HB3050 Summary

• Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to require agencies provide notice of contested case hearings in the preferred spoken language of parties if known, and include instructions for language assistance in English, Spanish, Polish, Gujarati, Urdu, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, and Tagalog.

• Creates new Section 10-25.1 establishing language assistance requirements, including administrative law judges' duty to inquire whether hearing participants need interpretation services and agency obligation to provide certified, registered, or qualified interpreters at no cost to the person needing assistance.

• Requires agencies to provide translations or sight interpretation of proposal for decision and final orders to parties who had interpreters appointed during their hearing.

• Permits waiver of language assistance provisions only by written stipulation in the party's preferred language, and allows parties to withdraw such waivers at any time during proceedings.

• Establishes a new Department of Central Management Services interpreter certification, qualification, and registration program for foreign language interpreters in administrative hearings, with designations based on agency language needs, examination costs, and expert availability.