SB1453 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 08301 RPS 18352 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB1453

Introduced 1/31/2025, by Sen. Robert F. Martwick

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

40 ILCS 5/15-202
110 ILCS 95/2	from Ch. 144, par. 1702

Amends the State Universities Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that the System shall require that the deferred compensation recordkeeper agree that, in performing services with respect to the deferred compensation plan, the recordkeeper: (i) will not use information received as a result of providing services with respect to the deferred compensation plan or the participants in the deferred compensation plan to solicit the participants in the deferred compensation plan for the purpose of cross-selling nonplan products and services, unless in response to a request by a participant in the deferred compensation plan or a request by the System (currently, a request by a participant in the deferred compensation plan); and (ii) will not promote, recommend, endorse, or solicit participants in the deferred compensation plan to purchase any financial products or services outside of the deferred compensation plan, except that links to parts of the recordkeeper's or the recordkeeper's affiliate's (currently, recordkeeper's) website that are generally available to the public, are about commercial products, and may be encountered by a participant in the regular course of navigating the recordkeeper's or the recordkeeper's affiliate's website (currently, recordkeeper's) does not constitute a violation of the prohibition. Amends the University Employees Custodial Accounts Act. Makes similar changes. In a provision prohibiting a defined contribution plan recordkeeper from promoting credit cards, life insurance, or banking products, provides an exception if a request to provide those products is made by the governing board of the public institution of higher education or its authorized delegate. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

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 15-202 as follows:

(40 ILCS 5/15-202)

Sec. 15-202. Optional deferred compensation plan.

(a) As soon as practicable after August 10, 2018 (the effective date of Public Act 100-769), the System shall offer a deferred compensation plan that is eligible under Section 457(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, to participating employees of the System employed by employers described in Section 15-106 of this Code that qualify as eligible employers under Section 457(e)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Such eligible employers shall adopt the plan with an effective date no later than September 1, 2021. Participating employees may voluntarily elect to make elective deferrals to the eligible deferred compensation plan. Eligible employers may make optional employer contributions to the plan on behalf of participating employees, which contributions may be maintained, increased, reduced, or eliminated at the discretion of the employer from plan year to plan year. The plan shall collect voluntary employee and optional employer contributions into an account for each participant and shall offer investment options to the participant. The plan under this Section shall be operated in full compliance with any applicable State and federal laws, and the System shall utilize generally accepted practices in creating and maintaining the plan for the best interest of the participants. In administering the deferred compensation plan, the System shall require that the deferred compensation plan recordkeeper agree that, in performing services with respect to the deferred compensation plan, the recordkeeper: (i) will not use information received as a result of providing services with respect to the deferred compensation plan or the participants in the deferred compensation plan to solicit the participants in the deferred compensation plan for the purpose of cross-selling nonplan products and services, unless in response to a request by a participant in the deferred compensation plan or a request by the System; and (ii) will not promote, recommend, endorse, or solicit participants in the deferred compensation plan to purchase any financial products or services outside of the deferred compensation plan, except that links to parts of the recordkeeper's or the recordkeeper's affiliate's website that are generally available to the public, are about commercial products, and may be encountered by a participant in the regular course of navigating the recordkeeper's or the recordkeeper's affiliate's website will not constitute a violation of this item (ii). The System may use funds from the employee and employer contributions to defray any and all costs of creating and maintaining the plan. The System shall produce an annual report on the participation in the plan and shall make the report public.

(b) The System shall automatically enroll in the eligible deferred compensation plan any employee of an eligible employer who first becomes a participating employee of the System on or after July 1, 2023 under an eligible automatic contribution arrangement that is subject to Section 414(w) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the United States Department of Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder. An employee who is automatically enrolled under this subsection (b) shall have 3% of his or her compensation, as defined by the plan, for each pay period deferred on a pre-tax basis into his or her account, subject to any contribution limits applicable to the plan. The Board may increase the default percentage of compensation deferred under this subsection (b).

An employee shall have 30 days from the date on which the System provides the notice required under Section 414(w) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, to elect to not participate in the eligible deferred compensation plan or to elect to increase or reduce the initial amount of elective deferrals made to the plan. In the absence of such affirmative election, the employee shall be automatically enrolled in the plan on the first day of the calendar month, or as soon as administratively practicable thereafter, following the 30th day from the date on which the System provides the required notice. An employee who has been automatically enrolled in the plan under this subsection (b) may elect, within 90 days of enrollment, to withdraw from the plan and receive a refund of amounts deferred, adjusted by applicable earnings and fees. An employee making such an election shall forfeit all employer matching contributions, if any, made with respect to such refunded elective deferrals and such forfeited amounts shall be used to defray plan expenses. Any refunded elective deferrals shall be included in the employee's gross income for the taxable year in which the refund is issued.

(c) The System may provide for one or more automatic contribution arrangements, which shall comply with all applicable Internal Revenue Service rules and regulations, in conjunction with or in lieu of the eligible automatic contribution arrangement under subsection (b), for participating employees of eligible employers whose annual earnings are limited by application of subsection (b) of Section 15-111 of this Code. The amount of elective deferrals made for the employee each pay period under an automatic contribution arrangement shall equal the default percentage specified by resolution of the Board multiplied by the employee's compensation as defined by the plan, subject to any contribution limits applicable to the plan, and shall be made on a pre-tax basis. An employee subject to this subsection (c) shall have 30 days from the date on which the System provides written notice to the employee to elect to not participate in the eligible deferred compensation plan or to elect to increase or reduce the amount of initial elective deferrals made to the plan. In the absence of such affirmative election, the employee shall be automatically enrolled in the plan beginning the first day of the calendar month, or as soon as administratively practicable thereafter, following the 30th day from the date on which the System provides the required notice.

(d) The System may provide that the default percentage for any employee automatically enrolled in the eligible deferred compensation plan under subsection (b) or (c) be increased by a specified percentage each plan year after the plan year in which the employee is automatically enrolled in the plan. The amount of automatic annual increases in any plan year shall not exceed 1% of compensation as defined by the plan.

(e) The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly are corrections of existing law and are intended to be retroactive to the effective date of Public Act 100-769, notwithstanding Section 1-103.1 of this Code.

(Source: P.A. 102-540, eff. 8-20-21; 103-552, eff. 8-11-23.)

Section 10. The University Employees Custodial Accounts Act is amended by changing Section 2 as follows:

(110 ILCS 95/2) (from Ch. 144, par. 1702)

Sec. 2. The governing board of any public institution of higher education has the power to establish a defined contribution plan to make payments to custodial accounts for investment in regulated investment company stock to provide retirement benefits as described in Section 403(b)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code for eligible employees of such institutions. Such payments shall be made with funds made available by deductions from or reductions in salary or wages of eligible employees who authorize in writing deductions or reductions for such purpose. Such stock shall be purchased only from persons authorized to sell such stock in this State.

In administering the defined contribution plan, the governing board of any public institution of higher education shall require that the defined contribution plan recordkeeper agree that, in performing services with respect to the defined contribution plan, the recordkeeper: (i) will not use information received as a result of providing services with respect to the defined contribution plan or the participants in the defined contribution plan to solicit the participants in the defined contribution plan for the purpose of cross-selling nonplan products and services, unless in response to a request by a participant in the defined contribution plan or a request by the governing board of the public institution of higher education or its authorized delegate; and (ii) will not promote, recommend, endorse, or solicit participants in the defined contribution plan to purchase any financial products or services outside of the defined contribution plan, except that links to parts of the recordkeeper's or the recordkeeper's affiliate's website that are generally available to the public, are about commercial products, and may be encountered by a participant in the regular course of navigating the recordkeeper's or the recordkeeper's affiliate's website will not constitute a violation of this item (ii). However, a public institution of higher education may allow promotion of limited services if the public institution of higher education receives no compensation from the recordkeeper for promoting or providing such services. Such limited services may include educational, counseling, debt reduction, student loan repayment or forgiveness, or other services intended to enhance retirement savings opportunities. Such limited services may not include credit cards, life insurance, or banking products, unless a request to provide those products is made by the governing board of the public institution of higher education or its authorized delegate.

(Source: P.A. 103-552, eff. 8-11-23.)

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