HB6888 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB096 22890 JAM 42226 b

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
HB6888

Introduced , by Rep. Tom Cross - Jim Durkin - Suzanne Bassi - Sidney H. Mathias

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

10 ILCS 5/9-8.7 new

Amends the Election Code. Prohibits campaign contributions to the Cook County Assessor, a Cook County Board of Review Commissioner, or a declared candidate for either of those offices from a property owner with a tax assessment appeal currently or previously before the Assessor or the Board or from a person or entity representing the property owner in the appeal. Makes the prohibition effective from the initiation of the appeal through the longer of (i) 2 years after the assessment year in which the appeal was disposed of or (ii) the conclusion of the term of office of the Assessor or Commissioner during which the appeal was disposed of. Requires the Assessor and the Board to report to the State Board of Elections the names of property owners with pending appeals and their representatives. Requires payment to the State Board of Elections of contributions received in violation of the prohibition. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning elections.

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

Section 5. The Election Code is amended by adding Section 9-8.7 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/9-8.7 new)

Sec. 9-8.7. Contributions to Cook County Assessor and Board of Review Commissioners; prohibition.

(a) As used in this Section, "declared candidate" means a person who has filed a statement of candidacy and a nomination petition, nomination papers, or a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate with the county clerk of Cook County.

(b) Any property owner whose appeal of the tax assessment of that property is or was pending before the Cook County Assessor or the Cook County Board of Review, or any person or entity representing the property owner in that appeal, is prohibited from making any contribution to any political committee established to promote the candidacy of (i) the Cook County Assessor, (ii) a Commissioner of the Cook County Board of Review, or (iii) any declared candidate for the office of Cook County Assessor or Commissioner of the Cook County Board of Review. This prohibition shall be effective beginning on the date the appeal is initiated and through a period ending 2 tax assessment years after the conclusion of the tax assessment year in which the appeal was disposed of or a period ending upon the conclusion of the term of office of the Cook County Assessor or Commissioner of the Cook County Board of Review, as appropriate, during which the appeal was disposed of, whichever period is longer.

(c) The Cook County Assessor and the Cook County Board of Review each shall report semi-monthly to the State Board of Elections the names of property owners with pending tax assessment appeals, the names of the persons or entities representing those owners in their appeals, and, except in the initial report, the names of property owners whose tax assessment appeals were disposed of since the last reporting date, the dates of the dispositions, and the names of persons or entities who represented those property owners in their appeals. The State Board of Elections by rule shall establish the reporting dates and forms. The State Board of Elections promptly shall post the names reported under this subsection on its official website in a manner searchable by the political committees subject to this Section.

(d) Any political committee that receives a contribution in violation of subsection (b) shall pay to the State Board of Elections an amount equal to the value of the contribution within 30 days after the contribution is received. Payments received by the State Board of Elections pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited into the State's general revenue fund.

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