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SB 3631

ETHICS-FACULTY TIME SHEETS

104th Regular Session Introduced by Paul Faraci

IHE faculty timekeeping can be satisfied via contract terms rather than standard timesheets, for eligible public higher education employees.

Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments
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Bill Summary · SB 3631

Summary of SB3-631 (104th General Assembly, Illinois)

Note: This bill is introduced and subject to amendments. The summary focuses on the text as introduced.

Core purpose and intent

  • The bill modifies the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act to address time-keeping requirements for certain State employees.
  • Specifically, it allows public institutions of higher education (IHEs) faculty and certain non-OCTA-eligible employees to satisfy state time-sheet reporting requirements through the terms of their employment contract with the IHE, rather than standard time-sheet submissions.

Key provisions and changes

Scope of personnel policies

  • Amends Section 5-5 of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act.
  • Entities required to adopt and implement personnel policies include:
    • Executive branch constitutional officers
    • Legislative leaders
    • The President of the Senate (for legislative employees)
    • Speaker of the House (for legislative employees)
    • Joint Committee on Legislative Support Services
    • Members of the General Assembly (for legislative assistants)
    • Auditor General
    • Board of Higher Education (for State employees of public institutions of higher learning, excluding community colleges)
    • Illinois Community College Board (for State employees of community colleges)
  • The Governor must implement policies for executive branch employees not under other jurisdiction.

Policy content requirements

  • Policies must be filed with the appropriate ethics commission (or Auditor General, as applicable).
  • Policies must include:
    • Work time requirements and documentation of time worked
    • Documentation for reimbursement for official state travel
    • Compensation and benefits accrual/eligibility
  • As a minimum (effective 30 days after the amendatory act’s effective date):
    • Prohibition on sexual harassment
    • Procedures to report sexual harassment (including confidential reporting options to supervisor, ethics officer, Inspector General, or Department of Human Rights)
    • Prohibition on retaliation for reporting sexual harassment, including whistleblower protections under the Act, the Whistleblower Act, and the Illinois Human Rights Act
    • Consequences of sexual harassment violations and for knowingly making a false report
    • Policies must comply with other laws

Timekeeping and contract-based compliance

  • Time sheets must document time spent on official State business to the nearest quarter hour.
  • For contractual state employees, time-sheet requirements may be satisfied by complying with the terms of their contract.
  • Time sheets can be maintained on paper, electronically, or both, and must be kept for at least 2 years.

Special provision for public higher education faculty

  • For faculty at public IHEs (including tenure and nontenure systems) and for those not eligible for overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), time-sheet compliance can be satisfied by contract or employment agreement terms with the public IHE.
  • This means faculty timekeeping could be fulfilled through contractual provisions rather than standard time-sheet submission, where appropriate.

Effective date and implementation

  • The policy requirements and timekeeping flexibility apply beginning 30 days after adoption, with the act’s relevant sections referencing pre-2004 adoption deadlines in newer language.
  • The act specifies an immediate effective date upon becoming law for the introduced provisions.

Who is affected

  • State employees covered by the ethics act, including:
    • State employees of public IHEs (faculty and certain non-overtime-eligible employees)
    • Community college employees (through the Illinois Community College Board)
    • Other listed entities (executive officers, legislative officers, auditors, and general officers)
  • Contractual or non-traditional employment arrangements at IHEs may be used to satisfy timekeeping requirements.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • The bill was introduced on February 5, 2026, by Sen. Paul Faraci.
  • Committee and floor action timelines are in the legislative action history (Rule 2-10 deadlines set in 2026, with ongoing committee consideration).
  • Effective date: upon becoming law, with the specific minimum policy content to be in place within the stated timeframe after enactment (timekeeping elements must reflect the contract-based option for eligible IHE faculty).

Practical impact

  • Provides flexibility for IHE faculty and certain non-overtime-eligible employees to meet timekeeping requirements via contract terms.
  • Maintains standard timekeeping for most State employees, while ensuring core protections against harassment and whistleblower protections are embedded in personnel policies.
  • Requires robust documentation and retention of timekeeping records (2-year retention) across affected agencies.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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