SB0951eng 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB0951 Engrossed LRB100 09635 RJF 19804 b

AN ACT concerning government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Administrative Procedure Act is amended by changing Sections 10-25 and 10-50 and by adding Section 10-75 as follows:

(5 ILCS 100/10-25) (from Ch. 127, par. 1010-25)

Sec. 10-25. Contested cases; notice; hearing.

(a) In a contested case, all parties shall be afforded an opportunity for a hearing after reasonable notice. The notice shall be served personally, or by certified or registered mail, email as required in Section 10-75, or as otherwise provided by law upon the parties or their agents appointed to receive service of process and shall include the following:

(1) A statement of the time, place, and nature of the hearing.

(2) A statement of the legal authority and jurisdiction under which the hearing is to be held.

(3) A reference to the particular Sections of the substantive and procedural statutes and rules involved.

(4) Except where a more detailed statement is otherwise provided for by law, a short and plain statement of the matters asserted, the consequences of a failure to respond, and the official file or other reference number.

(5) The names and mailing addresses of the administrative law judge, all parties, and all other persons to whom the agency gives notice of the hearing unless otherwise confidential by law.

(b) An opportunity shall be afforded all parties to be represented by legal counsel and to respond and present evidence and argument.

(c) Unless precluded by law, disposition may be made of any contested case by stipulation, agreed settlement, consent order, or default.

(Source: P.A. 87-823.)

(5 ILCS 100/10-50) (from Ch. 127, par. 1010-50)

Sec. 10-50. Decisions and orders.

(a) A final decision or order adverse to a party (other than the agency) in a contested case shall be in writing or stated in the record. A final decision shall include findings of fact and conclusions of law, separately stated. Findings of fact, if set forth in statutory language, shall be accompanied by a concise and explicit statement of the underlying facts supporting the findings. If, in accordance with agency rules, a party submitted proposed findings of fact, the decision shall include a ruling upon each proposed finding. Parties or their agents appointed to receive service of process shall be notified either personally, or by registered or certified mail, or by email as required in Section 10-75 of any decision or order. Upon request a copy of the decision or order shall be delivered or mailed forthwith to each party and to his attorney of record.

(b) All agency orders shall specify whether they are final and subject to the Administrative Review Law.

(c) A decision by any agency in a contested case under this Act shall be void unless the proceedings are conducted in compliance with the provisions of this Act relating to contested cases, except to the extent those provisions are waived under Section 10-70 and except to the extent the agency has adopted its own rules for contested cases as authorized in Section 1-5.

(Source: P.A. 92-16, eff. 6-28-01.)

(5 ILCS 100/10-75 new)

Sec. 10-75. Service by email.

(a) The following requirements shall apply for consenting to accept service by email:

(1) At any time either before or after its issuance of a hearing notice as described in Section 10-25, an agency may require any attorney representing a party to the hearing to provide one or more email addresses at which they consent to accept service of documents described in Sections 10-25 and 10-50 in connection with the hearing. A party represented by an attorney may provide the email address of the attorney.

(2) To the extent a person or entity is subject to licensure, permitting, or regulation by the agency, or submits an application for licensure or permitting to the agency, that agency may require, as a condition of such application, licensure, permitting, or regulation, that such unrepresented persons or entities consent to service by email of documents described in Sections 10-25 and 10-50 in connection with any hearings that may arise under this Section in connection with such application, licensure or regulation, provided that the agency: (i) requires that any person or entity providing such an email address update that email address if it is changed; and (ii) annually verifies that email address.

(3) At any time either before or after its issuance of a hearing notice as described in Section 10-25, an agency may request, but not require, an unrepresented party that is not subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection (a) to consent to accept service by email of the documents described in Sections 10-25 and 10-50 by designating an email address at which they will accept service.

(4) Any person or entity who submits an email address under this Section shall also be given the option to designate no more than two secondary email addresses at which the person or entity consents to accept service, provided that, if any secondary email address is designated, an agency must serve the documents to both the designated primary and secondary email addresses.

(b) Notwithstanding any party's consent to accept service by email, no document described in Sections 10-25 or 10-50 may be served by email to the extent the document contains:

(1) a Social Security or individual taxpayer identification number;

(2) a driver's license number;

(3) a financial account number;

(4) a debit or credit card number;

(5) any other information that could reasonably be deemed personal, proprietary, confidential, or trade secret information; or

(6) any information about or concerning a minor.

(c) Service by email is deemed complete on the day of transmission. Agencies that use email to serve documents under Sections 10-25 and 10-50 shall adopt rules that specify the standard for confirming delivery, and in failure to confirm delivery, what steps the agency will take to ensure that service by email or other means is accomplished.