Illinois Legislative Report By Leo Welch

1. HB1397 SCH CD-RESTORE GA SCHOLARSHIP (JONES T) (D) Amends the School Code. Allows each member of the General Assembly to nominate persons from his or her district, which persons shall receive a certificate of scholarship in a State university designated by the member. Sets forth provisions concerning such nominations, including the number of persons a member may nominate and the length of the scholarships. Provides for the waiver of confidentiality as a condition of nomination. Provides for the use of a scholarship, including that the scholarship exempts the holder from the payment of tuition and fees. Current Status: 2/19/2015-Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Rita Mayfield

2. HB2526 PROP TX-TAX BILLS-PENSION (TRYON M) (R) Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that each property tax bill shall contain a separate statement for each of the taxing districts setting forth the dollar amount of tax due that will be used by the taxing district to pick up or otherwise pays its employees' contributions to a public pension fund. Provides that each taxing district that picks up or otherwise pays its employees' contributions to a public pension fund must certify this information to the county clerk on or before the last Tuesday in December. Effective immediately. Current Status: 2/18/2015-Referred to House Rules

3. HC13 CON AMEND-GA NO OTHER OFFICE (DRURY S) (D) Proposes to amend the Legislative Article of the Illinois Constitution. Provides that a person who is a member of the General Assembly may not, during his or her term of office, hold any other elected public office. Effective upon being declared adopted. Current Status: 1/27/2015-Referred to House Rules

4. HC25 JUDGES-SELECTION-RETENTION (KAY D) (R) Proposes to amend the Judiciary Article of the Illinois Constitution. Provides that, whenever a vacancy occurs in the office of Supreme, Appellate, or Circuit Judge by death, resignation, retirement, removal, or upon the conclusion of the judge's term without retention in office, the Governor shall fill that vacancy by appointing one of 3 qualified persons who are nominated by a nonpartisan judicial commission. Creates separate nonpartisan judicial commissions for the Supreme Court, for each Judicial District, and for each Judicial Circuit. Sets forth the membership of the commissions. Effective upon being declared adopted in accordance with Section 7 of the Illinois Constitutional Amendment Act. Current Status: 2/17/2015-Referred to House Rules

5. HJ20 DUPAGE COLLEGE-BREUDER (IVES J)(R) Urges the Board of Trustees at the College of DuPage to reconsider the severance agreement reached with Dr. Robert Breuder and to rename the College of DuPage Homeland Security Education Center in honor of Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller. Current Status: 2/18/2015-Referred to House Rules

6. HB2529 HIGHER ED-ONLINE DEGREE-STUDY (TRYON M) (R) Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Requires each public university to submit to the Board of Higher Education a study of the costs of making available online 4 of the university's most popular degree programs, as determined by the university. Sets forth what must be included in the cost study. Requires the Board of Higher Education to use new and existing data to evaluate probable student outcomes for online degree plans identified by the universities; sets forth other Board requirements. Current Status: 2/18/2015-Referred to House Rules

7. SB688 HIGHER ED-SUPPLIER DIVERSITY (LIGHTFORD K) (D) Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that the Board of Higher Education shall require all public and private institutions of higher education located in this State to submit an annual report on or before April 15. 2016 and on or before each April 15 thereafter, in a searchable Adobe PDF format, on all procurement goals and actual spending for female-owned, minority-owned, veteran-owned, and small business enterprises in the previous calendar year. Provides that each institution shall include certain information in its annual report. Provides that the Board and all institutions shall hold an annual workshop open to the public in July of 2016 and each July thereafter on the state of supplier diversity to collaboratively seek solutions to structural impediments to achieving stated goals. Sets forth other Board requirements. Effective immediately. Current Status: 2/19/2015-Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Michael Noland

8. HB134 PEN CD-TIER III-STATE SYSTEMS (THAPEDI A) (D) Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Creates a Tier III benefit package applicable to persons who first begin participating in one of the State-funded retirement systems on or after July 1, 2015. Provides for retirement benefits and certain employee contribution changes that supersede the corresponding provisions of the applicable retirement system. Provides that those retirement benefits may be annually increased or decreased in response to the retirement system's investment earnings. Changes the amount of the required State contributions and, in the State Universities and Downstate Teacher Articles, requires the actual employers to make contributions to amortize any unfunded liabilities arising out of their employees who are Tier III participants. Provides that, when the State's total debt service obligation for certain pension bonds has ended, any funds remaining available for the payment of that debt service shall be distributed to the 5 State-funded retirement systems, to be used to reduce their unfunded actuarial liabilities. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately. Current Status: 1/14/2015-Referred to Rules Committee

9. HB254 PEN CD-ST SYS-FUNDING RATIO (SOSNOWSKI J) (R) Provides that if and only if the Supreme Court of Illinois, in the consolidated case of In re Pension Reform Litigation, No. 118585, finds that either Public Act 98-599 is unconstitutional in its entirety or that the changes made by Public Act 98-599 to certain Sections of the Illinois Pension Code are unconstitutional, the Illinois Pension Code is amended to make changes to the prescribed funding formulas for the 5 corresponding changes. Effective immediately. Current Status: 1/23/2015-Referred to House Rules

10. HB429 PEN CD-EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS (MORRISON T) (R) Amends the State Universities and Downstate Teacher Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that, for academic years beginning on or after July 1, 2015, if the amount of the participants earnings for any academic year used to determine the final rate of earnings, determined full-time equivalent basis, exceed the amount of his or her earnings with the same employer for the previous academic year, determined on a full-time equivalent basis, by more than the unadjusted percentage increase in the consumer price index-u for that year (rather than 6%), then the participant's employer shall pay to the applicable System, in addition to all other payments required and in accordance with guidelines established by that System, the present value of the increase in benefits resulting from the portion of the increase in earnings that is in excess of the unadjusted percentage increase in the consumer price index-u for that year (rather than the present value of the increase in benefits resulting from the portion of the increase in earnings that is in excess of 6%). Defines "consumer price index-u". Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately. Current Status: 1/30/2015-Referred to House Rules

11. HC9 CONAMEND-REPEAL PENSION RIGHTS (SOSNOWSKI J) (D) Proposes to amend the General Provisions Article of the Illinois Constitution. Repeals a provision that specifies that membership in any pension or retirement system of the State, any unit of local government or school district, or any agency or instrumentality thereof shall be an enforceable contractual relationship, the benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired. Effective upon being declared adopted. Current Status: 2/18/2015-Added to Co-Sponsor Rep. Thomas Morrison

12. SB104 PEN CD-SALARY-NO SICK/VACATION (MURPHY M) (R) Amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF), Cook County, State Employees, State Universities, Downstate Teachers, and Chicago Teachers Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. For participants who first become participants on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, prohibits (i) payments for unused sick or vacation time from being used to calculate pensionable earnings and salary and (ii) unused sick or vacation time from being used to establish service credit. Effective immediately. Current Status: 2/19/2015-To Subcommittee on Special Issues (EX)

13. SB1291 SEVERANCE PAYMENTS (BUSH M) (D) Amends the State Universities and State Employees Articles of the Illinois Pension Code to specify that severance payments are not included in "earnings" or "compensation" for pension purposes. Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois and the Public Community College Act. Provides that, with respect to an executive administrator of a university or community college whose final rate of earnings exceeds $200,000, the governing board of the university or community college district may not award a severance payment to that employee that exceeds 30% of his or her final rate of earnings unless the severance payment is reviewed by the Board of Higher Education or the Illinois Community College Board and the respective Board approves the payment by a record vote of a majority of its members. Effective immediately. Current Status: 2/18/2015-Referred to Senate Assignments

14. HB315 PEN CD-SURS-ROTH ACCOUNT (SOSNOWSKI J) (R) Amends the State Universities Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In a Section relating to the self-managed plan, provides that pursuant to federal law, all employees with applicable retirement plans will be provided plans to: (i) establish, (ii) contribute to, and (iii) transfer any guaranteed or vested portion of their traditional accounts, on any day, into qualified in-plan Roth accounts, without distribution. Effective immediately. Current Status: 2/18/2015-Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Thomas Morrison

15. HB1456 PEN CD-SURS-ADMINISTRATIVE (NEKRITZ E) (D) Amends the State Universities Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Adds a cross-reference to a provision relating to earnings for service before becoming a participant. Defines "plan year". In a provision concerning repayment of certain funds, requires interest from the date the refund was issued rather than the date it was received. Clarifies a provision relating to the purchase of service credit by inactive participants. Current Status: 2/6/2015-Referred to House Rules

16. HB2550 PEN CD-SURVIVOR CONTRIB REFUND (HARRIS G) (D) Amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF), State Universities, and Downstate Teacher Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that certain annuitants who received a refund of contributions for survivor benefits may elect to repay the refund, with interest, and have their survivor benefit rights reinstated. Specifies the required time and manner of repayment. In the IMRF and State Universities Articles, requires that the annuitant (1) retired prior to June 1, 2011, and (2) is a party to a civil union, marriage, or other legal relationship that is recognized as a civil union or marriage under the Illinoi Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act or the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act on or after certain specified dates. Also, in the IMRF Article, extends application of a provision added by the Public Act 87-850 to spouses of annuitants who die on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act. Effective immediately. Current Status: 2/18/2015-Referred to House Rules

17. SB777 PEN CD-SURS-ADMINISTRATIVE (BISS D) (D) Amends the State Universities Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Adds a cross-reference to a provision relating to earnings for service before becoming a participant. Defines "plan year". In provision concerning repayment of certain refunds, requires interest from the date the refund was issued rather than the date it was received. Clarifies a provision relating to the purchase of service credit by inactive participants. Current Status: 2/19/2015-Placed on Calendar of 2nd Reading March 3, 2015

18. HB403 UNIV-TUITION WAIVERS-REPEAL (FRANKS J) (D) Amends various Acts relating to the governance of State universities. Repeals provisions that permit the children of employees of a State university who have been employed by any one or by more than one State university for an aggregate period of at least 7 years to receive a 50% tuition waiver. Effective immediately. Current Status: 2/13/2015-Assigned to House State Government Administration

19. HB2524 INC TX-TUITION WAIVERS (TRYON M) (R) Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an addition modification in an amount equal to any tuition waiver, grant, or scholarship awarded by the public university to the taxpayer, or to the taxpayer's child, spouse, parent, or other family member, on the basis of the taxpayer's employment with the university if (i) the waiver, grant, or scholarship is used by the recipient in that taxable year and (ii) those amounts are not otherwise included in the taxpayer's adjusted gross income. Provides that 100% of the revenue realized from that addition modification shall be deposited into the Monetary Award Reserve Fund. Effective immediately. Current Status: 2/18/2015-Referred to House Rules

20. HB2528 UNIV EMPLOYEE EDCU BENEFITS (TRYON M) (R) Amends various Acts relating to the governance of State universities. With respect to any contract or collective bargaining agreement entered into, amended, or renewed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, provides that a university is prohibited from entering into a contract or agreement that offers its employees or contractors tuition waivers, grants, scholarships, or any other higher education benefits for the children, spouses, or other family member of an employee or contractor to borrow money for higher education expenses or apply for and be awarded a tuition waiver, grant, scholarship, or other award for higher education expenses, provided that there is no conflict of interest and no preference is given on account of the person being the child, spouse, or other family member of an employee or contractor. Provided that nothing in this prohibition shall diminish the value of contractual rights existing before the effective date of the amendatory Act that are enjoyed by employees and contractors of the university or their children, spouses, and other family members. Repeals provisions that permit the children of employees of a State university who have been employed by and one or by more than one State university for an aggregate period of at least 7 years to receive a 50% tuition waiver. Effective immediately. Current Status: 2/18/2015-Referred to House Rules

21. HB208 DESIGNATIONS-STATE PIE-PUMPKIN (SOMMER K) (R) Amends the State Designations Act. Designates pumpkin pie as the official State pie of the State of Illinois. Current Status: 2/4/2015-Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. David McSweeney