions, and recommendations shall be | ||
submitted to the Illinois General Assembly no later than May | ||
31, 2019, unless such initial report has already been submitted | ||
to the General Assembly prior to the effective date of this | ||
amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly. The report to the | ||
General Assembly shall be filed with the Clerk of the House of | ||
Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate in electronic | ||
form only, in the manner that the Clerk and the Secretary shall | ||
direct 9 months after the effective date of this Act. | ||
Thereafter, the Task Force shall make periodic recommendations | ||
on its own motion or at the urging of the Illinois General | ||
Assembly.
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(Source: P.A. 96-350, eff. 8-13-09.) | ||
(20 ILCS 4090/25)
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Sec. 25. Guidance. The Task Force shall be guided in its | ||
discussions on the subject of plain language by the federal | ||
Plain Writing Act of 2010 and subsequent guidance documents, | ||
including, but not limited to, the Federal Plain Language | ||
Guidelines the guidelines for plain language drafting | ||
promulgated by the President of the United States on June 1, | ||
1998, which accompanied his plain language Executive | ||
Memorandum issued on the same day.
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(Source: P.A. 96-350, eff. 8-13-09.) | ||
(20 ILCS 4090/30 new) | ||
Sec. 30. Plain language State government communications. | ||
Recognizing the importance of plain language in communication | ||
with the public: | ||
(1) the General Assembly shall draft legislation and | ||
other public-facing documents using plain language when | ||
practicable; and | ||
(2) the executive and judicial branches of State | ||
government are advised to make all efforts to draft | ||
executive orders, court documents, and other public facing | ||
documents using plain language. | ||
(20 ILCS 4090/35 new) | ||
Sec. 35. Construction. No provision of this Act shall be | ||
construed to create any right or benefit, substantive or | ||
procedural, enforceable by any administrative or judicial | ||
action. There shall be no judicial review of compliance or | ||
noncompliance with any provision of this Act.
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Section 10. The Mahomet Aquifer Protection Task Force Act | ||
is amended by changing Section 20 as follows: | ||
(20 ILCS 5105/20) | ||
(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2019)
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Sec. 20. Report. On or before December 31 July 1, 2018, the | ||
Mahomet Aquifer Protection Task Force shall report its findings | ||
and recommendations to the General Assembly, by filing copies | ||
of its report as provided in Section 3.1 of the General | ||
Assembly Organization Act, and to the Governor. The report to | ||
the General Assembly shall be filed with the Clerk of the House | ||
of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate in | ||
electronic form only, in the manner that the Clerk and the | ||
Secretary shall direct.
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(Source: P.A. 100-403, eff. 8-25-17.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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