SB0739 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB100 05645 RJF 15659 b

100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
SB0739

Introduced 1/30/2017, by Sen. Julie A. Morrison

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

5 ILCS 430/5-45
5 ILCS 430/20-23
5 ILCS 430/20-50
5 ILCS 430/20-90
5 ILCS 430/20-95
30 ILCS 500/50-30

Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Provides that the Inspector General may require an ethics officer to provide relevant information as may be necessary to make an informed determination concerning whether to allow a former State employee to accept employment from a new employer in which he or she may have personally and substantially participated in decisions that benefited the new employer. Specifies requirements for written restricted determinations. Requires ethics officers to, among other requirements, successfully complete a training curriculum to be developed by the Executive Ethics Commission and thereafter successfully complete an annual training program. Provides that after an Executive Inspector General issues a summary report of an investigation, the ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency head may disclose Office of Executive Inspector General investigatory files and reports to agency staff who are necessary and responsible for determining and imposing discipline, and to an employee accused of wrongdoing for the purpose of determining and imposing appropriate discipline. Provides that the head and employees of a State agency affected by or involved in an investigation shall keep confidential and shall not disclose information exempted from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act or by the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Provides additional exceptions under which investigatory files, reports, and requests for documents may be disclosed. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code to modify a Section concerning revolving door prohibitions. Makes conforming changes. Contains a severability clause. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning government.

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 Sections 5-45, 20-23, 20-50, 20-90, and 20-95 as follows:

(5 ILCS 430/5-45)

Sec. 5-45. Procurement; revolving door prohibition.

(a) No former officer, member, or State employee, or spouse or immediate family member living with such person, shall, within a period of one year immediately after termination of State employment, knowingly accept employment or receive compensation or fees for services from a person or entity if the officer, member, or State employee, during the year immediately preceding termination of State employment, participated personally and substantially in the award of State contracts, or the issuance of State contract change orders, with a cumulative value of $25,000 or more to the person or entity, or its parent or subsidiary.

(b) No former officer of the executive branch or State employee of the executive branch with regulatory or licensing authority, or spouse or immediate family member living with such person, shall, within a period of one year immediately after termination of State employment, knowingly accept employment or receive compensation or fees for services from a person or entity if the officer or State employee, during the year immediately preceding termination of State employment, participated personally and substantially in making a regulatory or licensing decision that directly applied to the person or entity, or its parent or subsidiary.

(c) Within 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, each executive branch constitutional officer and legislative leader, the Auditor General, and the Joint Committee on Legislative Support Services shall adopt a policy delineating which State positions under his or her jurisdiction and control, by the nature of their duties, may have the authority to participate personally and substantially in the award of State contracts or in regulatory or licensing decisions. The Governor shall adopt such a policy for all State employees of the executive branch not under the jurisdiction and control of any other executive branch constitutional officer.

The policies required under subsection (c) of this Section shall be filed with the appropriate ethics commission established under this Act or, for the Auditor General, with the Office of the Auditor General.

(d) Each Inspector General shall have the authority to determine that additional State positions under his or her jurisdiction, not otherwise subject to the policies required by subsection (c) of this Section, are nonetheless subject to the notification requirement of subsection (f) below due to their involvement in the award of State contracts or in regulatory or licensing decisions.

(e) The Joint Committee on Legislative Support Services, the Auditor General, and each of the executive branch constitutional officers and legislative leaders subject to subsection (c) of this Section shall provide written notification to all employees in positions subject to the policies required by subsection (c) or a determination made under subsection (d): (1) upon hiring, promotion, or transfer into the relevant position; and (2) at the time the employee's duties are changed in such a way as to qualify that employee. An employee receiving notification must certify in writing that the person was advised of the prohibition and the requirement to notify the appropriate Inspector General in subsection (f).

(f) Any State employee in a position subject to the policies required by subsection (c) or to a determination under subsection (d), but who does not fall within the prohibition of subsection (h) below, who is offered non-State employment during State employment or within a period of one year immediately after termination of State employment shall, prior to accepting such non-State employment, notify the appropriate Inspector General. Within 10 calendar days after receiving notification from an employee in a position subject to the policies required by subsection (c), such Inspector General shall make a determination as to whether the State employee is restricted from accepting such employment by subsection (a) or (b). In making a determination, in addition to any other relevant information, an Inspector General shall assess the effect of the prospective employment or relationship upon decisions referred to in subsections (a) and (b), based on the totality of the participation by the former officer, member, or State employee in those decisions. The Inspector General may require an ethics officer to provide relevant information as may be necessary to make an informed determination. A determination by an Inspector General must be in writing, signed and dated by the Inspector General, and delivered to the subject of the determination within 10 calendar days after receiving notification from the employee, or the person is deemed eligible for the employment opportunity. A written restricted determination shall identify the factual and legal basis for the determination and provide the person subject to the restricted determination with notice of the opportunity to request the investigatory files and reports relied upon in making the determination. If requested by the person subject to a restricted determination, the Inspector General shall provide a copy of the investigatory files and reports, subject to subsection (d) of Section 20-95 of this Act, relied upon in making the determination to the person subject to the restricted determination within 3 business days. The Inspector General may redact information in the investigatory files and reports that may reveal the identity of witnesses, or if the Inspector General determines it is appropriate to protect the identity of a person. For purposes of this subsection, "appropriate Inspector General" means (i) for members and employees of the legislative branch, the Legislative Inspector General; (ii) for the Auditor General and employees of the Office of the Auditor General, the Inspector General provided for in Section 30-5 of this Act; and (iii) for executive branch officers and employees, the Inspector General having jurisdiction over the officer or employee. For purposes of this subsection, "notification from the employee" may be defined by the Executive Ethics Commission by rule. Notice of any determination of an Inspector General and of any such appeal shall be given to the ultimate jurisdictional authority, the Attorney General, and the Executive Ethics Commission.

(g) An Inspector General's determination regarding restrictions under subsection (a) or (b) may be appealed to the appropriate Ethics Commission by the person subject to the decision or the Attorney General no later than the 10th calendar day after the date of the determination.

On appeal, the Ethics Commission or Auditor General shall seek, accept, and consider written public comments regarding a determination. In deciding whether to uphold an Inspector General's determination, the appropriate Ethics Commission or Auditor General shall assess, in addition to any other relevant information, the effect of the prospective employment or relationship upon the decisions referred to in subsections (a) and (b), based on the totality of the participation by the former officer, member, or State employee in those decisions. The Ethics Commission shall decide whether to uphold an Inspector General's determination within 10 calendar days or the person is deemed eligible for the employment opportunity.

(h) The following officers, members, or State employees shall not, within a period of one year immediately after termination of office or State employment, knowingly accept employment or receive compensation or fees for services from a person or entity if the person or entity or its parent or subsidiary, during the year immediately preceding termination of State employment, was a party to a State contract or contracts with a cumulative value of $25,000 or more involving the officer, member, or State employee's State agency, or was the subject of a regulatory or licensing decision involving the officer, member, or State employee's State agency, regardless of whether he or she participated personally and substantially in the award of the State contract or contracts or the making of the regulatory or licensing decision in question:

(1) members or officers;

(2) members of a commission or board created by the Illinois Constitution;

(3) persons whose appointment to office is subject to the advice and consent of the Senate;

(4) the head of a department, commission, board, division, bureau, authority, or other administrative unit within the government of this State;

(5) chief procurement officers, State purchasing officers, and their designees whose duties are directly related to State procurement; and

(6) chiefs of staff, deputy chiefs of staff, associate chiefs of staff, assistant chiefs of staff, and deputy governors.

(i) For the purposes of this Section, with respect to officers or employees of a regional transit board, as defined in this Act, the phrase "person or entity" does not include: (i) the United States government, (ii) the State, (iii) municipalities, as defined under Article VII, Section 1 of the Illinois Constitution, (iv) units of local government, as defined under Article VII, Section 1 of the Illinois Constitution, or (v) school districts.

(j) For purposes of this Section, "compensation or fees for services" includes compensation received directly or indirectly from a person or entity. It does not include a small portion of a person's compensation received as part of a general profit sharing plan.

(Source: P.A. 96-555, eff. 8-18-09; 97-653, eff. 1-13-12.)

(5 ILCS 430/20-23)

Sec. 20-23. Ethics Officers. Each officer and the head of each State agency under the jurisdiction of the Executive Ethics Commission shall designate an Ethics Officer for the office or State agency. The board of each Regional Transit Board shall designate an Ethics Officer. Ethics Officers shall:

(1) act as liaisons between the State agency or Regional Transit Board and the appropriate Executive Inspector General and between the State agency or Regional Transit Board and the Executive Ethics Commission;

(2) review statements of economic interest and disclosure forms of officers, senior employees, and contract monitors before they are filed with the Secretary of State; and

(3) provide guidance to officers and employees in the interpretation and implementation of this Act, which the officer or employee may in good faith rely upon. Such guidance shall be based, wherever possible, upon legal precedent in court decisions, opinions of the Attorney General, and the findings and opinions of the Executive Ethics Commission; and .

(4) within 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly, successfully complete a training curriculum to be developed by the Executive Ethics Commission and thereafter successfully complete an annual training program. Thereafter, whenever a new ethics officer is designated by a State agency, that person shall successfully complete the training curriculum within 30 days after assuming the position. Successful completion of the required training curriculum within the periods provided shall be a prerequisite to continue serving as an ethics officer.

(Source: P.A. 96-1528, eff. 7-1-11.)

(5 ILCS 430/20-50)

Sec. 20-50. Investigation reports.

(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. 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. The appropriate ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency head shall respond to the summary report within 20 days, in writing, to the Executive Inspector General. The response shall include a description of any corrective or disciplinary action to be imposed.

(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) Within 30 days after receiving a response from the appropriate ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency head under subsection (a), the Executive Inspector General shall notify the Commission and the Attorney General if the Executive Inspector General believes that a complaint should be filed with the Commission. If the Executive Inspector General desires to file a complaint with the Commission, the Executive Inspector General shall submit the summary report and supporting documents to the Attorney General. If the Attorney General concludes that there is insufficient evidence that a violation has occurred, the Attorney General shall notify the Executive Inspector General and the Executive Inspector General shall deliver to the Executive Ethics Commission a copy of the summary report and response from the ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency head. 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 complaint. The complaint shall set forth the alleged violation and the grounds that exist to support the complaint. The 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 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.

(c-5) Within 30 days after receiving a response from the appropriate ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency head under subsection (a), if the Executive Inspector General does not believe that a complaint should be filed, the Executive Inspector General shall deliver to the Executive Ethics Commission a statement setting forth the basis for the decision not to file a complaint and a copy of the summary report and response from the ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency head. An Inspector General may also submit a redacted version of the summary report and response from the ultimate jurisdictional authority if the Inspector General believes either contains information that, in the opinion of the Inspector General, should be redacted prior to releasing the report, may interfere with an ongoing investigation, or identifies an informant or complainant.

(c-10) If, after reviewing the documents, the Commission believes that further investigation is warranted, the Commission may request that the Executive Inspector General provide additional information or conduct further investigation. The Commission may also appoint a Special Executive Inspector General to investigate or refer the summary report and response from the ultimate jurisdictional authority to the Attorney General for further investigation or review. If the Commission requests the Attorney General to investigate or review, the Commission must notify the Attorney General and the Inspector General. The Attorney General may not begin an investigation or review until receipt of notice from the Commission. If, after review, the Attorney General determines that reasonable cause exists to believe that a violation has occurred, then the Attorney General may file a complaint with the Executive Ethics Commission. If the Attorney General concludes that there is insufficient evidence that a violation has occurred, the Attorney General shall notify the Executive Ethics Commission and the appropriate Executive Inspector General.

(d) A copy of the complaint filed with the Executive Ethics Commission 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 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, at least 30 days after the complaint is served on all respondents in a closed session to review the sufficiency of the complaint. The Commission shall issue notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the Executive Inspector General, Attorney 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 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 Executive Inspector General, Attorney General, and all respondents 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, (ii) issue a recommendation of discipline to the respondent and the respondent's ultimate jurisdictional authority, (iii) impose an administrative fine upon the respondent, (iv) issue injunctive relief as described in Section 50-10, or (v) impose a combination of (ii) through (iv).

(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) Within 30 days after the issuance of a final administrative decision that concludes that a violation occurred, the Executive Ethics Commission shall make public the entire record of proceedings before the Commission, the decision, any recommendation, any discipline imposed, and the response from the agency head or ultimate jurisdictional authority to the Executive Ethics Commission.

(m) After the Executive Inspector General issues a summary report of the investigation, the ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency head may, as necessary, disclose Office of Executive Inspector General investigatory files and reports to agency staff who are necessary and responsible for determining and imposing discipline and, as strictly necessary, to an employee accused of wrongdoing for the purpose of determining and imposing appropriate discipline.

(Source: P.A. 96-555, eff. 8-18-09.)

(5 ILCS 430/20-90)

Sec. 20-90. Confidentiality.

(a) The identity of any individual providing information or reporting any possible or alleged misconduct to an Executive Inspector General or the Executive Ethics Commission shall be kept confidential and may not be disclosed without the consent of that individual, unless the individual consents to disclosure of his or her name or disclosure of the individual's identity is otherwise required by law. The confidentiality granted by this subsection does not preclude the disclosure of the identity of a person in any capacity other than as the source of an allegation.

(b) Subject to the provisions of Section 20-52, commissioners, employees, and agents of the Executive Ethics Commission, the Executive Inspectors General, and employees and agents of each Office of an Executive Inspector General, the Attorney General, and the employees and agents of the office of the Attorney General, and the head and employees of a State agency affected by or involved in an investigation, shall keep confidential and shall not disclose information exempted from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act or by this Act, provided the identity of any individual providing information or reporting any possible or alleged misconduct to the Executive Inspector General for the Governor may be disclosed to an Inspector General appointed or employed by a Regional Transit Board in accordance with Section 75-10.

(Source: P.A. 96-555, eff. 8-18-09; 96-1528, eff. 7-1-11.)

(5 ILCS 430/20-95)

Sec. 20-95. Exemptions.

(a) Documents generated by an ethics officer under this Act, except Section 5-50, are exempt from the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.

(b) Any allegations and related documents submitted to an Executive Inspector General and any pleadings and related documents brought before the Executive Ethics Commission are exempt from the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act so long as the Executive Ethics Commission does not make a finding of a violation of this Act. If the Executive Ethics Commission finds that a violation has occurred, the entire record of proceedings before the Commission, the decision and recommendation, and the response from the agency head or ultimate jurisdictional authority to the Executive Ethics Commission are not exempt from the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act but information contained therein that is otherwise exempt from the Freedom of Information Act must be redacted before disclosure as provided in the Freedom of Information Act. A summary report released by the Executive Ethics Commission under Section 20-52 is a public record, but information redacted by the Executive Ethics Commission shall not be part of the public record.

(c) Meetings of the Commission are exempt from the provisions of the Open Meetings Act.

(d) Unless otherwise provided in this Act, all investigatory files, and reports, and requests for documents of or by the Office of an Executive Inspector General, other than monthly reports required under Section 20-85, are confidential, are exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, and shall not be divulged to any person or agency, except as necessary (i) to a law enforcement authority, (ii) to the ultimate jurisdictional authority, (iii) to the Executive Ethics Commission, (iv) to another Inspector General appointed pursuant to this Act, or (v) to an Inspector General appointed or employed by a Regional Transit Board in accordance with Section 75-10, (vi) to the head of a State agency affected by or involved in the investigation, or (vii) to the person subject to a restricted determination, the Attorney General, or the Executive Ethics Commission, when the investigatory files and reports relate to a revolving door determination under Section 5-45 of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 96-555, eff. 8-18-09; 96-1528, eff. 7-1-11.)

Section 10. The Illinois Procurement Code is amended by changing Section 50-30 as follows:

(30 ILCS 500/50-30)

Sec. 50-30. Revolving door prohibition.

(a) Chief procurement officers, State purchasing officers, procurement compliance monitors, their designees whose principal duties are directly related to State procurement, and executive officers confirmed by the Senate are expressly prohibited for a period of 2 years after terminating an affected position from engaging in any procurement activity relating to the State agency most recently employing them, or relating to the State agency most recently assigned to them to oversee, in an affected position for a period of at least 6 months. The prohibition includes but is not limited to: lobbying the procurement process; specifying; bidding; proposing bid, proposal, or contract documents; on their own behalf or on behalf of any firm, partnership, association, or corporation. This subsection applies only to persons who terminate an affected position on or after January 15, 1999.

(b) In addition to any other provisions of this Code, employment of former State employees is subject to the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act.

(Source: P.A. 96-795, eff. 7-1-10 (see Section 5 of P.A. 96-793 for the effective date of changes made by P.A. 96-795).)

Section 97. Severability. The provisions of this Act are severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.

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