100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB3319

 

Introduced , by Rep. Allen Skillicorn

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Right to Earn a Living Act. Defines "entry regulations", "public service restrictions", and other terms. Provides that all entry regulations with respect to businesses and professions and all public service restrictions shall be limited to those demonstrably necessary and carefully tailored to fulfill legitimate public health, safety, or welfare objectives. Provides that within one year after the effective date of the Act, all agencies shall conduct a comprehensive review of all entry regulations within their jurisdictions, and for each such entry regulation it shall: (i) articulate with specificity the public health, safety, or welfare objective or objectives served by the regulation; and (ii) articulate the reason or reasons why the regulation is necessary to serve the specified objective or objectives. Provides that any person may petition any agency to repeal or modify any entry regulation into a business or profession within its jurisdiction. Requires the agency, within 90 days after a petition has been filed, to either repeal the entry regulation, modify the regulation to achieve standards specified under the Act, or state the basis on which it concludes the regulation conforms with those standards. Contains provisions concerning enforcement and the preemption of local laws inconsistent with the provisions of the Act.


LRB100 03921 KTG 13926 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
HOME RULE NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3319LRB100 03921 KTG 13926 b

1    AN ACT concerning business.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Right
5to Earn a Living Act.
 
6    Section 5. Statement of legislative findings and purposes.
7The General Assembly hereby finds and declares that:
8    (a) The right of individuals to pursue a chosen business or
9profession, free from arbitrary or excessive government
10interference, is a fundamental civil right.
11    (b) The freedom to earn an honest living has traditionally
12provided the surest means for economic mobility.
13    (c) In recent years, many regulations of entry into
14businesses and professions have exceeded legitimate public
15purposes and have had the effect of arbitrarily limiting entry
16and reducing competition.
17    (d) The burden of excessive regulation is borne most
18heavily by individuals outside the economic mainstream, for
19whom opportunities for economic advancement are curtailed.
20    (e) It is in the public interest:
21        (1) to ensure the right of all individuals to pursue
22    legitimate entrepreneurial and professional opportunities
23    to the limits of their talent and ambition;

 

 

HB3319- 2 -LRB100 03921 KTG 13926 b

1        (2) to provide the means for the vindication of this
2    right; and
3        (3) to ensure that regulations of entry into businesses
4    and professions are demonstrably necessary and carefully
5    tailored to legitimate health, safety, and welfare
6    objectives.
 
7    Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
8    "Agency" means the State, all units of State government,
9any county, city, town, or political subdivision of this State,
10and any branch, department, division, office, or agency of
11State or local government.
12    "Entry regulations" means any law, ordinance, regulation,
13rule, policy, fee, condition, test, permit, administrative
14practice, or other provision relating to a market or the
15opportunity to engage in any occupation or profession.
16    "Public service restrictions" means any law, ordinance,
17regulation, rule, policy, fee, condition, test, permit, or
18other administrative practice, with or without the support of
19public subsidy or user fees.
20    "Welfare" means the protection of members of the public
21against fraud or harm. "Welfare" does not include the
22protection of existing businesses or agencies, whether
23publicly or privately owned, against competition.
24    "Subsidy" means taxes, grants, user fees, or any other
25funds received by or on behalf of an agency.
 

 

 

HB3319- 3 -LRB100 03921 KTG 13926 b

1    Section 15. Limitation on entry regulations. All entry
2regulations with respect to businesses and professions shall be
3limited to those demonstrably necessary and carefully tailored
4to fulfill legitimate public health, safety, or welfare
5objectives.
 
6    Section 20. Limitation on public service restrictions. All
7public service restrictions shall be limited to those
8demonstrably necessary and carefully tailored to fulfill
9legitimate public health, safety, or welfare objectives.
 
10    Section 25. Elimination of entry regulations.
11    (a) Within one year after the effective date of this Act,
12each agency shall conduct a comprehensive review of all entry
13regulations within its jurisdiction and for each such entry
14regulation it shall:
15        (1) articulate with specificity the public health,
16    safety, or welfare objective or objectives served by the
17    regulation; and
18        (2) articulate the reason or reasons why the regulation
19    is necessary to serve the specified objective or
20    objectives.
21    (b) To the extent the agency finds any regulation that does
22not satisfy the standard set forth in Section 15, it shall:
23        (1) repeal the entry regulation or modify the entry

 

 

HB3319- 4 -LRB100 03921 KTG 13926 b

1    regulation to conform with the standard of Section 15 if
2    such action is not within the agency's authority to do so;
3    or
4        (2) recommend to the General Assembly actions
5    necessary to repeal or modify the entry regulation to
6    conform to the standard of Section 15 if such action is not
7    within the agency's authority.
8    (c) Within 15 months after the effective date of this Act,
9each agency shall report to the General Assembly on all actions
10taken to conform with this Section.
 
11    Section 30. Administrative proceedings.
12    (a) Any person may petition any agency to repeal or modify
13any entry regulation into a business or profession within its
14jurisdiction.
15    (b) Within 90 days of a petition filed under subsection
16(a), the agency shall either repeal the entry regulation,
17modify the regulation to achieve the standard set forth in
18Section 15, or state the basis on which it concludes the
19regulation conforms with the standard set forth in Section 15.
20    (c) Any person may petition any agency to repeal or modify
21a public service restriction within its jurisdiction.
22    (d) Within 90 days of a petition filed under subsection
23(c), the agency shall state the basis on which it concludes the
24public service restriction conforms with the standard set forth
25in Section 20.
 

 

 

HB3319- 5 -LRB100 03921 KTG 13926 b

1    Section 35. Enforcement.
2    (a) Any time after 90 days following a petition filed
3pursuant to Section 25 that has not been favorably acted upon
4by the agency, the person filing a petition challenging an
5entry regulation or public service restriction may file an
6action in a court of general jurisdiction.
7    (b) With respect to the challenge of an entry regulation,
8the plaintiff shall prevail if the court finds by a
9preponderance of evidence that the challenged entry regulation
10on its face or in its effect burdens the creation of a
11business, the entry of a business into a particular market, or
12entry into a profession or occupation; and either:
13        (1) the challenged entry regulation is not
14    demonstrably necessary and carefully tailored to fulfill
15    legitimate public health, safety, or welfare objectives;
16    or
17        (2) if the challenged entry regulation is necessary to
18    the legitimate public health, safety, or welfare
19    objectives, such objectives can be effectively served by
20    regulations less burdensome to economic opportunity.
21    (c) With respect to the challenge of a public service
22restriction, the plaintiff shall prevail if the court finds by
23a preponderance of the evidence that on its face or in its
24effect either:
25        (1) the challenged public service restriction is not

 

 

HB3319- 6 -LRB100 03921 KTG 13926 b

1    demonstrably necessary and carefully tailored to fulfill
2    legitimate public health, safety, or welfare objectives;
3    or
4        (2) if the challenged public service restriction is
5    necessary to fulfill legitimate public health, safety, or
6    welfare objectives, such objectives can be effectively
7    served by restrictions that allow greater private
8    participation.
9    (d) Upon a finding for the plaintiff, the court shall
10enjoin further enforcement of the challenged entry regulation
11or public service restriction, and shall award reasonable
12attorney's fees and costs to the plaintiff.
 
13    Section 40. State preemption of inconsistent local laws.
14The right of individuals to pursue a chosen business or
15profession is a matter of statewide concern and is not subject
16to further inconsistent regulation by a county, city, town, or
17other political subdivision of this State. This Act preempts
18all inconsistent rules, regulations, codes, ordinances, and
19other laws adopted by a county, city, town, or other political
20subdivision of this State regarding the right of individuals to
21pursue a chosen business or profession. A home rule unit may
22not regulate an individual's entry into a business or
23profession in a manner inconsistent with this Act. This Section
24is a limitation under subsection (i) of Section 6 of Article
25VII of the Illinois Constitution on the concurrent exercise by

 

 

HB3319- 7 -LRB100 03921 KTG 13926 b

1home rule units of powers and functions exercised by the State.