Public Act 098-0054
 
SB0204 EnrolledLRB098 05391 JDS 35425 b



    AN ACT concerning State government.

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

 
    Section 5. The State Police Act is amended by changing 
Section 9 as follows:
 



    (20 ILCS 2610/9)  (from Ch. 121, par. 307.9)



    Sec. 9. Appointment; qualifications. 

    (a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the 
appointment of
Department of State Police officers shall be 
made from those applicants who
have been certified by the Board 
as being qualified for appointment.  All
persons so appointed 
shall, at the time of their appointment, be not less than
21 
years of age, or 20 years of age and have successfully 
completed 2 years of
law enforcement studies at an accredited 
college or university.  Any person
appointed subsequent to 
successful completion of 2 years of such law
enforcement 
studies shall not have power of arrest, nor shall he be 
permitted
to carry firearms, until he reaches 21 years of age.  
In addition,
all persons so certified for appointment shall be 
of sound mind and body, be of
good moral character, be citizens 
of the United States, have no criminal
records, possess such 
prerequisites of training, education and experience as
the 
Board may from time to time prescribe, and shall be required to 
pass
successfully such mental and physical tests and 
examinations as may be
prescribed by the Board.  Notwithstanding 
any Board rule to the contrary, all persons who either: (i) 
have been honorably discharged and who have been awarded a 
Southwest Asia Service Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Korean 
Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq 
Campaign Medal, or Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal 
by the United States Armed Forces or (ii) are active members of 
the Illinois National Guard or a reserve component of the 
United States Armed Forces and who have been awarded a 
Southwest Asia Service Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Korean 
Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq 
Campaign Medal, or Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal 
as a result of honorable service during deployment on active 
duty, are deemed to have met the collegiate educational 
requirements. All persons who have been honorably discharged 
and who have been awarded an Afghan or Iraqi campaign medal by 
the military or naval services of the United States are deemed 
to have met the collegiate educational requirements, 
notwithstanding any Board rule. Preference shall be given in 
such appointments to
persons who have honorably served in the 
military or naval services of the
United States.  All appointees 
shall serve a probationary period of 12 months
from the date of 
appointment and during that period may be discharged at the

will of the Director. However, the Director may in his or her 
sole discretion
extend the probationary period of an officer up 
to an additional 6 months when
to do so is deemed in the best 
interest of the Department.

    (b) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Act, after 
July 1,
1977 and before July 1, 1980, the Director of State 
Police may appoint and
promote not more than 20 persons having 
special qualifications as special
agents as he deems necessary 
to carry out the Department's objectives.  Any
such appointment 
or promotion shall be ratified by the Board.

    (c) During the 90 days following the effective date of this 
amendatory Act
of 1995, the Director of State Police may 
appoint up to 25 persons as State
Police officers.  These 
appointments shall be made in accordance with the
requirements 
of this subsection (c) and any additional criteria that may be

established by the Director, but are not subject to any other 
requirements of
this Act.  The Director may specify the initial 
rank for each person appointed
under this subsection.

    All appointments under this subsection (c) shall be made 
from personnel
certified by the Board.  A person certified by 
the Board and appointed by the
Director under this subsection 
must have been employed by the Illinois Commerce
Commission on 
November 30, 1994 in a job title
subject to the Personnel Code 
and in a position for which the person was
eligible to earn 
"eligible creditable service" as a "noncovered employee", as

those terms are defined in Article 14 of the Illinois Pension 
Code.

    Persons appointed under this subsection (c) shall 
thereafter be subject to
the same requirements and procedures 
as other State police officers.  A person
appointed under this 
subsection must serve a probationary period of 12 months
from 
the date of appointment, during which he or she may be 
discharged at the
will of the Director.

    This subsection (c) does not affect or limit the Director's 
authority to
appoint other State Police officers under 
subsection (a) of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 97-640, eff. 12-19-11.)