Bill Text: IL HB5096 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Defines as a prohibited political activity the wearing or displaying of items expressing support for or against a candidate or referendum question while registering voters as a deputy registrar or assisting persons in completing mail-in voter registration applications. Defines a "candidate" to include candidates for federal and local offices as well as State offices.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2013-01-08 - Session Sine Die [HB5096 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2011-HB5096-Introduced.html

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97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2011 and 2012 HB5096 Introduced 2/7/2012, by Rep. Sidney H. Mathias SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
5 ILCS 430/1-5
Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Defines as a prohibited political activity the wearing or displaying of items expressing support for or against a candidate or referendum question while registering voters as a deputy registrar or assisting persons in completing mail-in voter registration applications. Defines a "candidate" to include candidates for federal and local offices as well as State offices.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning government.
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 1-5 as follows:
(5 ILCS 430/1-5)
Sec. 1-5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
"Appointee" means a person appointed to a position in or
with a State agency, regardless of whether the position is
compensated.
"Board members of Regional Transit Boards" means any person
appointed to serve on the governing board of a Regional Transit
Board.
"Campaign for elective office" means any activity in
furtherance of an effort to influence the selection,
nomination, election, or appointment of any individual to any
federal, State, or local public office or office in a political
organization, or the selection, nomination, or election of
Presidential or Vice-Presidential electors, but does not
include activities (i) relating to the support or opposition of
any executive, legislative, or administrative action (as those
terms are defined in Section 2 of the Lobbyist Registration
Act), (ii) relating to collective bargaining, or (iii) that are

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otherwise in furtherance of the person's official State duties.
"Candidate" means a person who has filed nominating papers
or petitions for nomination or election to an elected State
office, or who has been appointed to fill a vacancy in
nomination, and who remains eligible for placement on the
ballot at either a general primary election or general
election.
"Collective bargaining" has the same meaning as that term
is defined in Section 3 of the Illinois Public Labor Relations
Act.
"Commission" means an ethics commission created by this
Act.
"Compensated time" means any time worked by or credited to
a State employee that counts toward any minimum work time
requirement imposed as a condition of employment with a State
agency, but does not include any designated State holidays or
any period when the employee is on a leave of absence.
"Compensatory time off" means authorized time off earned by
or awarded to a State employee to compensate in whole or in
part for time worked in excess of the minimum work time
required of that employee as a condition of employment with a
State agency.
"Contribution" has the same meaning as that term is defined
in Section 9-1.4 of the Election Code.
"Employee" means (i) any person employed full-time,
part-time, or pursuant to a contract and whose employment

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duties are subject to the direction and control of an employer
with regard to the material details of how the work is to be
performed or (ii) any appointed or elected commissioner,
trustee, director, or board member of a board of a State
agency, including any retirement system or investment board
subject to the Illinois Pension Code or (iii) any other
appointee.
"Employment benefits" include but are not limited to the
following: modified compensation or benefit terms; compensated
time off; or change of title, job duties, or location of office
or employment. An employment benefit may also include favorable
treatment in determining whether to bring any disciplinary or
similar action or favorable treatment during the course of any
disciplinary or similar action or other performance review.
"Executive branch constitutional officer" means the
Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of
State, Comptroller, and Treasurer.
"Gift" means any gratuity, discount, entertainment,
hospitality, loan, forbearance, or other tangible or
intangible item having monetary value including, but not
limited to, cash, food and drink, and honoraria for speaking
engagements related to or attributable to government
employment or the official position of an employee, member, or
officer. The value of a gift may be further defined by rules
adopted by the appropriate ethics commission or by the Auditor
General for the Auditor General and for employees of the office

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of the Auditor General.
"Governmental entity" means a unit of local government
(including a community college district) or a school district
but not a State agency or a Regional Transit Board.
"Leave of absence" means any period during which a State
employee does not receive (i) compensation for State
employment, (ii) service credit towards State pension
benefits, and (iii) health insurance benefits paid for by the
State.
"Legislative branch constitutional officer" means a member
of the General Assembly and the Auditor General.
"Legislative leader" means the President and Minority
Leader of the Senate and the Speaker and Minority Leader of the
House of Representatives.
"Member" means a member of the General Assembly.
"Officer" means an executive branch constitutional officer
or a legislative branch constitutional officer.
"Political" means any activity in support of or in
connection with any campaign for elective office or any
political organization, but does not include activities (i)
relating to the support or opposition of any executive,
legislative, or administrative action (as those terms are
defined in Section 2 of the Lobbyist Registration Act), (ii)
relating to collective bargaining, or (iii) that are otherwise
in furtherance of the person's official State duties or
governmental and public service functions.

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"Political organization" means a party, committee,
association, fund, or other organization (whether or not
incorporated) that is required to file a statement of
organization with the State Board of Elections or a county
clerk under Section 9-3 of the Election Code, but only with
regard to those activities that require filing with the State
Board of Elections or a county clerk.
"Prohibited political activity" means:
(1) Preparing for, organizing, or participating in any
political meeting, political rally, political
demonstration, or other political event.
(2) Soliciting contributions, including but not
limited to the purchase of, selling, distributing, or
receiving payment for tickets for any political
fundraiser, political meeting, or other political event.
(3) Soliciting, planning the solicitation of, or
preparing any document or report regarding any thing of
value intended as a campaign contribution.
(4) Planning, conducting, or participating in a public
opinion poll in connection with a campaign for elective
office or on behalf of a political organization for
political purposes or for or against any referendum
question.
(5) Surveying or gathering information from potential
or actual voters in an election to determine probable vote
outcome in connection with a campaign for elective office

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or on behalf of a political organization for political
purposes or for or against any referendum question.
(6) Assisting at the polls on election day on behalf of
any political organization or candidate for elective
office or for or against any referendum question.
(7) Soliciting votes on behalf of a candidate for
elective office or a political organization or for or
against any referendum question or helping in an effort to
get voters to the polls.
(8) Initiating for circulation, preparing,
circulating, reviewing, or filing any petition on behalf of
a candidate for elective office or for or against any
referendum question.
(9) Making contributions on behalf of any candidate for
elective office in that capacity or in connection with a
campaign for elective office.
(10) Preparing or reviewing responses to candidate
questionnaires in connection with a campaign for elective
office or on behalf of a political organization for
political purposes.
(11) Distributing, preparing for distribution, or
mailing campaign literature, campaign signs, or other
campaign material on behalf of any candidate for elective
office or for or against any referendum question.
(12) Campaigning for any elective office or for or
against any referendum question.

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(13) Managing or working on a campaign for elective
office or for or against any referendum question.
(14) Serving as a delegate, alternate, or proxy to a
political party convention.
(15) Participating in any recount or challenge to the
outcome of any election, except to the extent that under
subsection (d) of Section 6 of Article IV of the Illinois
Constitution each house of the General Assembly shall judge
the elections, returns, and qualifications of its members.
(16) Notwithstanding any collective bargaining
agreement, while registering voters as a deputy registrar
or assisting persons in completing mail-in voter
registration applications, wearing or having within the
view of a prospective voter any button, lapel pin, bumper
sticker, or other item that expresses support for or
opposition to (i) a candidate, as defined in this Section
but also including candidates for federal and local
offices, or (ii) a referendum question.
"Prohibited source" means any person or entity who:
(1) is seeking official action (i) by the member or
officer or (ii) in the case of an employee, by the employee
or by the member, officer, State agency, or other employee
directing the employee;
(2) does business or seeks to do business (i) with the
member or officer or (ii) in the case of an employee, with
the employee or with the member, officer, State agency, or

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other employee directing the employee;
(3) conducts activities regulated (i) by the member or
officer or (ii) in the case of an employee, by the employee
or by the member, officer, State agency, or other employee
directing the employee;
(4) has interests that may be substantially affected by
the performance or non-performance of the official duties
of the member, officer, or employee;
(5) is registered or required to be registered with the
Secretary of State under the Lobbyist Registration Act,
except that an entity not otherwise a prohibited source
does not become a prohibited source merely because a
registered lobbyist is one of its members or serves on its
board of directors; or
(6) is an agent of, a spouse of, or an immediate family
member who is living with a "prohibited source".
"Regional Transit Boards" means (i) the Regional
Transportation Authority created by the Regional
Transportation Authority Act, (ii) the Suburban Bus Division
created by the Regional Transportation Authority Act, (iii) the
Commuter Rail Division created by the Regional Transportation
Authority Act, and (iv) the Chicago Transit Authority created
by the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act.
"State agency" includes all officers, boards, commissions
and agencies created by the Constitution, whether in the
executive or legislative branch; all officers, departments,

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boards, commissions, agencies, institutions, authorities,
public institutions of higher learning as defined in Section 2
of the Higher Education Cooperation Act (except community
colleges), and bodies politic and corporate of the State; and
administrative units or corporate outgrowths of the State
government which are created by or pursuant to statute, other
than units of local government (including community college
districts) and their officers, school districts, and boards of
election commissioners; and all administrative units and
corporate outgrowths of the above and as may be created by
executive order of the Governor. "State agency" includes the
General Assembly, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the
President and Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker and
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the Senate
Operations Commission, and the legislative support services
agencies. "State agency" includes the Office of the Auditor
General. "State agency" does not include the judicial branch.
"State employee" means any employee of a State agency.
"Ultimate jurisdictional authority" means the following:
(1) For members, legislative partisan staff, and
legislative secretaries, the appropriate legislative
leader: President of the Senate, Minority Leader of the
Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, or
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
(2) For State employees who are professional staff or
employees of the Senate and not covered under item (1), the

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Senate Operations Commission.
(3) For State employees who are professional staff or
employees of the House of Representatives and not covered
under item (1), the Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
(4) For State employees who are employees of the
legislative support services agencies, the Joint Committee
on Legislative Support Services.
(5) For State employees of the Auditor General, the
Auditor General.
(6) For State employees of public institutions of
higher learning as defined in Section 2 of the Higher
Education Cooperation Act (except community colleges), the
board of trustees of the appropriate public institution of
higher learning.
(7) For State employees of an executive branch
constitutional officer other than those described in
paragraph (6), the appropriate executive branch
constitutional officer.
(8) For State employees not under the jurisdiction of
paragraph (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), or (7), the
Governor.
(9) For employees of Regional Transit Boards, the
appropriate Regional Transit Board.
(10) For board members of Regional Transit Boards, the
Governor.

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(Source: P.A. 95-880, eff. 8-19-08; 96-6, eff. 4-3-09; 96-555,
eff. 8-18-09; 96-1528, eff. 7-1-11; 96-1533, eff. 3-4-11;
revised 10-20-11.)