100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
SB2302

 

Introduced 1/10/2018, by Sen. Cristina Castro

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
5 ILCS 430/25-5
5 ILCS 430/25-10

    Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Provides that the jurisdiction of the Legislative Ethics Commission and the Legislative Inspector General includes current and former members and employees of the General Assembly for events occurring during their terms of office in the General Assembly, or their periods of employment by the legislative branch of the government. Provides that the changes made by this amendatory Act are declarative of existing law. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

SB2302LRB100 16714 JWD 31853 b

1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The State Officials and Employees Ethics Act is
5amended by changing Sections 25-5 and 25-10 as follows:
 
6    (5 ILCS 430/25-5)
7    Sec. 25-5. Legislative Ethics Commission.
8    (a) The Legislative Ethics Commission is created.
9    (b) The Legislative Ethics Commission shall consist of 8
10commissioners appointed 2 each by the President and Minority
11Leader of the Senate and the Speaker and Minority Leader of the
12House of Representatives.
13    The terms of the initial commissioners shall commence upon
14qualification. Each appointing authority shall designate one
15appointee who shall serve for a 2-year term running through
16June 30, 2005. Each appointing authority shall designate one
17appointee who shall serve for a 4-year term running through
18June 30, 2007. The initial appointments shall be made within 60
19days after the effective date of this Act.
20    After the initial terms, commissioners shall serve for
214-year terms commencing on July 1 of the year of appointment
22and running through June 30 of the fourth following year.
23Commissioners may be reappointed to one or more subsequent

 

 

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1terms.
2    Vacancies occurring other than at the end of a term shall
3be filled by the appointing authority only for the balance of
4the term of the commissioner whose office is vacant.
5    Terms shall run regardless of whether the position is
6filled.
7    (c) The appointing authorities shall appoint commissioners
8who have experience holding governmental office or employment
9and may appoint commissioners who are members of the General
10Assembly as well as commissioners from the general public. A
11commissioner who is a member of the General Assembly must
12recuse himself or herself from participating in any matter
13relating to any investigation or proceeding in which he or she
14is the subject. A person is not eligible to serve as a
15commissioner if that person (i) has been convicted of a felony
16or a crime of dishonesty or moral turpitude, (ii) is, or was
17within the preceding 12 months, engaged in activities that
18require registration under the Lobbyist Registration Act,
19(iii) is a relative of the appointing authority, or (iv) is a
20State officer or employee other than a member of the General
21Assembly.
22    (d) The Legislative Ethics Commission shall have
23jurisdiction over current and former members of the General
24Assembly regarding events occurring during a member's term of
25office, and current and former all State employees regarding
26events occurring during any period of employment where the

 

 

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1State employee's whose ultimate jurisdictional authority is
2(i) a legislative leader, (ii) the Senate Operations
3Commission, or (iii) the Joint Committee on Legislative Support
4Services. The jurisdiction of the Commission is limited to
5matters arising under this Act. The changes made to this
6Section by this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly
7are declarative of existing law and do not change the
8substantive operation of this Section.
9    An officer or executive branch State employee serving on a
10legislative branch board or commission remains subject to the
11jurisdiction of the Executive Ethics Commission and is not
12subject to the jurisdiction of the Legislative Ethics
13Commission.
14    (e) The Legislative Ethics Commission must meet, either in
15person or by other technological means, monthly or as often as
16necessary. At the first meeting of the Legislative Ethics
17Commission, the commissioners shall choose from their number a
18chairperson and other officers that they deem appropriate. The
19terms of officers shall be for 2 years commencing July 1 and
20running through June 30 of the second following year. Meetings
21shall be held at the call of the chairperson or any 3
22commissioners. Official action by the Commission shall require
23the affirmative vote of 5 commissioners, and a quorum shall
24consist of 5 commissioners. Commissioners shall receive no
25compensation but may be reimbursed for their reasonable
26expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties.

 

 

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1    (f) No commissioner, other than a commissioner who is a
2member of the General Assembly, or employee of the Legislative
3Ethics Commission may during his or her term of appointment or
4employment:
5        (1) become a candidate for any elective office;
6        (2) hold any other elected or appointed public office
7    except for appointments on governmental advisory boards or
8    study commissions or as otherwise expressly authorized by
9    law;
10        (3) be actively involved in the affairs of any
11    political party or political organization; or
12        (4) advocate for the appointment of another person to
13    an appointed or elected office or position or actively
14    participate in any campaign for any elective office.
15    (g) An appointing authority may remove a commissioner only
16for cause.
17    (h) The Legislative Ethics Commission shall appoint an
18Executive Director subject to the approval of at least 3 of the
194 legislative leaders. The compensation of the Executive
20Director shall be as determined by the Commission. The
21Executive Director of the Legislative Ethics Commission may
22employ, subject to the approval of at least 3 of the 4
23legislative leaders, and determine the compensation of staff,
24as appropriations permit.
25(Source: P.A. 96-555, eff. 8-18-09.)
 

 

 

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1    (5 ILCS 430/25-10)
2    Sec. 25-10. Office of Legislative Inspector General.
3    (a) The independent Office of the Legislative Inspector
4General is created. The Office shall be under the direction and
5supervision of the Legislative Inspector General and shall be a
6fully independent office with its own appropriation.
7    (b) The Legislative Inspector General shall be appointed
8without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis
9of integrity and demonstrated ability. The Legislative Ethics
10Commission shall diligently search out qualified candidates
11for Legislative Inspector General and shall make
12recommendations to the General Assembly.
13    The Legislative Inspector General shall be appointed by a
14joint resolution of the Senate and the House of
15Representatives, which may specify the date on which the
16appointment takes effect. A joint resolution, or other document
17as may be specified by the Joint Rules of the General Assembly,
18appointing the Legislative Inspector General must be certified
19by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
20President of the Senate as having been adopted by the
21affirmative vote of three-fifths of the members elected to each
22house, respectively, and be filed with the Secretary of State.
23The appointment of the Legislative Inspector General takes
24effect on the day the appointment is completed by the General
25Assembly, unless the appointment specifies a later date on
26which it is to become effective.

 

 

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1    The Legislative Inspector General shall have the following
2qualifications:
3        (1) has not been convicted of any felony under the laws
4    of this State, another state, or the United States;
5        (2) has earned a baccalaureate degree from an
6    institution of higher education; and
7        (3) has 5 or more years of cumulative service (A) with
8    a federal, State, or local law enforcement agency, at least
9    2 years of which have been in a progressive investigatory
10    capacity; (B) as a federal, State, or local prosecutor; (C)
11    as a senior manager or executive of a federal, State, or
12    local agency; (D) as a member, an officer, or a State or
13    federal judge; or (E) representing any combination of (A)
14    through (D).
15    The Legislative Inspector General may not be a relative of
16a commissioner.
17    The term of the initial Legislative Inspector General shall
18commence upon qualification and shall run through June 30,
192008.
20    After the initial term, the Legislative Inspector General
21shall serve for 5-year terms commencing on July 1 of the year
22of appointment and running through June 30 of the fifth
23following year. The Legislative Inspector General may be
24reappointed to one or more subsequent terms.
25    A vacancy occurring other than at the end of a term shall
26be filled in the same manner as an appointment only for the

 

 

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1balance of the term of the Legislative Inspector General whose
2office is vacant. If the Office is vacant, or if a Legislative
3Inspector General resigns, the Commission shall designate an
4Acting Legislative Inspector General who shall serve until the
5vacancy is filled. The Commission shall file the designation in
6writing with the Secretary of State.
7    Terms shall run regardless of whether the position is
8filled.
9    (c) The Legislative Inspector General shall have
10jurisdiction over current and former the members of the General
11Assembly regarding events occurring during a member's term of
12office, and current and former all State employees regarding
13events occurring during any period of employment where the
14State employee's whose ultimate jurisdictional authority is
15(i) a legislative leader, (ii) the Senate Operations
16Commission, or (iii) the Joint Committee on Legislative Support
17Services. The changes made to this Section by this amendatory
18Act of the 100th General Assembly are declarative of existing
19law and do not change the substantive operation of this
20Section.
21    The jurisdiction of each Legislative Inspector General is
22to investigate allegations of fraud, waste, abuse,
23mismanagement, misconduct, nonfeasance, misfeasance,
24malfeasance, or violations of this Act or violations of other
25related laws and rules.
26    (d) The compensation of the Legislative Inspector General

 

 

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1shall be the greater of an amount (i) determined by the
2Commission or (ii) by joint resolution of the General Assembly
3passed by a majority of members elected in each chamber.
4Subject to Section 25-45 of this Act, the Legislative Inspector
5General has full authority to organize the Office of the
6Legislative Inspector General, including the employment and
7determination of the compensation of staff, such as deputies,
8assistants, and other employees, as appropriations permit.
9Employment of staff is subject to the approval of at least 3 of
10the 4 legislative leaders.
11    (e) No Legislative Inspector General or employee of the
12Office of the Legislative Inspector General may, during his or
13her term of appointment or employment:
14        (1) become a candidate for any elective office;
15        (2) hold any other elected or appointed public office
16    except for appointments on governmental advisory boards or
17    study commissions or as otherwise expressly authorized by
18    law;
19        (3) be actively involved in the affairs of any
20    political party or political organization; or
21        (4) actively participate in any campaign for any
22    elective office.
23    In this subsection an appointed public office means a
24position authorized by law that is filled by an appointing
25authority as provided by law and does not include employment by
26hiring in the ordinary course of business.

 

 

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1    (e-1) No Legislative Inspector General or employee of the
2Office of the Legislative Inspector General may, for one year
3after the termination of his or her appointment or employment:
4        (1) become a candidate for any elective office;
5        (2) hold any elected public office; or
6        (3) hold any appointed State, county, or local judicial
7    office.
8    (e-2) The requirements of item (3) of subsection (e-1) may
9be waived by the Legislative Ethics Commission.
10    (f) The Commission may remove the Legislative Inspector
11General only for cause. At the time of the removal, the
12Commission must report to the General Assembly the
13justification for the removal.
14(Source: P.A. 98-631, eff. 5-29-14.)
 
15    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
16becoming law.