HB4288eng 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB4288 Engrossed LRB095 15272 JAM 41258 b

AN ACT concerning legislative member initiatives.

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

Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by adding Section 13.6 as follows:

(30 ILCS 105/13.6 new)

Sec. 13.6. Limitation on appropriations for legislative member initiatives.

(a) Unless it complies with this Section, a purported appropriation of State funds for a legislative member initiative is not a valid appropriation. No State funds may be expended for a legislative member initiative unless the appropriation for that legislative member initiative complies with this Section.

(b) Each appropriation for a legislative member initiative must be by a separate line item appropriation. That line item must fully describe the legislative member initiative, including without limitation the entity that will receive the benefit of the expenditure, the purpose of the expenditure, the specific location of the project, and the Legislative District and Representative District in which the project is located. No legislative member initiative may be funded through a lump sum appropriation.

(c) "Legislative member initiative" means an appropriation for a grant or distribution to a specific unit of local government, specific school district, specific not-for-profit organization, or specific non-governmental entity for infrastructure improvements or operating expenses. Appropriations that are part of a statewide program and are based on generally applicable standards of eligibility are not legislative member initiatives. "Infrastructure improvements" include without limitation capital improvements, capital projects, planning, construction, reconstruction, equipment, utilities, vehicles, and all costs associated with economic development, community programs, educational programs, public health, and public safety.

(d) The purpose of this Section is to require full and complete disclosure during the appropriation process of State expenditures that are primarily for a specific local community within a Legislative District or Representative District. This Section shall be liberally construed to effectuate its purpose.