Bill Text: IL HB4419 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that an elected or appointed member of a public body of a township may satisfy specified training requirements of the Act by participating in a course of training sponsored or conducted by an organization that represents townships created under the Township Code. Specifies the contents of the course of training. Provides that if an organization that represents townships provides a course of training, it must provide a certificate of course completion to each elected or appointed member of a public body who successfully completes that course of training.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)

Status: (Failed) 2025-01-07 - Session Sine Die [HB4419 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB4419-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4419 Introduced , by Rep. Maura Hirschauer SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
5 ILCS 120/1.05
Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that an elected or appointed member of a public body of a township may satisfy specified training requirements of the Act by participating in a course of training sponsored or conducted by an organization that represents townships created under the Township Code. Specifies the contents of the course of training. Provides that if an organization that represents townships provides a course of training, it must provide a certificate of course completion to each elected or appointed member of a public body who successfully completes that course of training.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning government.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Open Meetings Act is amended by changing
Section 1.05 as follows:
(5 ILCS 120/1.05)
Sec. 1.05. Training.
(a) Every public body shall designate employees, officers,
or members to receive training on compliance with this Act.
Each public body shall submit a list of designated employees,
officers, or members to the Public Access Counselor. Within 6
months after January 1, 2010 (the effective date of Public Act
96-542), the designated employees, officers, and members must
successfully complete an electronic training curriculum,
developed and administered by the Public Access Counselor, and
thereafter must successfully complete an annual training
program. Thereafter, whenever a public body designates an
additional employee, officer, or member to receive this
training, that person must successfully complete the
electronic training curriculum within 30 days after that
designation.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, each
elected or appointed member of a public body subject to this

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Act who is such a member on January 1, 2012 (the effective date
of Public Act 97-504) must successfully complete the
electronic training curriculum developed and administered by
the Public Access Counselor. For these members, the training
must be completed within one year after January 1, 2012 (the
effective date of Public Act 97-504).
Except as otherwise provided in this Section, each elected
or appointed member of a public body subject to this Act who
becomes such a member after January 1, 2012 (the effective
date of Public Act 97-504) shall successfully complete the
electronic training curriculum developed and administered by
the Public Access Counselor. For these members, the training
must be completed not later than the 90th day after the date
the member:
(1) takes the oath of office, if the member is
required to take an oath of office to assume the person's
duties as a member of the public body; or
(2) otherwise assumes responsibilities as a member of
the public body, if the member is not required to take an
oath of office to assume the person's duties as a member of
the governmental body.
Each member successfully completing the electronic
training curriculum shall file a copy of the certificate of
completion with the public body.
Completing the required training as a member of the public
body satisfies the requirements of this Section with regard to

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the member's service on a committee or subcommittee of the
public body and the member's ex officio service on any other
public body.
The failure of one or more members of a public body to
complete the training required by this Section does not affect
the validity of an action taken by the public body.
An elected or appointed member of a public body subject to
this Act who has successfully completed the training required
under this subsection (b) and filed a copy of the certificate
of completion with the public body is not required to
subsequently complete the training required under this
subsection (b).
(c) An elected school board member may satisfy the
training requirements of this Section by participating in a
course of training sponsored or conducted by an organization
created under Article 23 of the School Code. The course of
training shall include, but not be limited to, instruction in:
(1) the general background of the legal requirements
for open meetings;
(2) the applicability of this Act to public bodies;
(3) procedures and requirements regarding quorums,
notice, and record-keeping under this Act;
(4) procedures and requirements for holding an open
meeting and for holding a closed meeting under this Act;
and
(5) penalties and other consequences for failing to

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comply with this Act.
If an organization created under Article 23 of the School
Code provides a course of training under this subsection (c),
it must provide a certificate of course completion to each
school board member who successfully completes that course of
training.
(d) A commissioner of a drainage district may satisfy the
training requirements of this Section by participating in a
course of training sponsored or conducted by an organization
that represents the drainage districts created under the
Illinois Drainage Code. The course of training shall include,
but not be limited to, instruction in:
(1) the general background of the legal requirements
for open meetings;
(2) the applicability of this Act to public bodies;
(3) procedures and requirements regarding quorums,
notice, and record-keeping under this Act;
(4) procedures and requirements for holding an open
meeting and for holding a closed meeting under this Act;
and
(5) penalties and other consequences for failing to
comply with this Act.
If an organization that represents the drainage districts
created under the Illinois Drainage Code provides a course of
training under this subsection (d), it must provide a
certificate of course completion to each commissioner who

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successfully completes that course of training.
(e) A director of a soil and water conservation district
may satisfy the training requirements of this Section by
participating in a course of training sponsored or conducted
by an organization that represents soil and water conservation
districts created under the Soil and Water Conservation
Districts Act. The course of training shall include, but not
be limited to, instruction in:
(1) the general background of the legal requirements
for open meetings;
(2) the applicability of this Act to public bodies;
(3) procedures and requirements regarding quorums,
notice, and record-keeping under this Act;
(4) procedures and requirements for holding an open
meeting and for holding a closed meeting under this Act;
and
(5) penalties and other consequences for failing to
comply with this Act.
If an organization that represents the soil and water
conservation districts created under the Soil and Water
Conservation Districts Act provides a course of training under
this subsection (e), it must provide a certificate of course
completion to each director who successfully completes that
course of training.
(f) An elected or appointed member of a public body of a
park district, forest preserve district, or conservation

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district may satisfy the training requirements of this Section
by participating in a course of training sponsored or
conducted by an organization that represents the park
districts created in the Park District Code. The course of
training shall include, but not be limited to, instruction in:
(1) the general background of the legal requirements
for open meetings;
(2) the applicability of this Act to public bodies;
(3) procedures and requirements regarding quorums,
notice, and record-keeping under this Act;
(4) procedures and requirements for holding an open
meeting and for holding a closed meeting under this Act;
and
(5) penalties and other consequences for failing to
comply with this Act.
If an organization that represents the park districts
created in the Park District Code provides a course of
training under this subsection (f), it must provide a
certificate of course completion to each elected or appointed
member of a public body who successfully completes that course
of training.
(g) An elected or appointed member of the board of
trustees of a fire protection district may satisfy the
training requirements of this Section by participating in a
course of training sponsored or conducted by an organization
that represents fire protection districts created under the

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Fire Protection District Act. The course of training shall
include, but not be limited to, instruction in:
(1) the general background of the legal requirements
for open meetings;
(2) the applicability of this Act to public bodies;
(3) procedures and requirements regarding quorums,
notice, and record-keeping under this Act;
(4) procedures and requirements for holding an open
meeting and for holding a closed meeting under this Act;
and
(5) penalties and other consequences for failing to
comply with this Act.
If an organization that represents fire protection
districts organized under the Fire Protection District Act
provides a course of training under this subsection (g), it
must provide a certificate of course completion to each
elected or appointed member of a board of trustees who
successfully completes that course of training.
(h) An elected or appointed member of a public body of a
municipality may satisfy the training requirements of this
Section by participating in a course of training sponsored or
conducted by an organization that represents municipalities as
designated in Section 1-8-1 of the Illinois Municipal Code.
The course of training shall include, but not be limited to,
instruction in:
(1) the general background of the legal requirements

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for open meetings;
(2) the applicability of this Act to public bodies;
(3) procedures and requirements regarding quorums,
notice, and record-keeping under this Act;
(4) procedures and requirements for holding an open
meeting and for holding a closed meeting under this Act;
and
(5) penalties and other consequences for failing to
comply with this Act.
If an organization that represents municipalities as
designated in Section 1-8-1 of the Illinois Municipal Code
provides a course of training under this subsection (h), it
must provide a certificate of course completion to each
elected or appointed member of a public body who successfully
completes that course of training.
(i) An elected or appointed member of a public body of a
township may satisfy the training requirements of this Section
by participating in a course of training sponsored or
conducted by an organization that represents townships created
under the Township Code. The course of training shall include,
but not be limited to, instruction in:
(1) the general background of the legal requirements
for open meetings;
(2) the applicability of this Act to public bodies;
(3) procedures and requirements regarding quorums,
notice, and record-keeping under this Act;

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