65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-4

(65 ILCS 5/1-2.1-4)

Sec. 1-2.1-4. Code hearing units; powers of hearing officers.

(a) An ordinance establishing a system of administrative adjudication, pursuant to this Division, shall provide for a code hearing unit within an existing agency or as a separate agency in the municipal government. The ordinance shall establish the jurisdiction of a code hearing unit that is consistent with this Division. The "jurisdiction" of a code hearing unit refers to the particular code violations that it may adjudicate.

(b) Adjudicatory hearings shall be presided over by hearing officers. The powers and duties of a hearing officer shall include:

(1) hearing testimony and accepting evidence that is relevant to the existence of the code violation;

(2) issuing subpoenas directing witnesses to appear and give relevant testimony at the hearing, upon the request of the parties or their representatives;

(3) preserving and authenticating the record of the hearing and all exhibits and evidence introduced at the hearing;

(4) issuing a determination, based on the evidence presented at the hearing, of whether a code violation exists. The determination shall be in writing and shall include a written finding of fact, decision, and order including the fine, penalty, or action with which the defendant must comply; and

(5) imposing penalties consistent with applicable code provisions and assessing costs upon finding a party liable for the charged violation, except, however, that in no event shall the hearing officer have authority to (i) impose a penalty of incarceration, or (ii) impose a fine in excess of $50,000, or at the option of the municipality, such other amount not to exceed the maximum amount established by the Mandatory Arbitration System as prescribed by the Rules of the Illinois Supreme Court from time to time for the judicial circuit in which the municipality is located. The maximum monetary fine under this item (5), shall be exclusive of costs of enforcement or costs imposed to secure compliance with the municipality's ordinances and shall not be applicable to cases to enforce the collection of any tax imposed and collected by the municipality.

(c) Prior to conducting administrative adjudication proceedings, administrative hearing officers shall have successfully completed a formal training program which includes the following:

(1) instruction on the rules of procedure of the administrative hearings which they will conduct;

(2) orientation to each subject area of the code violations that they will adjudicate;

(3) observation of administrative hearings; and

(4) participation in hypothetical cases, including ruling on evidence and issuing final orders.

In addition, every administrative hearing officer must be an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois for at least 3 years. A person who has served as a judge in Illinois is not required to fulfill the requirements of items (1) through (4) of this subsection.

(d) A proceeding before a code hearing unit shall be instituted upon the filing of a written pleading by an authorized official of the municipality.

(Source: P.A. 102-65, eff. 7-9-21.)