IL SB2376

Requires state agencies to afford parties in contested administrative cases the opportunity for hearings in their preferred spoken language if known by the agency.

Mandates that notice of administrative hearings include instructions in English, Spanish, Polish, Gujarati, Urdu, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, and Tagalog regarding translation assistance and interpreter rights.

Establishes that administrative law judges must inquire whether hearing participants need language assistance and allows individuals with partial English proficiency to receive interpretation services.

Requires agencies to appoint certified, registered, or qualified interpreters at no cost to parties needing language assistance, with provisions for postponing hearings if appropriate interpreters are unavailable.

Creates a statewide registry maintained by the Department of Central Management Services for certified, qualified, and registered foreign language interpreters for administrative hearings.