SB2168 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB094 14763 RCE 50686 b

94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
SB2168

Introduced 1/4/2006, by Sen. Susan Garrett

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

25 ILCS 135/5.02	from Ch. 63, par. 29.2
25 ILCS 145/5.09

Amends the Legislative Information System Act and the Legislative Reference Bureau Act. For the 95th General Assembly and thereafter, requires LIS to make available on the General Assembly's web site the following additional bill status information: purpose or general idea of bill; justification for bill; prior legislative history; fiscal and other implications; and proponents and opponents. Requires LRB to include this additional information in the Legislative Synopsis and Digest.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning the legislature.

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

Section 5. The Legislative Reference Bureau Act is amended by changing Section 5.02 as follows:

(25 ILCS 135/5.02) (from Ch. 63, par. 29.2)

Sec. 5.02. Legislative Synopsis and Digest.

(a) The Legislative Reference Bureau shall collect, catalogue, classify, index, completely digest, topically index, and summarize all bills, resolutions, and orders introduced in each branch of the General Assembly, as well as related amendments, conference committee reports, and veto messages, as soon as practicable after they have been printed. The Digest shall also include the information required under item (4.1) of Section 5.09 of the Legislative Information System Act.

(b) The Digest shall be published each week during the session of the General Assembly when practical.

(c) The Legislative Reference Bureau shall furnish, without cost, 2 copies of the Digest to each member of the General Assembly, 1 copy to each elected State officer in the executive department, 40 copies to the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives and 30 copies to the Secretary of the Senate for the use of the committee clerks and employees of the respective offices, 15 copies to the Legislative Research Unit, and the number of copies requested in writing by the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the House.

(d) The Legislative Reference Bureau shall also furnish to each county clerk, without cost, one copy of the Digest for each 100,000 inhabitants or fraction thereof in his or her county according to the last preceding federal decennial census.

(e) Upon receipt of an application from any other person, signed by the applicant and accompanied by the payment of a fee of $55, the Legislative Reference Bureau shall furnish to the applicant a copy of each Digest for the calendar year issued after receipt of the application.

(Source: P.A. 87-918.)

Section 10. The Legislative Information System Act is amended by changing Section 5.09 as follows:

(25 ILCS 145/5.09)

Sec. 5.09. Public computer access; legislative information. To make available to the public all of the following information in electronic form:

(1) On or before July 1, 1999, the weekly schedule of legislative floor sessions for each of the 2 houses of the General Assembly together with a list of matters pending before them and the weekly schedule of legislative committee hearings together with matters scheduled for their consideration.

(2) On or before July 1, 1999, a list of the committees of the General Assembly and their members.

(3) On or before July 1, 1999, the text of each bill and resolution introduced and of each engrossed, enrolled, and re-enrolled bill and resolution and the text of each adopted amendment and conference committee report.

(4) On or before July 1, 1999, a synopsis of items specified in paragraph (3) of this Section, together with a summary of legislative and gubernatorial actions regarding each bill and resolution introduced.

(4.1) For the Ninety-fifth General Assembly and thereafter, in addition to the bill status information required under item (4):

(A) The purpose or general idea of the bill. This information shall be provided to the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House of Representatives, as applicable, by the principal sponsor of the bill in the chamber in which the bill is introduced. The Secretary or Clerk, as applicable, shall promptly forward the information to the Legislative Information System (LIS) in an electronic format. The information shall be limited to 200 words.

(B) The justification for the bill. This information shall be provided to the Secretary or the Clerk, as applicable, by the principal sponsor of the bill in the chamber in which the bill is introduced. The Secretary or Clerk, as applicable, shall promptly forward the information to LIS in an electronic format. The information shall be limited to 500 words.

(C) Prior legislative history. This information shall include an identification, limited to the bill number and number of the General Assembly, of all identical or substantially similar bills in the then current and the 2 previous General Assemblies. This information shall be provided to the Secretary or the Clerk, as applicable, by the principal sponsor of the bill in the chamber in which the bill is introduced. The Secretary or Clerk, as applicable, shall promptly forward the information to LIS in an electronic format.

(D) Fiscal and other implications. This information shall be a synopsis of each Fiscal Note, Pension Impact Note, Judicial Note, State Debt Impact Note, Correctional Budget and Impact Note, Home Rule Note, Balanced Budget Note, State Mandate Note, and similar note required to be filed by law with the Secretary or Clerk, as applicable, with respect to the bill. The synopsis shall be prepared by the Legislative Reference Bureau and provided to LIS in an electronic format as soon as practical.

(E) Proponents and opponents. This information shall include the name of each person filing a witness slip with Secretary or Clerk, as applicable, when the bill, an amendment, or a conference committee report is heard in a substantive committee. The information shall include the position taken (proponent, opponent, or no position) and the entity represented by the person, if applicable. This information shall be prepared by the Secretary or Clerk, as applicable, and provided to LIS in an electronic format as soon as practical.

(5) On or before July 1, 1999, the Rules of the House and the Senate of the General Assembly.

(6) Before the conclusion of the Ninety-second General Assembly, the text of Public Acts.

(7) Before the conclusion of the Ninety-second General Assembly, the Illinois Compiled Statutes.

(8) Before the conclusion of the Ninety-second General Assembly, the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois.

(9) Before the conclusion of the Ninety-second General Assembly, the text of the Illinois Administrative Code.

(10) Before the conclusion of the Ninety-second General Assembly, the most current issue of the Illinois Register published on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1998.

(11) Any other information that the Joint Committee on Legislative Support Services elects to make available.

The information shall be made available to the public through the World Wide Web. The information may also be made available by any other means of access that would facilitate public access to the information.

Any documentation that describes the electronic digital formats of the information shall be made available through the World Wide Web.

Personal information concerning a person who accesses this public information may be maintained only for the purpose of providing service to the person.

No fee or other charge may be imposed by the Legislative Information System as a condition of accessing the information, except that a reasonable fee may be charged for any customized services and shall be deposited into the General Assembly Computer Equipment Revolving Fund.

The electronic public access provided through the World Wide Web shall be in addition to any other electronic or print distribution of the information.

No action taken under this Section shall be deemed to alter or relinquish any copyright or other proprietary interest or entitlement of the State of Illinois relating to any of the information made available under this Section.

The information shall be made available as provided in this Section in the shortest practicable time after it is publicly available in any other form; provided that the System may make information available under this Section only if the availability in no way reduces the quality and timeliness of service available to and required under this Act for legislative users and does not unduly burden the General Assembly or its support services agencies. Failure to provide information under this Section does not affect the validity of any action of the General Assembly. The General Assembly and the State of Illinois are not liable for the accuracy, availability, or use of the information provided under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 90-666, eff. 7-30-98.)