(30 ILCS 105/15a) (from Ch. 127, par. 151a)
    Sec. 15a. Contractual services. The item "contractual services", when used in an appropriation act, means and includes:
        (a) Expenditures incident to the current conduct and
    
operation of an office, department, board, commission, institution or agency for postage and postal charges, surety bond premiums, publications, subscriptions, office conveniences and services, exclusive of commodities as herein defined;
        (b) Expenditures for rental of property or equipment,
    
repair or maintenance of property or equipment including related supplies, equipment, materials, services, replacement fixtures and repair parts, utility services, professional or technical services, moving expenses incident to a new State employment, and transportation charges exclusive of "travel" as herein defined;
        (c) Expenditures for the rental of lodgings in
    
Springfield, Illinois and for the payment of utilities used in connection with such lodgings for all elected State officials, who are required by Section 1, Article V of the Constitution of the State of Illinois to reside at the seat of government during their term of office;
        (d) Expenditures pursuant to multi-year lease,
    
lease-purchase or installment purchase contracts for duplicating equipment authorized by Section 5.1 of the Illinois Purchasing Act;
        (e) Expenditures of $5,000 or less per project for
    
improvements to real property which, except for the operation of this Section, would be classified as "permanent improvements" as defined in Section 21;
        (f) Expenditures pursuant to multi-year lease,
    
lease-purchase or installment purchase contracts for land, permanent improvements or fixtures.
        (g) Expenditures for facilities management,
    
communication, information technology, and professional services provided by the Department of Central Management Services pursuant to the Department of Central Management Services Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.
    The item "contractual services" does not, however, include any expenditures included in "operation of automotive equipment" as defined in Section 24.2.
    The item "contractual services" does not include any expenditures for professional, technical, or other services performed for a State agency under a contract executed after July 1, 1992 by a person who was formerly employed by that agency and has received any early retirement incentive under Section 14-108.3 or 16-133.3 of the Illinois Pension Code based on retirement before 1993, unless the official or employee executing the contract on behalf of the agency has certified that the person performing the services either (i) possesses unique expertise, or (ii) is essential to the operation of the agency. This certification must be filed with the Office of the Auditor General prior to the execution of the contract, and shall be made available by that Office for public inspection and copying. The item "contractual services" does not include any expenditures for professional, technical, or other services performed for a State agency under a contract executed after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly by a person who has received any early retirement incentive under Section 14-108.3 or 16-133.3 of the Illinois Pension Code based on retirement in 2002 or later. A contract not payable from the contractual services item because of this paragraph shall not be payable from any other item of appropriation. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term "agency" includes all offices, boards, commissions, departments, agencies, and institutions of State government.
(Source: P.A. 94-91, eff. 7-1-05.)