[ Home ] [ ILCS ] [ Search ] [ Bottom ]
[ Other General Assemblies ]
Public Act 91-0952
SB1855 Enrolled LRB9110972MWgc
AN ACT concerning the General Assembly.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The General Assembly Compensation Act is
amended by changing Section 4 as follows:
(25 ILCS 115/4) (from Ch. 63, par. 15.1)
Sec. 4. Office allowance. Beginning July 1, 2001 1989,
each member of the House of Representatives is authorized to
approve the expenditure of not more than $61,000 $57,000 per
year and each member of the Senate is authorized to approve
the expenditure of not more than $73,000 $67,000 per year to
pay for "personal services", "contractual services",
"commodities", "printing", "travel", "operation of automotive
equipment", "telecommunications services", as defined in the
State Finance Act, and the compensation of one or more
legislative assistants authorized pursuant to this Section,
in connection with his or her legislative duties and not in
connection with any political campaign. On July 1, 2002 and
on July 1 of each year thereafter, the amount authorized per
year under this Section for each member of the Senate and
each member of the House of Representatives shall be
increased by a percentage increase equivalent to the lesser
of (i) the increase in the designated cost of living index or
(ii) 5%. The designated cost of living index is the index
known as the "Employment Cost Index, Wages and Salaries, By
Occupation and Industry Groups: State and Local Government
Workers: Public Administration" as published by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor for the
calendar year immediately preceding the year of the
respective July 1st increase date. The increase shall be
added to the then current amount, and the adjusted amount so
determined shall be the annual amount beginning July 1 of the
increase year until July 1 of the next year. No increase
under this provision shall be less than zero.
A member may purchase office equipment if the member
certifies to the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the
House, as applicable, that the purchase price, whether paid
in lump sum or installments, amounts to less than would be
charged for renting or leasing the equipment over its
anticipated useful life. All such equipment must be
purchased through the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of
the House, as applicable, for proper identification and
verification of purchase.
Each member of the General Assembly is authorized to
employ one or more legislative assistants, who shall be
solely under the direction and control of that member, for
the purpose of assisting the member in the performance of his
or her official duties. A legislative assistant may be
employed pursuant to this Section either under contract or as
a State employee, at the discretion of the member. If
employed as a State employee, a legislative assistant shall
receive employment benefits on the same terms and conditions
that apply to other employees of the General Assembly.
As used in this Section the term "personal services"
shall include contributions of the State under the Federal
Insurance Contribution Act and under Article 14 of the
Illinois Pension Code. As used in this Section the term
"contractual services" shall not include improvements to real
property unless those improvements are the obligation of the
lessee under the lease agreement. Beginning July 1, 1989, as
used in the Section, the term "travel" shall be limited to
travel in connection with a member's legislative duties and
not in connection with any political campaign. Beginning
July 1, 1989, as used in this Section, the term "printing"
includes congratulatory mailings, including but not limited
to greeting or welcome messages, anniversary or birthday
cards, and congratulations for prominent achievement cards.
As used in this Section, the term "printing" includes fees
for non-substantive resolutions charged by the Clerk of the
House of Representatives under subsection (c-5) of Section 1
of the Legislative Materials Act. Nothing in this Section
shall be construed to authorize expenditures for lodging and
meals while a member is in attendance at sessions of the
General Assembly.
Any utility bill for service provided to a member's
district office for a period including portions of 2
consecutive fiscal years may be paid from funds appropriated
for such expenditure in either fiscal year.
If a vacancy occurs in the office of Senator or
Representative in the General Assembly, any office equipment
in the possession of the vacating member shall transfer to
the member's successor; if the successor does not want such
equipment, it shall be transferred to the Secretary of the
Senate or Clerk of the House of Representatives, as the case
may be, and if not wanted by other members of the General
Assembly then to the Department of Central Management
Services for treatment as surplus property under the State
Property Control Act. Each member, on or before June 30th of
each year, shall conduct an inventory of all equipment
purchased pursuant to this Act. Such inventory shall be
filed with the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the
House, as the case may be. Whenever a vacancy occurs, the
Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House, as the
case may be, shall conduct an inventory of equipment
purchased.
In the event that a member leaves office during his or
her term, any unexpended or unobligated portion of the
allowance granted under this Section shall lapse. The
vacating member's successor shall be granted an allowance in
an amount, rounded to the nearest dollar, computed by
dividing the annual allowance by 365 and multiplying the
quotient by the number of days remaining in the fiscal year.
From any appropriation for the purposes of this Section
for a fiscal year which overlaps 2 General Assemblies, no
more than 1/2 of the annual allowance per member may be spent
or encumbered by any member of either the outgoing or
incoming General Assembly, except that any member of the
incoming General Assembly who was a member of the outgoing
General Assembly may encumber or spend any portion of his
annual allowance within the fiscal year.
The appropriation for the annual allowances permitted by
this Section shall be included in an appropriation to the
President of the Senate and to the Speaker of the House of
Representatives for their respective members. The President
of the Senate and the Speaker of the House shall voucher for
payment individual members' expenditures from their annual
office allowances to the State Comptroller, subject to the
authority of the Comptroller under Section 9 of the State
Comptroller Act.
(Source: P.A. 90-569, eff. 1-28-98.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect on
July 1, 2001.
[ Top ]