101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB4943

 

Introduced 2/18/2020, by Rep. Carol Ammons

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
5 ILCS 430/70-5
5 ILCS 430/70-25 new
5 ILCS 430/70-30 new

    Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Requires governmental entities to adopt ordinances or resolutions establishing ethics training programs and harassment and discrimination prevention training programs to be completed, at least annually, by all officers and employees of the governmental entity. Provides further requirements concerning the training programs. Expands the required contents of governmental entity policies to prohibit sexual harassment. Effective immediately.


LRB101 17137 RJF 66538 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4943LRB101 17137 RJF 66538 b

1    AN ACT concerning government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The State Officials and Employees Ethics Act is
5amended by changing Section 70-5 and by adding Sections 70-25
6and 70-30 as follows:
 
7    (5 ILCS 430/70-5)
8    Sec. 70-5. Adoption by governmental entities.
9    (a) Within 6 months after the effective date of this Act,
10each governmental entity other than a community college
11district, and each community college district within 6 months
12after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th
13General Assembly, shall adopt an ordinance or resolution that
14regulates, in a manner no less restrictive than Section 5-15
15and Article 10 of this Act, (i) the political activities of
16officers and employees of the governmental entity and (ii) the
17soliciting and accepting of gifts by and the offering and
18making of gifts to officers and employees of the governmental
19entity. No later than 60 days after the effective date of this
20amendatory Act of the 101st 100th General Assembly, each
21governmental unit shall adopt an ordinance or resolution
22establishing a policy to prohibit sexual harassment. The policy
23shall include, at a minimum: (i) a prohibition on sexual

 

 

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1harassment, unlawful discrimination, and harassment; (ii)
2details on how an individual can report an allegation of sexual
3harassment, including options for making a confidential report
4to a supervisor, ethics officer, Inspector General, or the
5Department of Human Rights; (iii) a prohibition on retaliation
6for reporting sexual harassment, unlawful discrimination, or
7harassment allegations, including availability of
8whistleblower protections under this Act, the Whistleblower
9Act, and the Illinois Human Rights Act; and (iv) the
10consequences of a violation of the prohibition on sexual
11harassment, unlawful discrimination, or harassment, and the
12consequences for knowingly making a false report. Within 6
13months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
14101st General Assembly, each governmental unit that is not
15subject to the jurisdiction of a State or local Inspector
16General shall adopt an ordinance or resolution amending its
17sexual harassment policy to provide for a mechanism for
18reporting and independent review of allegations of sexual
19harassment made against an elected official of the governmental
20unit by another elected official of a governmental unit.
21    (b) Within 3 months after the effective date of this
22amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, the Attorney
23General shall develop model ordinances and resolutions for the
24purpose of this Article. The Attorney General shall advise
25governmental entities on their contents and adoption.
26    (c) As used in this Article, (i) an "officer" means an

 

 

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1elected or appointed official; regardless of whether the
2official is compensated, and (ii) an "employee" means a
3full-time, part-time, or contractual employee.
4(Source: P.A. 100-554, eff. 11-16-17; 101-221, eff. 8-9-19.)
 
5    (5 ILCS 430/70-25 new)
6    Sec. 70-25. Ethics training. Beginning in 2021, each
7governmental entity shall adopt an ordinance or resolution
8establishing an ethics training program to be completed, at
9least annually, by all officers and employees of the
10governmental entity. Governmental entities shall also
11establish by ordinance or resolution enforcement and oversight
12mechanisms for this training. A person who fills a vacancy in a
13position that requires training under this Section must
14complete his or her initial ethics training within 30 days
15after commencement of his or her office or employment.
 
16    (5 ILCS 430/70-30 new)
17    Sec. 70-30. Harassment and discrimination training.
18    (a) Each governmental entity shall adopt an ordinance or
19resolution establishing a harassment and discrimination
20prevention training program to be completed, at least annually,
21by all officers and employees of the governmental entity.
22Governmental entities shall also establish by ordinance or
23resolution enforcement and oversight mechanisms for this
24training. A person who fills a vacancy in a position that

 

 

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1requires training under this Section must complete his or her
2initial harassment and discrimination prevention training
3program within 30 days after commencement of his or her office
4or employment.
5    (b) The training established under this Section shall
6include, at a minimum, the following: (i) the definition and a
7description of sexual harassment, unlawful discrimination, and
8harassment, including examples of each; (ii) details on how an
9individual can report an allegation of sexual harassment,
10unlawful discrimination, or harassment, including options for
11making a confidential report to a supervisor, ethics officer,
12Inspector General, or the Department of Human Rights; (iii) the
13definition and description of retaliation for reporting sexual
14harassment, unlawful discrimination, or harassment allegations
15utilizing examples, including availability of whistleblower
16protections under this Act, the Whistleblower Act, and the
17Illinois Human Rights Act; and (iv) the consequences of a
18violation of the prohibition on sexual harassment, unlawful
19discrimination, and harassment, and the consequences for
20knowingly making a false report.
21    (c) For the purposes of this Section, "unlawful
22discrimination" and "harassment" refer to discrimination and
23harassment prohibited under Section 2-102 of the Illinois Human
24Rights Act.
 
25    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
26becoming law.