State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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92_HB4457eng

 
HB4457 Engrossed                               LRB9214505DJmg

 1        AN ACT in relation to military affairs.

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

 4        Section  5.  The  Military Code of Illinois is amended by
 5    adding Article V-A and changing the heading of Article VII as
 6    follows:

 7        (20 ILCS 1805/Art. V-A heading new)
 8            ARTICLE V-A. NATIONAL GUARD EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS

 9        (20 ILCS 1805/30.1 new)
10        Sec. 30.1.  Article short  title.  This  Article  may  be
11    cited as the Illinois National Guard Employment Rights Law.

12        (20 ILCS 1805/30.5 new)
13        Sec.   30.5.    Public   policy.    As  a  guide  to  the
14    interpretation and application of this  Article,  the  public
15    policy of the State is declared as follows:
16        The  United  States  has  provided  for  the reemployment
17    rights of members of the  Reserve  Components  of  the  armed
18    forces,  and  of  the  National  Guard  of  the states, while
19    serving in duty or training statuses pursuant to Title 10  or
20    32  of  the  United  States  Code,  by enacting the Uniformed
21    Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, codified  at
22    Title  38,  United  States  Code,  Chapter  43. The Uniformed
23    Services Employment and  Reemployment  Rights  Act,  however,
24    does  not  provide  any  such  protection  to  members of the
25    National Guard serving the states,  including  the  State  of
26    Illinois, in a State Active Duty status pursuant to orders of
27    the Governor.
28        The  United  States has also provided relief from certain
29    civil obligations for personnel of the  United  States  armed
 
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 1    forces  serving  on federal active duty under Title 10 of the
 2    United States Code, by enacting the  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'
 3    Civil  Relief  Act  of  1940,  codified at Title 50 Appendix,
 4    United States Code, Sections 501-591. Members of the National
 5    Guard serving other than in such a federal active duty status
 6    under Title 10 of the United States Code,  however,  are  not
 7    subject  to,  nor  do  they  receive  the protections of, the
 8    Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940.
 9        As a constituent commonwealth of the United  States,  and
10    in accordance with the constitutions of the United States and
11    of  the State of Illinois, the State of Illinois must provide
12    for  the  defense  of  its  citizens  and  territory  against
13    domestic and foreign threats, and the Illinois National Guard
14    is an essential part of the  State's  ability  to  meet  such
15    threats.    It  is therefore declared to be the policy of the
16    State of Illinois (i) to ensure the readiness of  members  of
17    the   National   Guard   to   execute  missions  assigned  by
18    appropriate federal  or  State  authorities  by  guaranteeing
19    adequate  protections  of  their  right to return to civilian
20    employment upon completion of State Active Duty and  (ii)  to
21    grant members of the National Guard relief from certain civil
22    obligations  while  performing  periods  of  training or duty
23    under Title 32 of the United States  Code  and  State  Active
24    Duty.

25        (20 ILCS 1805/30.10 new)
26        Sec. 30.10. Definitions.  In this Article:
27        "National  Guard"  has the definition provided by federal
28    law at 10 U.S.C. 101(c).
29        "Illinois National Guard" has the definition provided  in
30    Sections 5 and 7 of this Code.
31        "Federal  active duty under Title 10 of the United States
32    Code" means active federal service of members of the National
33    Guard pursuant to any provision of Chapter 1209 of  Title  10
 
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 1    of the United States Code.
 2        "Training  or  duty  under  Title 32 of the United States
 3    Code" means active or inactive  National  Guard  training  or
 4    duty  performed  pursuant  to  Chapter  5  of Title 32 of the
 5    United  States  Code  and  pursuant  to  the  orders  of  the
 6    Governor.
 7        "State Active Duty" means National Guard  duty  performed
 8    in the active service of any state or United States territory
 9    or  commonwealth  in accordance with that jurisdiction's laws
10    and pursuant to the orders of the Governor concerned. It does
11    not refer to active duty performed pursuant to Chapter  5  of
12    Title 32 of the United States Code and pursuant to the orders
13    of the Governor.
14        "Political   subdivision"   means   any   unit  of  local
15    government or school district.

16        (20 ILCS 1805/30.15 new)
17        Sec.   30.15.  National   Guard;   State   Active   Duty;
18    reemployment rights.
19        (a)  Any  member  of  the  National  Guard  ("a  member")
20    employed by a private employer in the State of Illinois or by
21    the State of Illinois or any  political  subdivision  of  the
22    State   whose  absence  from  a  position  of  employment  is
23    necessitated by reason of being called to State Active  Duty,
24    whether  or  not voluntary, shall be entitled to reemployment
25    rights and benefits and other employment benefits under  this
26    Article if:
27             (1)  the  member  (or  an appropriate officer of the
28        National Guard in which the  service  is  performed)  has
29        given  advance  written or oral notice of the service, if
30        reasonably possible;
31             (2)  the  member   reports   to,   or   submits   an
32        application   for   reemployment   to,  the  employer  in
33        accordance with the provisions of subsection (e); and
 
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 1             (3)  the character of the member's service on  State
 2        Active Duty was honorable, under honorable conditions, or
 3        otherwise characterized as satisfactory.
 4        (b)  No  notice  is  required  under  subsection  (a)  if
 5    precluded  by  military  necessity,  or  if the giving of the
 6    notice  is  not  reasonably  possible,  under  all   relevant
 7    circumstances.  A written determination of military necessity
 8    for the purposes of this subsection  shall  be  made  by  the
 9    Adjutant  General  of  Illinois  and  shall not be subject to
10    judicial review.
11        (c)  An employer is not required  to  reemploy  a  member
12    under this Section if:
13             (1)  the employer's circumstances have so changed as
14        to  make such reemployment impossible or unreasonable, or
15        if reemployment would impose an  undue  hardship  on  the
16        employer; or
17             (2)  the  employment from which the member leaves to
18        serve in the National Guard on State Active Duty is for a
19        brief, nonrecurrent period and  there  is  no  reasonable
20        expectation    that    the   employment   will   continue
21        indefinitely or for a significant period.
22        (d)  In any proceeding involving an issue of whether  (i)
23    any  reemployment referred to in subsection (c) is impossible
24    or  unreasonable  because  of  a  change  in  an   employer's
25    circumstances;  (ii)  any  accommodation, training, or effort
26    referred to in  subdivision  (c)(1)  would  impose  an  undue
27    hardship on the employer; or (iii) the employment referred to
28    in subdivision (c)(2) is for a brief, nonrecurrent period and
29    there  is  no reasonable expectation that the employment will
30    continue  indefinitely  or  for  a  significant  period,  the
31    employer has the  burden  of  proving  the  impossibility  or
32    unreasonableness,   the  undue  hardship,  or  the  brief  or
33    nonrecurrent nature of the employment  without  a  reasonable
34    expectation  of  continuing indefinitely or for a significant
 
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 1    period.
 2        (e)  Subject to subsection (f), a member referred  to  in
 3    subsection  (a)  shall,  upon completion of a period of State
 4    Active Duty, notify the employer referred  to  in  subsection
 5    (a)  of  the  member's  intent  to  return  to  a position of
 6    employment with the employer as follows:
 7             (1)  In the case of a member whose period  of  State
 8        Active  Duty  was  less than 31 days, by reporting to the
 9        employer:
10                  (A)  not later than the beginning of the  first
11             full  regularly  scheduled  work period on the first
12             full calendar day following completion of the period
13             of State Active Duty and the expiration of  8  hours
14             after  a  period allowing for safe transportation of
15             the member from  the  place  of  that  duty  to  the
16             member's residence; or
17                  (B)  as  soon  as possible after the expiration
18             of the 8-hour period referred to in  paragraph  (A),
19             if  reporting  within  that  period is impossible or
20             unreasonable through no fault of the member.
21             (2)  In the case of a member whose period  of  State
22        Active Duty was more than 30 days but less than 180 days,
23        by  submitting  an  application for reemployment with the
24        employer not less than 14 days after  completion  of  the
25        period  of  State  Active  Duty,  or  if  submitting  the
26        application   within   that   period   is  impossible  or
27        unreasonable through no fault of  the  member,  the  next
28        full  calendar  day  when  submission  of the application
29        becomes possible.
30             (3)  In the case of a member whose period  of  State
31        Active  Duty  was  180  days  or  more,  by submitting an
32        application for reemployment with the employer not  later
33        than 90 days after completion of the period of service.
34        (f)  A  member  who  is hospitalized for, or convalescing
 
HB4457 Engrossed            -6-                LRB9214505DJmg
 1    from, an illness or injury incurred in, or aggravated during,
 2    the performance of a period of State Active  Duty  shall,  at
 3    the  end  of  the  period that is necessary for the member to
 4    recover from the illness or injury, report  to  the  member's
 5    employer  or  submit an application for reemployment with the
 6    employer. The period of recovery shall not  exceed  2  years,
 7    except  that  the  2-year  period  shall  be  extended by the
 8    minimum time required to accommodate the circumstances beyond
 9    the member's control which make reporting within  the  2-year
10    period impossible or unreasonable.
11        (g)  A member who fails to report or apply for employment
12    or  reemployment  within  the appropriate period specified in
13    this Section shall  not  automatically  forfeit  his  or  her
14    rights  and  benefits  under  subsection  (a),  but  shall be
15    subject to the conduct rules, established policy, and general
16    practices of the  employer  pertaining  to  explanations  and
17    discipline with respect to absence from scheduled work.
18        (h)  A member who submits an application for reemployment
19    in  accordance  with  this Article shall, upon the request of
20    the  employer,  provide  to  the  employer  documentation  to
21    establish that:
22             (1)  the member's application is timely; and
23             (2)  the  character  of  the  member's  service  was
24        honorable,  under  honorable  conditions,  or   otherwise
25        satisfactory.
26        The  failure  of  a  member  to  provide documentation as
27    prescribed in this  subsection  may  not  be  the  basis  for
28    denying  reemployment  if  the  failure  occurs  because  the
29    documentation  does  not exist or is not readily available at
30    the time of the employer's request. If,  after  reemployment,
31    documentation  becomes  available  that  establishes that the
32    member does not meet one  or  more  of  the  requirements  in
33    paragraph (1) or (2), the employer may terminate the member's
34    employment  in accordance with the conduct rules, established
 
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 1    policy, and general practices of the employer  pertaining  to
 2    explanation  and  discipline  with  respect  to  absence from
 3    scheduled work. An employer  may  not  delay  or  attempt  to
 4    defeat  a  reemployment obligation by demanding documentation
 5    that does not exist or is not then readily available.
 6        (i)  Except as otherwise provided by this  subsection,  a
 7    member  entitled  to  reemployment  under  this Article, upon
 8    completion of  a  period  of  State  Active  Duty,  shall  be
 9    promptly reemployed in the position of employment which he or
10    she  left  with  the same increases in status, seniority, and
11    wages that were earned during his  or  her  period  of  State
12    Active  Duty  by  employees in like positions who were on the
13    job at the time the returning  member  entered  State  Active
14    Duty,  or  to  a position of like seniority, status, and pay,
15    unless the employer's circumstances have  so  changed  as  to
16    make it impossible or unreasonable to do so.
17        If  at the time of requesting reemployment, the member is
18    no longer physically, mentally,  or  otherwise  qualified  or
19    able  to  perform  the  duties  of the position of employment
20    which he or she left due to disability acquired  incident  to
21    his or her service in State Active Duty, but is qualified and
22    able  to  perform  the  duties  of  any other position in the
23    employ of the employer, then the member shall be restored  to
24    that  other  position,  the  duties  of  which  he  or she is
25    qualified and able to perform and that will  provide  him  or
26    her  with  like  seniority,  status,  and pay, or the nearest
27    approximation thereof consistent with  the  circumstances  of
28    the case.
29        If  a member enters State Active Duty and the position of
30    employment which he or she left is  filled  by  one  or  more
31    employees  who are also members of the National Guard and who
32    later enter  State  Active  Duty,  the  members  shall,  upon
33    release  from  State  Active Duty, be given preference in the
34    matter of reemployment in the order  in  which  they  entered
 
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 1    State  Active Duty, and the employer shall not be required to
 2    retain more than one of them in his or her employ.
 3        (j)  Except as otherwise provided in this  Section,  each
 4    member in the employ of a private employer or of the State of
 5    Illinois or a political subdivision of the State who, for the
 6    purpose  of  entering  State  Active Duty, has left or leaves
 7    that employment but who has been rejected  for  State  Active
 8    Duty  for lack of proper qualifications, shall be restored by
 9    the employer (i) to the  position  of  employment  which  the
10    member  left  with  the  same  seniority,  status,  and  wage
11    increases  that an employee who was employed in that position
12    at the time the member left to enter State Active Duty earned
13    during the time the member was absent from employment because
14    of his or her attempt to enter State Active Duty or (ii) to a
15    position of like seniority, status, and pay, provided that at
16    the time of the rejection for State Active Duty the member is
17    qualified to perform the duties of the position of employment
18    which  he  or  she  left  and  has   made   application   for
19    reemployment  within  the time period specified in subsection
20    (e) after receiving official  notice  of  the  rejection  for
21    State Active Duty.

22        (20 ILCS 1805/30.20 new)
23        Sec. 30.20.  Reemployment; benefits.
24        (a)  Any  member  of the National Guard who is reemployed
25    or  seeks  reemployment  to  a  position  of  employment   in
26    accordance  with  the  provisions  of  this Article, shall be
27    considered as having been on furlough  or  leave  of  absence
28    during  his  or  her  State  Active  Duty  and  shall  be  so
29    reemployed without loss of seniority and shall be entitled to
30    participate  in  insurance  or  other benefits offered by the
31    employer pursuant to established rules and practices relating
32    to employees on furlough or leave of absence in  effect  with
33    the  employer  at  the  time  the member entered State Active
 
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 1    Duty. The member shall not be discharged  from  the  position
 2    without cause within one year after reemployment.
 3        (b)  If   an   employer  provides  health  insurance,  an
 4    exclusion or waiting period may not be imposed in  connection
 5    with  coverage  of a health or physical condition of a member
 6    entitled to participate in that insurance under this Section,
 7    or a health or physical condition of any other person who  is
 8    covered  by  the  insurance by reason of the coverage of that
 9    member, if: (i) the condition arose  before  or  during  that
10    member's  period  of  State Active Duty; (ii) an exclusion or
11    waiting period would not have been imposed for the  condition
12    during  a  period of coverage resulting from participation by
13    that member in the insurance; and (iii) the condition of that
14    member has not been determined to be service connected.

15        (20 ILCS 1805/30.25 new)
16        Sec. 30.25.  Stay  of  prosecution.   During  and  for  a
17    period  of  14  days  after  a  period of training or duty in
18    excess of 29 days either under Title 32 of the United  States
19    Code  or under State Active Duty, a court having jurisdiction
20    over the enforcement of any civil  obligation  or  liability,
21    the prosecution of any civil suit or proceeding, or the entry
22    or  enforcement of any civil order, writ, judgment, or decree
23    may stay, postpone,  or  suspend  the  matter  if  the  court
24    determines  that a person's failure to meet the obligation is
25    the direct result of that period of training  or  duty.   The
26    stay,  postponement, or suspension of proceedings does not in
27    any way modify any condition, obligation, term, or  liability
28    agreed  upon  or  incurred  by  a  person in military service
29    including but not limited to accrued interest, late fees,  or
30    penalties.   No  stay,  postponement,  or suspension shall be
31    provided regarding any written  agreement  entered  into,  or
32    debt  that  is incurred, by the person during or after his or
33    her period of training or duty either under Title 32  of  the
 
HB4457 Engrossed            -10-               LRB9214505DJmg
 1    United States Code or under State Active Duty.

 2        (20 ILCS 1805/30.30 new)
 3        Sec.  30.30.   School attendance and tuition.  Any person
 4    in federal active duty under Title 10 of  the  United  States
 5    Code,  or  in  training  or duty under Title 32 of the United
 6    States Code, or in State Active Duty, pursuant to the  orders
 7    of  the  Governor  has  the  right to receive a full monetary
 8    credit or refund  for  funds  paid  to  any  Illinois  public
 9    university,  college,  or  community college if the person is
10    placed into a period of military service with  the  State  of
11    Illinois pursuant to the orders of the Governor and is unable
12    to attend the university or college for a period of 7 or more
13    days.  Withdrawal  from  the course shall not impact upon the
14    final grade point average of the person.  If any  person  who
15    has been enrolled in any Illinois public university, college,
16    or  community  college  is  unable  to  process  his  or  her
17    enrollment  for  the  upcoming term, he or she shall have any
18    and all late penalties and or charges  set  aside,  including
19    any and all late processing fees for books, lab fees, and all
20    items  that  were not in place because the person was engaged
21    in military service and was unable to enroll in  the  courses
22    at  the  appropriate  time.   The  rights  set  forth in this
23    Section are in addition to any rights afforded to persons  in
24    military  service  with the State of Illinois pursuant to the
25    orders of the Governor under  the  policies  of  an  Illinois
26    public university, college, or community college.

27        (20 ILCS 1805/Art. VII heading)
28              ARTICLE VII. SEPARATION THE RETIRED LIST

29        (20 ILCS 1805/33 rep.)
30        Section  10.  The Military Code of Illinois is amended by
31    repealing Section 33.
 
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 1        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
 2    becoming law.

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