Illinois 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois House Bill HB1821 Engrossed / Bill

Filed 04/11/2025

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  HB1821 Engrossed  LRB104 07314 AAS 17353 b
1  AN ACT concerning regulation.
2  Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3  represented in the General Assembly:
4  Section 5. The Highway Advertising Control Act of 1971 is
5  amended by changing Sections 8 and 14.01 and by adding
6  Sections 8.1 and 8.2 as follows:
7  (225 ILCS 440/8)    (from Ch. 121, par. 508)
8  Sec. 8. Within 90 days of July 1, 1972, or the owner being
9  notified of a new controlled route subject to this Act being
10  added, each sign, except signs described by Sections 4.01,
11  4.02, and 4.03, must be registered with the Department by the
12  owner of the sign, on forms obtained from the Department.
13  Within 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act
14  of 1975, each sign located beyond 660 feet of the right-of-way
15  located outside of urban areas, visible from the main-traveled
16  way of the highway and erected with the purpose of the message
17  being read from such traveled way, must be registered with the
18  Department by the owner of the sign on forms obtained from the
19  Department. The Department shall adopt rules specifying the
20  standards for such registration, which may require reasonable
21  information to be furnished including, but not limited to, the
22  name of the owner of the land on which the sign is located and
23  a statement that the owner has consented to the erection or

 

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1  maintenance of the sign. Registration must be made of each
2  sign and shall be accompanied by a registration fee of $5.
3  No sign, except signs described by Sections 4.01, 4.02,
4  and 4.03, may be erected after the effective date of this Act
5  without first obtaining a permit from the Department. The
6  application for permit shall be on a form provided by the
7  Department and shall contain such information as the
8  Department may reasonably require. Upon receipt of an
9  application and upon payment of the fee required under this
10  Section, the Department then issues a permit to the applicant
11  for the erection of the sign, provided such sign will not
12  violate any provision of this Act. The Department shall have
13  up to 45 days to complete its review and approve the permit
14  application or notify the applicant of any and all
15  deficiencies necessary for the Department's approval. The
16  applicant shall then have 45 days to correct the noted
17  deficiencies, and the Department shall have 30 days from
18  receipt of the notice of corrected deficiencies to make a
19  final determination. If the application for permit has been
20  denied, written notice of the decision shall cite the specific
21  federal law, State law, Illinois Administrative Code section,
22  or Code of Federal Regulations section related to the denial
23  and state in detail why the application was denied. The
24  application fee shall be as follows:
25  (1) for signs of less than 150 square feet, $50;
26  (2) for signs of at least 150 but less than 300 square

 

 

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1  feet, $100; and
2  (3) for signs of 300 or more square feet, $200.
3  If a permit application is for a sign within an area
4  subject to the Airport Zoning Act, the Department shall notify
5  the applicant in writing that the review process will exceed
6  the timelines set forth in the Section. Notwithstanding, the
7  Department shall complete its own review of the permit
8  application pending approval under the Airport Zoning Act.
9  In determining the appropriateness of issuing a permit for
10  a municipal network sign, the Department shall waive any
11  provision or requirement of this Act or administrative rule
12  adopted under the authority of this Act to the extent that the
13  waiver does not contravene the federal Highway Beautification
14  Act of 1965, 23 U.S.C. 131, and the regulations promulgated
15  under that Act by the Secretary of the United States
16  Department of Transportation. Any municipal network sign
17  applications pending on May 1, 2013 that are not affected by
18  compliance with the federal Highway Beautification Act of 1965
19  shall be issued within 10 days after the effective date of this
20  amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly. The determination
21  of the balance of pending municipal network sign applications
22  and issuance of approved permits shall be completed within 30
23  days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
24  98th General Assembly. To the extent that the Secretary of the
25  United States Department of Transportation or any court finds
26  any permit granted pursuant to such a waiver to be

 

 

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1  inconsistent with or preempted by the federal Highway
2  Beautification Act of 1965, 23 U.S.C. 131, and the regulations
3  promulgated under that Act, that permit shall be void.
4  Upon change of ownership of a sign permit or sign
5  registration, the new owner of the sign permit or sign
6  registration shall notify the Department to confirm the change
7  of ownership and supply the necessary information in writing
8  or on a form provided by the Department to transfer the permit
9  or registration for such sign at no cost within 120 days after
10  the change of ownership. The Department shall acknowledge to
11  the new sign owner, in writing or by electronic communication,
12  the receipt of such request within 14 calendar days after
13  receiving the necessary information and shall complete the
14  transfer and record the transferee as the new owner within 60
15  days after receiving the necessary information. Failure of the
16  new sign owner to submit the necessary information to transfer
17  the name of sign ownership on a sign permit within 120 calendar
18  days may subject the permit to revocation. The Department
19  shall issue a notice to the sign owner of failure to notify and
20  inform the transferee of ownership that the transferee has 30
21  calendar days from receipt of notice to provide the necessary
22  information required for the transfer of ownership.
23  Owners of registered signs shall be issued an identifying
24  tag, which must remain securely affixed to the front face of
25  the sign or sign structure in a conspicuous position by the
26  owner within 60 days after receipt of the tag; owners of signs

 

 

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1  erected by permit shall be issued an identifying tag which
2  must remain securely affixed to the front face of the sign or
3  sign structure in a conspicuous position by the owner upon
4  completion of the sign erection or within 10 days after
5  receipt of the tag, whichever is the later.
6  When a sign owner intends to upgrade an existing legal
7  permitted sign to a multiple message sign with a digital
8  display, the Department shall not require a new sign permit. A
9  permit addendum application requesting authorization for the
10  upgrade shall be made on a form provided by the Department and
11  shall be accompanied by a $200 fee, which shall not be subject
12  to return upon rejection of the permit addendum application.
13  As part of the permit addendum application, the Department
14  shall not require a new land survey or other documentation
15  that has previously been submitted and approved and is on file
16  for the existing permit of the legal permitted sign. Upon
17  receipt of the permit addendum application, the Department
18  shall have up to 30 days to complete its initial review and
19  either approve the addendum to the existing permit or notify
20  the applicant of any and all deficiencies necessary for the
21  Department's approval. The applicant shall have 30 days to
22  correct the noted deficiencies, upon which the Department
23  shall have 30 days after receipt of the notice of corrected
24  deficiencies to make a final determination. If the permit
25  application addendum is denied, written notice of the decision
26  shall cite the specific federal law, State law, Illinois

 

 

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1  Administrative Code section, or Code of Federal Regulations
2  section related to the denial and state in detail why the
3  application was denied. For purposes of this Section, legal
4  nonconforming sign structures are not eligible for this
5  upgrade.
6  A person aggrieved by any action of the Department in
7  denying an application, or revoking a permit or registration,
8  or failing to act upon any permit within the designated time
9  limit under this Act or the rules adopted by the Department may
10  appeal such action to the Department. The appeal shall be
11  filed under this Act may, within 30 days after receipt of the
12  notice of denial or revocation or 30 days after the expiration
13  of any deadline for action by the Department. Proceedings for
14  the appeal shall commence within 30 days after the receipt of
15  the appeal request unless the time limit is extended by
16  agreement of the parties or granted by the administrative law
17  judge upon a showing of good cause. If an appeal is filed due
18  to the Department's failure to act upon a permit or other
19  request within the designated time limit, the application or
20  other request for action shall be denied and any other
21  determination shall be adverse to the party seeking a decision
22  under the Act. The record that is reviewed in cases of the
23  Department's failure to act timely shall be limited to the
24  communications between the parties, any documentation
25  submitted or exchanged, and testimony of the parties. The
26  administrative law judge's proposal may (i) remand the

 

 

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1  decision back to the Department for a decision to be made not
2  inconsistent with the administrative law judge's findings and
3  rulings or (ii) propose a final decision on the action
4  requested. , apply to the Department for an administrative
5  hearing pursuant to the Administrative Review Law.
6  (Source: P.A. 103-471, eff. 8-4-23.)
7  (225 ILCS 440/8.1 new)
8  Sec. 8.1. Hearing; findings and recommendations.
9  (a) All hearings under this Act shall be conducted by an
10  administrative law judge, appointed by the Secretary, who
11  shall hear evidence relating to an application, a denial of a
12  permit, a revocation of a permit, or other determinations by
13  the Department as authorized in this Act. Within 30 days after
14  the conclusion of the final hearing, the administrative law
15  judge shall present to the Secretary a written proposal that
16  contains findings of fact, conclusions of law, and
17  recommendations for a final decision by the Secretary.
18  (b) A copy of the proposal shall be served upon the
19  applicant or licensee by the Department in accordance with the
20  notice provisions in rules adopted by the Department pursuant
21  to Section 14.01. The applicant or licensee may present a
22  response to the proposal to the Department no later than 30
23  calendar days after service. The Department shall have 30 days
24  after the date of receipt of an applicant's or licensee's
25  response to the proposal issued by the administrative law

 

 

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1  judge to submit a reply and serve the reply upon the applicant
2  or licensee. Once 30 calendar days after service of a reply or
3  the time limit provided for the Department to submit a reply
4  has elapsed, the Secretary may enter a decision, supported by
5  law and the record, and serve the decision upon the applicant
6  or licensee and the Department. If the Secretary disagrees
7  with the proposal of the administrative law judge, the
8  Secretary may issue an order contrary to the proposal that
9  includes specific findings of fact supported by the record.
10  (c) The Secretary shall issue an order on the proposed
11  decision no later than 60 days after the submission of the
12  decision by the administrative law judge. The time limits in
13  this Section are mandatory and shall not be interpreted to be
14  discretionary. The order of the Secretary is a final
15  administrative decision within the Department's administrative
16  appeals process. Once the Secretary issues an order pursuant
17  to this Section, there is no further ability to appeal or a
18  right for reconsideration within the Department.
19  (d) All substantive hearings under this Section are
20  matters of public record and shall be preserved.
21  (225 ILCS 440/8.2 new)
22  Sec. 8.2. Administrative review. All final administrative
23  decisions of the Department are subject to judicial review
24  pursuant to the provisions of the Administrative Review Law
25  and all rules adopted under the Administrative Review Law. The

 

 

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1  term "administrative decision" is defined as in Section 3-101
2  of the Code of Civil Procedure.
3  Proceedings for judicial review shall be commenced in
4  either Sangamon County or Cook County.
5  (225 ILCS 440/14.01)    (from Ch. 121, par. 514.01)
6  Sec. 14.01. The Department shall adopt may establish rules
7  and regulations regarding implementation and enforcement of
8  this Act, which rules regulations are not inconsistent with
9  the terms of this Act; provided however, that the Department
10  shall may not add to, or increase the severity of the
11  regulatory standards set forth in Section 6 of this the Act, as
12  now or hereafter amended.
13  The Illinois Administrative Procedure Act is hereby
14  expressly adopted and incorporated herein as if all of the
15  provisions of such Act were included in this Act. For the
16  purposes of this Act, the notice required under Section 10-25
17  of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act is deemed
18  sufficient when mailed to the address of record of a party.
19  (Source: P.A. 79-1009.)
20  Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
21  becoming law.

 

 

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