Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB2780

LRB104 11964 JDS 22057 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB2780

Introduced 2/6/2025, by Rep. Martin J. Moylan

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

40 ILCS 5/1-110.13 new
40 ILCS 5/1-110.16

Amends the General Provisions Article of the Illinois Pension Code. With regard to the 5 State-funded retirement systems, provides that the following are forbidden entities for purposes of investment and certain other transactions: Hamas; any company or entity that is wholly or partially managed or controlled by Hamas; any company identified by the Office of Foreign Assets Control in the United States Department of the Treasury as sponsoring terrorist activities in conjunction with Hamas or under specified regulations pertaining to terrorism sanctions; any company that has been fined, penalized, or sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control in the United States Department of the Treasury for any violation of any United States rules and restrictions relating to Hamas that occurred at any time following the effective date of the amendatory Act; or any company that has business operations that involve contracts with or the provision of supplies or services to Hamas, companies in which Hamas has any direct or indirect equity share, or consortiums or projects commissioned by Hamas. Provides that a retirement system shall not transfer or disburse funds to, deposit into, acquire any bonds or commercial paper from, or otherwise loan to or invest in any entity unless a certifying company certifies to the retirement system that: (1) with respect to investments in a publicly traded company, the certifying company has relied on information provided by an independent researching firm that specializes in global security risk; and (2) 100% of the retirement system's assets for which the certifying company provides services or advice are not and have not been invested or reinvested in any forbidden entity at any time after 4 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Requires the Illinois Investment Policy Board to make its best efforts to identify all Hamas-restricted companies and include those companies in the list of restricted companies for purposes of investment distributed to each retirement system and the Illinois State Board of Investment. Makes conforming changes.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning public employee benefits.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Pension Code is amended by changing Section 1-110.16 and by adding Section 1-110.13 as follows:

(40 ILCS 5/1-110.13 new)

Sec. 1-110.13. Transactions prohibited by retirement systems; Hamas.

(a) The Government of the United States has determined that Hamas is a Foreign Terrorist Organization that sponsors terrorism and genocide. The General Assembly finds that acts of terrorism have caused injury and death to Illinois and United States residents who serve in the United States military, and pose a significant threat to safety and health in Illinois. The General Assembly finds that public employees and their families, including police officers and firefighters, are more likely than others to be affected by acts of terrorism. The General Assembly finds that Hamas continues to solicit investment and commercial activities by forbidden entities, including private market funds. The General Assembly finds that investments in forbidden entities are inherently and unduly risky, not in the interests of public pensioners and Illinois taxpayers, and against public policy. The General Assembly finds that Hamas's capacity to sponsor terrorism and genocide depends on or is supported by the activities of forbidden entities. The General Assembly further finds and re-affirms that the people of the State, acting through their representatives, do not want to be associated with forbidden entities, genocide, and terrorism.

(b) For purposes of this Section:

"Business operations" means maintaining, selling, or leasing equipment, facilities, personnel, or any other apparatus of business or commerce to Hamas.

"Certifying company" means a company that (1) directly provides asset management services or advice to a retirement system or (2) as directly authorized or requested by a retirement system (A) identifies particular investment options for consideration or approval; (B) chooses particular investment options; or (C) allocates particular amounts to be invested. If no company meets the criteria set forth in this paragraph, then "certifying company" means the retirement system officer who, as designated by the board, executes the investment decisions made by the board, or, in the alternative, the company that the board authorizes to complete the certification as the agent of that officer.

"Company" is any entity capable of affecting commerce, including, but not limited to: (i) a government, governmental agency, natural person, legal person, sole proprietorship, partnership, firm, corporation, subsidiary, affiliate, franchisor, franchisee, joint venture, trade association, financial institution, utility, public franchise, provider of financial services, trust, or enterprise; and (ii) any association thereof.

"Division" means the Public Pension Division of the Department of Insurance.

"Forbidden entity" means any of the following:

(1) Hamas;

(2) any company or entity that is wholly or partially managed or controlled by Hamas;

(3) any company (i) identified by the Office of Foreign Assets Control in the United States Department of the Treasury as sponsoring terrorist activities in conjunction with Hamas or, with regard to Hamas, under the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations (31 CFR Part 594) or the Foreign Terrorist Organization Sanctions Regulations (31 CFR Part 597); or (ii) fined, penalized, or sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control in the United States Department of the Treasury for any violation of any United States rules and restrictions relating to Hamas that occurred at any time following the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly; or

(4) any company that has business operations that involve contracts with or the provision of supplies or services to Hamas, companies in which Hamas has any direct or indirect equity share, or consortiums or projects commissioned by Hamas.

"Forbidden entity" does not include: (A) mutual funds that meet the requirements of item (iii) of paragraph (13) of Section 1-113.2; and (B) companies that transact business with Hamas under the law, license, or permit of the United States, including a license from the United States Department of the Treasury, and companies, except Hamas, that are certified as Non-Government Organizations by the United Nations or that engage solely in (i) the provision of goods and services intended to relieve human suffering or to promote welfare, health, religious and spiritual activities, and education or humanitarian purposes; or (ii) journalistic activities.

"Hamas" means the organizations commonly known as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad that are subject to sanction or other restrictions placed on commercial activity imposed by the United States government due to an executive or congressional declaration as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

"Private market fund" means any private equity fund, private equity fund of funds, venture capital fund, hedge fund, hedge fund of funds, real estate fund, or other investment vehicle that is not publicly traded.

"Retirement system" means the General Assembly Retirement System, the State Employees' Retirement System of Illinois, the State Universities Retirement System, the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois, and the Judges Retirement System of Illinois.

(c) A retirement system shall not transfer or disburse funds to, deposit into, acquire any bonds or commercial paper from, or otherwise loan to or invest in any entity unless, as provided in this Section, a certifying company certifies to the retirement system that, (1) with respect to investments in a publicly traded company, the certifying company has relied on information provided by an independent researching firm that specializes in global security risk and (2) 100% of the retirement system's assets for which the certifying company provides services or advice are not and have not been invested or reinvested in any forbidden entity at any time after 4 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly.

The certifying company shall make the certification required under this subsection (c) to a retirement system 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly and annually thereafter. A retirement system shall submit the certifications to the Division, and the Division shall notify the Director of Insurance if a retirement system fails to do so.

(d) In addition to any other penalties and remedies available under State or federal law, any transaction that violates the provisions of this Section shall be against public policy and voidable, at the sole discretion of the retirement system.

(e) This Section shall have full force and effect during any period in which Hamas, or the officials of Hamas, are subject to sanctions authorized under any statute or executive order of the United States or until the State Department of the United States confirms in the federal register or through other means that Hamas is no longer subject to sanctions by the government of the United States.

(f) If any provision of this Section or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity of that provision or application does not affect other provisions or applications of this Section that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.

(40 ILCS 5/1-110.16)

Sec. 1-110.16. Transactions prohibited by retirement systems; companies that boycott Israel, for-profit companies that contract to shelter migrant children, Iran-restricted companies, Sudan-restricted companies, Hamas-restricted companies, expatriated entities, companies that are domiciled or have their principal place of business in Russia or Belarus, and companies that are subject to Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions.

(a) As used in this Section:

"Boycott Israel" means engaging in actions that are politically motivated and are intended to penalize, inflict economic harm on, or otherwise limit commercial relations with the State of Israel or companies based in the State of Israel or in territories controlled by the State of Israel.

"Company" means any sole proprietorship, organization, association, corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability company, or other entity or business association, including all wholly owned subsidiaries, majority-owned subsidiaries, parent companies, or affiliates of those entities or business associations, that exist for the purpose of making profit.

"Company that is subject to Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions" means a company that is subject to sanctions under the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations (31 CFR Part 587), any Presidential Executive Order imposing sanctions against Russia, or any federal directive issued pursuant to any such Executive Order.

"Contract to shelter migrant children" means entering into a contract with the federal government to shelter migrant children under the federal Unaccompanied Alien Children Program or a substantially similar federal program.

"Direct holdings" in a company means all publicly traded securities of that company that are held directly by the retirement system in an actively managed account or fund in which the retirement system owns all shares or interests.

"Expatriated entity" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 1-15.120 of the Illinois Procurement Code.

"Hamas-restricted company" means a company that meets the qualifications under Section 1-110.13 of this Code.

"Illinois Investment Policy Board" means the board established under subsection (b) of this Section.

"Indirect holdings" in a company means all securities of that company that are held in an account or fund, such as a mutual fund, managed by one or more persons not employed by the retirement system, in which the retirement system owns shares or interests together with other investors not subject to the provisions of this Section or that are held in an index fund.

"Iran-restricted company" means a company that meets the qualifications under Section 1-110.15 of this Code.

"Private market fund" means any private equity fund, private equity funds of funds, venture capital fund, hedge fund, hedge fund of funds, real estate fund, or other investment vehicle that is not publicly traded.

"Restricted companies" means companies that boycott Israel, for-profit companies that contract to shelter migrant children, Iran-restricted companies, Sudan-restricted companies, Hamas-restricted companies, expatriated entities, companies that are domiciled or have their principal place of business in Russia or Belarus, and companies that are subject to Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions.

"Retirement system" means a retirement system established under Article 2, 14, 15, 16, or 18 of this Code or the Illinois State Board of Investment.

"Sudan-restricted company" means a company that meets the qualifications under Section 1-110.6 of this Code.

(b) There shall be established an Illinois Investment Policy Board. The Illinois Investment Policy Board shall consist of 7 members. Each board of a pension fund or investment board created under Article 15, 16, or 22A of this Code shall appoint one member, and the Governor shall appoint 4 members. The Governor shall designate one member of the Board as the Chairperson.

(b-5) The term of office of each member appointed by the Governor, who is serving on the Board on June 30, 2022, is abolished on that date. The terms of office of members appointed by the Governor after June 30, 2022 shall be as follows: 2 initial members shall be appointed for terms of 2 years, and 2 initial members shall be appointed for terms of 4 years. Thereafter, the members appointed by the Governor shall hold office for 4 years, except that any member chosen to fill a vacancy occurring otherwise than by expiration of a term shall be appointed only for the unexpired term of the member whom he or she shall succeed. Board members may be reappointed. The Governor may remove a Governor's appointee to the Board for incompetence, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or inability to serve.

(c) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, beginning January 1, 2016, Sections 1-110.15 and 1-110.6 of this Code shall be administered in accordance with this Section.

(d) By April 1, 2016, the Illinois Investment Policy Board shall make its best efforts to identify all Iran-restricted companies, Sudan-restricted companies, and companies that boycott Israel and assemble those identified companies into a list of restricted companies, to be distributed to each retirement system.

These efforts shall include the following, as appropriate in the Illinois Investment Policy Board's judgment:

(1) reviewing and relying on publicly available information regarding Iran-restricted companies, Sudan-restricted companies, and companies that boycott Israel, including information provided by nonprofit organizations, research firms, and government entities;

(2) contacting asset managers contracted by the retirement systems that invest in Iran-restricted companies, Sudan-restricted companies, and companies that boycott Israel;

(3) contacting other institutional investors that have divested from or engaged with Iran-restricted companies, Sudan-restricted companies, and companies that boycott Israel; and

(4) retaining an independent research firm to identify Iran-restricted companies, Sudan-restricted companies, and companies that boycott Israel.

The Illinois Investment Policy Board shall review the list of restricted companies on a quarterly basis based on evolving information from, among other sources, those listed in this subsection (d) and distribute any updates to the list of restricted companies to the retirement systems and the State Treasurer.

By April 1, 2018, the Illinois Investment Policy Board shall make its best efforts to identify all expatriated entities and include those companies in the list of restricted companies distributed to each retirement system and the State Treasurer. These efforts shall include the following, as appropriate in the Illinois Investment Policy Board's judgment:

(1) reviewing and relying on publicly available information regarding expatriated entities, including information provided by nonprofit organizations, research firms, and government entities;

(2) contacting asset managers contracted by the retirement systems that invest in expatriated entities;

(3) contacting other institutional investors that have divested from or engaged with expatriated entities; and

(4) retaining an independent research firm to identify expatriated entities.

By July 1, 2022, the Illinois Investment Policy Board shall make its best efforts to identify all for-profit companies that contract to shelter migrant children and include those companies in the list of restricted companies distributed to each retirement system. These efforts shall include the following, as appropriate in the Illinois Investment Policy Board's judgment:

(1) reviewing and relying on publicly available information regarding for-profit companies that contract to shelter migrant children, including information provided by nonprofit organizations, research firms, and government entities;

(2) contacting asset managers contracted by the retirement systems that invest in for-profit companies that contract to shelter migrant children;

(3) contacting other institutional investors that have divested from or engaged with for-profit companies that contract to shelter migrant children; and

(4) retaining an independent research firm to identify for-profit companies that contract to shelter migrant children.

No later than 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, the Illinois Investment Policy Board shall make its best efforts to identify all companies that are domiciled or have their principal place of business in Russia or Belarus and companies that are subject to Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions and include those companies in the list of restricted companies distributed to each retirement system. These efforts shall include the following, as appropriate in the Illinois Investment Policy Board's judgment:

(1) reviewing and relying on publicly available information regarding companies that are domiciled or have their principal place of business in Russia or Belarus and companies that are subject to Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions, including information provided by nonprofit organizations, research firms, and government entities;

(2) contacting asset managers contracted by the retirement systems that invest in companies that are domiciled or have their principal place of business in Russia or Belarus and companies that are subject to Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions;

(3) contacting other institutional investors that have divested from or engaged with companies that are domiciled or have their principal place of business in Russia or Belarus and companies that are subject to Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions; and

(4) retaining an independent research firm to identify companies that are domiciled or have their principal place of business in Russia or Belarus and companies that are subject to Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions.

No later than 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly, the Illinois Investment Policy Board shall make its best efforts to identify all Hamas-restricted companies and include those companies in the list of restricted companies distributed to each retirement system.

(e) The Illinois Investment Policy Board shall adhere to the following procedures for companies on the list of restricted companies:

(1) For each company newly identified in subsection (d), the Illinois Investment Policy Board, unless it determines by an affirmative vote that it is unfeasible, shall send a written notice informing the company of its status and that it may become subject to divestment or shareholder activism by the retirement systems.

(2) If, following the Illinois Investment Policy Board's engagement pursuant to this subsection (e) with a restricted company, that company ceases activity that designates the company to be an Iran-restricted company, a Sudan-restricted company, a company that boycotts Israel, an expatriated entity, or a for-profit company that contracts to shelter migrant children, the company shall be removed from the list of restricted companies and the provisions of this Section shall cease to apply to it unless it resumes such activities.

(3) For a company that is domiciled or has its principal place of business in Russia or Belarus, if, following the Illinois Investment Policy Board's engagement pursuant to this subsection (e), that company is no longer domiciled or has its principal place of business in Russia or Belarus, the company shall be removed from the list of restricted companies and the provisions of this Section shall cease to apply to it unless it becomes domiciled or has its principal place of business in Russia or Belarus.

(4) For a company that is subject to Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions, if, following the Illinois Investment Policy Board's engagement pursuant to this subsection (e), that company is no longer subject to Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions, the company shall be removed from the list of restricted companies and the provisions of this Section shall cease to apply to it unless it becomes subject to Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions.

(f) Except as provided in subsection (f-1) of this Section the retirement system shall adhere to the following procedures for companies on the list of restricted companies:

(1) The retirement system shall identify those companies on the list of restricted companies in which the retirement system owns direct holdings and indirect holdings.

(2) The retirement system shall instruct its investment advisors to sell, redeem, divest, or withdraw all direct holdings of restricted companies from the retirement system's assets under management in an orderly and fiduciarily responsible manner within 12 months after the company's most recent appearance on the list of restricted companies.

(3) The retirement system may not acquire securities of restricted companies.

(4) The provisions of this subsection (f) do not apply to the retirement system's indirect holdings or private market funds. The Illinois Investment Policy Board shall submit letters to the managers of those investment funds containing restricted companies requesting that they consider removing the companies from the fund or create a similar actively managed fund having indirect holdings devoid of the companies. If the manager creates a similar fund, the retirement system shall replace all applicable investments with investments in the similar fund in an expedited timeframe consistent with prudent investing standards.

(f-1) The retirement system shall adhere to the following procedures for restricted companies that are expatriated entities or for-profit companies that contract to shelter migrant children:

(1) To the extent that the retirement system believes that shareholder activism would be more impactful than divestment, the retirement system shall have the authority to engage with a restricted company prior to divesting.

(2) Subject to any applicable State or Federal laws, methods of shareholder activism utilized by the retirement system may include, but are not limited to, bringing shareholder resolutions and proxy voting on shareholder resolutions.

(3) The retirement system shall report on its shareholder activism and the outcome of such efforts to the Illinois Investment Policy Board by April 1 of each year.

(4) If the engagement efforts of the retirement system are unsuccessful, then it shall adhere to the procedures under subsection (f) of this Section.

(f-5) Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, no retirement system shall invest moneys in Russian or Belarusian sovereign debt, Russian or Belarusian government-backed securities, any investment instrument issued by an entity that is domiciled or has its principal place of business in Russia or Belarus, or any investment instrument issued by a company that is subject to Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions, and no retirement system shall invest or deposit State moneys in any bank that is domiciled or has its principal place of business in Russia or Belarus. As soon as practicable after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, each retirement system shall instruct its investment advisors to sell, redeem, divest, or withdraw all direct holdings of Russian or Belarusian sovereign debt and direct holdings of Russian or Belarusian government-backed securities from the retirement system's assets under management in an orderly and fiduciarily responsible manner.

Notwithstanding any provision of this Section to the contrary, a retirement system may cease divestment pursuant to this subsection (f-5) if clear and convincing evidence shows that the value of investments in such Russian or Belarusian sovereign debt and Russian or Belarusian government-backed securities becomes equal to or less than 0.05% of the market value of all assets under management by the retirement system. For any cessation of divestment authorized by this subsection (f-5), the retirement system shall provide a written notice to the Illinois Investment Policy Board in advance of the cessation of divestment, setting forth the reasons and justification, supported by clear and convincing evidence, for its decision to cease divestment under this subsection (f-5).

The provisions of this subsection (f-5) do not apply to the retirement system's indirect holdings or private market funds.

(g) Upon request, and by April 1 of each year, each retirement system shall provide the Illinois Investment Policy Board with information regarding investments sold, redeemed, divested, or withdrawn in compliance with this Section.

(h) Notwithstanding any provision of this Section to the contrary, a retirement system may cease divesting from companies pursuant to subsection (f) if clear and convincing evidence shows that the value of investments in such companies becomes equal to or less than 0.5% of the market value of all assets under management by the retirement system. For any cessation of divestment authorized by this subsection (h), the retirement system shall provide a written notice to the Illinois Investment Policy Board in advance of the cessation of divestment, setting forth the reasons and justification, supported by clear and convincing evidence, for its decision to cease divestment under subsection (f).

(i) The cost associated with the activities of the Illinois Investment Policy Board shall be borne by the boards of each pension fund or investment board created under Article 15, 16, or 22A of this Code.

(j) With respect to actions taken in compliance with this Section, including all good-faith determinations regarding companies as required by this Section, the retirement system and Illinois Investment Policy Board are exempt from any conflicting statutory or common law obligations, including any fiduciary duties under this Article and any obligations with respect to choice of asset managers, investment funds, or investments for the retirement system's securities portfolios.

(k) It is not the intent of the General Assembly in enacting this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly to cause divestiture from any company based in the United States of America. The Illinois Investment Policy Board shall consider this intent when developing or reviewing the list of restricted companies.

(l) If any provision of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity of that provision or application does not affect other provisions or applications of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.

If any provision of Public Act 100-551 or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity of that provision or application does not affect other provisions or applications of Public Act 100-551 that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.

If any provision of Public Act 102-118 or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity of that provision or application does not affect other provisions or applications of Public Act 102-118 that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.

If any provision of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity of that provision or application does not affect other provisions or applications of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.

If any provision of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity of that provision or application does not affect other provisions or applications of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.

(Source: P.A. 102-118, eff. 7-23-21; 102-699, eff. 4-19-22; 102-1108, eff. 12-21-22.)