Kane County Reporter

Barbara Hernandez introduced HB1842 in the Illinois House on Jan. 28, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Administrative Adjudications Division of the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that an ordinance established under the Division to establish a system of administrative adjudication shall allow hearing officers presiding over adjudicatory hearings to enter orders prohibiting further code violations or compelling the remediation of existing code violations."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends the Illinois Municipal Code to establish and outline the framework for code hearing units within municipal government structures. It stipulates that these units may exist as separate entities or within existing agencies and defines their jurisdiction for handling specific code violations. Hearing officers preside over adjudicatory hearings and have the authority to hear testimony, issue subpoenas, preserve records, determine code violations, impose penalties with limits—including a fine cap of $50,000—and order remediation of violations. Hearing officers must complete a training program covering procedural rules, subject area orientation, and mock case participation. The process is initiated by a written pleading from an authorized municipal official.

Barbara Hernandez has proposed another four bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Hernandez graduated from Aurora University in 2014 with a BA.

Barbara Hernandez is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 50th House District. She replaced previous state representative Linda Chapa LaVia in 2023.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
HB1842	01/28/2025	Amends the Administrative Adjudications Division of the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that an ordinance established under the Division to establish a system of administrative adjudication shall allow hearing officers presiding over adjudicatory hearings to enter orders prohibiting further code violations or compelling the remediation of existing code violations.
HB1821	01/28/2025	Amends the Highway Advertising Control Act of 1971. Provides that the Department of Transportation shall adopt rules specifying the standards for registration of certain signs under the Act. Adds the failure of the Department to act upon any permit within the designated time limit under the Act or the rules adopted by the Department to reasons a person can appeal a decision by the Department. Provides that a hearing for an appeal shall commence within 30 days after the receipt of the appeal request. Adds requirements for a hearing conducted under the Act and requires an administrative law judge to present a written proposal that contains findings of fact, conclusions of law, and recommendations for a final decision to the Secretary of Transportation within 30 days after conclusion of a hearing. Adopts and incorporates the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Requires the Department to adopt rules regarding the implementation and enforcement of the Act (rather than permits the Department to establish rules and regulations). Effective immediately.
HB1776	01/27/2025	Amends the Illinois Municipal Code and the Fire Protection District Act. Provides that an individual who is legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law is authorized to apply for the position of firefighter, subject to all requirements and limitations, other than citizenship, to which other applicants are subject. Effective January 1, 2026.
HB1598	01/22/2025	Creates the Operating Room Patient Safety Act. Provides that each surgical technologist hired or contracted by a health care facility on or after January 1, 2027 shall meet specified educational, certification, or experiential requirements. Provides that nothing in the Act prohibits an individual from performing surgical technology services if the individual is acting within the scope of the individual's license or registration or is a student or intern under the direct supervision of a licensed health care provider.
HB1375	01/15/2025	Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Creates emergency rulemaking procedures for the student teaching stipend program. Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Authorizes a person to establish optional credit for periods of service as a student teacher under a specified provision of the Board of Higher Education Act. In provisions requiring an additional employer contribution for certain salary increases greater than 6%, provides that the System shall exclude any stipends paid to an eligible cooperating teacher under the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that any benefit increase that results from the amendatory Act is excluded from the definition of "new benefit increase". Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Creates the student teaching stipend program. Defines terms. Provides that an educator preparation program shall notify the Board of Higher Education of all eligible students and eligible cooperating teachers who qualify for the stipend program. Creates requirements for the disbursement of stipend funds under the program. Provides that an educator preparation program may not prohibit an eligible student from participating in the stipend program or from receiving a stipend from the stipend program. Requires an eligible cooperating teacher who receives a stipend to complete specific training. Requires the Board to issue a report in collaboration with the State Board of Education evaluating the impact of the stipend program. Permits the Board to adopt emergency rules regarding the administration of the stipend program in certain circumstances subject to the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Effective immediately.