State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ House Amendment 002 ]

90_SB1225eng

      10 ILCS 5/25-2            from Ch. 46, par. 25-2
      65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-50
          Amends the Election Code and the Illinois Municipal Code.
      Provides that a conviction for an offense  that  disqualifies
      an  office  holder from holding his or her office shall occur
      on the date of the return of a guilty verdict or the entry of
      a finding of guilt.  Further amends  the  Illinois  Municipal
      Code to provide that admission of guilt of a criminal offense
      that  disqualifies  an  office holder from holding his or her
      office, in the form of a written agreement to plead guilty to
      a felony, bribery, perjury, or other  infamous  crime,  shall
      constitute a resignation from office.  Effective immediately.
                                                     LRB9005893MWsb
SB1225 Engrossed                               LRB9005893MWsb
 1        AN ACT in relation to public officials.
 2        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:
 4        Section 5.  The Election  Code  is  amended  by  changing
 5    Section 25-2 as follows:
 6        (10 ILCS 5/25-2) (from Ch. 46, par. 25-2)
 7        Sec.  25-2.   Events  on which an elective office becomes
 8    vacant. Every elective office  shall  become  vacant  on  the
 9    happening   of   any  of  the  following  events  before  the
10    expiration of the term of such office:
11             (1)  The death of the incumbent.
12             (2)  His or her resignation.
13             (3)  His  or  her  becoming  a  person  under  legal
14        disability.
15             (4)  His or her ceasing to be an inhabitant  of  the
16        State;  or  if the office is local, his or her ceasing to
17        be an  inhabitant  of  the  district,  county,  town,  or
18        precinct  for which he or she was elected; provided, that
19        the provisions of  this  paragraph  shall  not  apply  to
20        township  officers  whose township boundaries are changed
21        in accordance with Section 10-20 of  the  Township  Code,
22        nor to township or multi-township assessors elected under
23        Sections 2-5 through 2-15 of the Property Tax Code.
24             (5)  His  or her conviction of an infamous crime, or
25        of any offense involving a violation of official oath.
26             (6)  His or her removal from office.
27             (7)  His or her refusal or neglect to  take  his  or
28        her  oath  of  office,  or  to  give  or renew his or her
29        official bond, or to deposit or file such  oath  or  bond
30        within the time prescribed by law.
31             (8)  The  decision of a competent tribunal declaring
SB1225 Engrossed            -2-                LRB9005893MWsb
 1        his or her election void.
 2        No elective office, except as herein otherwise  provided,
 3    shall  become  vacant until the successor of the incumbent of
 4    such office has been appointed or elected, as  the  case  may
 5    be, and qualified.
 6        An unconditional resignation, effective at a future date,
 7    may  not  be  withdrawn  after  it is received by the officer
 8    authorized to  fill  the  vacancy.   Such  resignation  shall
 9    create a vacancy in office for the purpose of determining the
10    time  period  which would require an election.  The resigning
11    office holder may continue to hold such office until the date
12    or event specified in such resignation, but no later than the
13    date at which his or her successor is elected and qualified.
14        An admission of guilt of a criminal offense  that  would,
15    upon  conviction, disqualify the holder of an elective office
16    from holding that office, in the form of a written  agreement
17    with  State  or  federal  prosecutors  to  plead  guilty to a
18    felony, bribery, perjury, or other infamous crime under State
19    or federal law, shall  constitute  a  resignation  from  that
20    office, effective at the time the plea agreement is made.
21        For purposes of this Section, a conviction for an offense
22    that  disqualifies  the  holder  of  an  elective office from
23    holding that office shall occur on the date of the return  of
24    a guilty verdict or, in the case of a trial by the court, the
25    entry of a finding of guilt.
26    (Source: P.A. 88-419; 88-670, eff. 12-2-94.)
27        Section   10.   The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by
28    changing Section 3.1-10-50 as follows:
29        (65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-50)
30        Sec. 3.1-10-50.  Vacancies.
31        (a)  A  municipal  officer  may  resign  from  office.  A
32    vacancy occurs in an office by reason of resignation, failure
SB1225 Engrossed            -3-                LRB9005893MWsb
 1    to elect or qualify (in which case the incumbent shall remain
 2    in office until the  vacancy  is  filled),  death,  permanent
 3    physical  or mental disability rendering the person incapable
 4    of performing the duties of his or her office, conviction  of
 5    a  disqualifying  crime,  abandonment of office, removal from
 6    office, or removal of residence from the municipality or,  in
 7    the  case  of  aldermen  of a ward or trustees of a district,
 8    removal of residence from the ward or district, as  the  case
 9    may  be.  An  admission  of  guilt of a criminal offense that
10    would, upon conviction, disqualify the municipal officer from
11    holding that office, in the form of a written agreement  with
12    State  or  federal  prosecutors  to plead guilty to a felony,
13    bribery, perjury, or other  infamous  crime  under  State  or
14    federal law, shall constitute a resignation from that office,
15    effective  at  the  time  the  plea  agreement  is made.  For
16    purposes of this Section, a conviction for  an  offense  that
17    disqualifies  the  municipal officer from holding that office
18    shall occur on the date of the return of a guilty verdict or,
19    in the case of a trial by the court, the entry of  a  finding
20    of guilt.
21        (b)  If  a vacancy occurs in an elective municipal office
22    with a 4-year term and there remains an unexpired portion  of
23    the  term  of  at  least 28 months, and the vacancy occurs at
24    least 130 days before the  general  municipal  election  next
25    scheduled  under  the general election law, the vacancy shall
26    be filled for the remainder  of  the  term  at  that  general
27    municipal  election.   Whenever  an election is held for this
28    purpose, the municipal clerk shall certify the office  to  be
29    filled  and  the  candidates  for  the  office  to the proper
30    election authorities as provided in the general election law.
31    If the vacancy is in the office of mayor,  the  city  council
32    shall elect one of their members acting mayor; if the vacancy
33    is in the office of president, the vacancy shall be filled by
34    the  appointment of an acting president by the trustees.  The
SB1225 Engrossed            -4-                LRB9005893MWsb
 1    acting mayor or acting president shall perform the duties and
 2    possess all the rights and powers of the mayor  or  president
 3    until  a  successor  to fill the vacancy has been elected and
 4    has qualified. If  the  vacancy  is  in  any  other  elective
 5    municipal   office,  then  until  the  office  is  filled  by
 6    election, the mayor or president shall  appoint  a  qualified
 7    person to the office subject to the advice and consent of the
 8    city council or trustees.
 9        (c)  In  a  2  year  term, or if the vacancy occurs later
10    than the time provided in subsection (b) in a 4 year term,  a
11    vacancy  in  the  office  of  mayor  shall  be  filled by the
12    corporate authorities electing one of  their  members  acting
13    mayor;  if  the  vacancy  is  in the office of president, the
14    vacancy shall be filled  by  the  appointment  of  an  acting
15    president  by  the  trustees.   The  acting  mayor  or acting
16    president shall perform the duties and possess all the rights
17    and powers of  the  mayor  or  president  until  a  mayor  or
18    president  is  elected at the next general municipal election
19    and has qualified.  A vacancy in any  elective  office  other
20    than mayor or president shall be filled by appointment by the
21    mayor  or  president,  with  the  advice  and  consent of the
22    corporate authorities.
23        (d)  Municipal officers appointed or elected  under  this
24    Section  shall hold office until their successors are elected
25    and have qualified.
26        (e)  An appointment to fill a vacancy in  the  office  of
27    alderman  shall  be  made  within  60  days after the vacancy
28    occurs.  The requirement that an appointment be  made  within
29    60  days  is an exclusive power and function of the State and
30    is a denial and limitation  under  Article  VII,  Section  6,
31    subsection (h) of the Illinois Constitution of the power of a
32    home rule municipality to require that an appointment be made
33    within a different period after the vacancy occurs.
34    (Source: P.A. 87-1052; 87-1119; 88-45.)
SB1225 Engrossed            -5-                LRB9005893MWsb
 1        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
 2    becoming law.

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