Bill Text: IL HB4870 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the Chicago Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Allows a designated domestic partner to qualify as a surviving spouse for purposes of survivor and death benefits. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-03-15 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB4870 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2009-HB4870-Introduced.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning public employee benefits.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Illinois Pension Code is amended by adding | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Section
17-121.1 as follows:
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6 | (40 ILCS 5/17-121.1 new)
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7 | Sec. 17-121.1. Domestic partner eligibility.
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8 | (a) Beginning July 1, 2010, an unmarried teacher may | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | designate a domestic
partner by filing a written designation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | with the Fund in the manner prescribed
by the Fund. The Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | may require reasonable evidence that the person
designated | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | meets the qualifications set forth in subsection (c). Such a
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13 | designation is revocable at any time, but may not be made or | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | changed more than
once in any 24-month period. The marriage of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | a teacher automatically revokes
any designation of a domestic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | partner previously made by that teacher.
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17 | (b) The designated domestic partner of a teacher shall be | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | eligible to
receive survivor and death benefits under this | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | Article in the same manner
and subject to the same conditions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | as a surviving spouse. For the purposes
of determining | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | eligibility for those benefits, the date of designation of a
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22 | domestic partner shall be deemed the equivalent of the date of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | marriage, and
the revocation or change of a designation shall |
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1 | be deemed the equivalent of
termination of the marriage. | ||||||
2 | References in this Article and other applicable
Articles of | ||||||
3 | this Code to a surviving spouse shall be deemed to include a
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4 | surviving designated domestic partner.
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5 | (c) "Domestic partner" means an individual of the same or | ||||||
6 | opposite gender as an
unmarried teacher who (1) is involved | ||||||
7 | with the teacher in a long-term
relationship of indefinite | ||||||
8 | duration; (2) has resided together with the teacher
at the same | ||||||
9 | address for at least 12 months; (3) is not related to the | ||||||
10 | teacher
by blood to a degree of closeness that would prohibit | ||||||
11 | legal marriage in the
state in which they legally reside; (4) | ||||||
12 | is not married to any other person;
and (5) has an exclusive | ||||||
13 | mutual commitment to the teacher in which they agree
to be | ||||||
14 | jointly responsible for each other's common welfare and to | ||||||
15 | share
financial obligations.
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16 | Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding | ||||||
17 | Section 8.34 as follows:
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18 | (30 ILCS 805/8.34 new) | ||||||
19 | Sec. 8.34. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8 | ||||||
20 | of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the | ||||||
21 | implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory Act of | ||||||
22 | the 96th General Assembly.
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23 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
24 |