Bill Text: IL SB1480 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Provides that all questions must be answered on the statement of economic interest. Provides that the Secretary of State shall neither accept a statement of economic interest for filing nor issue a receipt indicating that the statement has been filed unless the statement is verified, dated, and signed by the person making the statement and all questions on the statement are answered. Provides that the county clerk shall neither accept a statement of economic interest for filing nor issue a receipt indicating that a statement has been filed unless the statement is verified, dated, and signed by the person making the statement and all questions on the statement are answered.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-26 - Pursuant to Senate Rule 3-9(b) / Referred to Assignments [SB1480 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB1480-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB1480 Introduced 2/7/2023, by Sen. Ann Gillespie SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
5 ILCS 420/4A-103 from Ch. 127, par. 604A-103
5 ILCS 420/4A-106 from Ch. 127, par. 604A-106
5 ILCS 420/4A-106.5
Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Provides that all questions must be answered on the statement of economic interest. Provides that the Secretary of State shall neither accept a statement of economic interest for filing nor issue a receipt indicating that the statement has been filed unless the statement is verified, dated, and signed by the person making the statement and all questions on the statement are answered. Provides that the county clerk shall neither accept a statement of economic interest for filing nor issue a receipt indicating that a statement has been filed unless the statement is verified, dated, and signed by the person making the statement and all questions on the statement are answered.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning State government.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act is amended
by changing Sections 4A-103, 4A-106, and 4A-106.5 as follows:
(5 ILCS 420/4A-103) (from Ch. 127, par. 604A-103)
Sec. 4A-103. The statement of economic interests required
by this Article to be filed with the Secretary of State or
county clerk shall be verified, dated, and signed by the
person making the statement, shall have all questions answered
by the person making the statement, and shall contain
substantially the following:
STATEMENT OF ECONOMIC INTERESTS
INSTRUCTIONS:
You may find the following documents helpful to you in
completing this form:
(1) federal income tax returns, including any related
schedules, attachments, and forms; and
(2) investment and brokerage statements.
To complete this form, you do not need to disclose
specific amounts or values or report interests relating either

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to political committees registered with the Illinois State
Board of Elections or to political committees, principal
campaign committees, or authorized committees registered with
the Federal Election Commission.
The information you disclose will be available to the
public.
You must answer all 6 questions. Certain questions will
ask you to report any applicable assets or debts held in, or
payable to, your name; held jointly by, or payable to, you with
your spouse; or held jointly by, or payable to, you with your
minor child. If you have any concerns about whether an
interest should be reported, please consult your department's
ethics officer, if applicable.
Please ensure that the information you provide is complete
and accurate. If you need more space than the form allows,
please attach additional pages for your response. If you are
subject to the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, your
ethics officer must review your statement of economic
interests before you file it. Failure to complete the
statement in good faith and within the prescribed deadline may
subject you to fines, imprisonment, or both.
BASIC INFORMATION:
Name:........................................................
Job title:...................................................
Office, department, or agency that requires you to file this

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form:........................................................
Other offices, departments, or agencies that require you to
file a Statement of Economic Interests form: ................
Full mailing address:........................................
Preferred e-mail address (optional):.........................
QUESTIONS:
1. If you have any single asset that was worth more than
$10,000 as of the end of the preceding calendar year and is
held in, or payable to, your name, held jointly by, or payable
to, you with your spouse, or held jointly by, or payable to,
you with your minor child, list such assets below. In the case
of investment real estate, list the city and state where the
investment real estate is located. If you do not have any such
assets, list "none" below.
.................................
.............................................................
.............................................................
.............................................................
.............................................................
2. Excluding the position for which you are required to
file this form, list the source of any income in excess of
$7,500 required to be reported during the preceding calendar
year. If you sold an asset that produced more than $7,500 in
capital gains in the preceding calendar year, list the name of
the asset and the transaction date on which the sale or

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transfer took place. If you had no such sources of income or
assets, list "none" below.
Source of Income / Name of Date Sold (if applicable)
Asset
............................... ...............................
............................... ...............................
............................... ...............................
3. Excluding debts incurred on terms available to the
general public, such as mortgages, student loans, and credit
card debts, if you owed any single debt in the preceding
calendar year exceeding $10,000, list the creditor of the debt
below. If you had no such debts, list "none" below.
List the creditor for all applicable debts owed by you,
owed jointly by you with your spouse, or owed jointly by you
with your minor child. In addition to the types of debts listed
above, you do not need to report any debts to or from financial
institutions or government agencies, such as debts secured by
automobiles, household furniture or appliances, as long as the
debt was made on terms available to the general public, debts
to members of your family, or debts to or from a political
committee registered with the Illinois State Board of
Elections or any political committee, principal campaign
committee, or authorized committee registered with the Federal
Election Commission.
........................................

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.............................................................
.............................................................
.............................................................
4. List the name of each unit of government of which you or
your spouse were an employee, contractor, or office holder
during the preceding calendar year other than the unit or
units of government in relation to which the person is
required to file and the title of the position or nature of the
contractual services.
Name of Unit of Government Title or Nature of Services
............................... ...............................
............................... ...............................
............................... ...............................
5. If you maintain an economic relationship with a
lobbyist or if a member of your family is known to you to be a
lobbyist registered with any unit of government in the State
of Illinois, list the name of the lobbyist below and identify
the nature of your relationship with the lobbyist. If you do
not have an economic relationship with a lobbyist or a family
member known to you to be a lobbyist registered with any unit
of government in the State of Illinois, list "none" below.
Name of Lobbyist Relationship to Filer
............................... ...............................
............................... ...............................

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............................... ...............................
6. List the name of each person, organization, or entity
that was the source of a gift or gifts, or honorarium or
honoraria, valued singly or in the aggregate in excess of $500
received during the preceding calendar year and the type of
gift or gifts, or honorarium or honoraria, excluding any gift
or gifts from a member of your family that was not known to be
a lobbyist registered with any unit of government in the State
of Illinois. If you had no such gifts, list "none" below.
....
.............................................................
.............................................................
7. List the name of any spouse or immediate family member
living with the person making this statement employed by a
public utility in this State and the name of the public utility
that employs the relative.
Name and Relation Public Utility
............................... ...............................
............................... ...............................
............................... ...............................
VERIFICATION:
"I declare that this statement of economic interests
(including any attachments) has been examined by me and to the
best of my knowledge and belief is a true, correct and complete
statement of my economic interests as required by the Illinois

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Governmental Ethics Act. I understand that the penalty for
willfully filing a false or incomplete statement is a fine not
to exceed $2,500 or imprisonment in a penal institution other
than the penitentiary not to exceed one year, or both fine and
imprisonment."
Printed Name of Filer:.......................................
Date:........................................................
Signature:...................................................
If this statement of economic interests requires ethics
officer review prior to filing, the applicable ethics officer
must complete the following:
CERTIFICATION OF ETHICS OFFICER REVIEW:
"In accordance with law, as Ethics Officer, I reviewed
this statement of economic interests prior to its filing."
Printed Name of Ethics Officer:..............................
Date:........................................................
Signature:...................................................
Preferred e-mail address (optional):.........................
(Source: P.A. 102-662, eff. 9-15-21; 102-664, eff. 1-1-22.)
(5 ILCS 420/4A-106) (from Ch. 127, par. 604A-106)
Sec. 4A-106. Persons filing statements with Secretary of
State; notice; certification of list of names; alphabetical

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list; receipt; examination and copying of statements. The
statements of economic interests required of persons listed in
Section 4A-101 shall be filed with the Secretary of State. On
or before February 1 annually, the chief administrative
officer of any State agency in the executive, legislative, or
judicial branch employing persons required to file under item
(f) or item (l) of Section 4A-101 and the chief administrative
officer of a board or panel described in item (n) or (p) of
Section 4A-101 shall certify to the Secretary of State the
names and mailing addresses of those persons. In preparing the
lists, each chief administrative officer, or his or her
designee, shall set out the names in alphabetical order.
On or before April 1 annually, the Secretary of State
shall notify (1) all persons whose names have been certified
to him under items (f), (l), (n), and (p) of Section 4A-101,
and (2) all persons described in items (a) through (e) and item
(j) of Section 4A-101, other than candidates for office who
have filed their statements with their nominating petitions,
of the requirements for filing statements of economic
interests. A person required to file with the Secretary of
State by virtue of more than one position as listed in Section
4A-101, and filing his or her statement of economic interests
in writing, rather than through the Internet-based system,
shall be notified of and is required to file only one statement
of economic interests relating to all items under which the
person is required to file with the Secretary of State.

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Except as provided in Section 4A-106.1, the notices
provided for in this Section shall be in writing and deposited
in the U.S. Mail, properly addressed, first class postage
prepaid, on or before the day required by this Section for the
sending of the notice. A certificate executed by the Secretary
of State attesting that he or she has sent the notice by the
means permitted by this Section constitutes prima facie
evidence thereof.
Any person who files or has filed a statement of economic
interest under this Section is entitled to receive from the
Secretary of State a receipt indicating that the person has
filed such a statement, the date of such filing, and the
identity of the governmental unit or units in relation to
which the filing is required. However, the Secretary of State
shall neither accept a statement of economic interest for
filing nor issue a receipt indicating that the statement has
been filed unless the statement is verified, dated, and signed
by the person making the statement and all questions on the
statement are answered.
The Secretary of State may employ such employees and
consultants as he considers necessary to carry out his duties
hereunder, and may prescribe their duties, fix their
compensation, and provide for reimbursement of their expenses.
All statements of economic interests filed under this
Section shall be available for examination and copying by the
public at all reasonable times. Not later than 12 months after

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the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General
Assembly, beginning with statements filed in calendar year
2004, the Secretary of State shall make statements of economic
interests filed with the Secretary available for inspection
and copying via the Secretary's website.
(Source: P.A. 101-221, eff. 8-9-19.)
(5 ILCS 420/4A-106.5)
Sec. 4A-106.5. Persons filing statements with county
clerk; notice; certification of list of names; alphabetical
list; receipt; examination and copying of statements. The
statements of economic interests required of persons listed in
Section 4A-101.5 shall be filed with the county clerk of the
county in which the principal office of the unit of local
government with which the person is associated is located. If
it is not apparent which county the principal office of a unit
of local government is located, the chief administrative
officer, or his or her designee, has the authority, for
purposes of this Act, to determine the county in which the
principal office is located. Annually, on or before February
1, the chief administrative officer, or his or her designee,
of each unit of local government with persons described in
Section 4A-101.5 shall certify to the appropriate county clerk
a list of names and addresses of persons that are required to
file. In preparing the lists, each chief administrative
officer, or his or her designee, shall set out the names in

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alphabetical order.
On or before April 1 annually, the county clerk of each
county shall notify all persons whose names have been
certified to him under Section 4A-101.5, other than candidates
for office who have filed their statements with their
nominating petitions, of the requirements for filing
statements of economic interests. A person required to file
with a county clerk by virtue of more than one item among items
set forth in Section 4A-101.5 shall be notified of and is
required to file only one statement of economic interests
relating to all items under which the person is required to
file with that county clerk.
Except as provided in Section 4A-106.1, the notices
provided for in this Section shall be in writing and deposited
in the U.S. Mail, properly addressed, first class postage
prepaid, on or before the day required by this Section for the
sending of the notice. Alternatively, a county clerk may send
the notices electronically to all persons whose names have
been thus certified to him. A certificate executed by a county
clerk attesting that he or she has sent the notice by the means
permitted by this Section constitutes prima facie evidence
thereof.
From the lists certified to him or her under this Section
of persons described in Section 4A-101.5, the clerk of each
county shall compile an alphabetical listing of persons
required to file statements of economic interests in his or

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her office under any of those items. As the statements are
filed in his or her office, the county clerk shall cause the
fact of that filing to be indicated on the alphabetical
listing of persons who are required to file statements. Within
30 days after the due dates, the county clerk shall mail to the
State Board of Elections a true copy of that listing showing
those who have filed statements.
The county clerk of each county shall note upon the
alphabetical listing the names of all persons required to file
a statement of economic interests who failed to file a
statement on or before May 1. It shall be the duty of the
several county clerks to give notice as provided in Section
4A-105 to any person who has failed to file his or her
statement with the clerk on or before May 1.
Any person who files or has filed a statement of economic
interest under this Section is entitled to receive from the
county clerk a receipt indicating that the person has filed
such a statement, the date of filing, and the identity of the
governmental unit or units in relation to which the filing is
required. However, the county clerk shall neither accept a
statement of economic interest for filing nor issue a receipt
indicating that the statement has been filed unless the
statement is verified, dated, and signed by the person making
the statement and all questions on the statement are answered.
All statements of economic interests filed under this
Section shall be available for examination and copying by the

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public at all reasonable times.
(Source: P.A. 101-221, eff. 8-9-19; 101-617, eff. 12-20-19.)