Bill Text: IL SB2822 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Allows a designated domestic partner to qualify as a surviving spouse for purposes of survivor and death benefits. Effective immediately.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-03-19 - Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments [SB2822 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2009-SB2822-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,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Illinois Pension Code is amended by adding | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Section 1-155 as follows:
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6 | (40 ILCS 5/1-155 new) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Sec. 1-155. Domestic partner eligibility. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | (a) Beginning July 1, 2010, an unmarried participant of any | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | pension fund or retirement system created under this Code may | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | designate a domestic
partner by filing a written designation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | with the pension fund or retirement system in the manner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | prescribed
by the pension fund or retirement system. The | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | pension fund or retirement system may require reasonable | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | evidence that the person designated meets the definition of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | domestic partner set forth in subsection (c).
Such a
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16 | designation is revocable at any time, but may not be made or | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | changed more than
once in any 12-month period. The marriage of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | a participant automatically revokes
any designation of a | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | domestic partner previously made by that participant.
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20 | (b) The designated domestic partner of a participant shall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | be eligible to
receive survivor and death benefits under this | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | Code in the same manner
and subject to the same conditions as a | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | surviving spouse. For the purposes
of determining eligibility |
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1 | for those benefits, the date of designation of a
domestic | ||||||
2 | partner shall be deemed the equivalent of the date of marriage, | ||||||
3 | and
the revocation or change of a designation shall be deemed | ||||||
4 | the equivalent of
termination of the marriage. References in | ||||||
5 | this Code to a surviving spouse shall be deemed to include a
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6 | surviving designated domestic partner. | ||||||
7 | (c) For the purposes of this Section: | ||||||
8 | "Domestic partner" means an individual of the same gender | ||||||
9 | as an
unmarried participant who (1) is at least 18 years of | ||||||
10 | age; (2) is involved with the participant in a long-term
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11 | relationship of indefinite duration; (3) has resided together | ||||||
12 | with the participant
at the same address for at least 12 | ||||||
13 | months; (4) is not related to the participant
by blood to a | ||||||
14 | degree of closeness that would prohibit legal marriage in the
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15 | state in which they legally reside; (5) is not married to any | ||||||
16 | other person;
and (6) has an exclusive mutual commitment to the | ||||||
17 | participant in which they agree
to be jointly responsible for | ||||||
18 | each other's common welfare and to share
financial obligations.
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19 | "Marriage" means a marriage under the laws of the State of | ||||||
20 | Illinois.
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21 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
22 |