Illinois Legislative Report By Leo Welch

Bill: HB 3760 (Franks-D)
PEN. CODE-OFFSETS-CONTINUATION
Synopsis As Introduced:
Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that a member or participant of a retirement system or pension fund established under the Code who is receiving a retirement annuity or retirement pension under the Code and becomes employed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act in a position in which he or she is eligible to accrue service credit or creditable service under any Article of the Code shall, in the month immediately after commencing that employment, have the amount of his or her monthly retirement annuity or retirement pension offset by the amount of his or her compensation, earnings, or salary (whichever is applicable) in the immediately preceding month as certified to the applicable retirement system or pension fund by his or her employer, unless the payment of that retirement annuity or pension is already suspended or terminated under the Code during that period. Exempts the first $2,000 per month of retirement annuity payments. Provides that if during the course of a member's or participant's employment that member's participant's retirement annuity or retirements pension under the Code fully vests, then that member or participant may maintain his or her employment in that position without contributing to any retirement annuity fund or any retirement pension fund under the Code.
ffective immediately.

Bill: HB 4257 (Chapa LaVia-D) ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAM-CREDIT
Synopsis As Introduced:
Amends the College and Career Success for All Students Act. Provides that a student who takes a College Board Advanced Placement examination and receives a score of 3 or higher on the examination is entitled to receive postsecondary level course credit at a public institution of higher education. Requires each public institution of higher education to comply with the same standard of awarding course credit to any student receiving a score of 3 or higher on a College Board Advanced Placement examination and applying the credit to meet a corresponding course requirement for degree completion at that institution of higher education.
Effective immediately.

Bill: HB 4268 (Ives-R)
LABOR AGREEMENT HEARINGS
Synopsis As Introduced
Amends the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. Provides that, once an agreement is reached between a public or educational employer and its employees regarding all of the terms of a collective bargaining agreement, the agreement shall be reduces to writing and published on the website of the public or educational employer. Requires the public or educational employer, not less than 14 days after publishing such an agreement, to hold an open public meeting on the ratification of that agreement. Makes conforming changes in the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act. Effective immediately.

House Committee Amendment #1
Adds a provision that no collective bargaining agreement shall be binding on any government agency until it has been ratified by a majority vote of the agency's governing body, with that vote taking place after the public meeting. Adds a provision that no collective bargaining agreement shall be binding on any government agency until it has been ratified by a majority vote of the agency's governing body, with that vote taking place after the public meeting.

House Amendment #1 (Filed but, not yet adopted)
Adds a corresponding provision in the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act that provides that rejection of an agreement by the employer or by the exclusive representative of the employees shall not constitute an unfair labor practice.

Bill: HB 4420 (Berrios-D)
EARNED SICK TIME ACT
Synopsis As Introduced
Creates the Earned Sick Time Act. Provides that all employers that employ 20 or more employees shall provide paid sick time to their employees. Requires all employers to provide a minimum of one hour of paid sick time for every 40 hours worked by an employee, regardless of whether the employee is full-time or part-time, with a minimum of 2 days of paid sick time per calendar year. Provides for administration by the Department of Labor. Provides enforcement provisions and sets penalties. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.
Effective immediately.

Bill: HB 5831 (Kay-R)
BACCALAUREATE DEGREE PILOT PROGRAM
Synopsis As Introduced
Creates the Baccalaureate Degree Pilot Program Act. Establishes the Baccalaureate Degree Pilot Program, to be implemented and administered by the Board of Higher Education, in conjunction with the State Board of Education and the Illinois Community College Board, with the goal of creating a model of articulation and coordination among grade K-12 schools, community colleges, and public universities that will allow students to earn a baccalaureate degree for a total cost not exceeding $10,000, including textbooks. Provides that the Board of Higher Education, in conjunction with the State Board of Education public deposits, and to the pledging of collateral by a bank to secure public deposits, if (i) the public agency initiates the investment at or through a bank located in Illinois and (ii) the invested public funds are at all times fully insured by an agency or instrumentality of the federal government.
Effective immediately.

Bill: SB 2202 (Link-D/Williams-D)
SMOKE FREE CAMPUS ACT
Public Act 98-0985
Synopsis As Introduced
Creates the Smoke-Free Campus Act. Sets forth the General Assembly's findings. Provides that beginning on July 1, 2014, smoking is prohibited on each campus of a State-supported institution of higher education. Provides that on or before December 31, 2013, each State-supported institution of higher education shall establish a community task force for the purpose of coordinating with community and campus leaders for the implementation of the Act. Provides that the governing board of each State-supported institution of higher education shall implement the Act and shall promulgate all policies and regulations necessary for this purpose, including, but not limited to, disciplinary action, fines, and appeals process. Effective immediately.

Senate Floor Amendment No. 1
Provides that the prohibition against smoking on each campus of a State-supported institution of higher education shall not apply to any instance in which an individual is traveling through or parked on a campus in a vehicle that is not owned by a State-supported institution of higher education.

House Committee Amendment #1
Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the engrossed bill, with the following changes. Excludes property covered under the Smoke Free Illinois Act from the definition of "campus". Makes a change to the definition of "smoke" or "smoking" with respect to products approved or certified by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Makes changes to dates. Removes the exception to the smoking prohibition for individuals parked on campus. Requires the creation and posting of a smoke-free campus map. Deletes language that provides that any State-supported institution of higher education may regulate smoking in public places, but that regulation must be no less restrictive than this Act. Adds language that provides that in case of conflict with provisions of the Smoke Free Illinois Act, the provisions of the Smoke Free Illinois Act shall control. Effective immediately.

Bill: SB 2683 (Bivins-D)
ETHICS-PARTISAN APPOINTEES
Synopsis As Introduced
Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Provides that, for purposes of determining the partisanship of any person who is appointed by the Governor to an office that either requires specific partisanship or limits the number or appointees from a single political party that may be appointed, the vote of that person in the 3 general primary elections immediately preceding the effective date of the appointment shall determine their partisanship for that person's term of office. Provides that a person who did not vote, or who voted but did not request a partisan ballot, in the 3 general primary elections immediately preceding the effective date of the appointment or who voted but requested partisan ballots for 2 or more different political parties in the 3 general primary elections immediately preceding the effective date of the appointment shall be deemed an independent for purposes of determining partisanship for that person's term of office.

Note: In the House of Representatives a bill sent to the Rules Committee did not advance in the Senate a bill sent a bill sent to assignments did not advance.