HB2559 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 30295 DTM 56723 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB2559

Introduced 2/15/2023, by Rep. Martin J. Moylan

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

5 ILCS 430/10-15
30 ILCS 500/50-13
30 ILCS 500/50-39
30 ILCS 535/35	from Ch. 127, par. 4151-35

Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Provides that the gift ban requirements specified under the Act do not apply to attendance at professional conferences or events. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Attaches specified revolving door prohibition requirements to specified government officers and employees concerning conflicts of interest under the Code. Exempts communications providing general information about a firm and communications about proposal deficiencies under the Architectural, Engineering, and Land Surveying Qualifications Based Selection Act from procurement communications reporting requirements. Amends the Architectural, Engineering, and Land Surveying Qualifications Based Selection Act. Provides that a State agency shall publish the list of firms, along with scoring comments, determined to be qualified to provide services so that all firms have an opportunity to identify ways they may improve proposals in the future. Provides that a State agency may communicate with firms who were not selected in order to provide further information about the firm's proposal deficiencies.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning finance.

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

Section 5. The State Officials and Employees Ethics Act is amended by changing Section 10-15 as follows:

(5 ILCS 430/10-15)

Sec. 10-15. Gift ban; exceptions. The restriction in Section 10-10 does not apply to the following:

(1) Opportunities, benefits, and services that are available on the same conditions as for the general public.

(2) Anything for which the officer, member, or State employee pays the market value.

(3) Any (i) contribution that is lawfully made under the Election Code or under this Act or (ii) activities associated with a fundraising event in support of a political organization or candidate.

(4) Educational materials and missions. This exception may be further defined by rules adopted by the appropriate ethics commission or by the Auditor General for the Auditor General and employees of the Office of the Auditor General.

(5) Travel expenses for a meeting to discuss State business. This exception may be further defined by rules adopted by the appropriate ethics commission or by the Auditor General for the Auditor General and employees of the Office of the Auditor General.

(6) A gift from a relative, meaning those people related to the individual as father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, great aunt, great uncle, first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, grandfather, grandmother, grandson, granddaughter, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, half sister, and including the father, mother, grandfather, or grandmother of the individual's spouse and the individual's fiance or fiancee.

(7) Anything provided by an individual on the basis of a personal friendship unless the member, officer, or employee has reason to believe that, under the circumstances, the gift was provided because of the official position or employment of the member, officer, or employee and not because of the personal friendship.

In determining whether a gift is provided on the basis of personal friendship, the member, officer, or employee shall consider the circumstances under which the gift was offered, such as:

(i) the history of the relationship between the individual giving the gift and the recipient of the gift, including any previous exchange of gifts between those individuals;

(ii) whether to the actual knowledge of the member, officer, or employee the individual who gave the gift personally paid for the gift or sought a tax deduction or business reimbursement for the gift; and

(iii) whether to the actual knowledge of the member, officer, or employee the individual who gave the gift also at the same time gave the same or similar gifts to other members, officers, or employees.

(8) Food or refreshments not exceeding $75 per person in value on a single calendar day; provided that the food or refreshments are (i) consumed on the premises from which they were purchased or prepared or (ii) catered. For the purposes of this Section, "catered" means food or refreshments that are purchased ready to eat and delivered by any means.

(9) Food, refreshments, lodging, transportation, and other benefits resulting from the outside business or employment activities (or outside activities that are not connected to the duties of the officer, member, or employee as an office holder or employee) of the officer, member, or employee, or the spouse of the officer, member, or employee, if the benefits have not been offered or enhanced because of the official position or employment of the officer, member, or employee, and are customarily provided to others in similar circumstances.

(10) Intra-governmental and inter-governmental gifts. For the purpose of this Act, "intra-governmental gift" means any gift given to a member, officer, or employee of a State agency from another member, officer, or employee of the same State agency; and "inter-governmental gift" means any gift given to a member, officer, or employee of a State agency, by a member, officer, or employee of another State agency, of a federal agency, or of any governmental entity.

(11) Bequests, inheritances, and other transfers at death.

(12) Any item or items from any one prohibited source during any calendar year having a cumulative total value of less than $100.

(13) Any food, refreshments, or other items provided to an employee who is attending a professional conference or event if the food, refreshments, or items are made available to all other attendees of the conference or event.

Each of the exceptions listed in this Section is mutually exclusive and independent of one another.

(Source: P.A. 93-617, eff. 12-9-03.)

Section 10. The Illinois Procurement Code is amended by changing Sections 50-13, 50-39, and 50-65 as follows:

(30 ILCS 500/50-13)

Sec. 50-13. Conflicts of interest.

(a) Prohibition. It is unlawful for any person (i) holding an elective office in this State, holding a seat in the General Assembly, or appointed to or employed in any of the offices or agencies of State government and who receives compensation for such employment in excess of 60% of the salary of the Governor of the State of Illinois and is subject to the requirements of subsection (h) of Section 5-45 of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, or (ii) who is an officer or employee of the Capital Development Board or the Illinois Toll Highway Authority and is subject to the requirements of subsection (h) of Section 5-45 of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, or (iii) who is the spouse or minor child of any such person who is subject to the requirements of subsection (h) of Section 5-45 of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, to have or acquire any contract, or any direct pecuniary interest in any contract therein, whether for stationery, printing, paper, or any services, materials, or supplies, that will be wholly or partially satisfied by the payment of funds appropriated by the General Assembly of the State of Illinois or in any contract of the Capital Development Board or the Illinois Toll Highway Authority.

(b) Interests. It is unlawful for any firm, partnership, association, or corporation, in which any person listed in subsection (a) is entitled to receive (i) more than 7 1/2% of the total distributable income or (ii) an amount in excess of the salary of the Governor, to have or acquire any such contract or direct pecuniary interest therein.

(c) Combined interests. It is unlawful for any firm, partnership, association, or corporation, in which any person listed in subsection (a) together with his or her spouse or minor children is entitled to receive (i) more than 15%, in the aggregate, of the total distributable income or (ii) an amount in excess of 2 times the salary of the Governor, to have or acquire any such contract or direct pecuniary interest therein.

(c-5) Appointees and firms. In addition to any provisions of this Code, the interests of certain appointees and their firms are subject to Section 3A-35 of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act.

(d) Securities. Nothing in this Section invalidates the provisions of any bond or other security previously offered or to be offered for sale or sold by or for the State of Illinois.

(e) Prior interests. This Section does not affect the validity of any contract made between the State and an officer or employee of the State or member of the General Assembly, his or her spouse, minor child, or other immediate family member living in his or her residence or any combination of those persons if that contract was in existence before his or her election or employment as an officer, member, or employee. The contract is voidable, however, if it cannot be completed within 365 calendar days after the officer, member, or employee takes office or is employed.

(f) Exceptions.

(1) Public aid payments. This Section does not apply to payments made for a public aid recipient.

(2) Teaching. This Section does not apply to a contract for personal services as a teacher or school administrator between a member of the General Assembly or his or her spouse, or a State officer or employee or his or her spouse, and any school district, public community college district, the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University, Illinois State University, Eastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, Western Illinois University, Chicago State University, Governors State University, or Northeastern Illinois University.

(3) Ministerial duties. This Section does not apply to a contract for personal services of a wholly ministerial character, including but not limited to services as a laborer, clerk, typist, stenographer, page, bookkeeper, receptionist, or telephone switchboard operator, made by a spouse or minor child of an elective or appointive State officer or employee or of a member of the General Assembly.

(4) Child and family services. This Section does not apply to payments made to a member of the General Assembly, a State officer or employee, his or her spouse or minor child acting as a foster parent, homemaker, advocate, or volunteer for or in behalf of a child or family served by the Department of Children and Family Services.

(5) Licensed professionals. Contracts with licensed professionals, provided they are competitively bid or part of a reimbursement program for specific, customary goods and services through the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department of Public Health, or the Department on Aging.

(g) Penalty. A person convicted of a violation of this Section is guilty of a business offense and shall be fined not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000.

(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)

(30 ILCS 500/50-39)

Sec. 50-39. Procurement communications reporting requirement.

(a) Any written or oral communication received by a State employee who, by the nature of his or her duties, has the authority to participate personally and substantially in the decision to award a State contract and that imparts or requests material information or makes a material argument regarding potential action concerning an active procurement matter, including, but not limited to, an application, a contract, or a project, shall be reported to the Procurement Policy Board, and, with respect to the Illinois Power Agency, by the initiator of the communication, and may be reported also by the recipient.

Any person communicating orally, in writing, electronically, or otherwise with the Director or any person employed by, or associated with, the Illinois Power Agency to impart, solicit, or transfer any information related to the content of any power procurement plan, the manner of conducting any power procurement process, the procurement of any power supply, or the method or structure of contracting with power suppliers must disclose to the Procurement Policy Board the full nature, content, and extent of any such communication in writing by submitting a report with the following information:

(1) The names of any party to the communication.

(2) The date on which the communication occurred.

(3) The time at which the communication occurred.

(4) The duration of the communication.

(5) The method (written, oral, etc.) of the communication.

(6) A summary of the substantive content of the communication.

These communications do not include the following: (i) statements by a person publicly made in a public forum; (ii) statements regarding matters of procedure and practice, such as format, the number of copies required, the manner of filing, and the status of a matter; (iii) statements made by a State employee of the agency to the agency head or other employees of that agency, to the employees of the Executive Ethics Commission, or to an employee of another State agency who, through the communication, is either (a) exercising his or her experience or expertise in the subject matter of the particular procurement in the normal course of business, for official purposes, and at the initiation of the purchasing agency or the appropriate State purchasing officer, or (b) exercising oversight, supervisory, or management authority over the procurement in the normal course of business and as part of official responsibilities; (iv) unsolicited communications providing general information about a firm's products or , services, or industry best practices provided before those products or services are not directly related to an open procurement matter become involved in a procurement matter; (v) communications received in response to procurement solicitations, including, but not limited to, vendor responses to a request for information, request for proposal, request for qualifications, invitation for bid, or a small purchase, sole source, or emergency solicitation, or questions and answers posted to the Illinois Procurement Bulletin to supplement the procurement action, provided that the communications are made in accordance with the instructions contained in the procurement solicitation, procedures, or guidelines; (vi) communications that are privileged, protected, or confidential under law; and (vii) communications that are part of a formal procurement process as set out by statute, rule, or the solicitation, guidelines, or procedures, including, but not limited to, the posting of procurement opportunities, the process for approving a procurement business case or its equivalent, fiscal approval, submission of bids, the finalizing of contract terms and conditions with an awardee or apparent awardee, and similar formal procurement processes; and (viii) communications about proposal deficiencies as provided under Section 35 of the Architectural, Engineering, and Land Surveying Qualifications Based Selection Act. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to communications regarding the administration and implementation of an existing contract, except communications regarding change orders or the renewal or extension of a contract.

The reporting requirement does not apply to any communication asking for clarification regarding a contract solicitation so long as there is no competitive advantage to the person or business and the question and answer, if material, are posted to the Illinois Procurement Bulletin as an addendum to the contract solicitation.

(b) The report required by subsection (a) shall be submitted monthly and include at least the following: (i) the date and time of each communication; (ii) the identity of each person from whom the written or oral communication was received, the individual or entity represented by that person, and any action the person requested or recommended; (iii) the identity and job title of the person to whom each communication was made; (iv) if a response is made, the identity and job title of the person making each response; (v) a detailed summary of the points made by each person involved in the communication; (vi) the duration of the communication; (vii) the location or locations of all persons involved in the communication and, if the communication occurred by telephone, the telephone numbers for the callers and recipients of the communication; and (viii) any other pertinent information. No trade secrets or other proprietary or confidential information shall be included in any communication reported to the Procurement Policy Board.

(c) Additionally, when an oral communication made by a person required to register under the Lobbyist Registration Act is received by a State employee that is covered under this Section, all individuals who initiate or participate in the oral communication shall submit a written report to that State employee that memorializes the communication and includes, but is not limited to, the items listed in subsection (b).

(d) The Procurement Policy Board shall make each report submitted pursuant to this Section available on its website within 7 calendar days after its receipt of the report. The Procurement Policy Board may promulgate rules to ensure compliance with this Section.

(e) The reporting requirements shall also be conveyed through ethics training under the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. An employee who knowingly and intentionally violates this Section shall be subject to suspension or discharge. The Executive Ethics Commission shall promulgate rules, including emergency rules, to implement this Section.

(f) This Section becomes operative on January 1, 2011.

(g) For purposes of this Section:

"Active procurement matter" means a procurement process beginning with requisition or determination of need by an agency and continuing through the publication of an award notice or other completion of a final procurement action, the resolution of any protests, and the expiration of any protest or Procurement Policy Board review period, if applicable. "Active procurement matter" also includes communications relating to change orders, renewals, or extensions.

"Material information" means information that a reasonable person would deem important in determining his or her course of action and pertains to significant issues, including, but not limited to, price, quantity, and terms of payment or performance.

"Material argument" means a communication that a reasonable person would believe was made for the purpose of influencing a decision relating to a procurement matter. "Material argument" does not include general information about products, services, or industry best practices or a response to a communication initiated by an employee of the State for the purposes of providing information to evaluate new products, trends, services, or technologies.

(Source: P.A. 100-43, eff. 8-9-17.)

Section 15. The Architectural, Engineering, and Land Surveying Qualifications Based Selection Act is amended by changing Section 35 as follows:

(30 ILCS 535/35) (from Ch. 127, par. 4151-35)

Sec. 35. Selection procedure. On the basis of evaluations, discussions, and any presentations, the State agency shall select no less than 3 firms it determines to be qualified to provide services for the project and rank them in order of qualifications to provide services regarding the specific project. The State agency shall then contact the firm ranked most preferred to negotiate a contract at a fair and reasonable compensation. If fewer than 3 firms submit letters of interest and the State agency determines that one or both of those firms are so qualified, the State agency may proceed to negotiate a contract under Section 40. The decision of the State agency shall be final and binding.

As part of the State agency's commitment to fostering greater diversity in contracting, the State agency shall publish the list of firms, along with scoring comments, determined to be qualified to provide services under this Section so that all firms have an opportunity to identify ways they may improve proposals in the future. The State agency may communicate with firms who were not selected in order to provide further information about the firm's proposal deficiencies.

(Source: P.A. 87-673.)