Laws Recently Passed

New Laws

• Public Act 100-1097 (introduced as SB 3119): This law prohibits IMRF participation by former police chiefs who meet all of the following criteria:
• Participated as a police chief in an Article 3 police pension fund in a city, village, or town.
• Take a new job working with the same municipality for the police department or in an advisory capacity.
• Have no IMRF service credit prior to August 26, 2018.
  (Note: IMRF will send additional information to employers who may be affected by this bill.)
• Public Act 100-0935 (introduced as SB 2884): This law allows IMRF to offer electronic voting options for its Employee and Annuitant Trustee elections. IMRF plans to postpone implementing an electronic voting system until after 2021, once we've completed an upgrade of our database. Any system we introduce will continue to allow members and annuitants to vote via paper ballot if they prefer.
• Public Act 100-148 (introduced as HB 3070): Clarifies that members may make one payment for past service purchases after terminating employment in an IMRF position, as long as the application is made prior to termination. Effective August 18, 2017.
• Public Act 100-274 (HB 3122): Sets the hourly standard for all governing body members, whether elected or appointed, at 1,000 hours. Applicable only to members who begin participation as a governing body member after the effective date of the bill. Effective January 1, 2018.
• Public Act 100-411 (introduced as SB 701): Excludes vehicle allowances from the definition of reportable wages for members who first begin participation on or after the effective date. Also excludes vacation payouts from the accelerated payment calculation, but only if the payment was made in the final three months of the Final Rate of Earnings (FRE) period. Effective August 25, 2017.

• Public Act 100-281 (introduced as HB 418): In the provision applicable to IMRF, excludes new police chiefs in Article 3 communities from opting into IMRF SLEP as of January 1, 2019. Only applicable to chiefs who have earned no IMRF service credit prior to that date.

• Public Act 100-139 (introduced as HB 2966): Requires members to be vested in IMRF in order to qualify as a candidate for the Board of Trustees and also clarifies that the AP is applicable to increases in “reported earnings” rather than “salary.” Effective August 18, 2017; this will apply to the 2017 Executive Trustee election.

• Public Act 100-354 (introduced as HB 815): Allows the Village of Bedford Park to allow their police and/or fire employees to participate in IMRF SLEP. The bill was effective August 25, 2017, but the change will only be applicable after the village requests a cost study from IMRF regarding the potential cost of the change and also passes a resolution to allow the switch.