(a) The Commissioner, for good and sufficient cause, may deny an application for any license issued under this Title 4 if:
(1) during the 5-year period prior to the date of the application, the applicant admitted guilt or liability or was found guilty or liable in judicial or administrative proceedings of committing or attempting to commit a willful violation, or two or more violations which do not include a willful violation, of the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act, 820 ILCS 115/1, Article II of Title 6, or any other federal or state law regulating the payment of wages;
(2) during the 5-year period prior to the date of the application, the applicant admitted guilt or liability or was found guilty or liable in a judicial or administrative proceeding of committing or attempting to commit a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1692, or the Collection Agency Act, 225 ILCS 425/1, or any other federal or state law regulating the collection of debt;
(3) during the 24-month period prior to the date of the application, the applicant admitted guilt or liability or was found guilty or liable in judicial or administrative proceedings of committing three or more violations of Article II of Title 6 of this Code; or
(4) during the 5-year period prior to the date of the application, one or more determinations of disqualification from participation in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was imposed upon the applicant, where such determination or determinations imposed the sanction of permanent disqualification or disqualification for an aggregate of at least 12 months, whether consecutive or nonconsecutive.
(b) The Commissioner, for good and sufficient cause, may revoke or suspend a license issued under this Title 4 if:
(1) during the previous 5-year period, the licensee admitted guilt or liability or was found guilty or liable in judicial or administrative proceedings of committing or attempting to commit, as applicable, the designated number of violations of the laws set forth in subsections 4-4-320(a)(1), (a)(2), and (a)(3); or
(2) during the previous 5-year period, one or more determinations of disqualification from participation in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was imposed upon the licensee, where such determination or determinations imposed the sanction of permanent disqualification or disqualification for an aggregate of least 12 months, whether consecutive or nonconsecutive.
(c) Subsections 4-4-320(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), and (b)(1) shall not apply to any applicant or licensee where one or more of the designated number of pertinent administrative adjudications or judicial judgments or convictions was entered prior to June 1, 2013.
(e) The grounds provided in this section for denial of a license application, and for revocation or suspension of a license, shall render ineligible not only the applicant or licensee, as applicable, but also the parent, child, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner of such applicant or licensee, and any other corporation or legal entity in which the applicant or licensee has a substantial ownership or controlling interest. If the applicant or licensee is a corporation or other legal entity, the grounds provided in this section for denial of a license application, and revocation or suspension of a license, shall also render ineligible any person who has a substantial ownership or controlling interest in that entity. As used in this subsection, "substantial ownership or controlling interest" means ownership of 25% or more of the entity, or, if the entity is a corporation, ownership of 25% or more voting shares of stock, or occupation as a principal officer, member of the board of directors, or manager of the entity.
(Added Coun. J. 1-17-13, p. 45324, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-2-14, p. 99000, § 6; Amend Coun. J. 12-9-15, p. 15481, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 6-25-21, p. 32156, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 11-9-23, p. 5853, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 3-20-24, p. 10146, § 4)