| ||||
| Public Act 100-0320 | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
AN ACT concerning State government.
| ||||
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
| ||||
represented in the General Assembly:
| ||||
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | ||||
Language Access to Government Services Task Force Act. | ||||
Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds the | ||||
following:
| ||||
(1) Nearly 10% of Illinois' population is limited | ||||
English proficient, giving Illinois the 5th largest | ||||
limited English proficient population in the United States | ||||
at over 1.1 million residents.
| ||||
(2) Language barriers continue to exist for many | ||||
Illinois residents who are limited English proficient, and | ||||
these barriers limit their ability to fully participate in | ||||
civic life and maximize their economic productivity.
| ||||
(3) Language barriers for limited English proficient | ||||
residents create very real challenges when trying to access | ||||
information about available government services or an | ||||
individual's legal rights or obligations under State and | ||||
local laws.
| ||||
(4) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act requires program | ||||
recipients of federal funds, such as certain State | ||||
agencies, to take reasonable steps to ensure that limited | ||||
English proficient persons have meaningful access to their | ||
programs and activities.
| ||
(5) The public safety, health, economic prosperity, | ||
and general welfare of all Illinois residents is furthered | ||
by increasing language access to State programs and | ||
services.
| ||
Section 10. The Language Access to Government Services Task | ||
Force.
| ||
(a) There is hereby created the Language Access to | ||
Government Services Task Force to study and reduce the language | ||
barriers existing among Illinois residents who are limited | ||
English proficient, and to maximize their ability to access | ||
government services and participate in civic discourse.
| ||
(b) The Task Force shall consist of the following members:
| ||
(1) one member of the Senate appointed by the President | ||
of the Senate;
| ||
(2) one member of the Senate appointed by the Minority | ||
Leader of the Senate;
| ||
(3) one member of the House of Representatives | ||
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
| ||
(4) one member of the House of Representatives | ||
appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of | ||
Representatives;
| ||
(5) one member appointed by the Governor as a | ||
representative of the Governor's Office;
| ||
(6) one member appointed by the Attorney General as a | ||
representative of the Attorney General's Office;
| ||
(7) one member appointed by the Secretary of State as a | ||
representative of the Secretary of State's Office;
| ||
(8) one member appointed by the Secretary of the | ||
Illinois Department of Human Services as a representative | ||
of the Department of Human Services;
| ||
(9) five members appointed by the Governor, upon | ||
recommendation of a non-profit organization that promotes | ||
civic engagement and advocates on behalf of immigrant | ||
communities through a coalition of member organizations | ||
that serve Latino, Asian, African, Arab, and European | ||
immigrants; and
| ||
(10) five members appointed by the Governor, upon | ||
recommendation of a non-profit organization that promotes | ||
civic engagement among Asian American communities and | ||
advocates on behalf of Asian American communities through | ||
its Pan-Asian coalition.
| ||
(c) Members of the Task Force shall receive no compensation | ||
for serving as members, and shall be appointed within 30 days | ||
after the effective date of this Act and begin meeting no later | ||
than 30 days after the appointments are finalized, but shall | ||
hold its first meeting no later than September 1, 2017. In the | ||
event that any appointment required to be made by the Governor | ||
under paragraphs (9) and (10) of subsection (b) is not made | ||
within 30 days after the effective date of this Act, the | ||
Secretary of Human Services shall make such appointments within | ||
15 days after the appointment deadline.
| ||
(d) The Task Force shall elect a chairperson from among its | ||
membership, and the Department of Human Services shall provide | ||
technical support and assistance to the Task Force and shall be | ||
responsible for administering its operations and ensuring that | ||
the requirements of this Act are met. The Task Force may | ||
otherwise consult with any persons or entities it deems | ||
necessary to carry out its purposes.
| ||
Section 15. Duties of the Language Access to Government | ||
Services Task Force. The duties of the Task Force shall consist | ||
of the following:
| ||
(1) review existing language access laws or ordinances | ||
in other parts of the country, including existing reports | ||
or academic publications on such laws or ordinances;
| ||
(2) evaluate their effectiveness in eliminating | ||
language barriers for limited English proficient | ||
communities;
| ||
(3) consider any other available and relevant | ||
information on language access issues in Illinois, | ||
including census data, community feedback, or surveys;
| ||
(4) identify and recommend specific best-practices and | ||
provisions for a State language access law; and
| ||
(5) produce a final report summarizing the Task Force's | ||
findings and detailing its specific recommendations for a | ||
State language access law and highlight any areas of major | ||
disagreement within the Task Force.
| ||
Section 20. Report. The Task Force shall submit its final | ||
report with findings and recommendations to the General | ||
Assembly, the Governor, and the Attorney General on or before | ||
July 1, 2018. | ||
Section 25. Repeal. This Act is repealed on December 31, | ||
2018. | ||
Section 100. The Legislative Information System Act is | ||
amended by changing Section 5.09 as follows:
| ||
(25 ILCS 145/5.09)
| ||
Sec. 5.09. Public computer access; legislative | ||
information. To
make available to the public
all of the | ||
following information in
electronic form:
| ||
(1) On or before July 1, 1999, the weekly schedule of | ||
legislative floor
sessions
for each of the 2 houses of the | ||
General Assembly together with a list of
matters pending | ||
before them and the weekly schedule of legislative
| ||
committee hearings together with matters scheduled for | ||
their consideration.
| ||
(2) On or before July 1, 1999,
a list of the committees | ||
of the General Assembly and their
members.
| ||
(3) On or before July 1, 1999,
the text of each bill | ||
and resolution introduced
and of each engrossed, enrolled, | ||
and re-enrolled bill
and resolution and the text of each
| ||
adopted amendment and conference committee report.
| ||
(4) On or before July 1, 1999, a synopsis of items | ||
specified in
paragraph (3) of this Section, together with
a | ||
summary of legislative and gubernatorial actions regarding | ||
each bill
and resolution introduced.
| ||
(5) On or before July 1, 1999, the Rules of the House | ||
and the
Senate of the General Assembly.
| ||
(6) Before the conclusion of the Ninety-second General
| ||
Assembly, the text of Public Acts.
| ||
(7) Before the conclusion of the Ninety-second General
| ||
Assembly,
the Illinois Compiled Statutes.
| ||
(8) Before the conclusion of the Ninety-second General
| ||
Assembly, the Constitution of the United States and the | ||
Constitution
of the State of Illinois.
| ||
(9) Before the conclusion of the Ninety-second General
| ||
Assembly, the text of the Illinois Administrative Code.
| ||
(10) Before the conclusion of the Ninety-second | ||
General
Assembly, the most current
issue of the Illinois | ||
Register published on or after the effective date of this
| ||
amendatory Act of 1998.
| ||
(11) Any other information that the Joint Committee on | ||
Legislative Support
Services
elects to make available.
| ||
The information shall be made available to the public
| ||
through a website maintained by the System the World Wide Web.
| ||
The information may also be made
available by any other means | ||
of access that would facilitate public access to
the | ||
information.
| ||
Any documentation that describes the electronic digital | ||
formats of the
information shall be made available
through a | ||
website maintained by the System the World Wide Web.
| ||
Personal information concerning a person who accesses this | ||
public information
may be
maintained only for the purpose of | ||
providing service to the person.
| ||
No fee or other charge may be imposed by the Legislative | ||
Information System
as a condition of accessing the information, | ||
except that a reasonable fee may
be charged for any customized | ||
services and shall be deposited into the General
Assembly | ||
Computer Equipment Revolving Fund.
| ||
The electronic public access provided through the System's | ||
website World Wide Web
shall be in addition to any other | ||
electronic or print distribution of the
information.
| ||
Within one-year after the effective date of this amendatory | ||
Act of the 100th General Assembly, to the extent practicable, | ||
the System shall use a free translation tool to enable | ||
translation into multiple languages of the information made | ||
available to the public through the website maintained by the | ||
System. The translation tool shall, at a minimum, translate the | ||
following content on the website maintained by the System: the | ||
home page; information regarding the members of the House of | ||
Representatives and the Senate, including, but not limited to, | ||
each member's biography, committee assignments, and sponsored | ||
bills; information regarding the membership of, bills assigned | ||
to, and meeting schedules of each standing and special | ||
committee of the House of Representatives and the Senate; | ||
information on the procedural status of each bill and | ||
resolution, together with any amendments thereto, and | ||
appointment message filed in the House of Representatives or | ||
the Senate, including both general information and | ||
user-selected information (through the "My Legislation" | ||
function or otherwise), but not including the synopsis or text | ||
of any bill or resolution, or any amendment thereto, or any | ||
appointment message, Public Act, or Executive Order; | ||
information regarding previous General Assemblies, not | ||
including the synopsis or text of any bill or resolution, or | ||
any amendment thereto, or any appointment message, Public Act, | ||
or Executive Order; contact information for the General | ||
Assembly, legislative support service agencies, and other | ||
related offices in the Capitol Complex; and information | ||
regarding access for persons with disabilities. The System may, | ||
in its discretion, provide for additional content to be | ||
translated. The languages available for translation shall be | ||
those provided by the translation tool. Before a user accesses | ||
translated information, the System shall ensure that a | ||
disclaimer is first displayed, stating that: the translated | ||
information is offered as a convenience and should not be | ||
considered accurate as to the translation of the text in | ||
question; and the English language version is the official and | ||
authoritative version of the text in question. | ||
No action taken under this Section shall be deemed to alter | ||
or relinquish any
copyright or other proprietary interest or | ||
entitlement of the State of Illinois
relating to any of the | ||
information made available under this Section.
| ||
The information shall be made available as provided in this | ||
Section in the
shortest
practicable time after it is publicly | ||
available in any other form;
provided that
the System may make | ||
information available under this Section only if the
| ||
availability in no way reduces the quality and timeliness of
| ||
service available to and required under this Act for
| ||
legislative users and does not unduly burden the General | ||
Assembly or its
support services agencies. Failure to provide | ||
information under this Section
does not affect
the validity of | ||
any action of the General Assembly. The General Assembly and
| ||
the State of Illinois are not liable for the accuracy, | ||
availability, or use of
the information provided under this | ||
Section.
| ||
(Source: P.A. 90-666, eff. 7-30-98.)
| ||
Section 999. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
| ||