101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB2310

 

Introduced 11/14/2019, by Sen. Laura M. Murphy

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
5 ILCS 415/5
5 ILCS 415/10

    Amends the Government Severance Pay Act. Provides that a contract containing a severance pay provision must include, among other requirements, a requirement that if a provision to transition into a different position is included in the contract, then the contract must include a provision that compensation may not exceed the annual compensation of the highest paid employee in the relevant department to which a person is transitioning. Specifies that the provisions are declarative of existing law and shall not be construed as a new enactment. Modifies the definition of "severance pay". Effective immediately.


LRB101 15311 RJF 64494 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB2310LRB101 15311 RJF 64494 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 Government Severance Pay Act is amended by
5changing Sections 5 and 10 as follows:
 
6    (5 ILCS 415/5)
7    Sec. 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
8    "Misconduct" includes, but is not limited to, the
9following:
10        (1) Conduct demonstrating conscious disregard of an
11    employer's interests and found to be a deliberate violation
12    or disregard of the reasonable standards of behavior which
13    the employer expects of his or her employee. Such conduct
14    may include, but is not limited to, willful damage to an
15    employer's property that results in damage of more than
16    $50, or theft of employer property or property of a
17    customer or invitee of the employer.
18        (2) Carelessness or negligence to a degree or
19    recurrence that manifests culpability or wrongful intent,
20    or shows an intentional and substantial disregard of the
21    employer's interests or of the employee's duties and
22    obligations to his or her employer.
23        (3) Chronic absenteeism or tardiness in deliberate

 

 

SB2310- 2 -LRB101 15311 RJF 64494 b

1    violation of a known policy of the employer or one or more
2    unapproved absences following a written reprimand or
3    warning relating to more than one unapproved absence.
4        (4) A willful and deliberate violation of a standard or
5    regulation of this State by an employee of an employer
6    licensed or certified by this State, which violation would
7    cause the employer to be sanctioned or have its license or
8    certification suspended by this State.
9        (5) A violation of an employer's rule, unless the
10    claimant can demonstrate that:
11            (A) he or she did not know, and could not
12        reasonably know, of the rule's requirements;
13            (B) the rule is not lawful or not reasonably
14        related to the job environment and performance; or
15            (C) the rule is not fairly or consistently
16        enforced.
17        (6) Other conduct, including, but not limited to,
18    committing criminal assault or battery on another
19    employee, or on a customer or invitee of the employer, or
20    committing abuse or neglect of a patient, resident,
21    disabled person, elderly person, or child in her or his
22    professional care.
23    "Severance pay" means the actual or constructive
24compensation, including salary, benefits, or perquisites, for
25employment services yet to be rendered which is provided to an
26employee who has recently been or is about to be terminated, or

 

 

SB2310- 3 -LRB101 15311 RJF 64494 b

1an employee who is transitioning to a new position within the
2unit of government for which he or she is employed.
3    "Unit of government" means and includes all boards,
4commissions, agencies, institutions, authorities, and bodies
5politic and corporate of the State, created by or in accordance
6with the constitution or statute, of the executive branch of
7State government and does include colleges, universities, and
8institutions under the jurisdiction of the governing boards of
9the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University,
10Illinois State University, Eastern Illinois University,
11Northern Illinois University, Western Illinois University,
12Chicago State University, Governors State University,
13Northeastern Illinois University, and the Board of Higher
14Education. "Unit of government" also includes units of local
15government, school districts, and community colleges under the
16Public Community College Act.
17(Source: P.A. 100-895, eff. 1-1-19.)
 
18    (5 ILCS 415/10)
19    Sec. 10. Severance pay.
20    (a) A unit of government that enters into a contract or
21employment agreement, or renewal or renegotiation of an
22existing contract or employment agreement, that contains a
23provision for severance pay with an officer, agent, employee,
24or contractor must include the following provisions in the
25contract:

 

 

SB2310- 4 -LRB101 15311 RJF 64494 b

1        (1) a requirement that severance pay provided may not
2    exceed an amount greater than 20 weeks of compensation; and
3        (2) a prohibition of provision of severance pay when
4    the officer, agent, employee, or contractor has been fired
5    for misconduct by the unit of government; and .
6        (3) a requirement that if a provision to transition
7    into a different position is included in the contract, then
8    the contract must include a provision that compensation may
9    not exceed the annual compensation of the highest paid
10    employee in the relevant department to which that person is
11    transitioning.
12    (b) Nothing in this Section creates an entitlement to
13severance pay in the absence of its contractual authorization
14or as otherwise authorized by law.
15    (c) Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary,
16this Act shall not apply to contracts or employment agreements
17for individuals employed by the department of intercollegiate
18athletics of a college or university when the employee's
19compensation is funded by non-State-appropriated funds, such
20as revenues generated by athletic events or activities, gifts
21or donations, or any combination thereof. Nothing in this
22Section entitles an individual employed by the department of
23intercollegiate athletics of a college or university to receive
24severance pay when that individual has been dismissed for
25misconduct.
26    (d) The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 101st

 

 

SB2310- 5 -LRB101 15311 RJF 64494 b

1General Assembly are declarative of existing law and shall not
2be construed as a new enactment.
3(Source: P.A. 100-895, eff. 1-1-19; 101-195, eff. 8-2-19.)
 
4    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
5becoming law.