Bill > HB1703

This bill amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act to expand the authority of the Executive Inspector General (EIG) to issue public statements about investigations. Specifically, the EIG can now release a public statement when concluding an investigation in two scenarios: first, when recommending systemic or procedural actions, and second, when finding reasonable cause to believe a violation occurred but choosing not to file a complaint with the Executive Ethics Commission. The public statement can summarize the investigation's details without revealing individual names, including the nature of the allegation, specific violations found, and recommended disciplinary or corrective measures. Before issuing such a statement, the EIG must first share the draft with the affected agency head and ultimate jurisdictional authority, giving them 10 business days to provide a response, which must be included with the final public statement. This change aims to increase transparency in ethics investigations while protecting individual privacy and providing context through agency responses. The bill becomes effective immediately upon enactment.

Government Affairs

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1703&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104