093_HB0068

 
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 1        AN ACT concerning the General Assembly.

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

 4        Section 5.  The General Assembly Staff Assistants Act  is
 5    amended by changing Section 2 as follows:

 6        (25 ILCS 160/2) (from Ch. 63, par. 132)
 7        Sec. 2.  Staff assistants; assignments.
 8        (a)  During   the  period  the  General  Assembly  is  in
 9    session, the  staff  assistants  shall  be  assigned  by  the
10    legislative  leadership  of the respective parties to perform
11    research and render other assistance to the members  of  that
12    party on such committees as may be designated.
13        (b)  During  the  period when the General Assembly is not
14    in session, the staff assistants shall perform such  services
15    as  may  be  assigned by the President and Minority Leader of
16    the Senate and the Speaker and Minority Leader of  the  House
17    of Representatives party leadership.
18        (c)  At no time shall any member of the General Assembly,
19    any  staff  of  the  General Assembly, or any employee of the
20    General Assembly assign a staff assistant, as  part  of  that
21    staff assistant's employment by the State of Illinois, to any
22    of the following duties:
23             (1)  Preparing  for, organizing, or participating in
24        any  political  meeting,   political   rally,   political
25        demonstration, or other political event.
26             (2)  Soliciting    the    purchase    of,   selling,
27        distributing, or receiving payment for  tickets  for  any
28        political   fundraiser,   political   meeting,  or  other
29        political event.
30             (3)  Soliciting, planning the  solicitation  of,  or
31        preparing  any  document or report regarding any thing of
 
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 1        value intended as a campaign contribution.
 2             (4)  Planning, conducting,  or  participating  in  a
 3        public  opinion  poll  to  the  extent  it  relates  to a
 4        candidate for political office or a referendum question.
 5             (5)  Surveying   or   gathering   information   from
 6        potential or actual voters in an  election  to  determine
 7        probable vote outcome.
 8             (6)  Assisting  at  the  polls  on  election  day on
 9        behalf  of  any  political  party   or   party-designated
10        candidate or for or against any referendum question.
11             (7)  Soliciting  votes  or  helping  in  a  partisan
12        effort to get voters to the polls.
13             (8)  Initiating,  circulating,  preparing, or filing
14        any petition on  behalf  of  a  candidate  for  political
15        office  or in relation to a political issue or referendum
16        question.
17             (9)  Making contributions of money or any  thing  of
18        value  on  behalf  of  any candidate for office or for or
19        against any political issue or referendum question.
20             (10)  Distributing, preparing for  distribution,  or
21        mailing  campaign  literature,  campaign  signs, or other
22        campaign material on behalf of any candidate  for  office
23        or for or against any referendum question.
24             (11)  Becoming  a  candidate  for or campaigning for
25        any elective office or campaigning  for  or  against  any
26        referendum question.
27             (12)  Managing  the  campaign  of  a  candidate  for
28        public office.
29             (13)  Serving  as a delegate, alternate, or proxy to
30        a political party convention.
31             (14)  Participating in any recount or  challenge  to
32        the  outcome of any election or referendum, except to the
33        extent that under subsection (d) of Section 6 of  Article
34        IV of the Illinois Constitution each house of the General
 
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 1        Assembly   shall   judge   the  elections,  returns,  and
 2        qualifications of its members.
 3             (15)  Participating in any other partisan  political
 4        activity   that   is   not   primarily   related  to  the
 5        governmental functions of the General Assembly.
 6        A staff assistant shall not be required during  any  time
 7    off  that  is  compensated  by  the  State (such as vacation,
 8    personal, sick, or compensatory time off) to  participate  in
 9    any  of the activities restricted by this subsection, but may
10    participate in any of those activities during time off if  it
11    is on a completely voluntary basis.
12        A  staff  assistant shall not be awarded any compensatory
13    time off if it is the intention or expectation of the  person
14    awarding that time off that it be used by the staff assistant
15    to  participate  in  any of the activities restricted by this
16    subsection.
17        A staff assistant shall not be required at  any  time  to
18    participate  in  any  of  the  activities  restricted by this
19    subsection in return for that staff assistant  being  awarded
20    any  additional compensation or employee benefit, in the form
21    of a bonus or otherwise.
22        A staff assistant shall not  be  awarded  any  additional
23    compensation  or  employee benefit, in the form of a bonus or
24    otherwise, if it is  the  intention  or  expectation  of  the
25    person  awarding  the  additional  compensation  or  employee
26    benefit that, in return, the staff assistant will participate
27    in any of the activities restricted by this subsection.
28        A  person  is  guilty  of a Class 1 felony if that person
29    intentionally violates any provision of this subsection  with
30    respect  to a staff assistant under that person's supervision
31    or control.
32        In addition to any other penalty that may apply,  whether
33    criminal  or  civil, (i) a member of the General Assembly who
34    intentionally violates any provision of  this  subsection  is
 
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 1    subject  to discipline or expulsion as provided in subsection
 2    (d) of Section 6 of Article 4 of the  Illinois  Constitution,
 3    in  any  applicable  law,  or  in  any applicable rule of the
 4    Senate or House of Representatives; and (ii) a  staff  member
 5    or  an  employee  of  the  General Assembly who intentionally
 6    violates any provision  of  this  subsection  is  subject  to
 7    discipline or discharge, as may be appropriate.
 8    (Source: Laws 1967, p. 280.)

 9        Section  10.   The  General  Assembly  Operations  Act is
10    amended by changing Sections 4 and 5 as follows:

11        (25 ILCS 10/4) (from Ch. 63, par. 23.4)
12        Sec. 4.  Senate Operations Commission.  There is  created
13    a  Senate  Operations Commission to consist of the following:
14    The President of the Senate, 3  Assistant  Majority  Leaders,
15    the  Minority  Leader, one Assistant Minority Leader, and one
16    member of the  Senate  appointed  by  the  President  of  the
17    Senate.  The  Senate  Operations  Commission  shall  have the
18    following  powers   and   duties:   Commission   shall   have
19    responsibility for the operation of the Senate in relation to
20    the  Senate Chambers, Senate offices, committee rooms and all
21    other rooms and physical facilities used by the  Senate,  all
22    equipment,  furniture,  and  supplies used by the Senate. The
23    Commission shall have the authority to hire all  professional
24    staff and employees necessary for the proper operation of the
25    Senate and authority to receive and expend appropriations for
26    the  purposes  set  forth  in  this  Act  whether the General
27    Assembly be in session  or  not.  All  of  the  restrictions,
28    limitations,  and  penalties that apply with respect to staff
29    assistants under subsection (c) of Section 2 of  the  General
30    Assembly  Staff  Assistants  Act  also  apply with respect to
31    professional staff and employees hired  under  this  Section.
32    The  Secretary  of  the  Senate  shall serve as Secretary and
 
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 1    Administrative Officer of the  Commission.  Pursuant  to  the
 2    policies  and  direction  of  the  Commission,  he shall have
 3    direct supervision of all equipment, furniture, and  supplies
 4    used by the Senate.
 5    (Source: P.A. 78-7.)

 6        (25 ILCS 10/5) (from Ch. 63, par. 23.5)
 7        Sec. 5.  Speaker of the House; operations, employees, and
 8    expenditures.  The  Speaker  of  the House of Representatives
 9    shall have responsibility for the operation of the  House  in
10    relation  to  the  House  Chambers,  House offices, committee
11    rooms and all other rooms and physical facilities used by the
12    House, all equipment, furniture, and  supplies  used  by  the
13    House. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall have
14    the  authority  to  hire all professional staff and employees
15    necessary for the proper operation of the House. All  of  the
16    restrictions,  limitations,  and  penalties  that  apply with
17    respect to staff assistants under subsection (c) of Section 2
18    of the General Assembly Staff Assistants Act also apply  with
19    respect  to professional staff and employees hired under this
20    Section.  The Speaker of the House of  Representatives  shall
21    have  the  authority to receive and expend appropriations for
22    the purposes set  forth  in  this  Act  whether  the  General
23    Assembly be in session or not.
24    (Source: Laws 1967, p. 1214.)

25        Section  95.  Severability.  If any provision of this Act
26    or its application to any  person  or  circumstance  is  held
27    invalid, the invalidity of that provision or application does
28    not  affect other provisions or applications of this Act that
29    can  be  given  effect  without  the  invalid  provision   or
30    application.

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