SB1591 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
SB1591

Introduced 2/19/2009, by Sen. Pamela J. Althoff

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.

A BILL FOR

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.

"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 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 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 appointee.

"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.

"Governmental entity" means a unit of local government (including a community college district) or a school district but not a State agency.

"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.

"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 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.

(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 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; or

(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.

"State agency" includes all officers, boards, commissions and agencies created by the Constitution, whether in the executive or legislative branch; all officers, departments, 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 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.

(Source: P.A. 95-880, eff. 8-19-08.)