Bill Text: IL HB4426 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Amends the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act. Provides that, among other things, notice of the duration of eligible lists of examinations of each position in the classified service shall be given by the Director of Human Resources by publication for 2 weeks preceding the examination in a daily newspaper of general circulation published in the county in which the sanitary district is situated, and the notice shall be posted by the Director in a conspicuous place in the Director's office for 2 weeks before the examination. Provides that, if fewer than 5 candidates are in the A, B, and C categories combined, then the Director may delay certification to fill a vacancy and hold an examination to provide a sufficient number of candidates on an updated eligible list. Provides that, among other apprentices, apprentices in a sanitary district's apprenticeship program for plant operations or laboratory operations shall not be included in the classified civil service. Provides that graduates of a sanitary district apprenticeship program shall be given additional points on examinations for civil service journeymen positions in entry-level positions in plant operations or laboratory operations classifications, in addition to the trades, at the sanitary district. Provides that, if an eligible list for the civil service journeyman trades or entry-level plant operations or laboratory operations classification already exists at the time a district apprentice completes the district program, then a special administration of the examination may be scheduled by the Director. Makes other and conforming changes.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6)

Status: (Enrolled) 2026-06-18 - Sent to the Governor [HB4426 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB4426-Enrolled.html

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AN ACT concerning local government.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act
is amended by changing Sections 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 4.11, and 4.13
as follows:
(70 ILCS 2605/4.7) (from Ch. 42, par. 323.7)
Sec. 4.7. Examinations and eligible lists. All applicants
for offices or places in said classified civil service, except
for the positions of deputy director of engineering, deputy
director of monitoring and research, deputy director of
maintenance and operations, assistant director of engineering,
assistant director of maintenance and operations, deputy
general counsel, head assistant attorneys, assistant director
of monitoring and research, assistant director of information
technology, assistant director of human resources,
comptroller, assistant treasurer, assistant director of
procurement and materials management, and laborers, shall be
subjected to examination, which shall be public and
competitive with limitations specified in the rules of the
Director as to residence, age, sex, health, habits, moral
character and qualifications to perform the duties of the
office or place to be filled, which qualifications shall be

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prescribed in advance of such examination. Such examinations
shall be practical in their character, and shall relate to
those matters which will fairly test the relative capacity of
the persons examined to discharge the duties of the position
to which they seek to be appointed, and may include tests of
physical qualifications and health and when appropriate, of
manual skill. No question in any examination shall relate to
political or religious opinions or affiliations. The Director
shall control all examinations, and may, whenever an
examination is to take place, designate a suitable number of
persons to be special examiners and it shall be the duty of
such special examiners to conduct such examinations as the
Director may direct, and to make return and report thereof to
him; and the Director he may, at any time, substitute any other
person in the place of any one so selected; and the Director he
may himself, at any time, act as such special examiner, and
without appointing other special examiners. The Director
shall, by rule, provide for and shall hold sufficient number
of examinations to provide a sufficient number of candidates
eligibles on the eligible list register for each
classification grade of position in the classified civil
service, and if any place in the classified civil service
shall become vacant, to which there is not a sufficient number
of candidates no person eligible for appointment, the Director
he shall hold an examination for such position and repeat the
same, if necessary, until a vacancy is filled in accordance

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with the provisions of this Act.
Eligible lists registers shall remain in force for between
1 and 3 years, except the eligible list register for laborers
which shall remain in force for 4 years and except the eligible
lists registers for student programs and entry level
engineering positions which, in the Director's discretion, may
remain in force for one year. The duration of the eligible list
shall be announced in advance of the examination in accordance
with Section 4.8.
Examinations for an eligible list for each position in the
classified service above mentioned shall be held at least once
in 3 years and at least annually for student programs and entry
level engineering positions if the Director has limited the
duration of the eligible lists registers for those positions
to one year, unless the Director determines that such
examinations are not necessary because no vacancy exists.
To help defray expenses of examinations, the sanitary
district may, but need not, charge a fee to each applicant who
desires to take a civil service examination provided for by
this Act. The amount of such fees shall be set by the corporate
authority of the sanitary district. Such fees shall be
deposited in the corporate fund of the district.
(Source: P.A. 94-1070, eff. 11-29-06; 95-923, eff. 1-1-09.)
(70 ILCS 2605/4.8) (from Ch. 42, par. 323.8)
Sec. 4.8. Notice of the time and place, and general scope,

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and fee, and duration of the eligible list of every
examination and of the duties, pay, and nature of the position
sought to be filled shall be given by the Director by
publication for 2 weeks preceding such examination, in a daily
newspaper of general circulation published in the county in
which said sanitary district is situated and such notice shall
be posted by him in a conspicuous place in his office for 2
weeks before such examinations.
(Source: Laws 1963, p. 2477.)
(70 ILCS 2605/4.9) (from Ch. 42, par. 323.9)
Sec. 4.9. From the return or reports of examiners, or from
the examinations which he or she has made, the Director shall
prepare an eligible list a register for each grade or class of
positions in the classified service of the sanitary district
of the persons who shall attain such minimum mark as may be
fixed by the Director for any part of such examination, and
whose general average standing upon examination for such grade
or class is not less than the minimum fixed by the rules of the
Director, and who are otherwise eligible; and such persons
shall take rank upon the eligible list register as candidates
in the order of their relative excellence as determined by
examination, without reference to priority of time of
examination. The Director may substitute categories designated
as A, B, and C for numerical ratings and establish eligible
lists registers accordingly. The notice of examination shall

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specify the category or categories upon which selection will
be made.
(Source: P.A. 97-124, eff. 7-14-11.)
(70 ILCS 2605/4.11) (from Ch. 42, par. 323.11)
Sec. 4.11. Appointments. Whenever a position classified
under this Act is to be filled, except the positions of deputy
director of engineering, deputy director of monitoring and
research, deputy director of maintenance and operations,
assistant director of engineering, assistant director of
maintenance and operations, deputy general counsel, head
assistant attorneys, assistant director of monitoring and
research, assistant director of information technology,
comptroller, assistant treasurer, assistant director of
procurement and materials management, assistant director of
human resources, and laborers, the Executive Director shall
make requisition upon the Director, and the Director shall
certify to the Executive Director him or her from the eligible
list register of eligibles for the position the names (a) of
the five candidates standing highest upon the eligible list
register of eligibles for the position, or (b) of the
candidates within the A category upon the eligible list
register of eligibles if the list register is by categories
designated as A, B, and C, provided, however, that any
certification shall consist of at least 5 candidates, if
available. If fewer than 5 candidates are in the A category,

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then the Director shall also certify all of the candidates in
the B category. If fewer than 5 candidates are in the A and B
categories combined, then the Director shall also certify all
of the candidates in the C category. If fewer than 5 candidates
are in the A, B, and C categories combined, then the Director
may delay certification to fill a vacancy and hold an
examination to provide a sufficient number of candidates on an
updated eligible list. Candidates passing the subsequent
examination shall take rank or be placed in the appropriate
category upon the updated eligible list as determined by the
candidate's exam performance. Certification shall be made in
accordance with this Section but without preference as to
priority of time of examination, except that the candidates
that were remaining on the prior unexpired eligible list shall
be included in the certified group, regardless of their
category, for all requisitions until the expiration date of
the prior eligible list. The Executive Director shall notify
the Director of each position to be filled separately and
shall fill the position by appointment of one of the certified
candidates. The Executive Director's appointment decision
shall be final and not subject to review. An appointed
candidate shall be a probationary appointee on probation for a
period to be fixed by the rules, not exceeding 250 days worked
by the probationary appointee in the position of probationary
appointment. At any time during the period of probation, the
Executive Director with the approval of the Director may

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terminate a probationary appointee and shall notify the civil
service board in writing of the termination; however, the
Executive Director's termination of a probationary appointee
shall be final and not subject to review. At any time during
the period of probation, a probationary appointee may make a
written request to voluntarily terminate a probationary
appointment, and if approved by the Executive Director, such
voluntary termination shall be final and not subject to
review. If a probationary appointee is not terminated, then
the probationary appointee's his or her appointment shall be
deemed complete.
When there is no eligible list, the Executive Director
may, with the authority of the Director, make a temporary
appointment to remain in force only until a permanent
appointment from an eligible register or list can be made in
the manner specified in the previous provisions of this
Section, and examinations to supply an eligible list therefor
shall be held and an eligible list established therefrom
within one year from the making of such appointment. The
acceptance or refusal by an eligible person of a temporary
appointment does not affect his or her standing on the
eligible list register for permanent appointment.
In employment of an essentially temporary and transitory
nature, the Executive Director may, with the authority of the
Director of Human Resources make temporary appointments. No
temporary appointment of an essentially temporary and

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transitory nature may be granted for a period of more than 119
consecutive or non-consecutive working days per calendar year.
The Director must include in his or her annual report, and if
required by the commissioners, in any special report, a
statement of all temporary appointments made during the year
or period specified by the commissioners, together with a
statement of the facts in each case because of which the
authority was granted.
All laborers shall be appointed by the Executive Director
and shall be on probation for a period to be fixed by the
rules, not exceeding 250 days worked by the laborer in the
position of the probationary appointment. At any time during
the period of a laborer's probation, the Executive Director
with the approval of the Director may terminate a laborer's
probationary appointment and shall notify the civil service
board in writing of the termination; however, the Executive
Director's termination of a laborer's probationary appointment
shall be final and not subject to review. If a laborer's
probationary appointment is not terminated, then the
appointment shall be deemed complete.
The positions of deputy director of engineering, deputy
director of monitoring and research, deputy director of
maintenance and operations, assistant director of engineering,
assistant director of maintenance and operations, deputy
general counsel, head assistant attorneys, assistant director
of monitoring and research, assistant director of information

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technology, comptroller, assistant treasurer, assistant
director of procurement and materials management, and
assistant director of human resources shall be appointed by
the Executive Director upon the recommendation of the
respective department head and shall be on probation for a
period to be fixed by the rules, not exceeding 2 two years. At
any time during the period of probation, the Executive
Director on the recommendation of the department head
concerned, may terminate any such probationary appointee and
he or she shall notify the Civil Service Board in writing of
the termination; however, the Executive Director's termination
of a probationary appointee shall be final and not subject to
review. If a probationary appointee is not terminated, then
the probationary appointee's his or her appointment shall be
deemed complete under the laws governing the classified civil
service.
(Source: P.A. 99-481, eff. 9-22-15.)
(70 ILCS 2605/4.13) (from Ch. 42, par. 323.13)
Sec. 4.13. The following offices and places of employment,
insofar as there are or may be such in the sanitary district,
shall not be included within the classified civil service: All
elective officers, the deputy executive director, the director
of human resources, the clerk, treasurer, director of
engineering, general counsel, executive director, director of
maintenance and operations, director of procurement and

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materials management, director of monitoring and research,
director of information technology, public and
intergovernmental affairs officer, administrative services
officer, and secretary and administrative aide to the
president of the board of trustees, members of the civil
service board and special examiners appointed by the civil
service board and the secretaries aides to the officers and
aides to the individual trustees, and those employed for
periods not exceeding 5 years under any apprentice program,
training or intern programs funded wholly or in part by grants
from the State of Illinois or the United States of America.
Further, apprentices in a sanitary district apprenticeship
program for the trades, plant operations, or laboratory
operations shall not be included within the classified civil
service. Entry into a sanitary district apprenticeship program
for the trades shall be by lottery. Graduates of these a
sanitary district apprenticeship programs program for the
trades shall be given additional points, in an amount to be
determined by the Director of Human Resources, on examinations
for civil service journeymen positions in the trades or
entry-level positions in plant operations or laboratory
operations classifications at the sanitary district. If an
eligible list for the civil service journeyman trades or
entry-level plant operations or laboratory operations
classification already exists at the time the district
apprentice completes the district program, then a special

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administration of the examination may be scheduled by the
Director. The examination shall use the same tests taken by
the candidates on the current eligible list. If the apprentice
attains a passing score on the examination, then the
apprentice shall be added to the eligible list in the
appropriate category based on the score. The apprentice's name
shall remain on the eligible list until its scheduled
expiration date.
(Source: P.A. 104-205, eff. 1-1-26.)