SB3183enr 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB3183 Enrolled LRB096 19877 JAM 35336 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-106 and by adding Section 4A-108 as follows:

(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) 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 described in item (n) 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) 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) 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 mailed 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.)

(5 ILCS 420/4A-108 new)

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-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 by way of the Internet-based system 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.