97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB3677

 

Introduced 2/10/2012, by Sen. William Delgado

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
775 ILCS 5/10-104

    Amends provisions of the Illinois Human Rights Act concerning preliminary investigations by the Attorney General before the initiation of civil actions in circuit court. Provides that, if a person fails to comply with a subpoena or if satisfactory copying or reproduction of any material requested in an investigation cannot be done and the person refuses to surrender the material, the Attorney General may file a petition for a court order for the enforcement of the subpoena or other request. Contains provisions regarding: venue; petitions to modify or set aside a subpoena; hearings; orders; and enforcement. Deletes language providing that if a person fails or refuses to file a statement or report or obey a subpoena, the Attorney General is deemed to have met the requirement of conducting a preliminary investigation and may commence a civil action to enforce the provisions of the Act.


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A BILL FOR

 

SB3677LRB097 15867 AJO 61533 b

1    AN ACT concerning human rights.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Human Rights Act is amended by
5changing Section 10-104 as follows:
 
6    (775 ILCS 5/10-104)
7    Sec. 10-104. Circuit Court Actions by the Illinois Attorney
8General.
9    (A) Standing, venue, limitations on actions, preliminary
10investigations, notice, and Assurance of Voluntary Compliance.
11        (1) Whenever the Illinois Attorney General has
12    reasonable cause to believe that any person or group of
13    persons is engaged in a pattern and practice of
14    discrimination prohibited by this Act, the Illinois
15    Attorney General may commence a civil action in the name of
16    the People of the State, as parens patriae on behalf of
17    persons within the State to enforce the provisions of this
18    Act in any appropriate circuit court. Venue for this civil
19    action shall be determined under paragraph (6) of
20    subsection (C) of Section 8-111(B)(6). Such actions shall
21    be commenced no later than 2 years after the occurrence or
22    the termination of an alleged civil rights violation or the
23    breach of a conciliation agreement or Assurance of

 

 

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1    Voluntary Compliance entered into under this Act,
2    whichever occurs last, to obtain relief with respect to the
3    alleged civil rights violation or breach.
4        (2) Prior to initiating a civil action, the Attorney
5    General shall conduct a preliminary investigation to
6    determine whether there is reasonable cause to believe that
7    any person or group of persons is engaged in a pattern and
8    practice of discrimination declared unlawful by this Act
9    and whether the dispute can be resolved without litigation.
10    In conducting this investigation, the Attorney General
11    may:
12            (a) require the individual or entity to file a
13        statement or report in writing under oath or otherwise,
14        as to all information the Attorney General may consider
15        necessary;
16            (b) examine under oath any person alleged to have
17        participated in or with knowledge of the alleged
18        pattern and practice violation; or
19            (c) issue subpoenas or conduct hearings in aid of
20        any investigation.
21        (3) Service by the Attorney General of any notice
22    requiring a person to file a statement or report, or of a
23    subpoena upon any person, shall be made:
24            (a) personally by delivery of a duly executed copy
25        thereof to the person to be served or, if a person is
26        not a natural person, in the manner provided in the

 

 

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1        Code of Civil Procedure when a complaint is filed; or
2            (b) by mailing by certified mail a duly executed
3        copy thereof to the person to be served at his or her
4        last known abode or principal place of business within
5        this State.
6        (4) In lieu of a civil action, the individual or entity
7    alleged to have engaged in a pattern or practice of
8    discrimination deemed violative of this Act may enter into
9    an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with respect to the
10    alleged pattern or practice violation.
11        (5) The Illinois Attorney General may commence a civil
12    action under this subsection (A) whether or not a charge
13    has been filed under Sections 7A-102 or 7B-102 and without
14    regard to the status of any charge, however, if the
15    Department or local agency has obtained a conciliation or
16    settlement agreement or if the parties have entered into an
17    Assurance of Voluntary Compliance no action may be filed
18    under this subsection (A) with respect to the alleged civil
19    rights violation practice that forms the basis for the
20    complaint except for the purpose of enforcing the terms of
21    the conciliation or settlement agreement or the terms of
22    the Assurance of Voluntary Compliance.
23        (6) Subpoenas.
24            (a) Petition for enforcement. Whenever any person
25        fails to comply with any subpoena issued under
26        paragraph (2) of this subsection (A), or whenever

 

 

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1        satisfactory copying or reproduction of any material
2        requested in an investigation cannot be done and the
3        person refuses to surrender the material, the Attorney
4        General may file in any appropriate circuit court, and
5        serve upon the person, a petition for a court order for
6        the enforcement of the subpoena or other request. Venue
7        for this enforcement action shall be determined under
8        paragraph (C)(6) of Section 8-111.
9            (b) Petition to modify or set aside a subpoena.
10                (i) Any person who has received a subpoena
11            issued under paragraph (2) of this subsection (A)
12            may file in the appropriate circuit court, and
13            serve upon the Attorney General, a petition for a
14            court order to modify or set aside the subpoena or
15            other request. The petition must be filed either
16            (I) within 20 days after the date of service of the
17            subpoena or at any time before the return date
18            specified in the subpoena, whichever date is
19            earlier, or (II) within such longer period as may
20            be prescribed in writing by the Attorney General.
21                (ii) The petition shall specify each ground
22            upon which the petitioner relies in seeking relief
23            under subdivision (i) and may be based upon any
24            failure of the subpoena to comply with the
25            provisions of this Section or upon any
26            constitutional or other legal right or privilege

 

 

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1            of the petitioner. During the pendency of the
2            petition in the court, the court may stay, as it
3            deems proper, the running of the time allowed for
4            compliance with the subpoena or other request, in
5            whole or in part, except that the petitioner shall
6            comply with any portion of the subpoena or other
7            request not sought to be modified or set aside.
8            (c) Jurisdiction. Whenever any petition is filed
9        in any circuit court under this paragraph (6), the
10        court shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine the
11        matter so presented and to enter such orders as may be
12        required to carry out the provisions of this Section.
13        Any final order so entered shall be subject to appeal
14        in the same manner as appeals of other final orders in
15        civil matters. Any disobedience of any final order
16        entered under this paragraph (6) by any court shall be
17        punished as a contempt of the court. If any person
18        fails or refuses to file any statement or report, or
19        obey any subpoena, issued pursuant to subdivision
20        (A)(2) of this Section, the Attorney General will be
21        deemed to have met the requirement of conducting a
22        preliminary investigation and may proceed to initiate
23        a civil action pursuant to subdivision (A)(1) of this
24        Section.
25    (B) Relief which may be granted.
26        (1) In any civil action brought pursuant to subsection

 

 

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1    (A) of this Section, the Attorney General may obtain as a
2    remedy, equitable relief (including any permanent or
3    preliminary injunction, temporary restraining order, or
4    other order, including an order enjoining the defendant
5    from engaging in such civil rights violation or ordering
6    any action as may be appropriate). In addition, the
7    Attorney General may request and the Court may impose a
8    civil penalty to vindicate the public interest:
9            (a) for violations of Article 3 and Article 4 in an
10        amount not exceeding $25,000 per violation, and in the
11        case of violations of all other Articles in an amount
12        not exceeding $10,000 if the defendant has not been
13        adjudged to have committed any prior civil rights
14        violations under the provision of the Act that is the
15        basis of the complaint;
16            (b) for violations of Article 3 and Article 4 in an
17        amount not exceeding $50,000 per violation, and in the
18        case of violations of all other Articles in an amount
19        not exceeding $25,000 if the defendant has been
20        adjudged to have committed one other civil rights
21        violation under the provision of the Act within 5 years
22        of the occurrence of the civil rights violation that is
23        the basis of the complaint; and
24            (c) for violations of Article 3 and Article 4 in an
25        amount not exceeding $75,000 per violation, and in the
26        case of violations of all other Articles in an amount

 

 

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1        not exceeding $50,000 if the defendant has been
2        adjudged to have committed 2 or more civil rights
3        violations under the provision of the Act within 5
4        years of the occurrence of the civil rights violation
5        that is the basis of the complaint.
6        (2) A civil penalty imposed under subdivision (B)(1) of
7    this Section shall be deposited into the Attorney General
8    Court Ordered and Voluntary Compliance Payment Projects
9    Fund, which is a special fund in the State Treasury. Moneys
10    in the Fund shall be used, subject to appropriation, for
11    the performance of any function pertaining to the exercise
12    of the duties of the Attorney General including but not
13    limited to enforcement of any law of this State and
14    conducting public education programs; however, any moneys
15    in the Fund that are required by the court or by an
16    agreement to be used for a particular purpose shall be used
17    for that purpose.
18        (3) Aggrieved parties seeking actual damages must
19    follow the procedure set out in Sections 7A-102 or 7B-102
20    for filing a charge.
21(Source: P.A. 95-961, eff. 9-23-08.)