625 ILCS 5/ Illinois Vehicle Code.

(625 ILCS 5/18c-1203) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 18c-1203)

Sec. 18c-1203. Initial Decisions.

(1) Delegation of Authority.

(a) General Delegation. The power to make an initial decision in all matters under this Chapter and Chapter 18a which are interlocutory or which are not the subject of an active controversy between parties, except in motor carrier of property licensing cases and cases assigned for hearing, is delegated to one or more staff members who shall be designated by the Commission.

(b) Delegation to Examiners. The power to make initial decisions shall be vested in the examiner, in all cases assigned for hearing, except in household goods carrier licensing cases.

(2) Form of Decisions. Decisions under this Section shall be by letter notice or directive, signed by the person authorized to make the initial decision. Such notice or directive shall be effective and enforceable in the same manner as an order of the Commission.

(3) Appeal of Initial Decisions. All initial decisions rendered under this Section may be appealed to the Commission. Appeal of interlocutory decisions by an examiner in a case assigned for hearing shall be in accordance with the Commission's Rules of Practice. Appeal of other initial decisions shall be by motion for reconsideration in accordance with Section 18c-2110 of this Chapter.

(4) Enforcement. An initial decision which has not been administratively appealed or the administrative appeal of which has been denied shall be effective and enforceable in the same manner as an order of the Commission.

(Source: P.A. 89-444, eff. 1-25-96.)

(625 ILCS 5/18c-1204) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 18c-1204)

Sec. 18c-1204. Transportation Division.

(1) Establishment. There shall be established within the staff of the Commission a Transportation Division in which primary staff responsibility for the administration and enforcement of this Chapter and Chapter 18a shall be vested. The Transportation Division shall be headed by a division manager responsible to the executive director.

(2) Structure. The Transportation Division shall consist of 4 programs and 2 offices. The 4 programs shall be Compliance, Review and Examination, Docketing and Processing, and Rail Safety. Each program shall be headed by a program director and responsible to the division manager, except that in the Compliance Program the 3 staff supervisors shall each be responsible to the division manager. The 2 offices shall be the Office of Transportation Counsel and the Office of the Division Manager. The Office of Transportation Counsel shall be headed by a Chief Counsel responsible to the Division Manager. The Division Manager shall coordinate the activities and responsibilities of the Office of Transportation Counsel with the executive director and the personal assistant serving as staff counsel to the executive director in the office of the executive director, and with the Commission.

(a) The Compliance Program.

(i) The Compliance Program shall consist of a police staff, a rate auditing staff, and a civil penalties staff. These staffs shall be headed by a Chief of Police, a Supervisor of Tariffs and Audits, and a Supervisor of Civil Penalties, respectively.

(ii) The police staff shall be divided into districts with a field office in each district. Each district shall be headed by a working supervisor responsible to the Chief of Police. All staff responsibility for enforcement of this Chapter, except with regard to rail safety, shall be vested in the Compliance Program.

(b) The Review and Examination Program.

(i) Staff responsibility for review of all nonhearing matters under this Chapter and Chapter 18a and examination of all matters assigned for hearing under this Chapter and Chapter 18a shall be vested in the Review and Examination Program, except as otherwise provided in Section 18c-1204b.

(ii) Hearing examiners in the program shall have responsibility for developing a full, complete and impartial record on all issues to be decided in a proceeding; recommending disposition of the issues or making an initial decision on them, as provided in this Chapter; and setting forth in writing the basis for their recommendations or initial decisions. The program director shall be the chief hearing examiner for matters under this Chapter and Chapter 18a with responsibility to insure consistency of recommendations and initial decisions.

(c) The Processing and Docketing Program. All staff responsibility for docketing and processing filings, accounting of receipts and expenditures, issuing, file maintenance and other processing functions under this Chapter and Chapter 18a shall be vested in the Processing Program.

(d) The Rail Safety Program. Staff responsibility for administration and enforcement of the rail safety provisions of this Chapter shall be vested in the Rail Safety Program.

(e) The Office of Transportation Counsel.

(i) All Commission staff responsibility for provision of legal services in connection with any matter under this Chapter, excepting any matter under subchapters 7 and 8 of this Chapter, or in connection with any matter under Chapter 18a shall, except with regard to functions vested in the review and examination program under paragraph (b) of this subsection, be vested exclusively in the Office of Transportation Counsel.

(ii) The Office of Transportation Counsel shall, when directed through the division manager to do so, represent the Commission or Commission staff in administrative or judicial proceedings and render staff advisory opinions to the executive director and the Commission.

(f) Levels of Administration. No additional levels of administration, supervision or authority shall be superimposed, or remain superimposed, between levels prescribed under this Section, and no organizational units may be created within the Transportation Division except as prescribed under this Section.

(3) Additional Functions. Staff functions relating to rulemaking, policy recommendations and advisory committees under this Chapter and Chapter 18a shall be vested in the Transportation Division.

The staff shall prepare and distribute to the General Assembly, in April of each year, a report on railway accidents in Illinois which involve hazardous materials. The report shall include the location, substance involved, amounts involved, and the suspected reason for each accident. The report shall also reveal the rail line and point of origin of the hazardous material involved in each accident.

(Source: P.A. 88-415.)

(625 ILCS 5/18c-1204a) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 18c-1204a)

Sec. 18c-1204a. Docketing Procedures. (1) Mandatory Docketing Requirement. All pleadings filed with the Commission under this Chapter and Chapter 18a shall be docketed in a timely manner.

(2) Staff Objections. If staff believes a pleading filed with the Commission under this Chapter and Chapter 18a to be defective in any respect, it may file its objection with the Commission in writing, provided a copy of the objection is simultaneously served on the person who filed the pleading and 15 days are allowed for the filing of a reply. The Commission may, if it finds that the pleading is defective, either dismiss the proceeding or permit amendment of the pleading, provided that intervenors are permitted adequate time after amendment to prepare for continuation of the proceeding.

(Source: P.A. 85-553.)

(625 ILCS 5/18c-1204b) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 18c-1204b)

Sec. 18c-1204b. Certification of Records. Copies of all official documents and orders filed or deposited according to the law in the office of the Commission under this Chapter or Chapter 18a, certified by the director of the processing and docketing program to be true copies of the originals, under the official seal of the Commission, shall be evidence in like manner as the originals.

(Source: P.A. 85-553.)

(625 ILCS 5/18c-1204c) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 18c-1204c)

Sec. 18c-1204c. Independent Review of Decisions on Administrative Appeal. (1) Requirement of Independent Review. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3) of this Section:

(a) Review of Staff Decisions. No decision made by other than the Commission shall be reviewed on administrative appeal by the person or board which made the decision, unless the appeal requests review by the person or board which made the decision.

(b) Review of Commission or Employee Board Decisions. No decision made by the Commission or an employee board shall be reviewed on administrative appeal by the person or board which made the formal recommendation pursuant to which the decision was made, unless the appeal requests review by the person or board which made the formal recommendation.

(2) Independent Review Board. (a) Establishment of an Independent Review Board. The Commission shall establish an Independent Review Board which shall review motions for rehearing and reconsideration which do not request review by the person or board which made the decision or the formal recommendation pursuant to which the decision was made.

(b) Composition of the Independent Review Board. The Board shall consist of 3 members appointed by the Commission, one of whom shall be designated as the chairman. The Commission shall appoint the members from Commission staff whose expenses may be allocated to the Transportation Regulatory Fund under Section 18c-1603. If the Transportation Division is not represented on the Board by a voting member, the Commission shall appoint a nonvoting member from the Transportation Division.

(c) Functions of the Independent Review Board. The Board shall review all motions presented to it under this Section. The Board may, in its discretion, review the record of the proceeding and hear oral argument by the parties. The Board shall recommend a decision by the Commission. If a Board member dissents from the recommendation, any dissenting opinion supplied by the member shall be attached.

(3) Applicability of Section. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to any matter arising under Subchapter 7 of this Chapter.

(Source: P.A. 86-1005.)

(625 ILCS 5/18c-1204d) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 18c-1204d)

Sec. 18c-1204d. Staff participation. (1) General Provisions. Except as otherwise provided in this Section, Commission staff participation in the administration or enforcement of this Law in a supervisory, advisory, or other capacity shall be limited to personnel whose expenses are, in whole or in part, allocable to the Transportation Regulatory Fund.

(2) Exceptions. The provisions of subsection (1) of this Section shall not apply to:

(a) Staff of the office of chairman and commissioners serving as personal assistants or clerical support to the members;

(b) Members of the Independent Review Board serving on the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1989, while serving in their current capacities; or

(c) Commission staff other than the staff of the office of chairman and commissioners participating in proceedings involving subchapters 5, 6, 7 or 8 of this Chapter.

(Source: P.A. 86-1005.)

(625 ILCS 5/18c-1204e) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 18c-1204e)

Sec. 18c-1204e. Communications with the Office of Chairman and Commissioners. (1) The chairman, members and executive director shall jointly adopt and adhere to written procedures concerning communication with staff of the Transportation Division to insure that:

(a) Communications from the members or staff of the office of chairman and commissioners which do not require substantial work from staff shall be transmitted to the manager of the Transportation Division; and

(b) Communications from the members or staff of the office of chairman and commissioners which do require substantial work from staff shall be transmitted to the executive director.

(2) The executive director shall establish written procedures, which staff other than staff of the office of chairman and commissioners shall adhere to, in regard to communications of such staff to the chairman, members or staff of the office of chairman and commissioners.

(Source: P.A. 86-1005.)

(625 ILCS 5/18c-1205) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 18c-1205)

Sec. 18c-1205. Qualifications of Transportation Compliance Program Staff.

(1) General provisions. The manager of the Transportation Division shall establish and adhere to written professional standards and procedures for the employment, education and training, performance and dismissal of all nonclerical compliance program personnel. Such standards and procedures shall include:

(a) Merit standards and procedures, and education requirements, applicable to State troopers, and training requirements at least equivalent to that received from a police training school approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, together with such additional qualifications as are needed under this Chapter, for all nonclerical field operations personnel;

(b) Successful completion of an accredited accounting or transportation-related education program, or at least 4 years experience in motor carrier rate analysis or auditing, plus such additional qualifications as are needed under this Chapter, for all nonclerical rate auditing personnel; and

(c) Successful completion of an accredited legal or paralegal education program, or equivalent administrative law experience, plus such additional qualifications as are needed under this Chapter, for all nonclerical civil penalties program personnel.

(2) Merit Selection Committee. Standards and procedures under this Section for police shall include the establishment of one or more merit selection committees, each composed of one Commission employee and no fewer than 3, nor more than 5, persons who are not employed by the Commission, each of whom shall from time to time be designated by the division manager, subject to the approval of the Commission. The division manager shall submit a list of candidates to the committee or subcommittee thereof for its consideration. The committee or subcommittee thereof shall interview each candidate on the list and rate those interviewed as "most qualified", "qualified", or "not qualified". The committee shall recommend candidates rated "most qualified" and "qualified" to the division manager. In filling positions to which this Section applies, the division manager shall first offer the position to persons rated "most qualified". If all persons rated "most qualified" have been offered the position and each failed to accept the offer within the time specified by the division manager in the offer, the position may be offered to a person rated "qualified". Only persons rated "most qualified" or "qualified" shall be offered positions within the Compliance Program.

(3) The Commission shall authorize to each employee of the Commission exercising the powers of a peace officer a distinct badge that, on its face, (i) clearly states the badge is authorized by the Commission and (ii) contains a unique identifying number. No other badge shall be authorized by the Commission.

(Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99; 91-883, eff. 1-1-01.)