2023 Illinois Compiled Statutes › Chapter 20 - EXECUTIVE BRANCH › 20 ILCS 692/ - Small Business Advisory Act.

(20 ILCS 692/1)
Sec. 1. 
		Short title. 
		This Act may be cited as the
Small Business Advisory Act.
(Source: P.A. 93-318, eff. 1-1-04.)
(20 ILCS 692/5)
Sec. 5. Definitions. In this Act:
"Agency" means the same as in Section 1-20 of the
Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.
"Joint Committee" means the Joint Committee on
Administrative Rules.
"Small business" means any for profit entity, independently
owned and operated, that grosses less
than $4,000,000 per year or that has 50 or fewer  full-time
employees. For the purposes of this Act, a "small business" has its
principal office in Illinois.
"Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
(Source: P.A. 93-318, eff. 1-1-04; 94-793, eff. 5-19-06.)
(20 ILCS 692/10)
Sec. 10. 
		Small business advisory web pages site.
(a)  Within 6 months after the effective date of this
Act, each Agency must create  and  make  available  on  the  World
Wide Web a small business advisory page.
(b)  Each agency that (i) has adopted or is preparing  to
adopt any rule affecting small businesses or (ii) is
designated to administer legislation affecting  small businesses that
has become  law  must prepare and post on its small business
advisory page a plain language explanation of the rule or  legislation.
The explanation  must  indicate the effective date of the rule or
legislation.  The explanation must remain posted for a minimum of 6
months after the effective date of the rule or legislation. Agencies shall
consult with the Department and small businesses in developing uniform
web page standards.
If a rule has been proposed but not adopted, an
explanation of the rule must be posted as soon as possible in
order to allow input and comment  from  affected  small
businesses. The State agency must, in
addition to posting a plain language explanation of the rule,
post notice of the time, date, and place of any public hearings,
together with the names, addresses, and telephone  numbers  of  the
agency rulemaking contact; what must
be done by members of the public who wish to provide testimony on the
rulemaking; and the names and Springfield and district office addresses and
telephone numbers of the members of the Joint Committee.
(c) When each agency updates its small business advisory
web page, it shall notify the Department.  The
Department, through its First Stop Business Information Center,
shall serve as a central clearinghouse notifying the small
business community of each agency's rulemakings and changes in
requirements.  Furthermore, the Department shall seek input from
the small business community on the changes and inform the
appropriate agency and where applicable, the Joint Committee,
of the input.
The Department, as a part of its clearinghouse function,
shall maintain a central small business advisory web page that
shall serve as a coordinated point of access to all agencies'
business advisory web pages.
(Source: P.A. 93-318, eff. 1-1-04.)
(20 ILCS 692/15)
Sec. 15. 
		Advisory opinions and interpretations. 
		Each
agency  must  post  plain  language  versions of all advisory
opinions and interpretations of rules and statutes  affecting
small  businesses  issued by the agency on its small business
advisory web page.  No person who acts or fails to act in
reasonable reliance in the advisory opinions and
interpretations may be held liable in any civil, criminal, or
regulatory action because of that act or failure to act.
(Source: P.A. 93-318, eff. 1-1-04.)