Bill Text: IL SB1577 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides for the election (rather than appointment) of the board of trustees of the City Colleges of Chicago beginning with the 2025 consolidated election. Provides that the City of Chicago shall be subdivided into 20 trustee districts by the General Assembly for seats on the board of trustees, in addition to one at-large trustee. Makes related changes. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2023-09-25 - Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Mike Porfirio [SB1577 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB1577-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB1577 Introduced 2/8/2023, by Sen. Robert F. Martwick SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
110 ILCS 805/7-1 from Ch. 122, par. 107-1
110 ILCS 805/7-2 from Ch. 122, par. 107-2
110 ILCS 805/7-2.1 new
110 ILCS 805/7-2.2 new
110 ILCS 805/7-2.3 new
110 ILCS 805/7-3 from Ch. 122, par. 107-3
Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides for the election (rather than appointment) of the board of trustees of the City Colleges of Chicago beginning with the 2025 consolidated election. Provides that the City of Chicago shall be subdivided into 20 trustee districts by the General Assembly for seats on the board of trustees, in addition to one at-large trustee. Makes related changes. Effective immediately.
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STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning higher education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Public Community College Act is amended by
changing Sections 7-1, 7-2, and 7-3 and by adding Sections
7-2.1, 7-2.2, and 7-2.3 as follows:
(110 ILCS 805/7-1) (from Ch. 122, par. 107-1)
Sec. 7-1. This Article applies only to community college
districts in cities having a population of 500,000 or more
inhabitants. Each such community college district shall
maintain a system of community colleges under the charge of a
board, which is appointed as provided in Section 7-2. Except
as otherwise provided in this Article, such a community
college district and its board have all the rights, duties,
powers and responsibilities and are subject to the same
limitations as are provided for other community college
districts in this Act, as now or hereafter amended.
(Source: P.A. 78-669.)
(110 ILCS 805/7-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 107-2)
Sec. 7-2. (a) This subsection (a) applies until May 6,
2025. The board shall consist of 7 members, appointed by the
mayor with the approval of the city council. Prior to the

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expiration of the term of any member his successor shall be
appointed in like manner and shall hold office for a term of 3
years from July 1 of the year in which he is appointed and
until his successor is appointed and qualified. Any vacancy in
the membership of the board shall be filled through
appointment by the mayor, with the approval of the city
council, for the unexpired term. If any appointee fails to
qualify within 30 days after his appointment, the office shall
be filled by a new appointment for the unexpired term. To be
eligible for appointment to a board under this Section, a
person must possess the same qualifications and meet the same
requirements as are prescribed by this Act for members of an
elected board of a community college district.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3-7 of this
Act, the terms of all members of the board appointed under
subsection (a) are abolished when the new board, consisting of
21 members, is elected by the electors of the community
college district as provided in this subsection (b) and takes
office.
Beginning with the 2025 consolidated election, each member
shall be elected for a term of 4 years and until the member's
successor is elected and has qualified. After the 2025
consolidated election, each member shall be elected for a term
of 4 years, commencing on the second Tuesday in May of the year
in which the member is elected, and until the member's
successor is elected and has qualified. For purposes of

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elections conducted pursuant to this subsection (b), the City
of Chicago shall be subdivided into 20 trustee districts by
the General Assembly for seats on the board, as provided under
Section 7-2.3 of this Act. Each district shall be represented
by a member, and one member shall be elected at large and serve
as the president of the board. To be eligible for election or
appointment to a board under this Section, a person must
possess the same qualifications and meet the same requirements
as are prescribed by this Act for members of an elected board
of a community college district. A person is ineligible for
election or appointment to a board under this Section if that
person is an employee of a community college district within
the city.
(c) No member shall have or be an employee or owner of a
company that has a contract with a community college within
the city. No former officer, member, or employee of the board
shall, within a period of one year immediately after
termination of service on the board, knowingly accept
employment or receive compensation or fees for services from a
person or entity if the officer, member, or employee, during
the year immediately preceding termination of service on the
board, participated personally and substantially in the award
of contracts with the board, community college district, or
community colleges within the city, or the issuance of
contract change orders with the board or the community college
district, or community college within the city, with a

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cumulative value of $25,000 or more to the person, the entity,
or the entity's parent or subsidiary.
(d) Whenever a vacancy occurs, the remaining members shall
fill the vacancy, and the person so appointed shall serve
until a successor is elected at the next regular election for
board members and is certified in accordance with Sections
22-17 and 22-18 of the Election Code. If the remaining members
fail to fill the vacancy within 60 days after the vacancy
occurs, the chairman of the State Board shall fill that
vacancy, and the person so appointed shall serve until a
successor is elected at the next regular election for board
members and is certified in accordance with Sections 22-17 and
22-18 of the Election Code. The person appointed to fill a
vacancy shall have the same residential qualifications as his
or her predecessor in office was required to have. However, in
either instance, if the vacancy occurs with more than 28
months remaining until the term expires, the appointed member
shall serve only until a successor is elected and qualified at
the next scheduled election.
(Source: P.A. 78-669.)
(110 ILCS 805/7-2.1 new)
Sec. 7-2.1. Nomination petitions. Notwithstanding Section
3-7.10 of this Act, in addition to the requirements of the
general election law, the form of petitions under this Section
shall be substantially as follows:

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NOMINATING PETITIONS
(LEAVE OUT THE INAPPLICABLE PART.)
To the Board of Election Commissioners for the City of
Chicago:
We the undersigned, being (.... or more) of the voters
residing within said district, hereby petition that .... who
resides at .... in the City of Chicago shall be a candidate for
the office of .... of the Board of Trustees of the City
Colleges of Chicago, Illinois Community College District No.
508, (full term) (vacancy) to be voted for at the election to
be held on (insert date).
Name: .................. Address: ...................
In the designation of the name of a candidate on a petition
for nomination, the candidate's given name or names, initial
or initials, a nickname by which the candidate is commonly
known, or a combination thereof may be used in addition to the
candidate's surname. If a candidate has changed his or her
name, whether by a statutory or common law procedure in
Illinois or any other jurisdiction, within 3 years before the
last day for filing the petition, then (i) the candidate's
name on the petition must be followed by "formerly known as
(list all prior names during the 3-year period) until name
changed on (list date of each such name change)" and (ii) the
petition must be accompanied by the candidate's affidavit
stating the candidate's previous names during the period
specified in clause (i) and the date or dates each of those

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names was changed; failure to meet these requirements shall be
grounds for denying certification of the candidate's name for
the ballot, but these requirements do not apply to name
changes resulting from adoption to assume an adoptive parent's
or parents' surname, marriage to assume a spouse's surname, or
dissolution of marriage or declaration of invalidity of
marriage to assume a former surname. No other designation,
such as a political slogan, as defined by Section 7-17 of the
Election Code, title or degree, or nickname suggesting or
implying possession of a title, degree or professional status,
or similar information may be used in connection with the
candidate's surname.
All petitions for the nomination of members of the board
shall be filed with the board of election commissioners of the
jurisdiction in which the principal office of the community
college district is located within the time provided for by
the general election law. The board of election commissioners
shall receive and file only those petitions that include a
statement of candidacy, the required number of voter
signatures, the notarized signature of the petition
circulator, and a receipt from the County Clerk showing that
the candidate has filed a statement of economic interest on or
before the last day to file as required by the Illinois
Governmental Ethics Act. The board of election commissioners
may have petition forms available for issuance to potential
candidates and may give notice of the petition filing period

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by publication in a newspaper of general circulation within
the community college district not less than 10 days prior to
the first day of filing. The board of election commissioners
shall make certification to the proper election authorities in
accordance with the general election law.
The board of election commissioners of the jurisdiction in
which the principal office of the community college district
is located shall notify the candidates for whom a petition for
nomination is filed or the appropriate committee of the
obligations under the Campaign Financing Act as provided in
the general election law. Such notice shall be given on a form
prescribed by the State Board of Elections and in accordance
with the requirements of the general election law. The board
of election commissioners shall within 7 days of filing or on
the last day for filing, whichever is earlier, acknowledge to
the petitioner in writing the office's acceptance of the
petition.
A candidate for membership on the board who has petitioned
for nomination to fill a full term and to fill a vacant term to
be voted upon at the same election must withdraw his or her
petition for nomination from either the full term or the
vacant term by written declaration.
Nomination petitions are not valid unless the candidate
named therein files with the board of election commissioners a
receipt from the county clerk showing that the candidate has
filed a statement of economic interests as required by the

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Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Such receipt shall be so
filed either previously during the calendar year in which his
or her nomination papers were filed or within the period for
the filing of nomination papers in accordance with the general
election law.
(110 ILCS 805/7-2.2 new)
Sec. 7-2.2. Ballots. The board of election commissioners
of the jurisdiction in which the principal office of the
community college district is located shall conduct a lottery
to determine the ballot order of candidates for full terms in
the event of any simultaneous petition filings. Such candidate
lottery shall be conducted as follows:
All petitions filed by persons waiting in line as of 8:00
a.m. on the first day for filing, or as of the normal opening
hour of the office involved on such day, shall be deemed
simultaneously filed as of 8:00 a.m. or the normal opening
hour, as the case may be. Petitions filed by mail and received
after midnight of the first day for filing and in the first
mail delivery or pickup of that day shall be deemed
simultaneously filed as of 8:00 a.m. of that day or as of the
normal opening hour of such day, as the case may be. All
petitions received thereafter shall be deemed filed in the
order of actual receipt. However, 2 or more petitions filed
within the last hour of the filing deadline shall be deemed
filed simultaneously.

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Where 2 or more petitions are received simultaneously for
the same office as of 8:00 a.m. on the first day for petition
filing or as of the normal opening hour of the office of the
board of election commissioners with whom such petitions are
filed, the board of election commissioners shall break ties
and determine the order of filing by means of a lottery or
other fair and impartial method of random selection. Such
lottery shall be conducted within 9 days following the last
day for petition filing and shall be open to the public. Seven
days written notice of the time and place of conducting such
random selection shall be given by the board of election
commissioners to all candidates who filed their petitions
simultaneously and to each organization of citizens within the
election jurisdiction that was entitled, under the general
election law, at the next preceding election, to have poll
watchers present on the day of election. The board of election
commissioners shall post in a conspicuous, open, and public
place, at the entrance of his or her office, notice of the time
and place of such lottery.
All candidates shall be certified in the order in which
their petitions have been filed and in the manner prescribed
by Section 10-15 of the Election Code. Where candidates have
filed simultaneously, they shall be certified in the order
prescribed by this Section and prior to candidates who filed
for the same office at a later time.
Where elections are conducted for unexpired terms, a

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second lottery to determine ballot order shall be conducted
for candidates who simultaneously file petitions for such
unexpired terms. Such lottery shall be conducted in the same
manner as prescribed by this Section for full term candidates.
Ballots for the election of board members shall be in the
following form:
(BALLOT FORMAT
Ballot position for candidates shall be determined by the
order of petition filing or lottery held pursuant to this
Section.
The community college district is divided into 20 trustee
districts, each of which elects one member to the board and
votes on one member to serve at-large.)
OFFICIAL BALLOT
DISTRICT ....... (1 through 20)
FOR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF
CHICAGO TO SERVE
A FULL 4-YEAR TERM
VOTE FOR ONE
( ) .....................................
( ) .....................................
( ) .....................................
OFFICIAL BALLOT
AT LARGE
FOR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF

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CHICAGO TO SERVE
A FULL 4-YEAR TERM
VOTE FOR ONE
( ) .....................................
( ) .....................................
( ) .....................................
REVERSE SIDE:
OFFICIAL BALLOT
DISTRICT ....... (1 through 20)
(Precinct name or number)
Community College District No. ......, ........... County,
Illinois
Election Tuesday (insert date)
(facsimile signature of Election Authority)
(County)
(110 ILCS 805/7-2.3 new)
Sec. 7-2.3. Creation of trustee districts; reapportionment
of districts.
(a) For purposes of elections conducted pursuant to
subsection (b) of Section 7-2 of this Act, the City of Chicago
shall be subdivided into 20 trustee districts after the
effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General
Assembly by the General Assembly for seats on the board. The
trustee districts must be drawn on or before May 31, 2024. Each
trustee district must be compact, contiguous, and

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substantially equal in population.
(b) In the year following each decennial census, the
General Assembly shall redistrict the trustee districts to
reflect the results of the decennial census consistent with
the requirements in subsection (a). The reapportionment plan
shall be completed and formally approved by the General
Assembly not less than 90 days before the last date
established by law for the filing of nominating petitions for
the second board election after the decennial census year. If
by reapportionment a board member no longer resides within the
trustee district from which the member was elected, the member
shall continue to serve in office until the expiration of the
member's regular term. All new members shall be elected from
the trustee districts as reapportioned.
(110 ILCS 805/7-3) (from Ch. 122, par. 107-3)
Sec. 7-3. The organization of the board and election of
officers for the a board appointed under Section 7-2 shall be
conducted in accordance with the general election law and this
Act.
(Source: P.A. 81-1489.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.