97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB3438

 

Introduced 2/24/2011, by Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/28-15 new

    Amends the Election Code. Authorizes citizens to petition the General Assembly to pass one or more bills initiated by citizens that concern ethical standards of conduct or campaign finance reform. Provides that, if the bills do not become law, a question advising adoption and approval of the bills must be placed on the next general election ballot. Specifies procedures for the drafting of bills and the filing of petitions. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning elections.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Election Code is amended by adding Section
528-15 as follows:
 
6    (10 ILCS 5/28-15 new)
7    Sec. 28-15. The Ethics Initiative.
8    (a) The initiation and submission of citizen initiative
9petitions on standards of ethical conduct and campaign finance
10reform are subject to the provisions of this Section and
11Article.
12    (b) Upon request by a proponent of an Ethics Initiative,
13the Legislative Reference Bureau shall draft one or more bills
14and a summary of those bills that may be the subject of a
15citizen initiative petition on standards of ethical conduct or
16campaign finance reform. The summary of the bill or bills shall
17appear on the citizen initiative petition and the bill or bills
18shall be submitted to the Clerk of the House of
19Representatives, as provided for in subsections (c) and (d) of
20this Section.
21    (c) On a written petition to the State Board of Elections
22signed by 100,000 voters, it is the duty of the State Board of
23Elections to submit any citizen initiative petition on

 

 

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1standards of ethical conduct or campaign finance reform to the
2Clerk of the House of Representatives for a roll call vote by
3each chamber of the General Assembly as provided for by this
4Section.
5        (1) A citizen initiative petition under this Section
6    shall be limited to the subjects of standards of ethical
7    conduct and campaign finance reform.
8        (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this
9    Article to the contrary, citizen initiative petitions
10    filed under this Section may be submitted to the State
11    Board of Elections at any time and are not subject to the
12    requirements related to the binding and securing of
13    petitions in Section 28-3. A single petition sheet may
14    include the signatures of voters from any election
15    authority in the State and may include the signatures of
16    voters from one or more election authorities.
17        (3) The provisions of Section 28-4 and Sections 10-8
18    through 10-10.1 relating to objections to nominating
19    petitions, hearings on objections, and judicial review
20    shall apply to and govern, in so far as may be practicable,
21    objections to petitions for citizen initiatives on ethics
22    and campaign finance reform.
23    (d) Upon receipt by the Clerk of the House of
24Representatives of the petition and the bill or bills, the
25Clerk shall submit the petition and the bill or bills to the
26Speaker of the House. The bill or bills shall be introduced in

 

 

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1the House of Representatives not later than 2 days following
2submission to the Clerk of the House of Representatives.
3    (e) The bill or bills submitted to the Clerk of the House
4of Representatives may be passed by the House of
5Representatives according to the provisions of Article IV of
6the Illinois Constitution of 1970 within 15 session days after
7receiving the bill or bills from the Clerk of the House of
8Representatives. If, on the 15th session day after receiving
9the bill or bills, the House of Representatives has not taken a
10record vote on the bill or bills, the House of Representatives,
11in accordance with all procedures of Article IV of the Illinois
12Constitution of 1970, shall take a record vote on the bill or
13bills. If the bill or bills receives the concurrence of a
14majority of members elected to the House of Representatives by
15a record vote, the bill or bills shall be transmitted to the
16Senate. If within 15 session days of receiving the bill or
17bills from the House of Representatives, the bill or bills
18receives the concurrence of a majority of members elected to
19the Senate by a record vote, the bill or bills shall be
20transmitted to the Governor as provided for in Article IV,
21Section 9 of the Illinois Constitution of 1970. The Governor
22shall act on the bill or bills in accordance with Article IV,
23Section 9 of the Illinois Constitution of 1970.
24    (f) If the bill or bills do not become law as provided for
25by subsection (e) of the Section in the form in which it was
26presented on the citizen initiative petition, the petition

 

 

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1shall be returned to the State Board of Elections. The State
2Board of Elections shall prepare an advisory question to be
3voted upon by the electors of the State at the next general
4election. The ballot of the general election next occurring
5shall contain an advisory question of public policy in
6substantially the following form:
7        Shall the Illinois General Assembly pass legislation
8    [insert summary of citizen initiative petition here]
9    during the next session of the Illinois General Assembly
10    and shall the Governor approve that legislation and make it
11    law?
12The votes must be recorded as "Yes" or "No".
13    (g) Nothing in this Section shall be construed as a
14limitation of the legislative power of the General Assembly,
15the executive power of any Executive Branch officer, or the
16judicial power of the courts of the State of Illinois.
 
17    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
18becoming law.