Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins

Filed: 3/8/2018

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 3139

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 3139 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The Illinois Plain Language Task Force Act is
5amended by changing Sections 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 and by
6adding Sections 30 and 35 as follows:
 
7    (20 ILCS 4090/5)
8    Sec. 5. Purpose. The mission of the Illinois Plain Language
9Task Force is to implement, monitor, and maintain the mission
10of this Act, including developing training requirements and
11other assistance, and to conduct a study on, and to propose any
12additional legislative measures designed to realize:
13        (1) the potential benefits of incorporating plain
14    language in State government documents, statutes, and
15    contracts into which the State enters; and
16        (2) how plain language principles might be

 

 

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1    incorporated into the statutes governing contracts among
2    private parties so as to provide additional protections to
3    Illinois consumers, to reduce litigation between private
4    parties over the meaning of contractual terms, and to
5    foster judicial economy.
6(Source: P.A. 96-350, eff. 8-13-09.)
 
7    (20 ILCS 4090/10)
8    Sec. 10. Definition. As used in this Act:
9    "Plain language" shall have the same meaning as "plain
10writing" as used in the federal Plain Writing Act of 2010, and
11subsequent guidance documents, including the Federal Plain
12Language Guidelines has the same meaning ascribed to it in the
13Executive Memorandum of the President of the United States,
14mandating that Federal Agencies and Federal Administrative
15Rules employ plain language, issued June 1, 1998, namely that
16"plain language" documents have logical organization,
17easy-to-read design features, and use: (i) common, everyday
18words, except for necessary technical terms; (ii) "you" and
19other pronouns; (iii) the active voice; and (iv) short
20sentences.
21(Source: P.A. 96-350, eff. 8-13-09.)
 
22    (20 ILCS 4090/15)
23    Sec. 15. Task Force.
24    (a) The Illinois Plain Language Task Force is hereby

 

 

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1created. The Illinois Plain Language Task Force shall be
2chaired by the Governor or his or her designee and shall
3consist of the following members: one member appointed by the
4Illinois Attorney General; one member appointed by the Senate
5President; one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
6Senate; one member appointed by the Speaker of the House; one
7member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House; and 3
8members appointed by the Governor, one of whom represents the
9interests of the banking industry, one of whom represents the
10interests of the business community, and one of whom represents
11the interests of the consumers.
12    (b) Members of the Task Force must be appointed no later
13than 90 days after the effective date of this Act.
14    (c) If a vacancy occurs on the Task Force, it shall be
15filled according to the guidelines of the initial appointment.
16    (d) At the discretion of the chair, additional individuals
17may participate as non-voting members in the meetings of the
18Task Force.
19    (e) Members of the Illinois Plain Language Task Force shall
20serve without compensation. The Office of the Governor shall
21provide staff and administrative services to the Task Force.
22(Source: P.A. 96-350, eff. 8-13-09.)
 
23    (20 ILCS 4090/20)
24    Sec. 20. Duties. Once all members have been appointed, the
25Task Force shall meet not less than once each quarter following

 

 

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1the effective date of this Act to carry out the duties
2prescribed in this Act. An initial report delineating the Task
3Force's findings, conclusions, and recommendations shall be
4submitted to the Illinois General Assembly no later than May
531, 2019, unless such initial report has already been submitted
6to the General Assembly prior to the effective date of this
7amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly 9 months after the
8effective date of this Act. Thereafter, the Task Force shall
9make periodic recommendations on its own motion or at the
10urging of the Illinois General Assembly.
11(Source: P.A. 96-350, eff. 8-13-09.)
 
12    (20 ILCS 4090/25)
13    Sec. 25. Guidance. The Task Force shall be guided in its
14discussions on the subject of plain language by the federal
15Plain Writing Act of 2010 and subsequent guidance documents,
16including, but not limited to, the Federal Plain Language
17Guidelines the guidelines for plain language drafting
18promulgated by the President of the United States on June 1,
191998, which accompanied his plain language Executive
20Memorandum issued on the same day.
21(Source: P.A. 96-350, eff. 8-13-09.)
 
22    (20 ILCS 4090/30 new)
23    Sec. 30. Plain language State government communications.
24Recognizing the importance of plain language in communication

 

 

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1with the public:
2        (1) the General Assembly shall draft legislation and
3    other public-facing documents using plain language when
4    practicable; and
5        (2) the executive and judicial branches of State
6    government are advised to make all efforts to draft
7    executive orders, court documents, and other public facing
8    documents using plain language.
 
9    (20 ILCS 4090/35 new)
10    Sec. 35. Construction. No provision of this Act shall be
11construed to create any right or benefit, substantive or
12procedural, enforceable by any administrative or judicial
13action. There shall be no judicial review of compliance or
14noncompliance with any provision of this Act.".