102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB2533

 

Introduced 2/26/2021, by Sen. Melinda Bush

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
5 ILCS 430/25-5
5 ILCS 430/25-15
5 ILCS 430/25-52

    Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Requires the appointment of at least one member of the general public to the Legislative Ethics Commission. Provides that the Legislative Ethics Commission shall adopt no rule requiring the Legislative Inspector General to seek the Commission's advance approval before commencing an investigation. Provides that within 60 days after receipt of a summary report and response from the ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency head that resulted in the subject of the investigation being found guilty of allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, misconduct, nonfeasance, misfeasance, malfeasance, or violations of the Act, or violations of other related laws and rules, the Legislative Inspector General (currently, Legislative Ethics Commission) shall make available to the public the report and response or a redacted version of the report and response. Allows the Legislative Inspector General to make available to the public any other summary report and response of the ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency head or a redacted version of the report and response without prior approval from the Legislative Ethics Commission. Makes conforming changes.


LRB102 10295 RJF 15622 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB2533LRB102 10295 RJF 15622 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 Sections 25-5, 25-15, and 25-52 as
6follows:
 
7    (5 ILCS 430/25-5)
8    Sec. 25-5. Legislative Ethics Commission.
9    (a) The Legislative Ethics Commission is created.
10    (b) The Legislative Ethics Commission shall consist of 8
11commissioners appointed 2 each by the President and Minority
12Leader of the Senate and the Speaker and Minority Leader of the
13House of Representatives.
14    The terms of the initial commissioners shall commence upon
15qualification. Each appointing authority shall designate one
16appointee who shall serve for a 2-year term running through
17June 30, 2005. Each appointing authority shall designate one
18appointee who shall serve for a 4-year term running through
19June 30, 2007. The initial appointments shall be made within
2060 days after the effective date of this Act.
21    After the initial terms, commissioners shall serve for
224-year terms commencing on July 1 of the year of appointment
23and running through June 30 of the fourth following year.

 

 

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1Commissioners may be reappointed to one or more subsequent
2terms.
3    Vacancies occurring other than at the end of a term shall
4be filled by the appointing authority only for the balance of
5the term of the commissioner whose office is vacant.
6    Terms shall run regardless of whether the position is
7filled.
8    (c) The appointing authorities shall appoint commissioners
9who have experience holding governmental office or employment
10and shall each appoint at least one commissioner of the
11general public and may appoint commissioners who are members
12of the General Assembly as well as commissioners from the
13general public. A commissioner who is a member of the General
14Assembly must recuse himself or herself from participating in
15any matter relating to any investigation or proceeding in
16which he or she is the subject or is a complainant. A person is
17not eligible to serve as a commissioner if that person (i) has
18been convicted of a felony or a crime of dishonesty or moral
19turpitude, (ii) is, or was within the preceding 12 months,
20engaged in activities that require registration under the
21Lobbyist Registration Act, (iii) is a relative of the
22appointing authority, (iv) is a State officer or employee
23other than a member of the General Assembly, or (v) is a
24candidate for statewide office, federal office, or judicial
25office.
26    (c-5) If a commissioner is required to recuse himself or

 

 

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1herself from participating in a matter as provided in
2subsection (c), the recusal shall create a temporary vacancy
3for the limited purpose of consideration of the matter for
4which the commissioner recused himself or herself, and the
5appointing authority for the recusing commissioner shall make
6a temporary appointment to fill the vacancy for consideration
7of the matter for which the commissioner recused himself or
8herself.
9    (d) The Legislative Ethics Commission shall have
10jurisdiction over current and former members of the General
11Assembly regarding events occurring during a member's term of
12office and current and former State employees regarding events
13occurring during any period of employment where the State
14employee's ultimate jurisdictional authority is (i) a
15legislative leader, (ii) the Senate Operations Commission, or
16(iii) the Joint Committee on Legislative Support Services. The
17Legislative Ethics Commission shall have jurisdiction over
18complainants and respondents in violation of subsection (d) of
19Section 25-90. The jurisdiction of the Commission is limited
20to matters arising under this Act.
21    An officer or executive branch State employee serving on a
22legislative branch board or commission remains subject to the
23jurisdiction of the Executive Ethics Commission and is not
24subject to the jurisdiction of the Legislative Ethics
25Commission.
26    (e) The Legislative Ethics Commission must meet, either in

 

 

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1person or by other technological means, monthly or as often as
2necessary. At the first meeting of the Legislative Ethics
3Commission, the commissioners shall choose from their number a
4chairperson and other officers that they deem appropriate. The
5terms of officers shall be for 2 years commencing July 1 and
6running through June 30 of the second following year. Meetings
7shall be held at the call of the chairperson or any 3
8commissioners. Official action by the Commission shall require
9the affirmative vote of 5 commissioners, and a quorum shall
10consist of 5 commissioners. Commissioners shall receive no
11compensation but may be reimbursed for their reasonable
12expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties.
13    (f) No commissioner, other than a commissioner who is a
14member of the General Assembly, or employee of the Legislative
15Ethics Commission may during his or her term of appointment or
16employment:
17        (1) become a candidate for any elective office;
18        (2) hold any other elected or appointed public office
19    except for appointments on governmental advisory boards or
20    study commissions or as otherwise expressly authorized by
21    law;
22        (3) be actively involved in the affairs of any
23    political party or political organization; or
24        (4) advocate for the appointment of another person to
25    an appointed or elected office or position or actively
26    participate in any campaign for any elective office.

 

 

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1    (f-5) No commissioner who is a member of the General
2Assembly may be a candidate for statewide office, federal
3office, or judicial office. If a commissioner who is a member
4of the General Assembly files petitions to be a candidate for a
5statewide office, federal office, or judicial office, he or
6she shall be deemed to have resigned from his or her position
7as a commissioner on the date his or her name is certified for
8the ballot by the State Board of Elections or local election
9authority and his or her position as a commissioner shall be
10deemed vacant. Such person may not be reappointed to the
11Commission during any time he or she is a candidate for
12statewide office, federal office, or judicial office.
13    (g) An appointing authority may remove a commissioner only
14for cause.
15    (h) The Legislative Ethics Commission shall appoint an
16Executive Director subject to the approval of at least 3 of the
174 legislative leaders. The compensation of the Executive
18Director shall be as determined by the Commission. The
19Executive Director of the Legislative Ethics Commission may
20employ, subject to the approval of at least 3 of the 4
21legislative leaders, and determine the compensation of staff,
22as appropriations permit.
23    (i) In consultation with the Legislative Inspector
24General, the Legislative Ethics Commission may develop
25comprehensive training for members and employees under its
26jurisdiction that includes, but is not limited to, sexual

 

 

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1harassment, employment discrimination, and workplace civility.
2The training may be recommended to the ultimate jurisdictional
3authorities and may be approved by the Commission to satisfy
4the sexual harassment training required under Section 5-10.5
5or be provided in addition to the annual sexual harassment
6training required under Section 5-10.5. The Commission may
7seek input from governmental agencies or private entities for
8guidance in developing such training.
9(Source: P.A. 100-588, eff. 6-8-18; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19;
10101-221, eff. 8-9-19; 101-617, eff. 12-20-19.)
 
11    (5 ILCS 430/25-15)
12    Sec. 25-15. Duties of the Legislative Ethics Commission.
13In addition to duties otherwise assigned by law, the
14Legislative Ethics Commission shall have the following duties:
15        (1) To promulgate rules governing the performance of
16    its duties and the exercise of its powers and governing
17    the investigations of the Legislative Inspector General;
18    except that, the Legislative Ethics Commission shall adopt
19    no rule requiring the Legislative Inspector General to
20    seek the Commission's advance approval before commencing
21    any investigation authorized under this Article. Any
22    existing rule, as of the effective date of this amendatory
23    Act of the 102nd General Assembly, requiring the
24    Legislative Inspector General to seek the Commission's
25    advance approval before commencing any investigation is

 

 

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1    void. The rules shall be available on the Commission's
2    website and any proposed changes to the rules must be made
3    available to the public on the Commission's website no
4    less than 7 days before the adoption of the changes. Any
5    person shall be given an opportunity to provide written or
6    oral testimony before the Commission in support of or
7    opposition to proposed rules.
8        (2) To conduct administrative hearings and rule on
9    matters brought before the Commission only upon the
10    receipt of pleadings filed by the Legislative Inspector
11    General and not upon its own prerogative, but may appoint
12    special Legislative Inspectors General as provided in
13    Section 25-21. Any other allegations of misconduct
14    received by the Commission from a person other than the
15    Legislative Inspector General shall be referred to the
16    Office of the Legislative Inspector General.
17        (3) To prepare and publish manuals and guides and,
18    working with the Office of the Attorney General, oversee
19    training of employees under its jurisdiction that explains
20    their duties.
21        (4) To prepare public information materials to
22    facilitate compliance, implementation, and enforcement of
23    this Act.
24        (5) To submit reports as required by this Act.
25        (6) To the extent authorized by this Act, to make
26    rulings, issue recommendations, and impose administrative

 

 

SB2533- 8 -LRB102 10295 RJF 15622 b

1    fines, if appropriate, in connection with the
2    implementation and interpretation of this Act. The powers
3    and duties of the Commission are limited to matters
4    clearly within the purview of this Act.
5        (7) To issue subpoenas with respect to matters pending
6    before the Commission, subject to the provisions of this
7    Article and in the discretion of the Commission, to compel
8    the attendance of witnesses for purposes of testimony and
9    the production of documents and other items for inspection
10    and copying.
11        (8) To appoint special Legislative Inspectors General
12    as provided in Section 25-21.
13        (9) To conspicuously display on the Commission's
14    website the procedures for reporting a violation of this
15    Act, including how to report violations via email or
16    online.
17        (10) To conspicuously display on the Commission's
18    website any vacancies within the Office of the Legislative
19    Inspector General.
20        (11) To appoint an Acting Legislative Inspector
21    General in the event of a vacancy in the Office of the
22    Legislative Inspector General.
23(Source: P.A. 100-554, eff. 11-16-17; 100-588, eff. 6-8-18.)
 
24    (5 ILCS 430/25-52)
25    Sec. 25-52. Release of summary reports.

 

 

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1    (a) Within 60 days after receipt of a summary report and
2response from the ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency
3head that resulted in the subject of the investigation being
4found guilty of allegations of fraud, waste, abuse,
5mismanagement, misconduct, nonfeasance, misfeasance,
6malfeasance, or violations of this Act, or violations of other
7related laws and rules a suspension of at least 3 days or
8termination of employment, the Legislative Inspector General
9Ethics Commission shall make available to the public the
10report and response or a redacted version of the report and
11response. The Legislative Inspector General Ethics Commission
12may make available to the public any other summary report and
13response of the ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency
14head or a redacted version of the report and response without
15prior approval from the Legislative Ethics Commission. The
16Legislative Ethics Commission shall adopt no rule requiring
17the Legislative Inspector General to seek the Commission's
18advance approval before publishing summary reports authorized
19under this Article. Any existing rule, as of the effective
20date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly,
21requiring the Legislative Inspector General to seek the
22Commission's advance approval before commencing any
23investigation is void.
24    (b) The Legislative Ethics Commission shall redact
25information in the summary report that may reveal the identity
26of witnesses, complainants, or informants or if the Commission

 

 

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1determines it is appropriate to protect the identity of a
2person before publication. The Commission may also redact any
3information it believes should not be made public. Prior to
4publication, the Commission shall permit the respondents,
5Legislative Inspector General, and Attorney General to review
6documents to be made public and offer suggestions for
7redaction or provide a response that shall be made public with
8the summary report.
9    (c) The Legislative Ethics Commission may withhold
10publication of the report or response if the Legislative
11Inspector General or Attorney General certifies that
12publication will interfere with an ongoing investigation.
13(Source: P.A. 96-555, eff. 8-18-09.)