HB1542eng 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1542 Engrossed LRB097 08081 JDS 48204 b

AN ACT concerning government.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act is amended by changing Section 4A-108 as follows:

(5 ILCS 420/4A-108)

Sec. 4A-108. Internet-based systems of filing.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act or any other law, a county clerk is authorized to institute an Internet-based system for the filing of statements of economic interests in his or her office. The determination to institute such a system shall be in the sole discretion of the county clerk and shall meet the requirements set out in this Section. When this Section does not modify or remove the requirements set forth elsewhere in this Article, those requirements shall apply to any system of Internet-based filing authorized by this Section. When this Section does modify or remove the requirements set forth elsewhere in this Article, the provisions of this Section shall apply to any system of Internet-based filing authorized by this Section.

(b) In any system of Internet-based filing of statements of economic interests instituted by a county clerk:

(1) Any filing of an Internet-based statement of economic interests shall be the equivalent of the filing of a verified, written statement of economic interests as required by Section 4A-101 and the equivalent of the filing of a verified, dated, and signed statement of economic interests as required by Section 4A-104 4A-103.

(2) A county clerk who institutes a system of Internet-based filing of statements of economic interests shall establish a password-protected web site to receive the filings of such statements. A website established under this Section shall set forth and provide a means of responding to the items set forth in Section 4A-102 that are required of a person who files a statement of economic interests with that officer.

(3) The times for the filing of statements of economic interests set forth in Section 4A-105 shall be followed in any system of Internet-based filing of statements of economic interests; provided that a candidate for elective office who is required to file a statement of economic interests in relation to his or her candidacy pursuant to Section 4A-105(a) shall not use the Internet to file his or her statement of economic interests but shall file his or her statement of economic interests in a written or printed form and shall receive a written or printed receipt for his or her filing.

(4) Following the institution of a system of Internet-based filing of statements of economic interests by a county clerk, all persons required to file a statement of economic interests with that officer must do so through the system of Internet-based filing of statements of economic interests. As part of his or her system of Internet-based filing of statements of economic interests, a county clerk instituting such a system shall make provision for those persons who are required to file a statement of economic interests and who do not have access to the Internet. In the first year of the implementation of a system of Internet-based filing of statements of economic interests, each person required to file such a statement is to be notified in writing, by a notice deposited in the U.S. mail, properly addressed, first class postage prepaid, of his or her obligation to file his or her statement of economic interests and the option to file by way of the Internet-based system or by way of standardized form instituted for that purpose. If access to the web site requires a code or password, this information shall be included in the notice prescribed by this paragraph.

(5) When a person required to file a statement of economic interests has supplied a county clerk with an email address for the purpose of receiving notices under this Article by email, a notice sent by email to the supplied email address shall be the equivalent of a notice sent by first class mail, as set forth in Section 4A-106. A person who has supplied such an email address shall notify the county clerk when his or her email address changes or if he or she no longer wishes to receive notices by email.

(6) If any person who is required to file a statement of economic interests and who has chosen to receive notices by email fails to file his or her statement by May 10, then the county clerk shall send an additional email notice on that date, informing the person that he or she has not filed and describing the penalties for late filing and failing to file. This notice shall be in addition to other notices provided for in this Article.

(7) Each county clerk who institutes a system of Internet-based filing of statements of economic interests may also institute an Internet-based process for the filing of the list of names and addresses of persons required to file statements of economic interests by the chief administrative officers of units of local government that must file such information with that county clerk pursuant to Section 4A-106. Whenever a county clerk institutes such a system under this paragraph, every unit of local government must use the system to file this information.

(8) Any county clerk who institutes a system of Internet-based filing of statements of economic interests shall post the contents of such statements filed with him or her available for inspection and copying on a publicly accessible website. Such postings shall not include the addresses of the filers.

(Source: P.A. 96-1336, eff. 1-1-11.)

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