Illinois Legislative Report

By Leo Welch

Bill #: HB 403 Sponsor: (Franks) D Amends various Acts relating to the governance of State universities. Provides that provisions that permit the children of employees of a State university who have been employed by any one or by more than one State university for an aggregate period of at least 7 years to receive a 50% tuition waiver do not apply to students enrolled at a State university after the 2015-2016 academic year.

Assignment: Rules Committee 4/24/2015

Bill #: HB 251 Sponsor: (Sosnowski) R Requires at least three-fourths of all bargaining unit employees who are members of the exclusive bargaining representative to vote affirmatively to authorize a strike (makes the 75% strike threshold Chicago has effective statewide).

Assignment: Rules Committee 3/27/2015

Bill #: SB 72 Sponsor: (McCarter) R Omnibus bill; Prohibits project labor agreements for any school construction project or grant. Eliminates certain mandates, including Driver's Education. Prohibits school districts from entering into certain collective bargaining agreements. Provides that Board of Education may exempt school construction projects from prevailing wage.

Assignment: 10/10/2015

Bill #: HB 429 Sponsor: (Morrison) R Requires employers under SURS and TRS to pay present value of any increase in benefits resulting from salary increases above the rate of inflation (currently, salary increases above 6%); *Is nearly identical to HB 4984

Assignment: Rules Committee 1/30/2015

Bill#: HB 1334 Sponsor: (Franks) D Retirement Means Retirement Act: Provides that if an annuitant of a retirement system or pension fund under Illinois Pension Code becomes re-employed with a similar position within same agency, his or her monthly annuity above $2,000 must be offset by the amount of his or her compensation, earnings, or salary.

Assignment: Personnel and Pensions Committee 2/4/2016; hearing on March 3

Bill #: HB 3424 Sponsor: (Morrison) R Creates a self-directed retirement plan for all new members to five-state pension plans, hired on or after effective date. Transfers active participants and new members hired on and after effective date into a self-directed retirement plan (defined-contribution plan); "buys-out" active participants with prior service credit under the defined-benefit plan by paying the amount of accrued benefits to the participant based on their final average salary; prohibits AAI for some annuitants; establishes new schedule for vesting in employer contributions.

Assignment: Rules Committee 2/26/2015

Bill #: 3661 Sponsor: (Fortner) R Merges and consolidates SURS, TRS, and Chicago Teachers Pension Fund into the Illinois Teachers' Retirement Fund ("ITRF"). Transfers SURS, TRS and CTPF members and beneficiaries into the ITRF; among new requirements for paying more into system; new state contractual requirements to fully fund the ITRF by FY 2047. *Look at bill for all changes.

Assignment: Rules Committee 2/26/2016

Bill#: HB 3828 Sponsor: (Ives) R Creates a Tier 3 Defined-Contribution Pension plan; requires all 5-state funded pension systems to create Tier 3 (Rauner's proposal from looks of it).

Assignment: Rules Committee 2/27/2015

Bill #: HB 4398 Sponsor: (Nekritz) D No earnings or service credit for unused sick or vacation time; prohibits payments for unused sick or vacation time from being calculated as part of the final rate of earnings of individuals who first become participants of SURS on and after the effective date of the legislation. *Bill is very similar to SB 104, as introduced.

Assignment: Personnel and Pensions Committee; hearing 3/3/2016

Bill #: SB 2163 Sponsor: (Connelly) R Requires Board of Trustees of each public university to post a public notice with following info 30 days prior to voting whether to increase an employee's earnings above 6% from previous academic year, for any academic year used to determine the final rate of earning under SURS: 1. Name and person receiving increase in earnings; 2. The amount of the increase in earnings expressed as a dollar amount and percentage; and 3. The present value of the increase in pension benefits resulting from the increase in earnings in excess of 6%.

Assignment: Subcommittee on Public Higher Education Executive Compensation 2/17/2016