103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB3756

 

Introduced 2/17/2023, by Rep. Tim Ozinga

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
5 ILCS 430/25-15
5 ILCS 430/25-52

    Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Provides that the Legislative Ethics Commission shall adopt no rule requiring the Legislative Inspector General to seek the Commission's advance approval before commencing an investigation or issuing a subpoena. Provides for the release of founded and unfounded reports. Provides that any respondent who is afforded the opportunity to participate in an investigation, but who refuses to cooperate, forfeits the right to offer redactions or to provide a response to the report to the Commission. Makes conforming and other changes. Effective immediately.


LRB103 30136 DTM 56560 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3756LRB103 30136 DTM 56560 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 Sections 25-15, 25-20, and 25-52 as
6follows:
 
7    (5 ILCS 430/25-15)
8    Sec. 25-15. Duties of the Legislative Ethics Commission.
9In addition to duties otherwise assigned by law, the
10Legislative Ethics Commission shall have the following duties:
11        (1) To promulgate rules governing the performance of
12    its duties and the exercise of its powers and governing
13    the investigations of the Legislative Inspector General;
14    except that, the Legislative Ethics Commission shall adopt
15    no rule requiring the Legislative Inspector General to
16    seek the Commission's advance approval before commencing
17    any investigation authorized under this Article or issuing
18    a subpoena under this Article. Any existing rule, as of
19    the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd
20    General Assembly, requiring the Legislative Inspector
21    General to seek the Commission's advance approval before
22    commencing any investigation or issuing a subpoena is
23    void. The rules shall be available on the Commission's

 

 

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1    website and any proposed changes to the rules must be made
2    available to the public on the Commission's website no
3    less than 7 days before the adoption of the changes. Any
4    person shall be given an opportunity to provide written or
5    oral testimony before the Commission in support of or
6    opposition to proposed rules.
7        (2) To conduct administrative hearings and rule on
8    matters brought before the Commission only upon the
9    receipt of pleadings filed by the Legislative Inspector
10    General and not upon its own prerogative, but may appoint
11    special Legislative Inspectors General as provided in
12    Section 25-21. Any other allegations of misconduct
13    received by the Commission from a person other than the
14    Legislative Inspector General shall be referred to the
15    Office of the Legislative Inspector General.
16        (3) To prepare and publish manuals and guides and,
17    working with the Office of the Attorney General, oversee
18    training of employees under its jurisdiction that explains
19    their duties.
20        (4) To prepare public information materials to
21    facilitate compliance, implementation, and enforcement of
22    this Act.
23        (5) To submit reports as required by this Act.
24        (6) To the extent authorized by this Act, to make
25    rulings, issue recommendations, and impose administrative
26    fines, if appropriate, in connection with the

 

 

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1    implementation and interpretation of this Act. The powers
2    and duties of the Commission are limited to matters
3    clearly within the purview of this Act.
4        (7) To issue subpoenas with respect to matters pending
5    before the Commission, subject to the provisions of this
6    Article and in the discretion of the Commission, to compel
7    the attendance of witnesses for purposes of testimony and
8    the production of documents and other items for inspection
9    and copying.
10        (8) To appoint special Legislative Inspectors General
11    as provided in Section 25-21.
12        (9) To conspicuously display on the Commission's
13    website the procedures for reporting a violation of this
14    Act, including how to report violations via email or
15    online.
16        (10) To conspicuously display on the Commission's
17    website any vacancies within the Office of the Legislative
18    Inspector General.
19        (11) To appoint an Acting Legislative Inspector
20    General in the event of a vacancy in the Office of the
21    Legislative Inspector General.
22(Source: P.A. 102-664, eff. 1-1-22.)
 
23    (5 ILCS 430/25-52)
24    Sec. 25-52. Release of summary reports.
25    (a) Within 60 days after receipt of a summary report and

 

 

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1response from the ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency
2head that resulted in a suspension of at least 3 days or
3termination of employment, the Legislative Ethics Commission
4shall make available to the public the report and response or a
5redacted version of the report and response. The Legislative
6Ethics Commission shall also make available to the public any
7founded report of the Legislative Inspector General, or a
8redacted version of such report, and may make available to the
9public any other summary report and response of the ultimate
10jurisdictional authority or agency head or a redacted version
11of the report and response. The Legislative Inspector General
12may, with the consent of the accused, also make available to
13the public any unfounded report and the reason why no
14complaint was filed by the Legislative Inspector General.
15    (b) The Legislative Ethics Commission shall redact
16information in the summary report that may reveal the identity
17of witnesses, complainants, or informants or if the Commission
18determines it is appropriate to protect the identity of a
19person before publication. The Commission may also redact any
20information it believes should not be made public. Prior to
21publication, the Commission shall permit the respondents,
22Legislative Inspector General, and Attorney General to review
23documents to be made public and offer suggestions for
24redaction or provide a response that shall be made public with
25the summary report. Any respondent who is afforded the
26opportunity to participate in an investigation, but who

 

 

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1refuses to cooperate, forfeits the right to offer redactions
2or to provide a response to the report to the Commission.
3    (c) Subject to the requirements of subsection (d), the The
4Legislative Ethics Commission may withhold publication of the
5report or response if the Legislative Inspector General or
6Attorney General certifies that publication will interfere
7with an ongoing investigation.
8    (d) Notwithstanding any provision of law or rule to the
9contrary, any founded report released under this Section shall
10be made available to the public in all cases, unless the
11Legislative Ethics Commission by a majority vote of 6 members
12votes to deny the release of such report. If the Legislative
13Ethics Commissions votes to deny the release of a founded
14report, the Commission shall provide reasoning for such
15denial, and make that reasoning available to the public on the
16Internet website of the Commission.
17(Source: P.A. 96-555, eff. 8-18-09.)
 
18    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
19becoming law.