HB5598 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB097 19054 NHT 64293 b

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5598

Introduced 2/15/2012, by Rep. Jim Durkin - Darlene J. Senger - Kent Gaffney - Chad Hays - Jim Sacia

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

5 ILCS 420/4A-101	from Ch. 127, par. 604A-101
5 ILCS 420/4A-102	from Ch. 127, par. 604A-102
5 ILCS 420/4A-106	from Ch. 127, par. 604A-106
5 ILCS 420/4A-107	from Ch. 127, par. 604A-107

Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Requires members of the investment advisory panel created under the Illinois Prepaid Tuition Act to file verified written statements of economic interests with the Secretary of State. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

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 Sections 4A-101, 4A-102, 4A-106, and 4A-107 as follows:

(5 ILCS 420/4A-101) (from Ch. 127, par. 604A-101)

Sec. 4A-101. Persons required to file. The following persons shall file verified written statements of economic interests, as provided in this Article:

(a) Members of the General Assembly and candidates for nomination or election to the General Assembly.

(b) Persons holding an elected office in the Executive Branch of this State, and candidates for nomination or election to these offices.

(c) Members of a Commission or Board created by the Illinois Constitution, and candidates for nomination or election to such Commission or Board.

(d) Persons whose appointment to office is subject to confirmation by the Senate and persons appointed by the Governor to any other position on a board or commission described in subsection (a) of Section 15 of the Gubernatorial Boards and Commissions Act.

(e) Holders of, and candidates for nomination or election to, the office of judge or associate judge of the Circuit Court and the office of judge of the Appellate or Supreme Court.

(f) Persons who are employed by any branch, agency, authority or board of the government of this State, including but not limited to, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, the Illinois Housing Development Authority, the Illinois Community College Board, and institutions under the jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University, Board of Trustees of Chicago State University, Board of Trustees of Eastern Illinois University, Board of Trustees of Governor's State University, Board of Trustees of Illinois State University, Board of Trustees of Northeastern Illinois University, Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois University, Board of Trustees of Western Illinois University, or Board of Trustees of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, and are compensated for services as employees and not as independent contractors and who:

(1) are, or function as, the head of a department, commission, board, division, bureau, authority or other administrative unit within the government of this State, or who exercise similar authority within the government of this State;

(2) have direct supervisory authority over, or direct responsibility for the formulation, negotiation, issuance or execution of contracts entered into by the State in the amount of $5,000 or more;

(3) have authority for the issuance or promulgation of rules and regulations within areas under the authority of the State;

(4) have authority for the approval of professional licenses;

(5) have responsibility with respect to the financial inspection of regulated nongovernmental entities;

(6) adjudicate, arbitrate, or decide any judicial or administrative proceeding, or review the adjudication, arbitration or decision of any judicial or administrative proceeding within the authority of the State;

(7) have supervisory responsibility for 20 or more employees of the State;

(8) negotiate, assign, authorize, or grant naming rights or sponsorship rights regarding any property or asset of the State, whether real, personal, tangible, or intangible; or

(9) have responsibility with respect to the procurement of goods or services.

(g) Persons who are elected to office in a unit of local government, and candidates for nomination or election to that office, including regional superintendents of school districts.

(h) Persons appointed to the governing board of a unit of local government, or of a special district, and persons appointed to a zoning board, or zoning board of appeals, or to a regional, county, or municipal plan commission, or to a board of review of any county, and persons appointed to the Board of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority and any Trustee appointed under Section 22 of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority Act, and persons appointed to a board or commission of a unit of local government who have authority to authorize the expenditure of public funds. This subsection does not apply to members of boards or commissions who function in an advisory capacity.

(i) Persons who are employed by a unit of local government and are compensated for services as employees and not as independent contractors and who:

(1) are, or function as, the head of a department, division, bureau, authority or other administrative unit within the unit of local government, or who exercise similar authority within the unit of local government;

(2) have direct supervisory authority over, or direct responsibility for the formulation, negotiation, issuance or execution of contracts entered into by the unit of local government in the amount of $1,000 or greater;

(3) have authority to approve licenses and permits by the unit of local government; this item does not include employees who function in a ministerial capacity;

(4) adjudicate, arbitrate, or decide any judicial or administrative proceeding, or review the adjudication, arbitration or decision of any judicial or administrative proceeding within the authority of the unit of local government;

(5) have authority to issue or promulgate rules and regulations within areas under the authority of the unit of local government; or

(6) have supervisory responsibility for 20 or more employees of the unit of local government.

(j) Persons on the Board of Trustees of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy.

(k) Persons employed by a school district in positions that require that person to hold an administrative or a chief school business official endorsement.

(l) Special government agents. A "special government agent" is a person who is directed, retained, designated, appointed, or employed, with or without compensation, by or on behalf of a statewide executive branch constitutional officer to make an ex parte communication under Section 5-50 of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act or Section 5-165 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

(m) Members of the board of commissioners of any flood prevention district created under the Flood Prevention District Act or the Beardstown Regional Flood Prevention District Act.

(n) Members of the board of any retirement system or investment board established under the Illinois Pension Code, if not required to file under any other provision of this Section.

(o) Members of the board of any pension fund established under the Illinois Pension Code, if not required to file under any other provision of this Section.

(p) Members of the investment advisory panel created under Section 20 of the Illinois Prepaid Tuition Act.

This Section shall not be construed to prevent any unit of local government from enacting financial disclosure requirements that mandate more information than required by this Act.

(Source: P.A. 96-6, eff. 4-3-09; 96-543, eff. 8-17-09; 96-555, eff. 8-18-09; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10; 97-309, eff. 8-11-11.)

(5 ILCS 420/4A-102) (from Ch. 127, par. 604A-102)

Sec. 4A-102. The statement of economic interests required by this Article shall include the economic interests of the person making the statement as provided in this Section. The interest (if constructively controlled by the person making the statement) of a spouse or any other party, shall be considered to be the same as the interest of the person making the statement. Campaign receipts shall not be included in this statement.

(a) The following interests shall be listed by all persons required to file:

(1) The name, address and type of practice of any professional organization or individual professional practice in which the person making the statement was an officer, director, associate, partner or proprietor, or served in any advisory capacity, from which income in excess of $1200 was derived during the preceding calendar year;

(2) The nature of professional services (other than services rendered to the unit or units of government in relation to which the person is required to file) and the nature of the entity to which they were rendered if fees exceeding $5,000 were received during the preceding calendar year from the entity for professional services rendered by the person making the statement.

(3) The identity (including the address or legal description of real estate) of any capital asset from which a capital gain of $5,000 or more was realized in the preceding calendar year.

(4) The name of any unit of government which has employed the person making the statement during the preceding calendar year other than the unit or units of government in relation to which the person is required to file.

(5) The name of any entity from which a gift or gifts, or honorarium or honoraria, valued singly or in the aggregate in excess of $500, was received during the preceding calendar year.

(b) The following interests shall also be listed by persons listed in items (a) through (f), item (l), and item (n), and item (p) of Section 4A-101:

(1) The name and instrument of ownership in any entity doing business in the State of Illinois, in which an ownership interest held by the person at the date of filing is in excess of $5,000 fair market value or from which dividends of in excess of $1,200 were derived during the preceding calendar year. (In the case of real estate, location thereof shall be listed by street address, or if none, then by legal description). No time or demand deposit in a financial institution, nor any debt instrument need be listed;

(2) Except for professional service entities, the name of any entity and any position held therein from which income of in excess of $1,200 was derived during the preceding calendar year, if the entity does business in the State of Illinois. No time or demand deposit in a financial institution, nor any debt instrument need be listed.

(3) The identity of any compensated lobbyist with whom the person making the statement maintains a close economic association, including the name of the lobbyist and specifying the legislative matter or matters which are the object of the lobbying activity, and describing the general type of economic activity of the client or principal on whose behalf that person is lobbying.

(c) The following interests shall also be listed by persons listed in items (g), (h), (i), and (o) of Section 4A-101:

(1) The name and instrument of ownership in any entity doing business with a unit of local government in relation to which the person is required to file if the ownership interest of the person filing is greater than $5,000 fair market value as of the date of filing or if dividends in excess of $1,200 were received from the entity during the preceding calendar year. (In the case of real estate, location thereof shall be listed by street address, or if none, then by legal description). No time or demand deposit in a financial institution, nor any debt instrument need be listed.

(2) Except for professional service entities, the name of any entity and any position held therein from which income in excess of $1,200 was derived during the preceding calendar year if the entity does business with a unit of local government in relation to which the person is required to file. No time or demand deposit in a financial institution, nor any debt instrument need be listed.

(3) The name of any entity and the nature of the governmental action requested by any entity which has applied to a unit of local government in relation to which the person must file for any license, franchise or permit for annexation, zoning or rezoning of real estate during the preceding calendar year if the ownership interest of the person filing is in excess of $5,000 fair market value at the time of filing or if income or dividends in excess of $1,200 were received by the person filing from the entity during the preceding calendar year.

For the purposes of this Section, the unit of local government in relation to which a person required to file under item (o) of Section 4A-101 shall be the unit of local government that contributes to the pension fund of which such person is a member of the board.

(Source: P.A. 96-6, eff. 4-3-09.)

(5 ILCS 420/4A-106) (from Ch. 127, par. 604A-106)

Sec. 4A-106. The statements of economic interests required of persons listed in items (a) through (f), item (j), item (l), and item (n), and item (p) of Section 4A-101 shall be filed with the Secretary of State. The statements of economic interests required of persons listed in items (g), (h), (i), (k), and (o) of Section 4A-101 shall be filed with the county clerk of the county in which the principal office of the unit of local government with which the person is associated is located. If it is not apparent which county the principal office of a unit of local government is located, the chief administrative officer, or his or her designee, has the authority, for purposes of this Act, to determine the county in which the principal office is located. On or before February 1 annually, (1) the chief administrative officer of any State agency in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch employing persons required to file under item (f) or item (l) of Section 4A-101 and the chief administrative officer of a board or panel described in item (n) or (p) of Section 4A-101 shall certify to the Secretary of State the names and mailing addresses of those persons, and (2) the chief administrative officer, or his or her designee, of each unit of local government with persons described in items (h), (i) and (k) and a board described in item (o) of Section 4A-101 shall certify to the appropriate county clerk a list of names and addresses of persons described in items (h), (i), (k), and (o) of Section 4A-101 that are required to file. In preparing the lists, each chief administrative officer, or his or her designee, shall set out the names in alphabetical order.

On or before April 1 annually, the Secretary of State shall notify (1) all persons whose names have been certified to him under items (f), (l), and (n), and (p) of Section 4A-101, and (2) all persons described in items (a) through (e) and item (j) of Section 4A-101, other than candidates for office who have filed their statements with their nominating petitions, of the requirements for filing statements of economic interests. A person required to file with the Secretary of State by virtue of more than one item among items (a) through (f) and items (j), (l), and (n), and (p) shall be notified of and is required to file only one statement of economic interests relating to all items under which the person is required to file with the Secretary of State.

On or before April 1 annually, the county clerk of each county shall notify all persons whose names have been certified to him under items (g), (h), (i), (k), and (o) of Section 4A-101, other than candidates for office who have filed their statements with their nominating petitions, of the requirements for filing statements of economic interests. A person required to file with a county clerk by virtue of more than one item among items (g), (h), (i), (k), and (o) shall be notified of and is required to file only one statement of economic interests relating to all items under which the person is required to file with that county clerk.

Except as provided in Section 4A-106.1, the notices provided for in this Section shall be in writing and deposited in the U.S. Mail, properly addressed, first class postage prepaid, on or before the day required by this Section for the sending of the notice. Alternatively, a county clerk may send the notices electronically to all persons whose names have been thus certified to him under item (h), (i), or (k) of Section 4A-101. A certificate executed by the Secretary of State or county clerk attesting that he or she has sent the notice by the means permitted by this Section constitutes prima facie evidence thereof.

From the lists certified to him under this Section of persons described in items (g), (h), (i), (k), and (o) of Section 4A-101, the clerk of each county shall compile an alphabetical listing of persons required to file statements of economic interests in his office under any of those items. As the statements are filed in his office, the county clerk shall cause the fact of that filing to be indicated on the alphabetical listing of persons who are required to file statements. Within 30 days after the due dates, the county clerk shall mail to the State Board of Elections a true copy of that listing showing those who have filed statements.

The county clerk of each county shall note upon the alphabetical listing the names of all persons required to file a statement of economic interests who failed to file a statement on or before May 1. It shall be the duty of the several county clerks to give notice as provided in Section 4A-105 to any person who has failed to file his or her statement with the clerk on or before May 1.

Any person who files or has filed a statement of economic interest under this Act is entitled to receive from the Secretary of State or county clerk, as the case may be, a receipt indicating that the person has filed such a statement, the date of such filing, and the identity of the governmental unit or units in relation to which the filing is required.

The Secretary of State may employ such employees and consultants as he considers necessary to carry out his duties hereunder, and may prescribe their duties, fix their compensation, and provide for reimbursement of their expenses.

All statements of economic interests filed under this Section shall be available for examination and copying by the public at all reasonable times. Not later than 12 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, beginning with statements filed in calendar year 2004, the Secretary of State shall make statements of economic interests filed with the Secretary available for inspection and copying via the Secretary's website.

(Source: P.A. 96-6, eff. 4-3-09; 96-1336, eff. 1-1-11.)

(5 ILCS 420/4A-107) (from Ch. 127, par. 604A-107)

Sec. 4A-107. Any person required to file a statement of economic interests under this Article who willfully files a false or incomplete statement shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

Except when the fees and penalties for late filing have been waived under Section 4A-105, failure to file a statement within the time prescribed shall result in ineligibility for, or forfeiture of, office or position of employment, as the case may be; provided, however, that if the notice of failure to file a statement of economic interests provided in Section 4A-105 of this Act is not given by the Secretary of State or the county clerk, as the case may be, no forfeiture shall result if a statement is filed within 30 days of actual notice of the failure to file. The Secretary of State shall provide the Attorney General with the names of persons who failed to file a statement. The county clerk shall provide the State's Attorney of the county of the entity for which the filing of statement of economic interest is required with the name of persons who failed to file a statement.

The Attorney General, with respect to offices or positions described in items (a) through (f) and items (j), (l), and (n), and (p) of Section 4A-101 of this Act, or the State's Attorney of the county of the entity for which the filing of statements of economic interests is required, with respect to offices or positions described in items (g) through (i), item (k), and item (o) of Section 4A-101 of this Act, shall bring an action in quo warranto against any person who has failed to file by either May 31 or June 30 of any given year and for whom the fees and penalties for late filing have not been waived under Section 4A-105.

(Source: P.A. 96-6, eff. 4-3-09; 96-550, eff. 8-17-09; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10.)

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