97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB1901

 

Introduced 2/10/2011, by Sen. Matt Murphy

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
5 ILCS 120/2  from Ch. 102, par. 42
55 ILCS 5/5-1100.5 new
60 ILCS 1/80-13 new
65 ILCS 5/3.1-50-30 new
30 ILCS 805/8.35 new

    Amends the Open Meetings Act, the Counties Code, the Township Code, and the Illinois Municipal Code to require that, before the county board, the township board, or the corporate authorities of a municipality may vote on an officer's or employee's increase in earnings that exceeds his or her earnings for the previous calendar year by more than 6%, the county board, the township board, or the corporate authorities shall conduct a public hearing addressing the proposed increase in earnings. Requires publication of notice of the public hearing. Pre-empts home rule. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.


LRB097 10182 JDS 50372 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
HOME RULE NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB1901LRB097 10182 JDS 50372 b

1    AN ACT concerning local government employees.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Open Meetings Act is amended by changing
5Section 2 as follows:
 
6    (5 ILCS 120/2)  (from Ch. 102, par. 42)
7    Sec. 2. Open meetings.
8    (a) Openness required. All meetings of public bodies shall
9be open to the public unless excepted in subsection (c) and
10closed in accordance with Section 2a.
11    (b) Construction of exceptions. The exceptions contained
12in subsection (c) are in derogation of the requirement that
13public bodies meet in the open, and therefore, the exceptions
14are to be strictly construed, extending only to subjects
15clearly within their scope. The exceptions authorize but do not
16require the holding of a closed meeting to discuss a subject
17included within an enumerated exception.
18    (c) Exceptions. A public body may hold closed meetings to
19consider the following subjects:
20        (1) Except as provided in Section 5-1100.5 of the
21    Counties Code, Section 80-13 of the Township Code, and
22    Section 3.1-50-30 of the Illinois Municipal Code, the The
23    appointment, employment, compensation, discipline,

 

 

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1    performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the
2    public body or legal counsel for the public body, including
3    hearing testimony on a complaint lodged against an employee
4    of the public body or against legal counsel for the public
5    body to determine its validity.
6        (2) Collective negotiating matters between the public
7    body and its employees or their representatives, or
8    deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more
9    classes of employees.
10        (3) The selection of a person to fill a public office,
11    as defined in this Act, including a vacancy in a public
12    office, when the public body is given power to appoint
13    under law or ordinance, or the discipline, performance or
14    removal of the occupant of a public office, when the public
15    body is given power to remove the occupant under law or
16    ordinance.
17        (4) Evidence or testimony presented in open hearing, or
18    in closed hearing where specifically authorized by law, to
19    a quasi-adjudicative body, as defined in this Act, provided
20    that the body prepares and makes available for public
21    inspection a written decision setting forth its
22    determinative reasoning.
23        (5) The purchase or lease of real property for the use
24    of the public body, including meetings held for the purpose
25    of discussing whether a particular parcel should be
26    acquired.

 

 

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1        (6) The setting of a price for sale or lease of
2    property owned by the public body.
3        (7) The sale or purchase of securities, investments, or
4    investment contracts.
5        (8) Security procedures and the use of personnel and
6    equipment to respond to an actual, a threatened, or a
7    reasonably potential danger to the safety of employees,
8    students, staff, the public, or public property.
9        (9) Student disciplinary cases.
10        (10) The placement of individual students in special
11    education programs and other matters relating to
12    individual students.
13        (11) Litigation, when an action against, affecting or
14    on behalf of the particular public body has been filed and
15    is pending before a court or administrative tribunal, or
16    when the public body finds that an action is probable or
17    imminent, in which case the basis for the finding shall be
18    recorded and entered into the minutes of the closed
19    meeting.
20        (12) The establishment of reserves or settlement of
21    claims as provided in the Local Governmental and
22    Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act, if otherwise the
23    disposition of a claim or potential claim might be
24    prejudiced, or the review or discussion of claims, loss or
25    risk management information, records, data, advice or
26    communications from or with respect to any insurer of the

 

 

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1    public body or any intergovernmental risk management
2    association or self insurance pool of which the public body
3    is a member.
4        (13) Conciliation of complaints of discrimination in
5    the sale or rental of housing, when closed meetings are
6    authorized by the law or ordinance prescribing fair housing
7    practices and creating a commission or administrative
8    agency for their enforcement.
9        (14) Informant sources, the hiring or assignment of
10    undercover personnel or equipment, or ongoing, prior or
11    future criminal investigations, when discussed by a public
12    body with criminal investigatory responsibilities.
13        (15) Professional ethics or performance when
14    considered by an advisory body appointed to advise a
15    licensing or regulatory agency on matters germane to the
16    advisory body's field of competence.
17        (16) Self evaluation, practices and procedures or
18    professional ethics, when meeting with a representative of
19    a statewide association of which the public body is a
20    member.
21        (17) The recruitment, credentialing, discipline or
22    formal peer review of physicians or other health care
23    professionals for a hospital, or other institution
24    providing medical care, that is operated by the public
25    body.
26        (18) Deliberations for decisions of the Prisoner

 

 

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1    Review Board.
2        (19) Review or discussion of applications received
3    under the Experimental Organ Transplantation Procedures
4    Act.
5        (20) The classification and discussion of matters
6    classified as confidential or continued confidential by
7    the State Government Suggestion Award Board.
8        (21) Discussion of minutes of meetings lawfully closed
9    under this Act, whether for purposes of approval by the
10    body of the minutes or semi-annual review of the minutes as
11    mandated by Section 2.06.
12        (22) Deliberations for decisions of the State
13    Emergency Medical Services Disciplinary Review Board.
14        (23) The operation by a municipality of a municipal
15    utility or the operation of a municipal power agency or
16    municipal natural gas agency when the discussion involves
17    (i) contracts relating to the purchase, sale, or delivery
18    of electricity or natural gas or (ii) the results or
19    conclusions of load forecast studies.
20        (24) Meetings of a residential health care facility
21    resident sexual assault and death review team or the
22    Executive Council under the Abuse Prevention Review Team
23    Act.
24        (25) Meetings of an independent team of experts under
25    Brian's Law.
26        (26) (25) Meetings of a mortality review team appointed

 

 

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1    under the Department of Juvenile Justice Mortality Review
2    Team Act.
3        (27) (25) Confidential information, when discussed by
4    one or more members of an elder abuse fatality review team,
5    designated under Section 15 of the Elder Abuse and Neglect
6    Act, while participating in a review conducted by that team
7    of the death of an elderly person in which abuse or neglect
8    is suspected, alleged, or substantiated; provided that
9    before the review team holds a closed meeting, or closes an
10    open meeting, to discuss the confidential information,
11    each participating review team member seeking to disclose
12    the confidential information in the closed meeting or
13    closed portion of the meeting must state on the record
14    during an open meeting or the open portion of a meeting the
15    nature of the information to be disclosed and the legal
16    basis for otherwise holding that information confidential.
17    (d) Definitions. For purposes of this Section:
18    "Employee" means a person employed by a public body whose
19relationship with the public body constitutes an
20employer-employee relationship under the usual common law
21rules, and who is not an independent contractor.
22    "Public office" means a position created by or under the
23Constitution or laws of this State, the occupant of which is
24charged with the exercise of some portion of the sovereign
25power of this State. The term "public office" shall include
26members of the public body, but it shall not include

 

 

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1organizational positions filled by members thereof, whether
2established by law or by a public body itself, that exist to
3assist the body in the conduct of its business.
4    "Quasi-adjudicative body" means an administrative body
5charged by law or ordinance with the responsibility to conduct
6hearings, receive evidence or testimony and make
7determinations based thereon, but does not include local
8electoral boards when such bodies are considering petition
9challenges.
10    (e) Final action. No final action may be taken at a closed
11meeting. Final action shall be preceded by a public recital of
12the nature of the matter being considered and other information
13that will inform the public of the business being conducted.
14(Source: P.A. 95-185, eff. 1-1-08; 96-1235, eff. 1-1-11;
1596-1378, eff. 7-29-10; 96-1428, eff. 8-11-10; revised 9-2-10.)
 
16    Section 10. The Counties Code is amended by adding Section
175-1100.5 as follows:
 
18    (55 ILCS 5/5-1100.5 new)
19    Sec. 5-1100.5. Salary increases; public hearing. Before
20the county board may vote on an officer's or employee's
21increase in salary that exceeds his or her salary for the
22previous calendar year by more than 6%, the county board shall
23conduct a public hearing addressing the proposed increase in
24salary. The county board shall cause to be prepared a notice of

 

 

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1the public hearing stating the date, time, place, and purpose
2of the hearing. The county board shall cause the notice to be
3published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county
4not less than 15 nor more than 30 days before the date of the
5hearing. At the public hearing, all persons desiring to offer
6statements or other evidence in support of or in opposition to
7the proposed increase in salary shall be afforded an
8opportunity to do so orally, in writing, or both, prior to the
9vote on the increase.
10    No county, including a home rule county, may act in a
11manner inconsistent with this Section. This Section is a denial
12and limitation of home rule powers under subsection (i) of
13Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution.
 
14    Section 15. The Township Code is amended by adding Section
1580-13 as follows:
 
16    (60 ILCS 1/80-13 new)
17    Sec. 80-13. Salary increases; public hearing. Before the
18township board may vote on an officer's or employee's increase
19in salary that exceeds his or her salary for the previous
20calendar year by more than 6%, the township board shall conduct
21a public hearing addressing the proposed increase in salary.
22The township board shall cause to be prepared a notice of the
23public hearing stating the date, time, place, and purpose of
24the hearing. The township board shall cause the notice to be

 

 

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1published in a newspaper of general circulation in the township
2not less than 15 nor more than 30 days before the date of the
3hearing. At the public hearing, all persons desiring to offer
4statements or other evidence in support of or in opposition to
5the proposed increase in salary shall be afforded an
6opportunity to do so orally, in writing, or both, prior to the
7vote on the increase.
 
8    Section 20. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by
9adding Section 3.1-50-30 as follows:
 
10    (65 ILCS 5/3.1-50-30 new)
11    Sec. 3.1-50-30. Salary increases; public hearing. Before
12the corporate authorities of a municipality may vote on an
13officer's or employee's increase in salary that exceeds his or
14her salary for the previous calendar year by more than 6%, the
15corporate authorities shall conduct a public hearing
16addressing the proposed increase in salary. The corporate
17authorities shall cause to be prepared a notice of the public
18hearing stating the date, time, place, and purpose of the
19hearing. The corporate authorities shall cause the notice to be
20published in a newspaper of general circulation in the
21municipality not less than 15 nor more than 30 days before the
22date of the hearing. At the public hearing, all persons
23desiring to offer statements or other evidence in support of or
24in opposition to the proposed increase in salary shall be

 

 

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1afforded an opportunity to do so orally, in writing, or both,
2prior to the vote on the increase.
3    No municipality, including a home rule municipality, may
4act in a manner inconsistent with this Section. This Section is
5a denial and limitation of home rule powers under subsection
6(i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution.
 
7    Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding
8Section 8.35 as follows:
 
9    (30 ILCS 805/8.35 new)
10    Sec. 8.35. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8
11of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the
12implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory Act of
13the 97th General Assembly.
 
14    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
15becoming law.