HB0028 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 03437 JAM 23441 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB0028

Introduced 1/19/2007, by Rep. William B. Black

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

5 ILCS 120/2	from Ch. 102, par. 42
15 ILCS 405/22.2	from Ch. 15, par. 222.2
20 ILCS 405/405-130	was 20 ILCS 405/67.28

Amends the Open Meetings Act, the State Comptroller Act, and the Department of Central Management Services Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Allows Illinois residents to participate in the State Employees and Retirees Suggestion Award Program. Changes the program's name to the State Government Suggestion Award Program.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

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

Section 5. The Open Meetings Act is amended by changing Section 2 as follows:

(5 ILCS 120/2) (from Ch. 102, par. 42)

Sec. 2. Open meetings.

(a) Openness required. All meetings of public bodies shall be open to the public unless excepted in subsection (c) and closed in accordance with Section 2a.

(b) Construction of exceptions. The exceptions contained in subsection (c) are in derogation of the requirement that public bodies meet in the open, and therefore, the exceptions are to be strictly construed, extending only to subjects clearly within their scope. The exceptions authorize but do not require the holding of a closed meeting to discuss a subject included within an enumerated exception.

(c) Exceptions. A public body may hold closed meetings to consider the following subjects:

(1) The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body or legal counsel for the public body, including hearing testimony on a complaint lodged against an employee of the public body or against legal counsel for the public body to determine its validity.

(2) Collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives, or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees.

(3) The selection of a person to fill a public office, as defined in this Act, including a vacancy in a public office, when the public body is given power to appoint under law or ordinance, or the discipline, performance or removal of the occupant of a public office, when the public body is given power to remove the occupant under law or ordinance.

(4) Evidence or testimony presented in open hearing, or in closed hearing where specifically authorized by law, to a quasi-adjudicative body, as defined in this Act, provided that the body prepares and makes available for public inspection a written decision setting forth its determinative reasoning.

(5) The purchase or lease of real property for the use of the public body, including meetings held for the purpose of discussing whether a particular parcel should be acquired.

(6) The setting of a price for sale or lease of property owned by the public body.

(7) The sale or purchase of securities, investments, or investment contracts.

(8) Security procedures and the use of personnel and equipment to respond to an actual, a threatened, or a reasonably potential danger to the safety of employees, students, staff, the public, or public property.

(9) Student disciplinary cases.

(10) The placement of individual students in special education programs and other matters relating to individual students.

(11) Litigation, when an action against, affecting or on behalf of the particular public body has been filed and is pending before a court or administrative tribunal, or when the public body finds that an action is probable or imminent, in which case the basis for the finding shall be recorded and entered into the minutes of the closed meeting.

(12) The establishment of reserves or settlement of claims as provided in the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act, if otherwise the disposition of a claim or potential claim might be prejudiced, or the review or discussion of claims, loss or risk management information, records, data, advice or communications from or with respect to any insurer of the public body or any intergovernmental risk management association or self insurance pool of which the public body is a member.

(13) Conciliation of complaints of discrimination in the sale or rental of housing, when closed meetings are authorized by the law or ordinance prescribing fair housing practices and creating a commission or administrative agency for their enforcement.

(14) Informant sources, the hiring or assignment of undercover personnel or equipment, or ongoing, prior or future criminal investigations, when discussed by a public body with criminal investigatory responsibilities.

(15) Professional ethics or performance when considered by an advisory body appointed to advise a licensing or regulatory agency on matters germane to the advisory body's field of competence.

(16) Self evaluation, practices and procedures or professional ethics, when meeting with a representative of a statewide association of which the public body is a member.

(17) The recruitment, credentialing, discipline or formal peer review of physicians or other health care professionals for a hospital, or other institution providing medical care, that is operated by the public body.

(18) Deliberations for decisions of the Prisoner Review Board.

(19) Review or discussion of applications received under the Experimental Organ Transplantation Procedures Act.

(20) The classification and discussion of matters classified as confidential or continued confidential by the State Government Employees Suggestion Award Board.

(21) Discussion of minutes of meetings lawfully closed under this Act, whether for purposes of approval by the body of the minutes or semi-annual review of the minutes as mandated by Section 2.06.

(22) Deliberations for decisions of the State Emergency Medical Services Disciplinary Review Board.

(23) The operation by a municipality of a municipal utility or the operation of a municipal power agency or municipal natural gas agency when the discussion involves (i) contracts relating to the purchase, sale, or delivery of electricity or natural gas or (ii) the results or conclusions of load forecast studies.

(24) Meetings of a residential health care facility resident sexual assault and death review team or the Executive Council under the Abuse Prevention Review Team Act.

(d) Definitions. For purposes of this Section:

"Employee" means a person employed by a public body whose relationship with the public body constitutes an employer-employee relationship under the usual common law rules, and who is not an independent contractor.

"Public office" means a position created by or under the Constitution or laws of this State, the occupant of which is charged with the exercise of some portion of the sovereign power of this State. The term "public office" shall include members of the public body, but it shall not include organizational positions filled by members thereof, whether established by law or by a public body itself, that exist to assist the body in the conduct of its business.

"Quasi-adjudicative body" means an administrative body charged by law or ordinance with the responsibility to conduct hearings, receive evidence or testimony and make determinations based thereon, but does not include local electoral boards when such bodies are considering petition challenges.

(e) Final action. No final action may be taken at a closed meeting. Final action shall be preceded by a public recital of the nature of the matter being considered and other information that will inform the public of the business being conducted.

(Source: P.A. 93-57, eff. 7-1-03; 93-79, eff. 7-2-03; 93-422, eff. 8-5-03; 93-577, eff. 8-21-03; 94-931, eff. 6-26-06.)

Section 10. The State Comptroller Act is amended by changing Section 22.2 as follows:

(15 ILCS 405/22.2) (from Ch. 15, par. 222.2)

Sec. 22.2. State Government Employees Suggestion Award Board. Upon request from the State Government Employees Suggestion Award Board, the Comptroller and the Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget may hold in reserve the amounts equal to the savings from the appropriate appropriation line item for the State agency involved. The term "reserve" for the purposes of this Section means that such funds shall not be expended nor obligated for the fiscal year designated by the Board.

(Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06.)

Section 15. The Department of Central Management Services Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by changing Section 405-130 as follows:

(20 ILCS 405/405-130) (was 20 ILCS 405/67.28)

Sec. 405-130. State government employees and retirees suggestion award program.

(a) The Department shall assist in the implementation of a State Government Employees and Retirees Suggestion Award Program, to be administered by the Board created in subsection (b). The program shall encourage and reward improvements in the operation of State government that result in substantial monetary savings. Any Illinois resident, any State employee, including management personnel as defined by the Department, any annuitant under Article 14 of the Illinois Pension Code, and any annuitant under Article 15 of that Code who receives a retirement or disability retirement annuity, but not including elected officials and departmental directors, may submit a cost-saving suggestion to the Board, which shall direct the suggestion to the appropriate department or agency without disclosing the identity of the suggester. A suggester may make a suggestion or include documentation on matters a department or agency considers confidential, except where prohibited by federal or State law; and no disciplinary or other negative action may be taken against the suggester unless there is a violation of federal or State law.

Suggestions, including documentation, upon receipt, shall be given confidential treatment and shall not be subject to subpoena or be made public until the agency affected by it has had the opportunity to request continued confidentiality. The agency, if it requests continued confidentiality, shall attest that disclosure would violate federal or State law or rules and regulations pursuant to federal or State law or is a matter covered under Section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act. The Board shall make its decision on continued confidentiality and, if it so classifies the suggestion, shall notify the suggester and agency. A suggestion classified "continued confidential" shall nevertheless be evaluated and considered for award. A suggestion that the Board finds or the suggester states or implies constitutes a disclosure of information that the suggester reasonably believes evidences (1) a violation of any law, rule, or regulation or (2) mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety may be referred to the appropriate investigatory or law enforcement agency for consideration for investigation and action. The identity of the suggester may not be disclosed without the consent of the suggester during any investigation of the information and any related matters. Such a suggestion shall also be evaluated and an award made when appropriate. That portion of Board meetings that involves the consideration of suggestions classified "continued confidential" or being considered for that classification shall be closed meetings.

The Board may at its discretion make awards for those suggestions certified by agency or department heads as resulting in savings to the State of Illinois. Management personnel shall be recognized for their suggestions as the Board considers appropriate but shall not receive any monetary award. Illinois residents, annuitants, Annuitants and employees, other than employees who are management personnel, shall receive awards in accordance with the schedule below. Each award to employees other than management personnel and awards to residents and annuitants shall be paid in one lump sum by the Board created in subsection (b). A monetary award may be increased by appropriation of the General Assembly.

The amount of each award to employees other than management personnel and the award to annuitants and residents shall be determined as follows:

(b) There is created a State Government Employees and Retirees Suggestion Award Board to administer the program described in subsection (a). The Board shall consist of 8 members appointed 2 each by the President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and, as ex-officio, non-voting members, the directors of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget and the Department. Each appointing authority shall designate one initial appointee to serve one year and one initial appointee to serve 2 years; subsequent terms shall be 2 years. Any vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term by the original appointing authority and any member may be reappointed. Board members shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. The Board shall annually elect a chairman from among its number, shall meet monthly or more frequently at the call of the chairman, and shall establish necessary procedures, guidelines, and criteria for the administration of the program. The Board shall annually report to the General Assembly by January 1 on the operation of the program, including the nature and cost-savings of implemented suggestions, and any recommendations for legislative changes it deems appropriate. The General Assembly shall make an annual appropriation to the Board for payment of awards and the expenses of the Board, such as, but not limited to: travel of the members, preparation of publicity material, printing of forms and other matter, and contractual expenses.

(Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06.)