35 ILCS 635/ Telecommunications Infrastructure Maintenance Fee Act.

(35 ILCS 635/1)

Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Telecommunications Infrastructure Maintenance Fee Act.

(Source: P.A. 92-526, eff. 1-1-03.)

(35 ILCS 635/5)

Sec. 5. Legislative intent.

(a) The General Assembly imposed a tax on invested capital of utilities to partially replace the personal property tax that was abolished by the Illinois Constitution of 1970. Since that tax was imposed, telecommunications retailers have evolved from utility status into an increasingly competitive industry serving the public.

(b) This Act is intended to abolish the invested capital tax on telecommunications retailers (that is, persons engaged in the business of transmitting messages and acting as a retailer of telecommunications as defined in Section 2 of the Telecommunications Excise Tax Act). Cellular telecommunications retailers have already been excluded from application of the invested capital tax by earlier legislative action.

(c) For the period prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly, this Act is also intended to abolish municipal franchise fees with respect to telecommunications retailers, create a uniform system for the collection and distribution of fees associated with the privilege of use of the public right of way for telecommunications activity, and provide municipalities with a comprehensive method of compensation for telecommunications activity including the recovery of reasonable costs of regulating the use of the public rights-of-way for telecommunications activity.

(d) For the period from the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly through December 31, 2002, it is the intent of the General Assembly that the municipal infrastructure maintenance fee and its rate are subject only to the limits prescribed in Section 20, and that the fee and the rate of the fee do not relate to use of the public rights-of-way or the costs associated with maintaining and regulating the use of the public rights-of-way. It is also the intent of the General Assembly that proceeds of the municipal infrastructure maintenance fee may be used for any lawful corporate purpose. It is not the intent of the General Assembly that the municipal infrastructure maintenance fee is in any way compensation for use of the public rights-of-way. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the fee be paid by all telecommunications retailers, regardless of whether they have equipment in the public rights-of-way.

(e) This amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly is intended to repeal the municipal infrastructure maintenance fee and the optional infrastructure maintenance fee effective January 1, 2003.

(Source: P.A. 91-533, eff. 8-13-99; 92-526, eff. 2-8-02.)

(35 ILCS 635/10)

Sec. 10. Definitions.

(a) "Gross charges" means the amount paid to a telecommunications retailer for the act or privilege of originating or receiving telecommunications in this State and for all services rendered in connection therewith, valued in money whether paid in money or otherwise, including cash, credits, services, and property of every kind or nature, and shall be determined without any deduction on account of the cost of such telecommunications, the cost of the materials used, labor or service costs, or any other expense whatsoever. In case credit is extended, the amount thereof shall be included only as and when paid. "Gross charges" for private line service shall include charges imposed at each channel termination point within this State, charges for the channel mileage between each channel termination point within this State, and charges for that portion of the interstate inter-office channel provided within Illinois. Charges for that portion of the interstate inter-office channel provided in Illinois shall be determined by the retailer as follows: (i) for interstate inter-office channels having 2 channel termination points, only one of which is in Illinois, 50% of the total charge imposed; or (ii) for interstate inter-office channels having more than 2 channel termination points, one or more of which are in Illinois, an amount equal to the total charge multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of channel termination points within Illinois and the denominator of which is the total number of channel termination points. Prior to January 1, 2004, any method consistent with this paragraph or other method that reasonably apportions the total charges for interstate inter-office channels among the states in which channel terminations points are located shall be accepted as a reasonable method to determine the charges for that portion of the interstate inter-office channel provided within Illinois for that period. However, "gross charges" shall not include any of the following:

(1) Any amounts added to a purchaser's bill because of a charge made under: (i) the fee imposed by this Section, (ii) additional charges added to a purchaser's bill under Section 9-221 or 9-222 of the Public Utilities Act, (iii) the tax imposed by the Telecommunications Excise Tax Act, (iv) 911 surcharges, (v) the tax imposed by Section 4251 of the Internal Revenue Code, or (vi) the tax imposed by the Simplified Municipal Telecommunications Tax Act.

(2) Charges for a sent collect telecommunication received outside of this State.

(3) Charges for leased time on equipment or charges for the storage of data or information or subsequent retrieval or the processing of data or information intended to change its form or content. Such equipment includes, but is not limited to, the use of calculators, computers, data processing equipment, tabulating equipment, or accounting equipment and also includes the usage of computers under a time-sharing agreement.

(4) Charges for customer equipment, including such equipment that is leased or rented by the customer from any source, wherein such charges are disaggregated and separately identified from other charges.

(5) Charges to business enterprises certified under Section 9-222.1 of the Public Utilities Act to the extent of such exemption and during the period of time specified by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

(5.1) Charges to business enterprises certified under Section 95 of the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois Act, to the extent of the exemption and during the period of time specified by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

(5.2) Charges to business enterprises certified under Section 110-95 of the Manufacturing Illinois Chips for Real Opportunity (MICRO) Act, to the extent of the exemption and during the period of time specified by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

(5.3) Charges to entities certified under Section 605-1115 of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois to the extent of the exemption and during the period of time specified by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

(6) Charges for telecommunications and all services and equipment provided in connection therewith between a parent corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries or between wholly owned subsidiaries, and only to the extent that the charges between the parent corporation and wholly owned subsidiaries or between wholly owned subsidiaries represent expense allocation between the corporations and not the generation of profit other than a regulatory required profit for the corporation rendering such services.

(7) Bad debts ("bad debt" means any portion of a debt that is related to a sale at retail for which gross charges are not otherwise deductible or excludable that has become worthless or uncollectible, as determined under applicable federal income tax standards; if the portion of the debt deemed to be bad is subsequently paid, the retailer shall report and pay the tax on that portion during the reporting period in which the payment is made).

(8) Charges paid by inserting coins in coin-operated telecommunication devices.

(9) Charges for nontaxable services or telecommunications if (i) those charges are aggregated with other charges for telecommunications that are taxable, (ii) those charges are not separately stated on the customer bill or invoice, and (iii) the retailer can reasonably identify the nontaxable charges on the retailer's books and records kept in the regular course of business. If the nontaxable charges cannot reasonably be identified, the gross charge from the sale of both taxable and nontaxable services or telecommunications billed on a combined basis shall be attributed to the taxable services or telecommunications. The burden of proving nontaxable charges shall be on the retailer of the telecommunications.

(a-5) "Department" means the Illinois Department of Revenue.

(b) "Telecommunications" includes, but is not limited to, messages or information transmitted through use of local, toll, and wide area telephone service, channel services, telegraph services, teletypewriter service, computer exchange services, private line services, specialized mobile radio services, or any other transmission of messages or information by electronic or similar means, between or among points by wire, cable, fiber optics, laser, microwave, radio, satellite, or similar facilities. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, "telecommunications" shall also include wireless telecommunications as hereinafter defined. "Telecommunications" shall not include value added services in which computer processing applications are used to act on the form, content, code, and protocol of the information for purposes other than transmission. "Telecommunications" shall not include purchase of telecommunications by a telecommunications service provider for use as a component part of the service provided by him or her to the ultimate retail consumer who originates or terminates the end-to-end communications. Retailer access charges, right of access charges, charges for use of intercompany facilities, and all telecommunications resold in the subsequent provision and used as a component of, or integrated into, end-to-end telecommunications service shall not be included in gross charges as sales for resale. "Telecommunications" shall not include the provision of cable services through a cable system as defined in the Cable Communications Act of 1984 (47 U.S.C. Sections 521 and following) as now or hereafter amended or through an open video system as defined in the Rules of the Federal Communications Commission (47 C.D.F. 76.1550 and following) as now or hereafter amended. Beginning January 1, 2001, prepaid telephone calling arrangements shall not be considered "telecommunications" subject to the tax imposed under this Act. For purposes of this Section, "prepaid telephone calling arrangements" means that term as defined in Section 2-27 of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act.

(c) "Wireless telecommunications" includes cellular mobile telephone services, personal wireless services as defined in Section 704(C) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Public Law No. 104-104) as now or hereafter amended, including all commercial mobile radio services, and paging services.

(d) "Telecommunications retailer" or "retailer" or "carrier" means and includes every person engaged in the business of making sales of telecommunications at retail as defined in this Section. The Department may, in its discretion, upon applications, authorize the collection of the fee hereby imposed by any retailer not maintaining a place of business within this State, who, to the satisfaction of the Department, furnishes adequate security to insure collection and payment of the fee. When so authorized, it shall be the duty of such retailer to pay the fee upon all of the gross charges for telecommunications in the same manner and subject to the same requirements as a retailer maintaining a place of business within this State.

(e) "Retailer maintaining a place of business in this State", or any like term, means and includes any retailer having or maintaining within this State, directly or by a subsidiary, an office, distribution facilities, transmission facilities, sales office, warehouse, or other place of business, or any agent or other representative operating within this State under the authority of the retailer or its subsidiary, irrespective of whether such place of business or agent or other representative is located here permanently or temporarily, or whether such retailer or subsidiary is licensed to do business in this State.

(f) "Sale of telecommunications at retail" means the transmitting, supplying, or furnishing of telecommunications and all services rendered in connection therewith for a consideration, other than between a parent corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries or between wholly owned subsidiaries, when the gross charge made by one such corporation to another such corporation is not greater than the gross charge paid to the retailer for their use or consumption and not for sale.

(g) "Service address" means the location of telecommunications equipment from which telecommunications services are originated or at which telecommunications services are received. If this is not a defined location, as in the case of wireless telecommunications, paging systems, maritime systems, service address means the customer's place of primary use as defined in the Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Conformity Act. For air-to-ground systems, and the like, "service address" shall mean the location of the customer's primary use of the telecommunications equipment as defined by the location in Illinois where bills are sent.

(Source: P.A. 102-1125, eff. 2-3-23; 103-595, eff. 6-26-24.)

(35 ILCS 635/15)

Sec. 15. State telecommunications infrastructure maintenance fees.

(a) A State infrastructure maintenance fee is hereby imposed upon telecommunications retailers as a replacement for the personal property tax in an amount specified in subsection (b).

(b) The amount of the State infrastructure maintenance fee imposed upon a telecommunications retailer under this Section shall be equal to 0.5% of all gross charges charged by the telecommunications retailer to service addresses in this State for telecommunications, other than wireless telecommunications, originating or received in this State. However, the State infrastructure maintenance fee is not imposed in any case in which the imposition of the fee would violate the Constitution or statutes of the United States.

(c) (Blank).

(d) (Blank).

(e) The State infrastructure maintenance fee authorized by this Section shall be collected, enforced, and administered as set forth in subsection (b) of Section 25 of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 92-526, eff. 1-1-03.)

(35 ILCS 635/20)

Sec. 20. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 92-526, eff. 2-8-02. Repealed internally, eff. 1-1-03.)

(35 ILCS 635/22)

Sec. 22. Certificates. It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in business as a telecommunications retailer in this State within the meaning of this Act without first having obtained a certificate of registration to do so from the Department. Application for the certificate shall be made to the Department in a form prescribed and furnished by the Department. Each applicant for a certificate shall furnish to the Department on a form prescribed by the Department and signed by the applicant under penalties of perjury, the following information:

(1) The name of the applicant.

(2) The address of the location at which the applicant proposes to engage in business as a telecommunications retailer in this State.

(3) Other information the Department may reasonably require.

The Department, upon receipt of an application in proper form, shall issue to the applicant a certificate, in a form prescribed by the Department, which shall permit the applicant to whom it is issued to engage in business as a telecommunications retailer at the place shown on his or her application. No certificate issued under this Act is transferable or assignable. No certificate shall be issued to any person who is in default to the State of Illinois for moneys due under this Act or any other tax Act administered by the Department. Any person aggrieved by any decision of the Department under this Section may, within 20 days after notice of such decision, protest and request a hearing, whereupon the Department shall give notice to such person of the time and place fixed for such hearing and shall hold a hearing in conformity with the provisions of this Act and then issue its final administrative decision in the matter to such person. In the absence of such a protest within 20 days, the Department's decision shall become final without any further determination being made or notice given.

The Department may, in its discretion, upon application, authorize the payment of the fees imposed under this Act by any telecommunications retailer not otherwise subject to the fees imposed under this Act who, to the satisfaction of the Department, furnishes adequate security to ensure payment of the fees. The telecommunications retailer shall be issued, without charge, a certificate to remit the fees. When so authorized, it shall be the duty of the telecommunications retailer to remit the fees imposed upon the gross charges charged by the telecommunications retailer to service addresses in this State for telecommunications in the same manner and subject to the same requirements as a telecommunications retailer operating within this State.

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

(35 ILCS 635/24)

Sec. 24. Certificate actions. The Department may, after notice and a hearing, revoke, cancel, or suspend the certificate of registration of any telecommunications retailer who violates any of the provisions of this Act or regulations promulgated thereunder. The notice shall specify the alleged violation or violations upon which the revocation, cancellation, or suspension proceeding is based.

The Department may, after notice and a hearing as provided herein, revoke the certificate of registration of any person who violates any of the provisions of this Act. Before revocation of a certificate of registration the Department shall, within 90 days after non-compliance and at least 7 days prior to the date of the hearing, give the person so accused notice in writing of the charge against him or her, and on the date designated shall conduct a hearing upon this matter. The lapse of such 90 day period shall not preclude the Department from conducting revocation proceedings at a later date if necessary. Any hearing held under this Section shall be conducted by the Director of Revenue or by any officer or employee of the Department designated, in writing, by the Director of Revenue. Upon the hearing of any such proceeding, the Director of Revenue, or any officer or employee of the Department designated, in writing, by the Director of Revenue, may administer oaths and the Department may procure by its subpoena the attendance of witnesses and, by its subpoena duces tecum, the production of relevant books and papers. Any circuit court, upon application either of the accused or of the Department, may, by order duly entered, require the attendance of witnesses and the production of relevant books and papers, before the Department in any hearing relating to the revocation of certificates of registration. Upon refusal or neglect to obey the order of the court, the court may compel obedience thereof by proceedings for contempt. The Department may, by application to any circuit court, obtain an injunction restraining any person who engages in business as a telecommunications retailer without a certificate (either because his or her certificate has been revoked, canceled, or suspended or because of a failure to obtain a certificate in the first instance) from engaging in that business until that person, as if that person were a new applicant for a certificate, complies with all of the conditions, restrictions, and requirements of Section 22 of this Act and qualifies for and obtains a certificate. Refusal or neglect to obey the order of the court may result in punishment for contempt.

(Source: P.A. 90-562, eff. 12-16-97.)

(35 ILCS 635/25)

Sec. 25. Collection, enforcement, and administration of State telecommunications infrastructure maintenance fees.

(a) A telecommunications retailer shall charge each customer an additional charge equal to the State infrastructure maintenance fee attributable to that customer's service address. Such additional charge shall be shown separately on the bill to each customer.

(b) The State infrastructure maintenance fee shall be designated as a replacement for the personal property tax and shall be remitted by the telecommunications retailer to the Department; provided, however, that the telecommunications retailer may retain an amount not to exceed 2% of the State infrastructure maintenance fee paid to the Department, with a timely paid and timely filed return to reimburse itself for expenses incurred in collecting, accounting for, and remitting the fee.

Beginning on the first day of the first calendar month to occur on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, an amount equal to 1/12 of 5% of the cash receipts collected during the preceding fiscal year by the Audit Bureau of the Department from the tax under this Act shall be paid each month into the Tax Compliance and Administration Fund to be used, subject to appropriation, to fund additional auditors and compliance personnel at the Department of Revenue. All remaining amounts herein remitted to the Department shall be paid into the Personal Property Tax Replacement Fund in the State Treasury.

(Source: P.A. 98-1098, eff. 8-26-14.)

(35 ILCS 635/27)

Sec. 27. Returns by telecommunications retailer; extensions. Except as provided hereinafter in this Section, on or before the 30th day of each month each telecommunications retailer maintaining a place of business in this State shall make a return and payment of fees to the Department for the preceding calendar month on a form prescribed and furnished by the Department. The return shall be signed by the telecommunications retailer under penalties of perjury and shall contain the following information:

1. His or her name;

2. The address of his or her principal place of business, or the address of the principal place of business (if that is a different address) from which he or she engages in the business of transmitting telecommunications;

3. The total amount of gross charges charged by him or her during the preceding calendar month for providing telecommunications during such calendar month;

4. The total amount received by him or her during the preceding calendar month on credit extended;

5. Deductions allowed by law;

6. Gross charges that were charged by him or her during the preceding calendar month and upon the basis of which the State infrastructure maintenance fee is imposed;

7. (Blank);

8. Amounts of fees due;

9. Such other reasonable information as the Department may require.

If the telecommunications retailer's average monthly liability to the Department does not exceed $100, the Department may authorize his or her returns to be filed on a quarter annual basis, with the return for January, February, and March of a given year being due by April 15 of such year; with the return for April, May, and June of a given year being due by July 15 of such year; with the return for July, August, and September of a given year being due by October 15 of such year; and with the return of October, November, and December of a given year being due by January 15 of the following year.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act concerning the time within which a telecommunications retailer may file his or her return, in the case of any telecommunications retailer who ceases to engage in a kind of business which makes him or her responsible for filing returns under this Act, such telecommunications retailer shall file a final return under this Act with the Department not more than one month after discontinuing such business.

In making such return, the telecommunications retailer shall determine the value of any consideration other than money received by him or her and he or she shall include such value in his or her return. Such determination shall be subject to review and revision by the Department in the manner hereinafter provided for the correction of returns.

If any payment provided for in this Section exceeds the telecommunications retailer's liabilities under this Act, as shown on an original monthly return, the Department may authorize the telecommunications retailer to credit such excess payment against liability subsequently to be remitted to the Department under this Act, in accordance with reasonable rules and regulations prescribed by the Department. If the Department subsequently determines that all or any part of the credit taken was not actually due to the telecommunications retailer, the telecommunications retailer's 2% discount shall be reduced by 2% of the difference between the credit taken and that actually due, and that telecommunications retailer shall be liable for penalties and interest on such difference.

Any telecommunications retailer required to make payments under this Section may make the payments by electronic funds transfer. The Department shall adopt rules necessary to effectuate a program of electronic funds transfer.

(Source: P.A. 92-526, eff. 1-1-03.)

(35 ILCS 635/27.5)

Sec. 27.5. Books and Records. Every telecommunications retailer under this Act shall keep books, records, papers, and other documents that are adequate to reflect the information which such telecommunications retailers are required by this Act to report to the Department by filing monthly returns with the Department. All books and records and other papers and documents required by this Act to be kept shall be kept in the English language and shall, at all times during business hours of the day, be subject to inspection by the Department or its duly authorized agents and employees. Books and records reflecting gross charges received during any period with respect to which the Department is authorized to establish liability as provided by this Act shall be preserved until the expiration of such period unless the Department, in writing, authorizes their destruction or disposal at an earlier date.

The Department may, upon written authorization of the Director, destroy any returns or any records, papers, or memoranda pertaining to such returns upon the expiration of any period covered by such returns with respect to which the Department is authorized to establish liability.

(Source: P.A. 90-562, eff. 12-16-97.)

(35 ILCS 635/27.10)

Sec. 27.10. Investigations and hearings. For the purpose of administering and enforcing the provisions of this Act, the Department or any officer or employee of the Department designated, in writing, by the Director thereof, may hold investigations and, except for matters otherwise reserved to the Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal, may hold hearings concerning any matters covered by this Act and may examine any books, papers, records, or memoranda bearing upon the business transacted by any such telecommunications retailer and may require the attendance of such telecommunications retailer or any officer or employee of such telecommunications retailer, or of any person having knowledge of such business, and may take testimony and require proof for its information. In the conduct of any investigation or hearing, neither the Department nor any officer or employee thereof shall be bound by the technical rules of evidence, and no informality in any proceeding, or in the manner of taking testimony, shall invalidate any order, decision, rule, or regulation made, approved, or confirmed by the Department. The Director or any officer or employee thereof shall have power to administer oaths to any such persons. The books, papers, records, and memoranda of the Department, or parts thereof, may be proved in any hearing, investigation, or legal proceeding by a reproduced copy thereof under the certificate of the Director. Such reproduced copy shall without further proof, be admitted into evidence before the Department or in any legal proceeding.

(Source: P.A. 97-1129, eff. 8-28-12.)

(35 ILCS 635/27.15)

Sec. 27.15. Incriminating evidence; immunity; perjury. No person shall be excused from testifying or from producing any books, papers, records, or memoranda in any investigation or upon any hearing, when ordered to do so by the Department or any officer or employee thereof, upon the ground that the testimony or evidence, documentary or otherwise, may tend to incriminate him or her or subject him or her to a criminal penalty, but no person shall be prosecuted or subjected to any criminal penalty for, or on account of, any transaction made or thing concerning which he or she may testify or produce evidence, documentary or otherwise, before the Department or any officer or employee thereof; provided, that such immunity shall extend only to a natural person who, in obedience to a subpoena, gives testimony under oath or produces evidence, documentary or otherwise, under oath. No person so testifying shall be exempt from prosecution and punishment for perjury committed in so testifying.

(Source: P.A. 90-562, eff. 12-16-97.)

(35 ILCS 635/27.20)

Sec. 27.20. Subpoenas; witness fees; depositions. The Department or any officer or employee of the Department designated, in writing, by the Director thereof, shall at its or his or her own instance, or on the written request of any party to the proceeding, issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of and the giving of testimony by witnesses, and subpoenas duces tecum requiring the production of books, papers, records, or memoranda. All subpoenas issued under this Act may be served by any person of full age. The fees of witnesses for attendance and travel shall be the same as the fees of witnesses before the circuit court of this State; such fees to be paid when the witness is excused from further attendance. When the witness is subpoenaed at the instance of the Department or any officer or employee thereof, such fees shall be paid in the same manner as other expenses of the Department, and when the witness is subpoenaed at the instance of any telecommunications retailer to any such proceeding the Department may require that the cost of service of the subpoena and the fee of the witness be borne by the telecommunications retailer at whose instance the witness is summoned. In such case, the Department, in its discretion, may require a deposit to cover the cost of such service and witness fees. A subpoena issued as aforesaid shall be served in the same manner as a subpoena issued out of a court.

Any circuit court of this State, upon the application of the Department or any officer or employee thereof may, in its discretion, compel the attendance of witnesses, the production of books, papers, records, or memoranda and the giving of testimony before the Department or any officer or employee thereof conducting an investigation or holding a hearing authorized by this Act, by an attachment for contempt, or otherwise, in the same manner as production of evidence may be compelled before the court.

The Department or any officer or employee thereof, or any party in an investigation or hearing before the Department, may cause the depositions of witnesses residing within or without the State to be taken in the manner prescribed by law for like depositions in civil actions in courts of this State, and, to that end, compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers, records, or memoranda.

(Source: P.A. 90-562, eff. 12-16-97.)

(35 ILCS 635/27.25)

Sec. 27.25. Confidential information; exceptions. All information received by the Department from returns filed under this Act, or from any investigations conducted under this Act, shall be confidential, except for official purposes, and any person who divulges any such information in any manner, except in accordance with a proper judicial order or as otherwise provided by law, shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.

Provided, that nothing contained in this Act shall prevent the Director from publishing or making available to the public the names and addresses of telecommunications retailers filing returns under this Act, or from publishing or making available reasonable statistics concerning the operation of the fees wherein the contents of returns are grouped into aggregates in such a way that the information contained in any individual return shall not be disclosed.

And provided, that nothing contained in this Act shall prevent the Director from making available to the United States Government or any officer or agency thereof, for exclusively official purposes, information received by the Department in the administration of this Act.

The furnishing upon request of the Auditor General, or his or her authorized agents, for official use, of returns filed and information related thereto under this Act is deemed to be an official purpose within the meaning of this Section.

The Director may make available to any State agency, including the Illinois Supreme Court, which licenses persons to engage in any occupation, information that a person licensed by such agency has failed to file returns under this Act or pay the fees, penalty, and interest shown therein, or has failed to pay any final assessment of fees, penalty, or interest due under this Act. An assessment is final when all proceedings in court for review of such assessment have terminated or the time for the taking thereof has expired without such proceedings being instituted.

The Director shall make available for public inspection in the Department's principal office and for publication, at cost, administrative decisions issued on or after January 1, 1998. These decisions are to be made available in a manner so that the following taxpayer information is not disclosed:

(1) The names, addresses, and identification numbers of the taxpayer, related entities, and employees.

(2) At the sole discretion of the Director, trade secrets or other confidential information identified as such by the taxpayer, no later than 30 days after receipt of an administrative decision, by such means as the Department shall provide by rule.

The Director shall determine the appropriate extent of the deletions allowed in paragraph (2). In the event the taxpayer does not submit deletions, the Director shall make only the deletions specified in paragraph (1).

The Director shall make available for public inspection and publication an administrative decision within 180 days after the issuance of the administrative decision. The term "administrative decision" has the same meaning as defined in Section 3-101 of Article III of the Code of Civil Procedure. Costs collected under this Section shall be paid into the Tax Compliance and Administration Fund.

(Source: P.A. 90-562, eff. 12-16-97.)

(35 ILCS 635/27.30)

Sec. 27.30. Review under Administrative Review Law. The Circuit Court of the county wherein a hearing is held shall have power to review all final administrative decisions of the Department in administering the provisions of this Act: Provided that if the administrative proceeding that is to be reviewed judicially is a claim for refund proceeding commenced in accordance with this Act and Section 2a of the State Officers and Employees Money Disposition Act, the Circuit Court having jurisdiction of the action for judicial review under this Section and under the Administrative Review Law shall be the same court that entered the temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction that is provided for in Section 2a of the State Officers and Employees Money Disposition Act and that enables such claim proceeding to be processed and disposed of as a claim for refund proceeding rather than as a claim for credit proceeding.

Except as otherwise provided in this Section with respect to the Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal, the provisions of the Administrative Review Law, and the rules adopted pursuant thereto, shall apply to and govern all proceedings for the judicial review of final administrative decisions of the Department hereunder. The term "administrative decision" is defined as in Section 3-101 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

The provisions of the Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal Act of 2012, and the rules adopted pursuant thereto, shall apply to and govern all proceedings for the judicial review of final administrative decisions of the Department that are subject to the jurisdiction of the Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal.

Service upon the Director or Assistant Director of the Department of Revenue of summons issued in any action to review a final administrative decision shall be service upon the Department. The Department shall certify the record of its proceedings if the telecommunications retailer shall pay to it the sum of 75¢ per page of testimony taken before the Department and 25¢ per page of all other matters contained in such record, except that these charges may be waived where the Department is satisfied that the aggrieved party is a poor person who cannot afford to pay such charges.

(Source: P.A. 97-1129, eff. 8-28-12; 98-463, eff. 8-16-13.)

(35 ILCS 635/27.35)

Sec. 27.35. Rules and regulations; notice to telecommunications retailer; hearings. The Department may make, promulgate, and enforce such reasonable rules and regulations relating to the administration and enforcement of only the State infrastructure maintenance fee authorized by this Act.

Whenever notice to a telecommunications retailer is required by this Act, such notice may be given by United States certified or registered mail, addressed to the telecommunications retailer concerned at his or her last known address, and proof of such mailing shall be sufficient for the purposes of this Act. In the case of a notice of hearing, such notice shall be mailed not less than 7 days prior to the day fixed for the hearing.

All hearings provided for in this Act with respect to a telecommunications retailer having his or her principal place of business other than in Cook County shall be held at the Department's office nearest to the location of the telecommunications retailer's principal place of business: Provided that if the telecommunications retailer has his or her principal place of business in Cook County, such hearing shall be held in Cook County; and provided further that if the telecommunications retailer does not have his principal place of business in this State, such hearings shall be held in Sangamon County.

Whenever any proceeding provided by this Act has been begun by the Department or by a person subject thereto and such person thereafter dies or becomes a person under legal disability before the proceeding has been concluded, the legal representative of the deceased person or a person under legal disability shall notify the Department of such death or legal disability. The legal representative, as such, shall then be substituted by the Department in place of and for the person. Within 20 days after notice to the legal representative of the time fixed for that purpose, the proceeding may proceed in all respects and with like effect as though the person had not died or become a person under legal disability.

(Source: P.A. 92-526, eff. 1-1-03.)

(35 ILCS 635/27.40)

Sec. 27.40. Application of Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. The Illinois Administrative Procedure Act is hereby expressly adopted and shall apply to all administrative rules and procedures of the Department of Revenue under this Act, except that (i) paragraph (b) of Section 5-10 of the Administrative Procedure Act does not apply to final orders, decisions, and opinions of the Department, (ii) subparagraph (a)(ii) of Section 5-10 of the Administrative Procedure Act does not apply to forms established by the Department for use under this Act, and (iii) the provisions of Section 10-45 of the Administrative Procedure Act regarding proposals for decision are excluded and not applicable to the Department under this Act to the extent Section 10-45 applies to hearings not otherwise subject to the Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal Act of 2012.

(Source: P.A. 97-1129, eff. 8-28-12; 98-463, eff. 8-16-13.)

(35 ILCS 635/27.45)

Sec. 27.45. Failure to make a return. Any telecommunications retailer who fails to make a return, or who makes a fraudulent return, or who willfully violates any other provision of this Act or any rule or regulation of the Department for the administration and enforcement of this Act, is guilty of a business offense and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $1,000 nor more than $7,500.

(Source: P.A. 90-562, eff. 12-16-97.)

(35 ILCS 635/27.50)

Sec. 27.50. Additional fees. The fees herein imposed shall be in addition to all other occupation or privilege taxes or fees imposed by the State of Illinois or by any municipal corporation or political subdivision thereof.

(Source: P.A. 90-562, eff. 12-16-97.)

(35 ILCS 635/27.55)

Sec. 27.55. Applicability of Retailers' Occupation Tax Act and Uniform Penalty and Interest Act. All of the provisions of Sections 4, 5, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f, 5g, 5i, 5j, 6, 6a, 6b, and 6c of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act that are not inconsistent with this Act, and all provisions of the Uniform Penalty and Interest Act shall apply, as far as practicable, to the subject matter of this Act to the same extent as if such provisions were included herein. References in the incorporated Sections of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act to retailers, to sellers, or to persons engaged in the business of selling tangible personal property mean persons engaged in the business of transmitting messages when used in this Act. References in the incorporated Sections of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act to purchasers of tangible personal property mean purchasers of the service of transmitting messages when used in this Act. References in the incorporated Sections of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act to sales of tangible personal property mean the transmitting of messages when used in this Act. References to "taxes" in these incorporated Sections shall be construed to apply to the administration, payment, and remittance of all fees under this Act.

(Source: P.A. 90-562, eff. 12-16-97.)

(35 ILCS 635/30)

Sec. 30. Validity of existing franchise fees and agreements.

(a) No new franchise fees or other charges for the use of the public rights-of-way, including charges for the recovery of reasonable costs of regulating the use of the public rights-of-way, shall be imposed upon, levied on, or otherwise required of telecommunications retailers by ordinance, resolution, or contract, nor shall any other new charges be required from telecommunications retailers by municipalities from and after the effective date of this Act. Nothing in this Act shall excuse any person or entity from obligations imposed under any law concerning generally applicable taxes or standards for construction on, over, under, or within, use of or repair of the public rights-of-way, including standards relating to free standing towers and other structures upon the public way, nor shall any person or entity be excused from any liability imposed by any such law for the failure to comply with such generally applicable taxes or standards governing construction on, over, under, or within, use of or repair of the public rights-of-way.

(b) Agreements between telecommunications retailers and municipalities entered into before the effective date of this Act regarding use of the public ways shall remain valid according to and for their stated terms, except as to fees or charges waived under Section 5-60 of the Simplified Municipal Telecommunications Tax Act.

(c) The regulation of the terms and conditions upon which poles, conduits, and other facilities located in the public way may be shared by or between telecommunications retailers shall be committed exclusively to the jurisdiction of the Illinois Commerce Commission and the Federal Communications Commission, and such regulation shall not be among the home rule powers and functions described in subsection (h) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution. Moreover, no municipality may enter into any contract or agreement with a telecommunications retailer with respect to the terms and conditions upon which poles, conduits, and other facilities located in the public way may be shared by or between telecommunications retailers.

(Source: P.A. 92-526, eff. 1-1-03.)

(35 ILCS 635/35)

Sec. 35. Home rule. The authorization of infrastructure maintenance fees is an exclusive power and function of the State. A home rule municipality may not impose franchise or other fees upon or require other compensation from telecommunications retailers for use of the public way. This Act is a denial and limitation of municipal home rule powers and functions under subsection (g) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution.

(Source: P.A. 92-526, eff. 1-1-03.)

(35 ILCS 635/40)

Sec. 40. Severability. If any provision of this Act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity of the provision or application does not affect other provisions or applications of the Act that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.

(Source: P.A. 90-154, eff. 1-1-98.)

(35 ILCS 635/905)

Sec. 905. The Messages Tax Act is amended by repealing Section 2a.1.

(Source: P.A. 90-154, eff. 1-1-98.)

(35 ILCS 635/910)

Sec. 910. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted).

(Source: P.A. 90-154, eff. 1-1-98; text omitted.)

(35 ILCS 635/915)

Sec. 915. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted.)

(Source: P.A. 90-154, eff. 1-1-98; text omitted.)

(35 ILCS 635/920)

Sec. 920. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted.)

(Source: P.A. 90-154, eff. 1-1-98; text omitted.)