101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB1234

 

Introduced 2/6/2019, by Sen. Heather A. Steans

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
5 ILCS 430/20-5

    Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Expands the jurisdiction of the Executive Ethics Commission to include vendors and others doing business with State agencies (currently, officers and employees of State agencies). Effective immediately.


LRB101 08469 RJF 53545 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB1234LRB101 08469 RJF 53545 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 20-5 as follows:
 
6    (5 ILCS 430/20-5)
7    Sec. 20-5. Executive Ethics Commission.
8    (a) The Executive Ethics Commission is created.
9    (b) The Executive Ethics Commission shall consist of 9
10commissioners. The Governor shall appoint 5 commissioners, and
11the Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller, and
12Treasurer shall each appoint one commissioner. Appointments
13shall be made by and with the advice and consent of the Senate
14by three-fifths of the elected members concurring by record
15vote. Any nomination not acted upon by the Senate within 60
16session days of the receipt thereof shall be deemed to have
17received the advice and consent of the Senate. If, during a
18recess of the Senate, there is a vacancy in an office of
19commissioner, the appointing authority shall make a temporary
20appointment until the next meeting of the Senate when the
21appointing authority shall make a nomination to fill that
22office. No person rejected for an office of commissioner shall,
23except by the Senate's request, be nominated again for that

 

 

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1office at the same session of the Senate or be appointed to
2that office during a recess of that Senate. No more than 5
3commissioners may be of the same political party.
4    The terms of the initial commissioners shall commence upon
5qualification. Four initial appointees of the Governor, as
6designated by the Governor, shall serve terms running through
7June 30, 2007. One initial appointee of the Governor, as
8designated by the Governor, and the initial appointees of the
9Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller, and
10Treasurer shall serve terms running through June 30, 2008. The
11initial appointments shall be made within 60 days after the
12effective date of this Act.
13    After the initial terms, commissioners shall serve for
144-year terms commencing on July 1 of the year of appointment
15and running through June 30 of the fourth following year.
16Commissioners may be reappointed to one or more subsequent
17terms.
18    Vacancies occurring other than at the end of a term shall
19be filled by the appointing authority only for the balance of
20the term of the commissioner whose office is vacant.
21    Terms shall run regardless of whether the position is
22filled.
23    (c) The appointing authorities shall appoint commissioners
24who have experience holding governmental office or employment
25and shall appoint commissioners from the general public. A
26person is not eligible to serve as a commissioner if that

 

 

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1person (i) has been convicted of a felony or a crime of
2dishonesty or moral turpitude, (ii) is, or was within the
3preceding 12 months, engaged in activities that require
4registration under the Lobbyist Registration Act, (iii) is
5related to the appointing authority, or (iv) is a State officer
6or employee.
7    (d) The Executive Ethics Commission shall have
8jurisdiction over all officers and employees of, and vendors
9and others doing business with, State agencies other than the
10General Assembly, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the
11President and Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker and
12Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the Senate
13Operations Commission, the legislative support services
14agencies, and the Office of the Auditor General. The Executive
15Ethics Commission shall have jurisdiction over all board
16members and employees of Regional Transit Boards. The
17jurisdiction of the Commission is limited to matters arising
18under this Act, except as provided in subsection (d-5).
19    A member or legislative branch State employee serving on an
20executive branch board or commission remains subject to the
21jurisdiction of the Legislative Ethics Commission and is not
22subject to the jurisdiction of the Executive Ethics Commission.
23    (d-5) The Executive Ethics Commission shall have
24jurisdiction over all chief procurement officers and
25procurement compliance monitors and their respective staffs.
26The Executive Ethics Commission shall have jurisdiction over

 

 

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1any matters arising under the Illinois Procurement Code if the
2Commission is given explicit authority in that Code.
3    (d-6) (1) The Executive Ethics Commission shall have
4jurisdiction over the Illinois Power Agency and its staff. The
5Director of the Agency shall be appointed by a majority of the
6commissioners of the Executive Ethics Commission, subject to
7Senate confirmation, for a term of 2 years. The Director is
8removable for cause by a majority of the Commission upon a
9finding of neglect, malfeasance, absence, or incompetence.
10    (2) In case of a vacancy in the office of Director of the
11Illinois Power Agency during a recess of the Senate, the
12Executive Ethics Commission may make a temporary appointment
13until the next meeting of the Senate, at which time the
14Executive Ethics Commission shall nominate some person to fill
15the office, and any person so nominated who is confirmed by the
16Senate shall hold office during the remainder of the term and
17until his or her successor is appointed and qualified. Nothing
18in this subsection shall prohibit the Executive Ethics
19Commission from removing a temporary appointee or from
20appointing a temporary appointee as the Director of the
21Illinois Power Agency.
22    (3) Prior to June 1, 2012, the Executive Ethics Commission
23may, until the Director of the Illinois Power Agency is
24appointed and qualified or a temporary appointment is made
25pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection, designate some
26person as an acting Director to execute the powers and

 

 

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1discharge the duties vested by law in that Director. An acting
2Director shall serve no later than 60 calendar days, or upon
3the making of an appointment pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2)
4of this subsection, whichever is earlier. Nothing in this
5subsection shall prohibit the Executive Ethics Commission from
6removing an acting Director or from appointing an acting
7Director as the Director of the Illinois Power Agency.
8    (4) No person rejected by the Senate for the office of
9Director of the Illinois Power Agency shall, except at the
10Senate's request, be nominated again for that office at the
11same session or be appointed to that office during a recess of
12that Senate.
13    (e) The Executive Ethics Commission must meet, either in
14person or by other technological means, at least monthly and as
15often as necessary. At the first meeting of the Executive
16Ethics Commission, the commissioners shall choose from their
17number a chairperson and other officers that they deem
18appropriate. The terms of officers shall be for 2 years
19commencing July 1 and running through June 30 of the second
20following year. Meetings shall be held at the call of the
21chairperson or any 3 commissioners. Official action by the
22Commission shall require the affirmative vote of 5
23commissioners, and a quorum shall consist of 5 commissioners.
24Commissioners shall receive compensation in an amount equal to
25the compensation of members of the State Board of Elections and
26may be reimbursed for their reasonable expenses actually

 

 

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1incurred in the performance of their duties.
2    (f) No commissioner or employee of the Executive Ethics
3Commission may during his or her term of appointment or
4employment:
5        (1) become a candidate for any elective office;
6        (2) hold any other elected or appointed public office
7    except for appointments on governmental advisory boards or
8    study commissions or as otherwise expressly authorized by
9    law;
10        (3) be actively involved in the affairs of any
11    political party or political organization; or
12        (4) advocate for the appointment of another person to
13    an appointed or elected office or position or actively
14    participate in any campaign for any elective office.
15    (g) An appointing authority may remove a commissioner only
16for cause.
17    (h) The Executive Ethics Commission shall appoint an
18Executive Director. The compensation of the Executive Director
19shall be as determined by the Commission. The Executive
20Director of the Executive Ethics Commission may employ and
21determine the compensation of staff, as appropriations permit.
22    (i) The Executive Ethics Commission shall appoint, by a
23majority of the members appointed to the Commission, chief
24procurement officers and may appoint procurement compliance
25monitors in accordance with the provisions of the Illinois
26Procurement Code. The compensation of a chief procurement

 

 

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1officer and procurement compliance monitor shall be determined
2by the Commission.
3(Source: P.A. 100-43, eff. 8-9-17.)
 
4    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
5becoming law.