HB1403eng 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1403 Engrossed LRB094 07097 AMC 37242 b

AN ACT concerning public employee benefits.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Pension Code is amended by changing Section 4-121 as follows:

(40 ILCS 5/4-121) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 4-121)

Sec. 4-121. Board created. There is created in each municipality or fire protection district a board of trustees to be known as the "Board of Trustees of the Firefighters' Pension Fund". The membership of the board for each municipality shall be, respectively, as follows: in cities, the treasurer, clerk, marshall or chief officer of the fire department, and the comptroller if there is one, or if not, the mayor; in each township, village or incorporated town, the president of the municipality's board of trustees, the village or town clerk, village or town attorney, village or town treasurer, and the chief officer of the fire department; and in each fire protection district, the president and other 2 members of its board of trustees and the marshall or chief of its fire department or service, as the case may be; and in all the municipalities above designated 3 additional persons chosen from their active firefighters and one other person who has retired under the "Firemen's Pension Fund Act of 1919", or this Article. Notwithstanding any provision of this Section to the contrary, the term of office of each member of a board established on or before the 3rd Monday in April, 2006 shall terminate on the 3rd Monday in April, 2006, but all incumbent members shall continue to exercise all of the powers and be subject to all of the duties of a member of the board until all the new members of the board take office.

Beginning on the 3rd Monday in April, 2006, the board for each municipality or fire protection district shall consist of 5 members. Two members of the board shall be appointed by the mayor or president of the board of trustees of the municipality or fire protection district involved. Two members of the board shall be active participants of the pension fund who are elected from the active participants of the fund. One member of the board shall be a person who is retired under the Firemen's Pension Fund Act of 1919 or this Article who is elected from persons retired under the Firemen's Pension Fund Act of 1919 or this Article.

For the purposes of this Section, a firefighter receiving a disability pension shall be considered a retired firefighter. In the event that there are no retired firefighters under the Fund or if none is willing to serve on the board, then an additional active firefighter shall be elected to the board in lieu of the retired firefighter that would otherwise be elected.

If the regularly constituted fire department of a municipality is dissolved and Section 4-106.1 is not applicable, the board shall continue to exist and administer the Fund so long as there continues to be any annuitant or deferred pensioner in the Fund. In such cases, elections shall continue to be held as specified in this Section, except that: (1) deferred pensioners shall be deemed to be active members for the purposes of such elections; (2) any otherwise unfillable positions on the board, including ex officio positions, shall be filled by election from the remaining firefighters and deferred pensioners of the Fund, to the extent possible; and (3) if the membership of the board falls below 3 persons, the Illinois Director of Insurance or his designee shall be deemed a member of the board, ex officio.

The members chosen from the active and retired firefighters shall be elected by ballot at elections to be held on the 3rd Monday in April of the applicable years under the Australian ballot system, at such place or places, in the municipality, and under such regulations as shall be prescribed by the board.

No person shall cast more than one vote for each candidate for whom he or she is eligible to vote. In the elections for board members to be chosen from the active firefighters, all active firefighters and no others may vote. In the elections for board members to be chosen from retired firefighters, the retired firefighters and no others may vote.

Each member of the board so elected shall hold office for a term of 3 years and until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified.

The board shall canvass the ballots and declare which persons have been elected and for what term or terms respectively. In case of a tie vote between 2 or more candidates, the board shall determine by lot which candidate or candidates have been elected and for what term or terms respectively. In the event of the failure, resignation, or inability to act of any board member, a successor shall be elected for the unexpired term at a special election called by the board and conducted in the same manner as a regular election.

The board shall elect annually from its members a president and secretary.

Board members shall not receive or have any right to receive any salary from a pension fund for services performed as board members.

(Source: P.A. 84-1039.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.