Illinois Administrative Code

Section 553.40 Informal Hearing Officer Qualifications a) Every hearing officer presiding over informal hearings must meet the following educational and/or experience requirements. 1) Possess the knowledge, skill and mental development equivalent to the completion of two (2) year…

Section 553.50 SR Hearing Officer Qualifications a) Every hearing officer presiding over SR hearings must meet the following educational and/or experience requirements: 1) Possess the knowledge, skill and mental development equivalent to the completion of three (3) years of colle…

Section 553.60 Disqualification of Hearing Officers a) formal hearing officers: handled in accordance with the provisions found at 92 Ill. Adm. Code 1001.100(b). b) sr hearing officers: handled in accordance with the provisions found at 92 Ill. Adm. Code 1001.220(f). c) informal …

Section 555.10 Public Information a) The public can obtain information on programs and activities of the Merit Commission or request to inspect and/or copy documents by writing, phoning, or visiting the Merit Commission office located at 421 E. Capitol, Springfield, Illinois 6275…

Section 555.110 Rulemaking a) The current rulemaking procedure of the Merit Commission is as set forth in the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1991, ch. 127, pars. 1001-1 et seq.). b) All interested persons who wish to submit a request to comment must do so …

Section 555.210 Organization of the Merit Commission The Commission consists of 5 members, the Chairman and 4 commissioners, who are appointed by the Secretary of State with the advice and consent of the Senate. Support staff may consist of technical advisors, hearing officers, p…

Section 555.TABLE A Organization Chart Chairman 4 Commissioners Hearing Officers Administrative Assistant Clerical Support (Source: Amended at 35 Ill. Reg. 12756, effective July 14, 2011)

Section 560.100 Definitions The following definitions shall apply to this Part: "Act" means the Lobbyist Registration Act [25 ILCS 170]. "Administrative Action" means the execution or rejection of any rule, regulation, legislative rule, standard, fee, rate, contractual arrangemen…

Section 560.105 Designated Officials As indicated in Section 560.100, the term "official" means all members of the General Assembly; all elected constitutional officers (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Treasurer, and State Comptroller), …

Section 560.200 Persons Required to Register The following individuals shall register with the Secretary of State Index Department: a) Any natural person who, for compensation or otherwise, undertakes to lobby as defined in Section 560.100. (Section 3(a) of the Act) b) Any person…

Section 560.205 Designation and Duties of Authorized Agent a) Every lobbying entity shall designate on its Registration Statement an authorized agent who shall be responsible for keeping copies of the expenditure and registration records provided to him or her by that entity's lo…

Section 560.210 Persons Not Required to Register This Part is not intended and shall not be construed to apply to the following: a) Persons or entities who, for the purpose of influencing any executive, legislative or administrative action and who do not make expenditures that ar…

Section 560.220 Registration Requirements a) Every natural person and every entity required to register under the Act shall register before any service is performed which requires the natural person or entity to register, but in any event not later than 2 business days after bein…

Section 560.225 Ethics Training Each natural person required to register as a lobbyist under the Act must complete the ethics training program provided by the Secretary of State (see Section 4.5 of the Act). Each natural person registered under the Act must complete the training …

Section 560.230 Failure to Register (Repealed) (Source: Repealed at 21 Ill. Reg. 405, effective January 1, 1997)

Section 560.235 Prohibition on Sexual Harassment a) All persons have the right to work in an environment free from sexual harassment. All persons subject to the Act shall refrain from sexual harassment of any person. b) Sexual Harrassment Defined 1) For purposes of the Act, "sexu…

Section 560.300 Persons Required to File Semi-monthly Reports a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, every person required to register as prescribed in Section 560.200 shall report under oath subject to penalties existing under the Act and pursuant to Section 1-109 of t…

Section 560.301 Affirmations a) Twice annually, each lobbyist required to be registered under this Part shall affirm, under oath subject to penalties existing under the Act and Section 1-109 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the accuracy of all expenditures included in semi-monthly…

Section 560.305 Time, Place and Manner for Filing Semi-monthly Reports a) A report for the period beginning July 1, 2010 and ending on December 31, 2010 shall be filed no later than January 15, 2011. Beginning January 1, 2011, reports shall be filed semi-monthly as follows: 1) fo…

Section 560.310 Categorizing Expenditures a) Expenditures attributable to lobbying officials shall be listed and reported according to the following categories: 1) travel and lodging on behalf of others, including, but not limited to, all travel and living accommodations made for…

Section 560.315 Allocating Expenditures a) For reporting purposes, the registrant may allocate the expenditure by prorating the total cost of the transaction among the number of beneficiaries (officials and non-officials). Example: A lobbyist buys dinner for a group of 5 persons,…

Section 560.320 Large Gatherings and Giveaways a) Expenditures incurred for hosting receptions, benefits and other large gatherings held for purposes of goodwill or otherwise to influence executive, legislative or administrative action to which there are twenty-five (25) or more …

Section 560.325 Reporting Expenditures by Participants in Grass Roots Lobbying Events A participant in a grass roots lobbying event (as defined in Section 560.100) who makes a reportable expenditure shall file a Grass Roots Lobbying Statement with the authorized agent of the spon…

Section 560.326 Registrant's Duties for Grass Roots Lobbying Events Registered entities that sponsor a grass roots lobbying event shall be required to inform the participants in writing that any reportable expenditures incurred must be disclosed to the authorized agent of the reg…

Section 560.330 Expenditures for Immediate Family Members of Officials a) Each individual expenditure required to be reported shall include all expenses made for or on behalf of a State official and members of the official's immediate family living with the official if the expend…

Section 560.340 Travel and Lodging Accommodations for Officials a) Under the category of travel and lodging, reports shall include, but are not limited to, all travel and lodging accommodations provided free of charge to an official during sessions of the General Assembly when th…

Section 560.345 Members of Legislative or State Study Committees Reasonable and bona fide expenditures made by the registrant who is a member of a legislative or State study commission or committee while attending and participating in meetings and hearings of such commission or c…

Section 560.350 Personal and Office Expenses a) Reasonable and bona fide expenditures made by the registrant for personal sustenance, lodging and travel not on the behalf of an official, office expenses and clerical or support staff need not be reported (Section 6 of the Act) reg…

Section 560.355 Registrant's Duties for Grass Roots Lobbying Events (Repealed) (Source: Repealed at 21 Ill. Reg. 405, effective January 1, 1997)

Section 560.360 Salaries, Fees and Compensation Salaries, fees, and other compensation paid to the lobbyist for the purpose of lobbying, and not as a direct reimbursement for a reportable expenditure, need not be reported by the employer. However, the employer's report shall incl…

Section 560.365 Contributions Reported Under the Election Code a) Any monetary or in-kind contribution made by a person or political committee pursuant to Article 9 of the Election Code [10 ILCS 5/9], need not be reported. Tickets purchased for a political fundraising event and w…

Section 560.370 Returned Expenditures/Reimbursement by Official Any reportable expenditure that the official returns to the lobbyist or for which the official reimburses the lobbyist or lobbying entity prior to the deadline for submission of the report need not be reported. (Sect…

Section 560.371 Lobbyist Notifications to Officials Pursuant to Sections 6 and 6.5 of the Act, registrants shall send 2 notifications to each official on whose behalf an expenditure was incurred during the reporting period. a) A registrant that makes an expenditure on behalf of a…

Section 560.372 Official's Clarification Notice An official may submit a letter of clarification to the Secretary of State Index Department to contest an expenditure attributed to him or her. The clarification notice will be forwarded to the registered entity who shall respond in…

Section 560.375 Reports in the Absence of Reportable Expenditures Registrants that made no reportable expenditures during a reporting period shall file an Expenditure Summary Report stating that no expenditures were incurred (Section 6(b-1) of the Act). The reports shall be filed…

Section 560.380 Amending Reports Any change or error in information previously submitted in a statement or report shall be disclosed by filing an amended statement or report as soon as practicable following the change or discovery of the error. A registrant has a continuing duty …

Section 560.385 Termination of Lobbying Activities a) To terminate registration under this Section, a lobbyist or lobbying entity must file with the Secretary of State Index Department via its authorized agent a written notification of the termination of lobbying activities and a…

Section 560.390 Failure to File Registration Statements and Semi-monthly Reports Failure to file a statement or report within the time designated, or the reporting of incomplete information, may constitute a violation of the Act. Within 5 business days after a filing deadline, th…

Section 560.395 Preservation of Records a) A lobbyist, or an authorized agent, if the lobbying entity prefers, shall preserve for a period of 2 years from the filing date copies of all receipts and records forwarded to the Authorized Agent that were used in preparing reports unde…

Section 560.400 Requests for Reports a) All requests to view or copy statements or semi-monthly reports shall be made in person or submitted in writing. Copies must be paid for in advance (see Section 560.420). b) All statements and reports filed under this Part with the Secretar…

Section 560.402 Location and Business Hours The offices of the Secretary of State Index Department are located at 111 East Monroe Street, Springfield, Illinois 62756, and at 17 N. State Street, Chicago, Illinois 60602, and shall be open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:…

Section 560.405 Official Forms Registered entities are required to use only the electronic lobbyist registration and reporting system and official forms and schedules approved by the Secretary of State Index Department when filing lobbyist registration statements or reports. a) C…

Section 560.410 List of Officials The Secretary of State Index Department shall maintain and make available to registrants a list of position titles deemed by their employing Constitutional Officers to be officials under this Part. The Constitutional Officers may provide this lis…

Section 560.420 Fees Semi-monthly reports and lists of registrants shall be made available to the public at the following fees: a) The list of registrants shall be available free of charge via the Internet. This list is available on compact disc for $10. b) Copies of statements o…

Section 560.430 Enforcement The Secretary of State Inspector General is the office having investigative authority for alleged violations of the Act. Investigations shall be conducted pursuant to Section 11 of the Act. (Source: Added at 35 Ill. Reg. 12761, effective July 18, 2011)

Section 560.APPENDIX A Lobbyist Registration Statements

Section 560.ILLUSTRATION B Form R2: Lobbyist Registration Statement − For Individual/Firm/Partnership/Committee/Association/Corporation or any Other Organization Who Performs Lobbying Services on Behalf of Another (Repealed) (Source: Repealed at 21 Ill. Reg. 405, effective Januar…