98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
SB1826

 

Introduced 2/15/2013, by Sen. Emil Jones, III

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
5 ILCS 175/5-120
225 ILCS 305/14  from Ch. 111, par. 1314
225 ILCS 325/14  from Ch. 111, par. 5214
225 ILCS 330/15  from Ch. 111, par. 3265
225 ILCS 340/12  from Ch. 111, par. 6612

    Amends the Electronic Commerce Security Act. Provides that a municipality may, in the course of exercising any permitting, licensing, or other regulatory function, accept documents with an electronic signature. Makes changes concerning the seal, date, and signature on technical submissions in the Illinois Architecture Practice Act of 1989, the Professional Engineering Practice Act of 1989, the Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act of 1989, and the Structural Engineering Practice Act of 1989. Provides that when specified professionals have technical submissions that are prepared utilizing a computer or other electronic means, the seal, signature, current date, and date of license expiration may be generated by the computer. Effective immediately.


LRB098 07550 MGM 37621 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB1826LRB098 07550 MGM 37621 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Electronic Commerce Security Act is amended
5by changing Section 5-120 as follows:
 
6    (5 ILCS 175/5-120)
7    Sec. 5-120. Electronic signatures.
8    (a) Where a rule of law requires a signature, or provides
9for certain consequences if a document is not signed, an
10electronic signature satisfies that rule of law.
11    (a-5) A municipality may, in the course of exercising any
12permitting, licensing, or other regulatory function, accept
13documents with an electronic signature, including, but not
14limited to, the technical submissions of a design professional
15with an electronic signature.
16    (b) An electronic signature may be proved in any manner,
17including by showing that a procedure existed by which a party
18must of necessity have executed a symbol or security procedure
19for the purpose of verifying that an electronic record is that
20of such party in order to proceed further with a transaction.
21    (c) The provisions of this Section shall not apply:
22        (1) when its application would involve a construction
23    of a rule of law that is clearly inconsistent with the

 

 

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1    manifest intent of the lawmaking body or repugnant to the
2    context of the same rule of law, provided that the mere
3    requirement of a "signature" or that a record be "signed"
4    shall not by itself be sufficient to establish such intent;
5        (2) to any rule of law governing the creation or
6    execution of a will or trust, living will, or healthcare
7    power of attorney; and
8        (3) to any record that serves as a unique and
9    transferable instrument of rights and obligations
10    including, without limitation, negotiable instruments and
11    other instruments of title wherein possession of the
12    instrument is deemed to confer title, unless an electronic
13    version of such record is created, stored, and transferred
14    in a manner that allows for the existence of only one
15    unique, identifiable, and unalterable original with the
16    functional attributes of an equivalent physical
17    instrument, that can be possessed by only one person, and
18    which cannot be copied except in a form that is readily
19    identifiable as a copy.
20(Source: P.A. 90-759, eff. 7-1-99.)
 
21    Section 10. The Illinois Architecture Practice Act of 1989
22is amended by changing Section 14 as follows:
 
23    (225 ILCS 305/14)  (from Ch. 111, par. 1314)
24    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2020)

 

 

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1    Sec. 14. Display of license; Seal. Every holder of a
2license as a licensed architect shall display it in a
3conspicuous place in the principal office of the architect.
4    Every licensed architect shall have a reproducible seal, or
5facsimile, the print of which shall contain the name of the
6architect, the license number, and the words "Licensed
7Architect, State of Illinois". The licensed architect shall
8affix the signature, current date, date of license expiration
9and seal to the first sheet of any bound set or loose sheets of
10technical submissions utilized as contract documents between
11the parties to the contract or prepared for the review and
12approval of any governmental or public authority having
13jurisdiction by that licensed architect or under that licensed
14architect's responsible control. The sheet of technical
15submissions in which the seal is affixed shall indicate those
16documents or parts thereof for which the seal shall apply. When
17technical submissions are prepared utilizing a computer or
18other electronic means, the seal, signature, current date, and
19date of license expiration may be generated by the computer.
20The seal and dates may be electronically affixed. The signature
21must be in the original handwriting of the licensee. Signatures
22generated by computer shall not be permitted. All technical
23submissions issued by any corporation, partnership,
24professional service corporation, or professional design firm
25as registered under this Act shall contain the corporate or
26assumed business name and design firm registration number, in

 

 

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1addition to any other seal requirements as set forth in this
2Section.
3    "Responsible control" means that amount of control over and
4detailed professional knowledge of the content of technical
5submissions during their preparation as is ordinarily
6exercised by architects applying the required professional
7standard of care. Merely reviewing or reviewing and correcting
8the technical submissions or any portion thereof prepared by
9those not in the regular employment of the office where the
10architect is resident without control over the content of such
11work throughout its preparation does not constitute
12responsible control.
13    An architect licensed under the laws of this jurisdiction
14shall not sign and seal technical submissions that were not
15prepared by or under the responsible control of the architect
16except that:
17        (1) the architect may sign and seal those portions of
18    the technical submissions that were prepared by or under
19    the responsible control of persons who hold a license under
20    this Act, and who shall have signed and sealed the
21    documents, if the architect has reviewed in whole or in
22    part such portions and has either coordinated their
23    preparation or integrated them into his or her work;
24        (2) the architect may sign and seal portions of the
25    professional work that are not required by this Act to be
26    prepared by or under the responsible control of an

 

 

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1    architect if the architect has reviewed and adopted in
2    whole or in part such portions and has integrated them into
3    his or her work; and
4        (3) a partner or corporate officer of a professional
5    design firm registered in Illinois who is licensed under
6    the architecture licensing laws of this State, and who has
7    professional knowledge of the content of the technical
8    submissions and intends to be responsible for the adequacy
9    of the technical submissions, may sign and seal technical
10    submissions that are prepared by or under the responsible
11    control of architects who are licensed in this State and
12    who are in the regular employment of the professional
13    design firm.
14    The architect exercising responsible control under which
15the documents or portions of the documents were prepared shall
16be identified on the documents or portions of the documents by
17name and Illinois license number.
18    Any licensed architect who signs and seals technical
19submissions not prepared by that architect but prepared under
20the architect's responsible control by persons not regularly
21employed in the office where the architect is resident shall
22maintain and make available to the board upon request for at
23least 5 years following such signing and sealing, adequate and
24complete records demonstrating the nature and extent of the
25architect's control over and detailed professional knowledge
26of such technical submissions throughout their preparation.

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 91-133, eff. 1-1-00; 92-360, eff. 1-1-02.)
 
2    Section 15. The Professional Engineering Practice Act of
31989 is amended by changing Section 14 as follows:
 
4    (225 ILCS 325/14)  (from Ch. 111, par. 5214)
5    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2020)
6    Sec. 14. Seal. Every professional engineer shall have a
7seal or stamp, the print of which shall be reproducible and
8contain the name of the professional engineer, the professional
9engineer's license number, and the words "Licensed
10Professional Engineer of Illinois". Any reproducible stamp
11heretofore authorized under the laws of this state for use by a
12professional engineer, including those with the words
13"Registered Professional Engineer of Illinois", shall serve
14the same purpose as the seal provided for by this Act. The
15engineer shall be responsible for his seal and signature as
16defined by rule. When technical submissions are prepared
17utilizing a computer or other electronic means, the seal,
18signature, current date, and date of license expiration may be
19generated by the computer. When technical submissions are
20prepared utilizing a computer or other electronic means, the
21seal may be generated by the computer. Signatures generated by
22computer shall not be permitted.
23    The use of a professional engineer's seal on technical
24submissions constitutes a representation by the professional

 

 

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1engineer that the work has been prepared by or under the
2personal supervision of the professional engineer or developed
3in conjunction with the use of accepted engineering standards.
4The use of the seal further represents that the work has been
5prepared and administered in accordance with the standards of
6reasonable professional skill and diligence.
7    It is unlawful to affix one's seal to technical submissions
8if it masks the true identity of the person who actually
9exercised direction, control and supervision of the
10preparation of such work. A professional engineer who seals and
11signs technical submissions is not responsible for damage
12caused by subsequent changes to or uses of those technical
13submissions, where the subsequent changes or uses, including
14changes or uses made by State or local governmental agencies,
15are not authorized or approved by the professional engineer who
16originally sealed and signed the technical submissions.
17(Source: P.A. 96-626, eff. 8-24-09.)
 
18    Section 20. The Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act of
191989 is amended by changing Section 15 as follows:
 
20    (225 ILCS 330/15)  (from Ch. 111, par. 3265)
21    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2020)
22    Sec. 15. Seal. Every Professional Land Surveyor shall have
23a reproducible seal or facsimile, which may be computer
24generated, the impression of which shall contain the name of

 

 

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1the land surveyor, his or her place of business, the license
2number, of the Professional Land Surveyor, and the words
3"Professional Land Surveyor, State of Illinois". When
4technical submissions are prepared utilizing a computer or
5other electronic means, the seal, signature, current date, and
6date of license expiration may be generated by the computer.
7Signatures generated by computer or rubber stamp shall not be
8permitted. A Professional Land Surveyor shall seal all
9documents prepared by or under the direct supervision and
10control of the Professional Land Surveyor. Any seal authorized
11or approved by the Department under the Illinois Land Surveyors
12Act shall serve the same purpose as the seal provided for by
13this Act. The licensee's written signature and date of signing
14along with the date of license expiration shall be placed
15adjacent to the seal.
16(Source: P.A. 93-467, eff. 1-1-04.)
 
17    Section 25. The Structural Engineering Practice Act of 1989
18is amended by changing Section 12 as follows:
 
19    (225 ILCS 340/12)  (from Ch. 111, par. 6612)
20    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2020)
21    Sec. 12. Every holder of a license as a structural engineer
22shall display it in a conspicuous place in the holder's
23principal office, place of business or employment.
24    Every licensed structural engineer shall have a

 

 

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1reproducible seal or facsimile, the print of which shall
2contain the name and license number of the structural engineer,
3and the words "Licensed Structural Engineer," "State of
4Illinois." The licensed structural engineer shall seal all
5plans, drawings, and specifications prepared by or under the
6engineer's supervision.
7    A licensed structural engineer may seal documents not
8produced by the licensed structural engineer when the documents
9have either been produced by others working under the licensed
10structural engineer's personal supervision and control or when
11the licensed structural engineer has sufficiently reviewed the
12documents to ensure that they have met the standards of
13reasonable professional skill and diligence. In reviewing the
14work of others, the licensed structural engineer shall, where
15necessary, do calculations, redesign, or any other work
16necessary to be done to meet such standards and should retain
17evidence of having done such review. The documents sealed by
18the licensed structural engineer shall be of no lesser quality
19than if they had been produced by the licensed structural
20engineer. The licensed structural engineer who seals the work
21of others is obligated to provide sufficient supervision and
22review of such work so that the public is protected.
23    The licensed structural engineer shall affix the
24signature, current date, date of license expiration and seal to
25the first sheet of any bound set or loose sheets prepared by
26the licensed structural engineer or under that licensed

 

 

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1structural engineer's immediate supervision. When technical
2submissions are prepared utilizing a computer or other
3electronic means, the seal, signature, current date, and date
4of license expiration may be generated by the computer.
5(Source: P.A. 91-91, eff. 1-1-00.)
 
6    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
7becoming law.