SB0054eng 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB0054 Engrossed LRB096 04477 JAM 14529 b

AN ACT concerning ethics.

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

Section 5. The State Officials and Employees Ethics Act is amended by changing Section 20-50 as follows:

(5 ILCS 430/20-50)

Sec. 20-50. Investigation reports; complaint procedure.

(a) If an Executive Inspector General, upon the conclusion of an investigation, determines that reasonable cause exists to believe that a violation has occurred, then the Executive Inspector General shall issue a summary report of the investigation. In the event that the head of the State agency or the ultimate jurisdictional authority agrees with the Executive Inspector General, on the basis of the investigation, to impose discipline of any kind on a State employee, including but not limited to reprimand, discharge, suspension, demotion, change in duties or job description, or denial of promotion or transfer, then within 30 days after that agreement the Executive Inspector General shall deliver to the Executive Ethics Commission the summary report of the investigation, provided that all confidential information has been redacted. Within 5 days, the Commission shall provide the State employee subject to the agreed discipline with the redacted report and allow the State employee 30 days in which to provide in writing any reason why the redacted report should not be released to the public. Within the same period, the Executive Inspector General who issued the report may also provide in writing a recommendation to the Commission about whether or not the redacted report should be released to the public. Within 21 days after the expiration of the 30-day period for response by the State employee and Executive Inspector General, the Commission shall either: (1) make a written finding that release of the redacted report is fair and in the public interest and release the report; or (2) make a written finding that release of the report is not fair, or not in the public interest, and return the redacted report to the Executive Inspector General. The Commission may also require further redactions prior to the release of the report or may delay its finding pending the conclusion of related judicial or administrative proceedings. The report shall be delivered to the appropriate ultimate jurisdictional authority and to the head of each State agency affected by or involved in the investigation, if appropriate.

(b) The summary report of the investigation shall include the following:

(1) A description of any allegations or other information received by the Executive Inspector General pertinent to the investigation.

(2) A description of any alleged misconduct discovered in the course of the investigation.

(3) Recommendations for any corrective or disciplinary action to be taken in response to any alleged misconduct described in the report, including but not limited to discharge.

(4) Other information the Executive Inspector General deems relevant to the investigation or resulting recommendations.

(c) Not less than 30 days after delivery of the summary report of an investigation under subsection (a), if the Executive Inspector General desires to file a petition for leave to file a complaint, the Executive Inspector General shall notify the Commission and the Attorney General. If the Attorney General determines that reasonable cause exists to believe that a violation has occurred, then the Executive Inspector General, represented by the Attorney General, may file with the Executive Ethics Commission a petition for leave to file a complaint. The petition shall set forth the alleged violation and the grounds that exist to support the petition. The petition for leave to file a complaint must be filed with the Commission within 18 months after the most recent act of the alleged violation or of a series of alleged violations except where there is reasonable cause to believe that fraudulent concealment has occurred. To constitute fraudulent concealment sufficient to toll this limitations period, there must be an affirmative act or representation calculated to prevent discovery of the fact that a violation has occurred. If a petition for leave to file a complaint is not filed with the Commission within 6 months after notice by the Inspector General to the Commission and the Attorney General, then the Commission may set a meeting of the Commission at which the Attorney General shall appear and provide a status report to the Commission.

(d) A copy of the petition must be served on all respondents named in the complaint and on each respondent's ultimate jurisdictional authority in the same manner as process is served under the Code of Civil Procedure.

(e) A respondent may file objections to the petition for leave to file a complaint within 30 days after notice of the petition has been served on the respondent.

(f) The Commission shall meet, either in person or by telephone, in a closed session to review the sufficiency of the complaint. If the Commission finds that complaint is sufficient, the Commission shall grant the petition for leave to file the complaint. The Commission shall issue notice to the Executive Inspector General and all respondents of the Commission's ruling on the sufficiency of the complaint. If the complaint is deemed to sufficiently allege a violation of this Act, then the Commission shall notify the parties and shall include a hearing date scheduled within 4 weeks after the date of the notice, unless all of the parties consent to a later date. If the complaint is deemed not to sufficiently allege a violation, then the Commission shall send by certified mail, return receipt requested, a notice to the parties of the decision to dismiss the complaint.

(g) On the scheduled date the Commission shall conduct a closed meeting, either in person or, if the parties consent, by telephone, on the complaint and allow all parties the opportunity to present testimony and evidence. All such proceedings shall be transcribed.

(h) Within an appropriate time limit set by rules of the Executive Ethics Commission, the Commission shall (i) dismiss the complaint or (ii) issue a recommendation of discipline to the respondent and the respondent's ultimate jurisdictional authority or impose an administrative fine upon the respondent, or both.

(i) The proceedings on any complaint filed with the Commission shall be conducted pursuant to rules promulgated by the Commission.

(j) The Commission may designate hearing officers to conduct proceedings as determined by rule of the Commission.

(k) In all proceedings before the Commission, the standard of proof is by a preponderance of the evidence.

(l) When the Inspector General concludes that there is insufficient evidence that a violation has occurred, the Inspector General shall close the investigation. At the request of the subject of the investigation, the Inspector General shall provide a written statement to the subject of the investigation and to the Commission of the Inspector General's decision to close the investigation. Closure by the Inspector General does not bar the Inspector General from resuming the investigation if circumstances warrant.

(Source: P.A. 93-617, eff. 12-9-03.)