Copies of the actual legislation and bill status information are available at www.ilga.gov.

House Bill summaries are available by clicking here.

The following Senate bills are legislation of interest to TRS members.

Senate Bill 39

Allows out-of-state pregnancy leave to be purchased for service credit.

Senate Bill 124

Amends the Freedom of Information Act to provide an exemption for information technology under certain circumstances.

Senate Bill 245

Allows a teacher to designate a domestic partner to qualify as a surviving spouse for survivor and death benefits.

Senate Bill 294 (and House Bill 479)

Adds salary received as a result of extracurricular duties to the list of pay increases that are exempt from employer contributions required on salary increases over 6 percent that are paid to teachers near retirement.

Senate Bills 303 and 304

Creates defined contribution plans in each state pension system. Senate Bill 303 provides an optional defined contribution plan similar to the one provided under the State Universities Retirement System. Senate Bill 304 eliminates the defined benefit plan for new hires and requires them to be automatically enrolled in the defined contribution plan.

Senate Bill 364 (Public Act 96-0006)

The Ethics Reform Act, signed into law on April 3, eliminates the terms of the Board of Trustees members who were appointed by former Gov. Blagojevich. Governor Pat Quinn has 60 days to appoint or reappoint to the TRS Board. The Governor’s appointees on the TRS Board of Trustees were also increased by two positions, equivalent to TRS elected Board of Trustee positions. The law terminates the current TRS executive director from his position on July 1, 2009. Click here for more information.

Senate Bill 1292 (Public Act 96-0043)

Became Public Act 96-0043 on July 15. This legislation provides funding of all state-funded pension systems, including TRS, through the state issuance of pension obligation bonds. The legislation ensures that TRS will receive full funding for fiscal year 2010. TRS is under no obligation for the bonds; the state must repay them over the next five years. The underlying bill which would have instituted a two-tier pension benefit was eliminated by the final amendment which became the funding law.

Senate Bill 1374

Adds salary change as a result of National Board Certification to the list of pay increases that are exempt from employer contributions required on salary increases over 6 percent that are paid to teachers near retirement.

Senate Bill 1454

Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act to require pension system board members to file statements of economic interest.

Senate Bill 1469

Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971 to decrease subsidies for teachers living out of state.

Senate Bill 1561

Protects annuitants against decreases in purchasing power of retirement.

Senate Bill 1656 (and House Bill 3722)

Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act to require pension system board members to file statements of economic interest.

Senate Bill 1713

Adds payments for induction and mentoring to the list of pay increases that are exempt from employer contributions required on salary increases over 6 percent that are paid to teachers near retirement.

Senate Bill 1734

Mandates an investment consolidation of the five retirement systems.

Senate Bill 1945

Exempts municipal pensions from Senate Bill 750.

Senate Bill 1971

Allows the purchase of up to two years of private school teaching for optional service credit.

Senate Bill 2173, Amendments 1 and 2

Reverses the recent changes from Public Act 96-006 that added two additional trustee positions appointed by the Governor to the TRS Board of Trustees.

Senate Resolution 54

Requires the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability to report on the economic impact of job losses due to the proposed pension system consolidation.

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