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.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Open Meetings Act is amended by changing
5 Section 2 as follows:
 
6     (5 ILCS 120/2)  (from Ch. 102, par. 42)
7     Sec. 2. Open meetings.
8     (a) Openness required. All meetings of public bodies shall
9 be open to the public unless excepted in subsection (c) and
10 closed in accordance with Section 2a.
11     (b) Construction of exceptions. The exceptions contained
12 in subsection (c) are in derogation of the requirement that
13 public bodies meet in the open, and therefore, the exceptions
14 are to be strictly construed, extending only to subjects
15 clearly within their scope. The exceptions authorize but do not
16 require the holding of a closed meeting to discuss a subject
17 included within an enumerated exception.
18     (c) Exceptions. A public body may hold closed meetings to
19 consider the following subjects:
20         (1) The appointment, employment, compensation,
21     discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific
22     employees of the public body or legal counsel for the
23     public body, including hearing testimony on a complaint

 

 

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1     lodged against an employee of the public body or against
2     legal counsel for the public body to determine its
3     validity.
4         (2) Collective negotiating matters between the public
5     body and its employees or their representatives, or
6     deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more
7     classes of employees.
8         (3) The selection of a person to fill a public office,
9     as defined in this Act, including a vacancy in a public
10     office, when the public body is given power to appoint
11     under law or ordinance, or the discipline, performance or
12     removal of the occupant of a public office, when the public
13     body is given power to remove the occupant under law or
14     ordinance.
15         (4) Evidence or testimony presented in open hearing, or
16     in closed hearing where specifically authorized by law, to
17     a quasi-adjudicative body, as defined in this Act, provided
18     that the body prepares and makes available for public
19     inspection a written decision setting forth its
20     determinative reasoning.
21         (5) The purchase or lease of real property for the use
22     of the public body, including meetings held for the purpose
23     of discussing whether a particular parcel should be
24     acquired.
25         (6) The setting of a price for sale or lease of
26     property owned by the public body.

 

 

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1         (7) The sale or purchase of securities, investments, or
2     investment contracts.
3         (8) Security procedures and the use of personnel and
4     equipment to respond to an actual, a threatened, or a
5     reasonably potential danger to the safety of employees,
6     students, staff, the public, or public property.
7         (9) Student disciplinary cases.
8         (10) The placement of individual students in special
9     education programs and other matters relating to
10     individual students.
11         (11) Litigation, when an action against, affecting or
12     on behalf of the particular public body has been filed and
13     is pending before a court or administrative tribunal, or
14     when the public body finds that an action is probable or
15     imminent, in which case the basis for the finding shall be
16     recorded and entered into the minutes of the closed
17     meeting.
18         (12) The establishment of reserves or settlement of
19     claims as provided in the Local Governmental and
20     Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act, if otherwise the
21     disposition of a claim or potential claim might be
22     prejudiced, or the review or discussion of claims, loss or
23     risk management information, records, data, advice or
24     communications from or with respect to any insurer of the
25     public body or any intergovernmental risk management
26     association or self insurance pool of which the public body

 

 

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1     is a member.
2         (13) Conciliation of complaints of discrimination in
3     the sale or rental of housing, when closed meetings are
4     authorized by the law or ordinance prescribing fair housing
5     practices and creating a commission or administrative
6     agency for their enforcement.
7         (14) Informant sources, the hiring or assignment of
8     undercover personnel or equipment, or ongoing, prior or
9     future criminal investigations, when discussed by a public
10     body with criminal investigatory responsibilities.
11         (15) Professional ethics or performance when
12     considered by an advisory body appointed to advise a
13     licensing or regulatory agency on matters germane to the
14     advisory body's field of competence.
15         (16) Self evaluation, practices and procedures or
16     professional ethics, when meeting with a representative of
17     a statewide association of which the public body is a
18     member.
19         (17) The recruitment, credentialing, discipline or
20     formal peer review of physicians or other health care
21     professionals for a hospital, or other institution
22     providing medical care, that is operated by the public
23     body.
24         (18) Deliberations for decisions of the Prisoner
25     Review Board.
26         (19) Review or discussion of applications received

 

 

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1     under the Experimental Organ Transplantation Procedures
2     Act.
3         (20) The classification and discussion of matters
4     classified as confidential or continued confidential by
5     the State Government Employees Suggestion Award Board.
6         (21) Discussion of minutes of meetings lawfully closed
7     under this Act, whether for purposes of approval by the
8     body of the minutes or semi-annual review of the minutes as
9     mandated by Section 2.06.
10         (22) Deliberations for decisions of the State
11     Emergency Medical Services Disciplinary Review Board.
12         (23) The operation by a municipality of a municipal
13     utility or the operation of a municipal power agency or
14     municipal natural gas agency when the discussion involves
15     (i) contracts relating to the purchase, sale, or delivery
16     of electricity or natural gas or (ii) the results or
17     conclusions of load forecast studies.
18         (24) Meetings of a residential health care facility
19     resident sexual assault and death review team or the
20     Executive Council under the Abuse Prevention Review Team
21     Act.
22     (d) Definitions. For purposes of this Section:
23     "Employee" means a person employed by a public body whose
24 relationship with the public body constitutes an
25 employer-employee relationship under the usual common law
26 rules, and who is not an independent contractor.

 

 

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1     "Public office" means a position created by or under the
2 Constitution or laws of this State, the occupant of which is
3 charged with the exercise of some portion of the sovereign
4 power of this State. The term "public office" shall include
5 members of the public body, but it shall not include
6 organizational positions filled by members thereof, whether
7 established by law or by a public body itself, that exist to
8 assist the body in the conduct of its business.
9     "Quasi-adjudicative body" means an administrative body
10 charged by law or ordinance with the responsibility to conduct
11 hearings, receive evidence or testimony and make
12 determinations based thereon, but does not include local
13 electoral boards when such bodies are considering petition
14 challenges.
15     (e) Final action. No final action may be taken at a closed
16 meeting. Final action shall be preceded by a public recital of
17 the nature of the matter being considered and other information
18 that will inform the public of the business being conducted.
19 (Source: P.A. 93-57, eff. 7-1-03; 93-79, eff. 7-2-03; 93-422,
20 eff. 8-5-03; 93-577, eff. 8-21-03; 94-931, eff. 6-26-06.)
 
21     Section 10. The State Comptroller Act is amended by
22 changing Section 22.2 as follows:
 
23     (15 ILCS 405/22.2)  (from Ch. 15, par. 222.2)
24     Sec. 22.2. State Government Employees Suggestion Award

 

 

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1 Board. Upon request from the State Government Employees
2 Suggestion Award Board, the Comptroller and the Director of the
3 Governor's Office of Management and Budget may hold in reserve
4 the amounts equal to the savings from the appropriate
5 appropriation line item for the State agency involved. The term
6 "reserve" for the purposes of this Section means that such
7 funds shall not be expended nor obligated for the fiscal year
8 designated by the Board.
9 (Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06.)
 
10     Section 15. The Department of Central Management Services
11 Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by
12 changing Section 405-130 as follows:
 
13     (20 ILCS 405/405-130)  (was 20 ILCS 405/67.28)
14     Sec. 405-130. State government employees and retirees
15 suggestion award program.
16     (a) The Department shall assist in the implementation of a
17 State Government Employees and Retirees Suggestion Award
18 Program, to be administered by the Board created in subsection
19 (b). The program shall encourage and reward improvements in the
20 operation of State government that result in substantial
21 monetary savings. Any Illinois resident, any State employee,
22 including management personnel as defined by the Department,
23 any annuitant under Article 14 of the Illinois Pension Code,
24 and any annuitant under Article 15 of that Code who receives a

 

 

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1 retirement or disability retirement annuity, but not including
2 elected officials and departmental directors, may submit a
3 cost-saving suggestion to the Board, which shall direct the
4 suggestion to the appropriate department or agency without
5 disclosing the identity of the suggester. A suggester may make
6 a suggestion or include documentation on matters a department
7 or agency considers confidential, except where prohibited by
8 federal or State law; and no disciplinary or other negative
9 action may be taken against the suggester unless there is a
10 violation of federal or State law.
11     Suggestions, including documentation, upon receipt, shall
12 be given confidential treatment and shall not be subject to
13 subpoena or be made public until the agency affected by it has
14 had the opportunity to request continued confidentiality. The
15 agency, if it requests continued confidentiality, shall attest
16 that disclosure would violate federal or State law or rules and
17 regulations pursuant to federal or State law or is a matter
18 covered under Section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act. The
19 Board shall make its decision on continued confidentiality and,
20 if it so classifies the suggestion, shall notify the suggester
21 and agency. A suggestion classified "continued confidential"
22 shall nevertheless be evaluated and considered for award. A
23 suggestion that the Board finds or the suggester states or
24 implies constitutes a disclosure of information that the
25 suggester reasonably believes evidences (1) a violation of any
26 law, rule, or regulation or (2) mismanagement, a gross waste of

 

 

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1 funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific
2 danger to public health or safety may be referred to the
3 appropriate investigatory or law enforcement agency for
4 consideration for investigation and action. The identity of the
5 suggester may not be disclosed without the consent of the
6 suggester during any investigation of the information and any
7 related matters. Such a suggestion shall also be evaluated and
8 an award made when appropriate. That portion of Board meetings
9 that involves the consideration of suggestions classified
10 "continued confidential" or being considered for that
11 classification shall be closed meetings.
12     The Board may at its discretion make awards for those
13 suggestions certified by agency or department heads as
14 resulting in savings to the State of Illinois. Management
15 personnel shall be recognized for their suggestions as the
16 Board considers appropriate but shall not receive any monetary
17 award. Illinois residents, annuitants, Annuitants and
18 employees, other than employees who are management personnel,
19 shall receive awards in accordance with the schedule below.
20 Each award to employees other than management personnel and
21 awards to residents and annuitants shall be paid in one lump
22 sum by the Board created in subsection (b). A monetary award
23 may be increased by appropriation of the General Assembly.
24     The amount of each award to employees other than management
25 personnel and the award to annuitants and residents shall be
26 determined as follows:

 

 

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1$1.00 to $5,000 savings.......................an amount not
2to exceed
3$500.00 or a
4certificate
5of merit, or
6both, as
7determined
8by the Board
9more than $5,000 up to $20,000 savings........$500 award
10more than $20,000 up to $100,000 savings......$1,000 award
11more than $100,000 up to $200,000 savings.....$2,000 award
12more than $200,000 up to $300,000 savings.....$3,000 award
13more than $300,000 up to $400,000 savings.....$4,000 award
14more than $400,000............................$5,000 award
15     (b) There is created a State Government Employees and
16 Retirees Suggestion Award Board to administer the program
17 described in subsection (a). The Board shall consist of 8
18 members appointed 2 each by the President of the Senate, the
19 Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
20 Representatives, and the Minority Leader of the House of
21 Representatives and, as ex-officio, non-voting members, the
22 directors of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget and
23 the Department. Each appointing authority shall designate one
24 initial appointee to serve one year and one initial appointee
25 to serve 2 years; subsequent terms shall be 2 years. Any
26 vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term by the

 

 

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1 original appointing authority and any member may be
2 reappointed. Board members shall serve without compensation
3 but may be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the performance
4 of their duties. The Board shall annually elect a chairman from
5 among its number, shall meet monthly or more frequently at the
6 call of the chairman, and shall establish necessary procedures,
7 guidelines, and criteria for the administration of the program.
8 The Board shall annually report to the General Assembly by
9 January 1 on the operation of the program, including the nature
10 and cost-savings of implemented suggestions, and any
11 recommendations for legislative changes it deems appropriate.
12 The General Assembly shall make an annual appropriation to the
13 Board for payment of awards and the expenses of the Board, such
14 as, but not limited to: travel of the members, preparation of
15 publicity material, printing of forms and other matter, and
16 contractual expenses.
17 (Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06.)