103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB2778

 

Introduced 1/17/2024, by Sen. Linda Holmes

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
55 ILCS 5/3-6008.5 new
55 ILCS 5/3-7008  from Ch. 34, par. 3-7008
55 ILCS 5/3-8010  from Ch. 34, par. 3-8010

    Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a deputy sheriff applicant who is a veteran and who was discharged honorably or generally under honorable conditions no later than 6 months before applying may request examination to occur before the next scheduled examination date and, if requested, shall be examined no later than 2 weeks following receipt of the application. Provides that, once the applicant passes the examination and all other requirements to be on an eligibility list, the applicant shall be immediately placed on the eligibility list. Provides that nothing in the provisions waives eligibility for the applicant to receive military preference points during the application process or employment.


LRB103 36824 AWJ 66935 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB2778LRB103 36824 AWJ 66935 b

1    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Counties Code is amended by changing
5Sections 3-7008 and 3-8010 and by adding Section 3-6008.5 as
6follows:
 
7    (55 ILCS 5/3-6008.5 new)
8    Sec. 3-6008.5. Veteran testing. An applicant who is a
9veteran, as that term is defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(2), who was
10discharged honorably or generally under honorable conditions
11no later than 6 months before applying may request examination
12to occur before the next scheduled examination date and, if
13requested, shall be examined no later than 2 weeks following
14receipt of the application. Once the applicant passes the
15examination and all other requirements to be on an eligibility
16list, the applicant shall be immediately placed on the
17eligibility list. Nothing in this Section waives eligibility
18for the applicant to receive military preference points during
19the application process or employment.
 
20    (55 ILCS 5/3-7008)  (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7008)
21    Sec. 3-7008. Appointments. The appointment of deputy
22sheriffs in the Police Department, full-time deputy sheriffs

 

 

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1not employed as county police officers or county corrections
2officers and of employees in the Department of Corrections
3shall be made from those applicants who have been certified by
4the Board as being qualified for appointment. Certification
5for appointment in one department shall not constitute
6certification for appointment in another department.
7Certification may be made at any point prior to appointment
8and may be made in conjunction with the Sheriff's application
9process. All persons so appointed shall, at the time of their
10appointment, be not less than 21 years of age, or 20 years of
11age and have successfully completed 2 years of law enforcement
12studies at an accredited college or university. Any person
13appointed subsequent to successful completion of 2 years of
14such law enforcement studies shall not have power of arrest,
15nor shall he or she be permitted to carry firearms, until he or
16she reaches 21 years of age. Any person appointed shall be a
17citizen of the United States, an individual who is legally
18authorized to work in the United States under federal law and
19is authorized under federal law to obtain, carry, or purchase
20or otherwise possess a firearm, or an individual against whom
21immigration action has been deferred by the U.S. Citizenship
22and Immigration Services under the federal Deferred Action for
23Childhood Arrivals (DACA) process and who is authorized under
24federal law to obtain, carry, or purchase or otherwise possess
25a firearm. In addition, all persons so appointed shall be not
26more than the maximum age limit fixed by the Board from time to

 

 

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1time, be of sound mind and body, be of good moral character,
2have not been convicted of a crime which the Board considers to
3be detrimental to the applicant's ability to carry out his or
4her duties, possess such prerequisites of training, education
5and experience as the Board may from time to time prescribe,
6and shall be required to pass successfully mental, physical,
7psychiatric and other tests and examinations as may be
8prescribed by the Board. Preference shall be given in such
9appointments to persons who have honorably served in the
10military or naval services of the United States. All
11appointees shall serve a probationary period of 12 months and
12during that period may be discharged at the will of the
13Sheriff. However, civil service employees of the house of
14correction who have certified status at the time of the
15transfer of the house of correction to the County Department
16of Corrections are not subject to this probationary period,
17and they shall retain their job titles, such tenure privileges
18as are now enjoyed and any subsequent title changes shall not
19cause reduction in rank or elimination of positions.
20    An applicant who is a veteran, as that term is defined in
2138 U.S.C. 101(2), who was discharged honorably or generally
22under honorable conditions no later than 6 months before
23applying may request examination to occur before the next
24scheduled examination date and, if requested, shall be
25examined no later than 2 weeks following receipt of the
26application. Once the applicant passes the examination and all

 

 

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1other requirements to be on an eligibility list, the applicant
2shall be immediately placed on the eligibility list. Nothing
3in this paragraph waives eligibility for the applicant to
4receive military preference points during the application
5process or employment.
6(Source: P.A. 103-357, eff. 1-1-24.)
 
7    (55 ILCS 5/3-8010)  (from Ch. 34, par. 3-8010)
8    Sec. 3-8010. Certification of applicants. The appointment
9of all personnel subject to the jurisdiction of the Merit
10Commission shall be made by the sheriff from those applicants
11who have been certified by the Commission as being qualified
12for appointment. A Commission may, by its rules and
13regulations, set forth the minimum requirements for
14appointment to any position. In addition, the Commission's
15review of any application may include examinations,
16investigations or any other method consistent with recognized
17merit principles, which in the judgment of the Commission is
18reasonable and practical for any particular classification.
19Different examining procedures may be set for the examinations
20in different classifications but all examinations in the same
21classification shall be uniform. However, the Merit Commission
22may by regulation provide that applicants who have served with
23another sheriff's office, a police department, or any other
24law enforcement agency, or who are graduate law enforcement
25interns as defined in the Law Enforcement Intern Training Act,

 

 

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1may be exempt from one or more of the minimum requirements for
2appointment. Preference may be given in such appointments to
3persons who have honorably served in the military or naval
4services of the United States.
5    An applicant who is a veteran, as that term is defined in
638 U.S.C. 101(2), who was discharged honorably or generally
7under honorable conditions no later than 6 months before
8applying may request examination to occur before the next
9scheduled examination date and, if requested, shall be
10examined no later than 2 weeks following receipt of the
11application. Once the applicant passes the examination and all
12other requirements to be on an eligibility list, the applicant
13shall be immediately placed on the eligibility list. Nothing
14in this paragraph waives eligibility for the applicant to
15receive military preference points during the application
16process or employment.
17    The sheriff shall make appointments from those persons
18certified by the Commission as qualified for appointment. If
19the sheriff rejects any person so certified, the sheriff shall
20notify the Commission in writing of such rejection.
21    The rules and regulations of a Commission shall provide
22that all initial appointees shall serve a probationary period
23of 12 months during which time they may be discharged at the
24will of the sheriff.
25(Source: P.A. 92-83, eff. 7-12-01.)