97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB2844

 

Introduced 2/22/2011, by Rep. Sidney H. Mathias

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
5 ILCS 430/1-5

    Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Defines as a prohibited political activity the wearing or displaying of items expressing support for or against a candidate or referendum question while registering voters as a deputy registrar or assisting persons in completing mail-in voter registration applications. Defines a "candidate" to include candidates for federal and local offices as well as State offices.


LRB097 08183 JDS 48307 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB2844LRB097 08183 JDS 48307 b

1    AN ACT concerning government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The State Officials and Employees Ethics Act is
5amended by changing Section 1-5 as follows:
 
6    (5 ILCS 430/1-5)
7    Sec. 1-5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
8    "Appointee" means a person appointed to a position in or
9with a State agency, regardless of whether the position is
10compensated.
11    "Campaign for elective office" means any activity in
12furtherance of an effort to influence the selection,
13nomination, election, or appointment of any individual to any
14federal, State, or local public office or office in a political
15organization, or the selection, nomination, or election of
16Presidential or Vice-Presidential electors, but does not
17include activities (i) relating to the support or opposition of
18any executive, legislative, or administrative action (as those
19terms are defined in Section 2 of the Lobbyist Registration
20Act), (ii) relating to collective bargaining, or (iii) that are
21otherwise in furtherance of the person's official State duties.
22    "Candidate" means a person who has filed nominating papers
23or petitions for nomination or election to an elected State

 

 

HB2844- 2 -LRB097 08183 JDS 48307 b

1office, or who has been appointed to fill a vacancy in
2nomination, and who remains eligible for placement on the
3ballot at either a general primary election or general
4election.
5    "Collective bargaining" has the same meaning as that term
6is defined in Section 3 of the Illinois Public Labor Relations
7Act.
8    "Commission" means an ethics commission created by this
9Act.
10    "Compensated time" means any time worked by or credited to
11a State employee that counts toward any minimum work time
12requirement imposed as a condition of employment with a State
13agency, but does not include any designated State holidays or
14any period when the employee is on a leave of absence.
15    "Compensatory time off" means authorized time off earned by
16or awarded to a State employee to compensate in whole or in
17part for time worked in excess of the minimum work time
18required of that employee as a condition of employment with a
19State agency.
20    "Contribution" has the same meaning as that term is defined
21in Section 9-1.4 of the Election Code.
22    "Employee" means (i) any person employed full-time,
23part-time, or pursuant to a contract and whose employment
24duties are subject to the direction and control of an employer
25with regard to the material details of how the work is to be
26performed or (ii) any appointed or elected commissioner,

 

 

HB2844- 3 -LRB097 08183 JDS 48307 b

1trustee, director, or board member of a board of a State
2agency, including any retirement system or investment board
3subject to the Illinois Pension Code or (iii) any other
4appointee.
5    "Employment benefits" include but are not limited to the
6following: modified compensation or benefit terms; compensated
7time off; or change of title, job duties, or location of office
8or employment. An employment benefit may also include favorable
9treatment in determining whether to bring any disciplinary or
10similar action or favorable treatment during the course of any
11disciplinary or similar action or other performance review.
12    "Executive branch constitutional officer" means the
13Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of
14State, Comptroller, and Treasurer.
15    "Gift" means any gratuity, discount, entertainment,
16hospitality, loan, forbearance, or other tangible or
17intangible item having monetary value including, but not
18limited to, cash, food and drink, and honoraria for speaking
19engagements related to or attributable to government
20employment or the official position of an employee, member, or
21officer.
22    "Governmental entity" means a unit of local government
23(including a community college district) or a school district
24but not a State agency.
25    "Leave of absence" means any period during which a State
26employee does not receive (i) compensation for State

 

 

HB2844- 4 -LRB097 08183 JDS 48307 b

1employment, (ii) service credit towards State pension
2benefits, and (iii) health insurance benefits paid for by the
3State.
4    "Legislative branch constitutional officer" means a member
5of the General Assembly and the Auditor General.
6    "Legislative leader" means the President and Minority
7Leader of the Senate and the Speaker and Minority Leader of the
8House of Representatives.
9    "Member" means a member of the General Assembly.
10    "Officer" means an executive branch constitutional officer
11or a legislative branch constitutional officer.
12    "Political" means any activity in support of or in
13connection with any campaign for elective office or any
14political organization, but does not include activities (i)
15relating to the support or opposition of any executive,
16legislative, or administrative action (as those terms are
17defined in Section 2 of the Lobbyist Registration Act), (ii)
18relating to collective bargaining, or (iii) that are otherwise
19in furtherance of the person's official State duties or
20governmental and public service functions.
21    "Political organization" means a party, committee,
22association, fund, or other organization (whether or not
23incorporated) that is required to file a statement of
24organization with the State Board of Elections or a county
25clerk under Section 9-3 of the Election Code, but only with
26regard to those activities that require filing with the State

 

 

HB2844- 5 -LRB097 08183 JDS 48307 b

1Board of Elections or a county clerk.
2    "Prohibited political activity" means:
3        (1) Preparing for, organizing, or participating in any
4    political meeting, political rally, political
5    demonstration, or other political event.
6        (2) Soliciting contributions, including but not
7    limited to the purchase of, selling, distributing, or
8    receiving payment for tickets for any political
9    fundraiser, political meeting, or other political event.
10        (3) Soliciting, planning the solicitation of, or
11    preparing any document or report regarding any thing of
12    value intended as a campaign contribution.
13        (4) Planning, conducting, or participating in a public
14    opinion poll in connection with a campaign for elective
15    office or on behalf of a political organization for
16    political purposes or for or against any referendum
17    question.
18        (5) Surveying or gathering information from potential
19    or actual voters in an election to determine probable vote
20    outcome in connection with a campaign for elective office
21    or on behalf of a political organization for political
22    purposes or for or against any referendum question.
23        (6) Assisting at the polls on election day on behalf of
24    any political organization or candidate for elective
25    office or for or against any referendum question.
26        (7) Soliciting votes on behalf of a candidate for

 

 

HB2844- 6 -LRB097 08183 JDS 48307 b

1    elective office or a political organization or for or
2    against any referendum question or helping in an effort to
3    get voters to the polls.
4        (8) Initiating for circulation, preparing,
5    circulating, reviewing, or filing any petition on behalf of
6    a candidate for elective office or for or against any
7    referendum question.
8        (9) Making contributions on behalf of any candidate for
9    elective office in that capacity or in connection with a
10    campaign for elective office.
11        (10) Preparing or reviewing responses to candidate
12    questionnaires in connection with a campaign for elective
13    office or on behalf of a political organization for
14    political purposes.
15        (11) Distributing, preparing for distribution, or
16    mailing campaign literature, campaign signs, or other
17    campaign material on behalf of any candidate for elective
18    office or for or against any referendum question.
19        (12) Campaigning for any elective office or for or
20    against any referendum question.
21        (13) Managing or working on a campaign for elective
22    office or for or against any referendum question.
23        (14) Serving as a delegate, alternate, or proxy to a
24    political party convention.
25        (15) Participating in any recount or challenge to the
26    outcome of any election, except to the extent that under

 

 

HB2844- 7 -LRB097 08183 JDS 48307 b

1    subsection (d) of Section 6 of Article IV of the Illinois
2    Constitution each house of the General Assembly shall judge
3    the elections, returns, and qualifications of its members.
4        (16) Notwithstanding any collective bargaining
5    agreement, while registering voters as a deputy registrar
6    or assisting persons in completing mail-in voter
7    registration applications, wearing or having within the
8    view of a prospective voter any button, lapel pin, bumper
9    sticker, or other item that expresses support for or
10    opposition to (i) a candidate, as defined in this Section
11    but also including candidates for federal and local
12    offices, or (ii) a referendum question.
13    "Prohibited source" means any person or entity who:
14        (1) is seeking official action (i) by the member or
15    officer or (ii) in the case of an employee, by the employee
16    or by the member, officer, State agency, or other employee
17    directing the employee;
18        (2) does business or seeks to do business (i) with the
19    member or officer or (ii) in the case of an employee, with
20    the employee or with the member, officer, State agency, or
21    other employee directing the employee;
22        (3) conducts activities regulated (i) by the member or
23    officer or (ii) in the case of an employee, by the employee
24    or by the member, officer, State agency, or other employee
25    directing the employee;
26        (4) has interests that may be substantially affected by

 

 

HB2844- 8 -LRB097 08183 JDS 48307 b

1    the performance or non-performance of the official duties
2    of the member, officer, or employee;
3        (5) is registered or required to be registered with the
4    Secretary of State under the Lobbyist Registration Act,
5    except that an entity not otherwise a prohibited source
6    does not become a prohibited source merely because a
7    registered lobbyist is one of its members or serves on its
8    board of directors; or
9        (6) is an agent of, a spouse of, or an immediate family
10    member who is living with a "prohibited source".
11    "State agency" includes all officers, boards, commissions
12and agencies created by the Constitution, whether in the
13executive or legislative branch; all officers, departments,
14boards, commissions, agencies, institutions, authorities,
15public institutions of higher learning as defined in Section 2
16of the Higher Education Cooperation Act (except community
17colleges), and bodies politic and corporate of the State; and
18administrative units or corporate outgrowths of the State
19government which are created by or pursuant to statute, other
20than units of local government (including community college
21districts) and their officers, school districts, and boards of
22election commissioners; and all administrative units and
23corporate outgrowths of the above and as may be created by
24executive order of the Governor. "State agency" includes the
25General Assembly, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the
26President and Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker and

 

 

HB2844- 9 -LRB097 08183 JDS 48307 b

1Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the Senate
2Operations Commission, and the legislative support services
3agencies. "State agency" includes the Office of the Auditor
4General. "State agency" does not include the judicial branch.
5    "State employee" means any employee of a State agency.
6    "Ultimate jurisdictional authority" means the following:
7        (1) For members, legislative partisan staff, and
8    legislative secretaries, the appropriate legislative
9    leader: President of the Senate, Minority Leader of the
10    Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, or
11    Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
12        (2) For State employees who are professional staff or
13    employees of the Senate and not covered under item (1), the
14    Senate Operations Commission.
15        (3) For State employees who are professional staff or
16    employees of the House of Representatives and not covered
17    under item (1), the Speaker of the House of
18    Representatives.
19        (4) For State employees who are employees of the
20    legislative support services agencies, the Joint Committee
21    on Legislative Support Services.
22        (5) For State employees of the Auditor General, the
23    Auditor General.
24        (6) For State employees of public institutions of
25    higher learning as defined in Section 2 of the Higher
26    Education Cooperation Act (except community colleges), the

 

 

HB2844- 10 -LRB097 08183 JDS 48307 b

1    board of trustees of the appropriate public institution of
2    higher learning.
3        (7) For State employees of an executive branch
4    constitutional officer other than those described in
5    paragraph (6), the appropriate executive branch
6    constitutional officer.
7        (8) For State employees not under the jurisdiction of
8    paragraph (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), or (7), the
9    Governor.
10(Source: P.A. 95-880, eff. 8-19-08; 96-6, eff. 4-3-09; 96-555,
11eff. 8-18-09.)