97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB3805

 

Introduced 10/5/2011, by Rep. Jim Durkin

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
605 ILCS 10/10  from Ch. 121, par. 100-10

    Amends the Toll Highway Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning powers of the Toll Highway Authority.


LRB097 13221 HEP 57729 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3805LRB097 13221 HEP 57729 b

1    AN ACT concerning transportation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Toll Highway Act is amended by changing
5Section 10 as follows:
 
6    (605 ILCS 10/10)  (from Ch. 121, par. 100-10)
7    Sec. 10. The Authority shall have power:
8    (a) To pass resolutions, make make by-laws, rules and
9regulations for the management, regulation and control of its
10affairs, and to fix tolls, and to make, enact and enforce all
11needful rules and regulations in connection with the
12construction, operation, management, care, regulation or
13protection of its property or any toll highways, constructed or
14reconstructed hereunder.
15    (a-5) To fix, assess, and collect civil fines for a
16vehicle's operation on a toll highway without the required toll
17having been paid. The Authority may establish by rule a system
18of civil administrative adjudication to adjudicate only
19alleged instances of a vehicle's operation on a toll highway
20without the required toll having been paid, as detected by the
21Authority's video or photo surveillance system. In cases in
22which the operator of the vehicle is not the registered vehicle
23owner, the establishment of ownership of the vehicle creates a

 

 

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1rebuttable presumption that the vehicle was being operated by
2an agent of the registered vehicle owner. If the registered
3vehicle owner liable for a violation under this Section was not
4the operator of the vehicle at the time of the violation, the
5owner may maintain an action for indemnification against the
6operator in the circuit court. Rules establishing a system of
7civil administrative adjudication must provide for written
8notice, by first class mail or other means provided by law, to
9the address of the registered owner of the cited vehicle as
10recorded with the Secretary of State or to the lessee of the
11cited vehicle at the last address known to the lessor of the
12cited vehicle at the time of the lease, of the alleged
13violation and an opportunity to be heard on the question of the
14violation and must provide for the establishment of a toll-free
15telephone number to receive inquiries concerning alleged
16violations. The notice shall also inform the registered vehicle
17owner that failure to contest in the manner and time provided
18shall be deemed an admission of liability and that a final
19order of liability may be entered on that admission. A duly
20authorized agent of the Authority may perform or execute the
21preparation, certification, affirmation, or mailing of the
22notice. A notice of violation, sworn or affirmed to or
23certified by a duly authorized agent of the Authority, or a
24facsimile of the notice, based upon an inspection of
25photographs, microphotographs, videotape, or other recorded
26images produced by a video or photo surveillance system, shall

 

 

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1be admitted as prima facie evidence of the correctness of the
2facts contained in the notice or facsimile. Only civil fines,
3along with the corresponding outstanding toll, and costs may be
4imposed by administrative adjudication. A fine may be imposed
5under this paragraph only if a violation is established by a
6preponderance of the evidence. Judicial review of all final
7orders of the Authority under this paragraph shall be conducted
8in the circuit court of the county in which the administrative
9decision was rendered in accordance with the Administrative
10Review Law.
11    Any outstanding toll, fine, additional late payment fine,
12other sanction, or costs imposed, or part of any fine, other
13sanction, or costs imposed, remaining unpaid after the
14exhaustion of, or the failure to exhaust, judicial review
15procedures under the Administrative Review Law are a debt due
16and owing the Authority and may be collected in accordance with
17applicable law. After expiration of the period in which
18judicial review under the Administrative Review Law may be
19sought, unless stayed by a court of competent jurisdiction, a
20final order of the Authority under this subsection (a-5) may be
21enforced in the same manner as a judgment entered by a court of
22competent jurisdiction. Notwithstanding any other provision of
23this Act, the Authority may, with the approval of the Attorney
24General, retain a law firm or law firms with expertise in the
25collection of government fines and debts for the purpose of
26collecting fines, costs, and other moneys due under this

 

 

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1subsection (a-5).
2    A system of civil administrative adjudication may also
3provide for a program of vehicle immobilization, tow, or
4impoundment for the purpose of facilitating enforcement of any
5final order or orders of the Authority under this subsection
6(a-5) that result in a finding or liability for 5 or more
7violations after expiration of the period in which judicial
8review under the Administrative Review Law may be sought. The
9registered vehicle owner of a vehicle immobilized, towed, or
10impounded for nonpayment of a final order of the Authority
11under this subsection (a-5) shall have the right to request a
12hearing before the Authority's civil administrative
13adjudicatory system to challenge the validity of the
14immobilization, tow, or impoundment. This hearing, however,
15shall not constitute a readjudication of the merits of
16previously adjudicated notices. Judicial review of all final
17orders of the Authority under this subsection (a-5) shall be
18conducted in the circuit court of the county in which the
19administrative decision was rendered in accordance with the
20Administrative Review Law.
21    No commercial entity that is the lessor of a vehicle under
22a written lease agreement shall be liable for an administrative
23notice of violation for toll evasion issued under this
24subsection (a-5) involving that vehicle during the period of
25the lease if the lessor provides a copy of the leasing
26agreement to the Authority within 21 days of the issue date on

 

 

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1the notice of violation. The leasing agreement also must
2contain a provision or addendum informing the lessee that the
3lessee is liable for payment of all tolls and any fines for
4toll evasion. Each entity must also post a sign at the leasing
5counter notifying the lessee of that liability. The copy of the
6leasing agreement provided to the Authority must contain the
7name, address, and driver's license number of the lessee, as
8well as the check-out and return dates and times of the vehicle
9and the vehicle license plate number and vehicle make and
10model.
11    As used in this subsection (a-5), "lessor" includes
12commercial leasing and rental entities but does not include
13public passenger vehicle entities.
14    The Authority shall establish an amnesty program for
15violations adjudicated under this subsection (a-5). Under the
16program, any person who has an outstanding notice of violation
17for toll evasion or a final order of a hearing officer for toll
18evasion dated prior to the effective date of this amendatory
19Act of the 94th General Assembly and who pays to the Authority
20the full percentage amounts listed in this paragraph remaining
21due on the notice of violation or final order of the hearing
22officer and the full fees and costs paid by the Authority to
23the Secretary of State relating to suspension proceedings, if
24applicable, on or before 5:00 p.m., Central Standard Time, of
25the 60th day after the effective date of this amendatory Act of
26the 94th General Assembly shall not be required to pay more

 

 

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1than the listed percentage of the original fine amount and
2outstanding toll as listed on the notice of violation or final
3order of the hearing officer and the full fees and costs paid
4by the Authority to the Secretary of State relating to
5suspension proceedings, if applicable. The payment percentage
6scale shall be as follows: a person with 25 or fewer violations
7shall be eligible for amnesty upon payment of 50% of the
8original fine amount and the outstanding tolls; a person with
9more than 25 but fewer than 51 violations shall be eligible for
10amnesty upon payment of 60% of the original fine amount and the
11outstanding tolls; and a person with 51 or more violations
12shall be eligible for amnesty upon payment of 75% of the
13original fine amount and the outstanding tolls. In such a
14situation, the Executive Director of the Authority or his or
15her designee is authorized and directed to waive any late fine
16amount above the applicable percentage of the original fine
17amount. Partial payment of the amount due shall not be a basis
18to extend the amnesty payment deadline nor shall it act to
19relieve the person of liability for payment of the late fine
20amount. In order to receive amnesty, the full amount of the
21applicable percentage of the original fine amount and
22outstanding toll remaining due on the notice of violation or
23final order of the hearing officer and the full fees and costs
24paid by the Authority to the Secretary of State relating to
25suspension proceedings, if applicable, must be paid in full by
265:00 p.m., Central Standard Time, of the 60th day after the

 

 

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1effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General
2Assembly. This amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly has
3no retroactive effect with regard to payments already tendered
4to the Authority that were full payments or payments in an
5amount greater than the applicable percentage, and this Act
6shall not be the basis for either a refund or a credit. This
7amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly does not apply to
8toll evasion citations issued by the Illinois State Police or
9other authorized law enforcement agencies and for which payment
10may be due to or through the clerk of the circuit court. The
11Authority shall adopt rules as necessary to implement the
12provisions of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly.
13The Authority, by a resolution of the Board of Directors, shall
14have the discretion to implement similar amnesty programs in
15the future. The Authority, at its discretion and in
16consultation with the Attorney General, is further authorized
17to settle an administrative fine or penalty if it determines
18that settling for less than the full amount is in the best
19interests of the Authority after taking into account the
20following factors: (1) the merits of the Authority's claim
21against the respondent; (2) the amount that can be collected
22relative to the administrative fine or penalty owed by the
23respondent; (3) the cost of pursuing further enforcement or
24collection action against the respondent; (4) the likelihood of
25collecting the full amount owed; and (5) the burden on the
26judiciary. The provisions in this Section may be extended to

 

 

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1other toll facilities in the State of Illinois through a duly
2executed agreement between the Authority and the operator of
3the toll facility.
4    (b) To prescribe rules and regulations applicable to
5traffic on highways under the jurisdiction of the Authority,
6concerning:
7        (1) Types of vehicles permitted to use such highways or
8    parts thereof, and classification of such vehicles;
9        (2) Designation of the lanes of traffic to be used by
10    the different types of vehicles permitted upon said
11    highways;
12        (3) Stopping, standing, and parking of vehicles;
13        (4) Control of traffic by means of police officers or
14    traffic control signals;
15        (5) Control or prohibition of processions, convoys,
16    and assemblages of vehicles and persons;
17        (6) Movement of traffic in one direction only on
18    designated portions of said highways;
19        (7) Control of the access, entrance, and exit of
20    vehicles and persons to and from said highways; and
21        (8) Preparation, location and installation of all
22    traffic signs; and to prescribe further rules and
23    regulations applicable to such traffic, concerning matters
24    not provided for either in the foregoing enumeration or in
25    the Illinois Vehicle Code. Notice of such rules and
26    regulations shall be posted conspicuously and displayed at

 

 

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1    appropriate points and at reasonable intervals along said
2    highways, by clearly legible markers or signs, to provide
3    notice of the existence of such rules and regulations to
4    persons traveling on said highways. At each toll station,
5    the Authority shall make available, free of charge,
6    pamphlets containing all of such rules and regulations.
7    (c) The Authority, in fixing the rate for tolls for the
8privilege of using the said toll highways, is authorized and
9directed, in fixing such rates, to base the same upon annual
10estimates to be made, recorded and filed with the Authority.
11Said estimates shall include the following: The estimated total
12amount of the use of the toll highways; the estimated amount of
13the revenue to be derived therefrom, which said revenue, when
14added to all other receipts and income, will be sufficient to
15pay the expense of maintaining and operating said toll
16highways, including the administrative expenses of the
17Authority, and to discharge all obligations of the Authority as
18they become due and payable.
19    (d) To accept from any municipality or political
20subdivision any lands, easements or rights in land needed for
21the operation, construction, relocation or maintenance of any
22toll highways, with or without payment therefor, and in its
23discretion to reimburse any such municipality or political
24subdivision out of its funds for any cost or expense incurred
25in the acquisition of land, easements or rights in land, in
26connection with the construction and relocation of the said

 

 

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1toll highways, widening, extending roads, streets or avenues in
2connection therewith, or for the construction of any roads or
3streets forming extension to and connections with or between
4any toll highways, or for the cost or expense of widening,
5grading, surfacing or improving any existing streets or roads
6or the construction of any streets and roads forming extensions
7of or connections with any toll highways constructed,
8relocated, operated, maintained or regulated hereunder by the
9Authority. Where property owned by a municipality or political
10subdivision is necessary to the construction of an approved
11toll highway, if the Authority cannot reach an agreement with
12such municipality or political subdivision and if the use to
13which the property is being put in the hands of the
14municipality or political subdivision is not essential to the
15existence or the administration of such municipality or
16political subdivision, the Authority may acquire the property
17by condemnation.
18(Source: P.A. 94-636, eff. 8-22-05.)