(40 ILCS 5/1-109.3)

Sec. 1-109.3. Training requirement for pension trustees.

(a) All elected and appointed trustees under Article 3 and 4 of this Code must participate in a mandatory trustee certification training seminar that consists of at least 16 hours of initial trustee certification at a training facility that is accredited and affiliated with a State of Illinois certified college or university. This training must include without limitation all of the following:

(1) Duties and liabilities of a fiduciary with respect to the administration and payment of pension benefits.

(2) Adjudication of pension claims.

(3) (Blank).

(4) Trustee ethics.

(5) The Illinois Open Meetings Act.

(6) The Illinois Freedom of Information Act.

The training required under this subsection (a) must be completed within the first year that a trustee is elected or appointed under an Article 3 or 4 pension fund. Any trustee who has completed the training required under Section 1.05 of the Open Meetings Act shall not be required to participate in training concerning item (5) of this subsection. The elected and appointed trustees of an Article 3 or 4 pension fund who are police officers (as defined in Section 3-106 of this Code) or firefighters (as defined in Section 4-106 of this Code) or are employed by the municipality shall be permitted time away from their duties to attend such training without reduction of accrued leave or benefit time. Active or appointed trustees serving on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly shall not be required to attend the training required under this subsection (a).

(a-5) In addition to the initial trustee certification training required under subsection (a), all elected and appointed trustees who were elected or appointed on or before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly shall also participate in 4 hours of training on the changes made by this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly. For trustees of funds under Article 3, this training shall be conducted at a training facility that is accredited and affiliated with a State of Illinois certified college or university. For trustees of funds under Article 4, this training may be conducted by a fund, the Department of Insurance, or both a fund and the Department of Insurance. This training is only required to be completed once by each trustee required to participate.

(b) In addition to the initial trustee certification training required under subsection (a), all elected and appointed trustees under Article 3 and 4 of this Code, including trustees serving on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, shall also participate in a minimum of 8 hours of continuing trustee education each year after the first year that the trustee is elected or appointed.

(c) The training required under this Section shall be paid for by the pension fund.

(d) Any board member who does not timely complete the training required under this Section is not eligible to serve on the board of trustees of an Article 3 or 4 pension fund, unless the board member completes the missed training within 6 months after the date the member failed to complete the required training. In the event of a board member's failure to complete the required training, a successor shall be appointed or elected, as applicable, for the unexpired term. A successor who is elected under such circumstances must be elected at a special election called by the board and conducted in the same manner as a regular election under Article 3 or 4, as applicable.

(Source: P.A. 101-610, eff. 1-1-20.)